1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

I'm driving the 2016 Prius next week. What do you want to know?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Danny, Nov 2, 2015.

  1. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2004
    14,487
    2,994
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lee, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    How easy is it to change oil? ;)
     
    Danny likes this.
  2. Pale Fox

    Pale Fox New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2015
    26
    20
    6
    Location:
    Austria, Europe
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Cold start: Does the new exhaust gas heat exchanger and the dual passage cooling system result in a considerably faster heat-up time for the engine?
    Is there a clear improvement in the seating position and the field of vision regarding the A-pillars (windscreen pillars) left and right?

    Is it fun to drive (straight from your own perception of a sporty driving experience or the lack of it) ??
     
  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,068
    15,372
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I forgot to mention, read both owner's manuals and post them, word-for-word, Nov. 18. <GRINS

    Bob Wilson
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  4. DBS

    DBS Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2007
    37
    9
    0
    Location:
    Staunton, VA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Will it come with the solar sun roof?
     
  5. joe1347

    joe1347 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2007
    669
    44
    0
    Location:
    AZ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    How about just letting us know if you have to push the gen4 to get it going - especially uphill :)

    Ideally you can take it out on the open road and find out how handles under real world conditions.

    0 to 60 times would be nice. I assume that's something that Toyota will provide

    How's the base stereo sound? This goes along with your impressions on the base model (two still?), or whether it makes (a lot) of sense to get a three?

    If it's somewhat hot out, what's the real world mpg look like with the air conditioner blasting in stop and go traffic

    How about some real world photos - parking lot or street - to get a better feel for what the car really looks like. Ideally, photo's of more colors.

    How does the gas engine kicking on feel as compared to the previous gen's?
     
  6. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2010
    4,297
    2,347
    33
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Air conditioning performance. The Gen III barely cuts it in the South.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    can you see the climate control button lights when the sun is shining on them?

    do the door sills still get dirty?
     
    #27 bisco, Nov 2, 2015
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2015
    GaryD1 likes this.
  8. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,496
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    How much effort does it take to get all the styrofoam out of the back area? Take pictures. Whether you put it back is up to you.
     
    Tideland Prius and Danny like this.
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    will a super sized soda fit in the cup holder?
     
    Netcub likes this.
  10. GaryD1

    GaryD1 Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2011
    302
    138
    0
    Location:
    Seagrove, NC
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    does it take the same oil filter as gen 3
     
  11. GaryD1

    GaryD1 Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2011
    302
    138
    0
    Location:
    Seagrove, NC
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    What are the standard features? Did they get gas gage fixed from reading too many mile per gallon and also what type battery, is that changing?
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Danny's getting maybe a half hour test drive, not two days on a test track and a tear down. :ROFLMAO:
     
    DoubleDAZ and Netcub like this.
  13. bingee3

    bingee3 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2012
    171
    105
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Turn off rear BEEP ?? And other items the dealer can change , or is it possible for owner
    To change What items
     
  14. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2005
    3,156
    440
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
    i would also like subjective feel of everything - driving, acceleration, stopping, steering, interior quality, interior nvh, comfort, space, multimedia, stereo, gauges, hud, driving position, back space, trunk space, safety sense p, does it shut off more, at what speeds on highway, mid speed acceration, mpg compared to g3 during test and pretty much everything you can tell us thats your subjective opinion.... objective specs we will be able to see but that doesnt tell us much about real life experience.

    thanks a lot!
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,768
    16,017
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Questions, eh?



    1. Ride comfort
      1. Use another Toyota vehicle for reference if possible (Better than Gen 3 is stating the obvious :p). Is it Avalon comfy? Camry comfy? or "small car" comfy?
      2. How does the suspension react to potholes or railway crossings? Bound/rebound of shocks....
      3. Is the ride European firm? (stiffness of springs)
    2. Handling
      1. How quick is the vehicle response to steering input?
      2. How quick is the steering ratio?
      3. If it's windy on the day of the test drive, how's crosswind stability?
      4. How is high speed stability? (esp. on the track)
      5. How's the mountain road? (Hey, I do not know which part of TX the test route covers :D). What's the closest vehicle reference you can give us? (It handles like a...)
    3. Interior Comfort. The Tokyo Motor Show press release talks about sound insulation "noise insulation performance for impressively silent interior" is the quote.
      1. How much better is it really?
      2. Road noise?
      3. Tire noise? (both 15" and 17")
      4. Wind noise? (and at what speed was it heard).
      5. Front seats
        1. how does it feel after sitting in it for the length of the test drive (hopefully 30 mins to an hour?).
        2. How do they fare when doing tests for point #2? :whistle:
      6. Moonroof and wind noise - at what speed with the moonroof open does wind buffeting become an issue?
      7. A/C performance. How well does it do? (I guess it depends how warm the car is before you get in)
      8. Can you really tell if "S-Flow" is working?
    4. Suspension & Tires
      1. Suspension & tire combo reasonably grippy?
      2. Do they help with coasting/gliding?
      3. Reasonably quiet?
      4. Is there a difference in setup between the 15" model and the 17" model like the Gen 3?
    5. HSD
      1. How hard does the engine have to work under normal driving conditions?
      2. How well is the engine noise isolated from the cabin?
      3. How often/easily does it shut down? (Granted, it might be warm enough in TX that it's basically summer weather so the engine warm-up is short).
      4. How many EV miles on the new batteries?
      5. How easy is it to glide?
      6. If driving on mountain roads, how often does the battery assist in propulsion and how quick is it to charge up?
      7. How is the battery meter in car's display configured? (The Gen 3 has a larger "6 bars" range than the Gen 2 so the battery meter wouldn't fluctuate as much)
      8. Is the battery programmed to still hold at 60% true SOC for longevity (both NiMH and Li-Ion)?
      9. What is the usable SOC range of the Li-Ion battery?
      10. Engine start-up/shut down is smooth and unnoticeable?
      11. What kind of EV Drive Mode restrictions are there? (Are they as limiting as the Gen 3 or as free as the Gen 2)
    6. Driving
      1. How's the acceleration. Does it feel faster/slower? (the quietness of the interior may play a role in the subjective determination of speed unless you have the windows down)
      2. How are the brakes?
        1. Powerful enough?
        2. Pedal feel is good?
        3. Transition from regen to friction is smooth?
      3. PWR Mode - The press release (and accompanying video) said it's different from the Gen 3 and it's "intelligent" in that it learns that the car is being driven more spiritedly and reacts accordingly. Are you able to tell that difference in PWR Mode?
      4. ECO Mode is supposedly as responsive as the Gen 3's normal mode. True?
      5. Please try the DRCC. It works from 0km/h-vehicle top speed, right?. How well does it work in traffic? Is it smooth in braking and acceleration in traffic? How aggressive is the DRCC when the speed difference between actual and set speed is large?
      6. Does the HUD include navigation directions? Actually, what kind of displays are available for the HUD?
      7. Visibility
        1. Lane change visibility good/bad?
        2. Left-turn/Right-turn visibility good/bad? How bad do the A-pillars intrude into the field of view?
      8. Is the "Simple Intelligent Parking Assist" really that simple?
    7. Miscellaneous
      1. How is the front wiper & washer performance? (Gen 2's sprays were powerful jets. The Gen 3 just kinda barfs all over the wiper arm and some area above it on the windshield)
      2. If you can find a parkade, how is the headlight performance?
      3. How is the backup camera performance in low light (parkade) and bright sunshine? (The Gen 3 Prius' camera is much clearer than the one found on the new Corolla. The Corolla was grainy at night)
      4. How's the base audio system? What about the JBL (safe to assume it's the GreenEdge lineup?)
      5. How responsive is the touch screen? What size is it?
      6. Is the navigation using the Denso map (like the Gen 3 7" headunit) or the Garmin-esque map (6.1")?
      7. HDD or flash-based navigation?
      8. With the moonroof sunshade retracted, can you see the MFD during the day in the sun?
     
    john1701a, spwolf and Danny like this.
  16. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    1,243
    1,044
    1
    Location:
    Keystone State
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    When you push the driver's door closed, does it sound like an oil drum lid or a firm thump?
     
  17. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2009
    2,516
    1,789
    0
    Location:
    NEPA
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Limited
    Options available with each of the different trim levels?
    Pricing?

    And all that technical stuff Bob Wilson would like to see... ;)
     
  18. Iamjo20

    Iamjo20 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2007
    259
    54
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    OH OH----YES--never heard about this ! lol
     
  19. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2004
    14,487
    2,994
    0
    Location:
    Fort Lee, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Apply the brake over a pot hole. When HSD detects a wheel slip, it'll stop the regen and apply the friction pads more. How fast is the response?
     
  20. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2011
    3,292
    547
    0
    Location:
    2014 Prius c
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Ask:
    Is PiP gonna have those ugly tail fins too?
    Is there an option to not have C-pillars blacked out?
    Is there rear sway bar or they cheaped out.. sorry oversized front and it will still understeer?