2010 Prius Models and Option Packages

I believe our after-the-fact concensus was that gas mileage for the 2010 would be a 4-mpg step-up, excepting for the cars with the 17" wheels. The Chief Engineer told our group that with the 17s we'd gain only a 1-mpg step-up (thus the 3mpg hit you've noted).

What wasn't stated was the anticipated mpg "hit" for having the moonroof (open or closed). At least I don't recall any discussion about it.

Still, I'd like to know if anyone remembers more of the specifics about how the wheel well design was supposed to help smooth out the aerodynamics. I thought it had something to do with drawing in the air through the wheels and having it pulled into the fender. I don't know where it was supposed to be released.

All I can really tell you is that I was attempting to listen -- no guarantees of any real understanding!

 

Not a bad habit to have in Chicago....especially with a RWD BMW.

 

Funny thing this SKS system. The fob has a button for locking and another for unlocking the whole car but it seems if you have SKS you can't push the fob buttons to let your friends in the car. I'd personally like my car to be unlocked before I touch the handle if I'm going to open the door for a "friend". I do it now without taking the fob from my pocket.
I'll be fine with SKS on one door, if I have friends with me who get to their door sooner than me or I want to open the door for them I'll use the remote as long as it actually will remotely unlock the doors. That way I can open a back door first then the front which to me if opening for more than 1 passenger is the logical order to open the doors.

 

I remember him stating that the little indents on the wheel "covers" for the 15 is supposed to help and a vague discussion about how the wheels would pull air in on the 17" wheels.. but none of that made sense to me with the language barrier... .obviously it doesn't do much if there is a 3mpg hit from using them!

I don't think cooling brakes is an issue, since they are rarely truly used as far as pad friction... maybe it cooled some of the the regen components... but I didn't get it.

 

I didn't know you had friends... I thought they were all clones?

 

It sure would be nice to have heated seats as a standalone option...

They should have the solar package as just a solar package w/o the nav package; a lot of people nowadays have their own nav units and forcing nav w/ the solar package seems like it will reduce the number of people willing to fork over for it...

 

I have 2 friends. That's OK isn't it?

 

Especially one that came with big fat high-performance summer-only tires. Toughed it out the first winter before getting caught in the kind of rush-hour slush fest we usually get one or two of each year. I remember I was stopped at a light next to another crippled Bimmer, in a sea of salty slush, still snowing hard. Light turns green. At about, oh, ONE mph, we both lose grip, start fishtailing, back off, try again. Like some super slow-mo drag race in hell. Took me 45 minutes to make the last 3 miles home, and I think I still beat that guy.

THAT SAID, once I put on winter wheels, I never had any problems again in snow. I firmly believe that tire choice has a much bigger affect on the ability to handle snow than whether it's FWD or AWD or whatever.


Tim

 

Yep... me and your dog!
But you feed your dog better.....

 

Boy, if they were mirror-imaged to the other side, I could believe that, and would have much more respect for the design decision. And maybe production units will be that way. But all the pictures I've seen so far, and the cars at the Chicago event, show it otherwise, with the wheel covers rotating the wrong direction on one side of the car or the other.


Tim

 

What is the bolt pattern and offset for the new Prius?

 

My dog doesn't like me all that much, more than my dad's dog likes him, he has scars to prove it!
I don't have my little Missy dog in the car.

 

# of holes=5, PCD=100mm, offset=45mm(15inch) or 50mm(17inch)

Ken@Japan

 

Re: 2010 Prius Models band Option Packages

I'm sick of the naysayers saying this reverse camera thing is a luxury. How many kids get rolled over each year? Freaking Prius doesn't make a sound when backing up....

When I told my wife the 2010 didn't have backup camera standard her first comment was "why, you can't see shit out the back of your car without it?"

 

Re: 2010 Prius Models band Option Packages

I agree... I always thought that was to make up for the poor view out the back and the quiet too like you said.

On the other hand.. I do love to slowly sneak up on people in parking lots and once they realize I'm there they jump out of their skin!

I just don't want to do that backing up!

 

Where are the parents of these kids when they are running around behind a reversing car?

A 2 year old is about half their adult height

so a 2 year old child who will grow to an average height (68") will stand about 34".

Here is a quick sketch I made after measuring the height of the back window of my Prius and the height of the mirror and the distance of the mirror from the rear window.
you can see the blind spot in an unladen Prius with a very low fuel level (2 bars on gauge) for a 2 year old toddler, about as young as I would expect to be moving around while not holding a parents hand (but I would still expect this age child to be closely supervised). This blind spot is 69 inches long and narrower than the car as there are side mirrors which are wider than the back of the car. Of course for every inch the child grows the distance shrinks rapidly and at 42 inches tall the distance is zero.

I'll measure some average cars at work during the week but I think the Prius performs pretty well in this area.

Mirror height 51"
Window height 42"
Horizontal distance, mirror to window bottom 90".
I'll add, I sat in my car and could see a bird poo on the ground behind the car, so it appears you could see shit out the back of a Prius.

 

As a parent of two, going on three, I find the requirement of getting package IV to get the 3-door Smart Key system SUPER weak! I can't imagine getting by putting the kids in the car seats without the ability to touch the passenger side door handle!

Usually one hand is carrying an infant seat while the other is holding the hand of a curious 1 1/2 year old, so three-door SKS capability is essential.

 

or a remote might work. I bet the 1.5 year old would love to unlock the car with the remote. I'm just wondering how people ever got by with a key lock?