2010 Prius Models and Option Packages

Do you know if there would be any negative effect of not using the wheel covers?

 

I think its just the wind resistance is a tad more without them on.. but we're talking very little.... like Qbee says.. if your an engineer it will give you a warm and fuzzy from knowing what they are doing.

Its always funner driving a car that has all the fancy telemetry and gauges to know whats going on.. even though its not necessary to drive it.

But I've seen many debate on whether they should waste 30 watts of light for headlights during the day or whether they should remove the spare or worry about an extra 200lbs of cargo.
Also some will not run with the windows down because of the air drag, but instead will suffer inside or waste the same amount of energy lost in the air drag by running the inside fan on high and/or air-conditioner.

As with everything.. there is a line in the sand we have to draw between what our real goal is.

If its truly all about efficiency and gas mileage, we would run around in a tiny electric car that has no comforts, room, or amenities.

But the fact is we all want to do our best to have both.

But when we are talking about such tiny numbers, IMO it then becomes a matter of looks and taste if you can toss the numbers out the window and never notice the difference.

Numbers as high as 3mpg for 17" wheels is worth scratching your head over, but even then we are talking very minimal numbers at the gas pump.... there is "just enough" engineer mentality in me that it irks me to waste 75% of the mpg savings of going to the 2010 just for wheels that look nicer... so I declined on that particular option.

No one is talking much about what the air drag will be when the solar sunroof is up.. it appears its by no means a low profile sunroof and seems to me it could really disturb the airfoil... but hopefully I'm wrong and the engineers factored all that in... at any rate, I'm suspect it raises the air coefficient much more than not having the wheel hubs on.

They added weight for the sake of better suspension... a price I'm more than willing to pay!

But in answer to your question, I wouldn't let that be a fact in your consideration if your value system cares much about how it looks to you. Some folks get a win win as they like the way they look so leave them on!

No matter what your taste.. someone else won't like it.. so its really all about what you like and maybe those who you value close in your life.

Many folks hate the whole prius look altogether!
I too think there are some things they could do to really spiffy up the look to a sportier style without hurting airfoil.

In fact to a small degree, they have done just that with the 2010 IMO as it now appears more like a "mans car" to me!
What I mean by that is that its a tad more masculine in respect that it looks more like a pace car for an indy 500 race rather than a "cute little car" that only a young teenage female would like.

The stigma about looks in the past has leaned towards being "less than" a real mans car in the past despite all the techy geeky electronics and amazing engineering feats that are hidden inside its interworkings.

I live in Texas now the last 3 years and I am ever more aware of that stigma than I was in Washington State. If it don't have big tires and make lots of noise and blow out black smoke.. its no good!

I think the 2010 look is a step in the right direction.

If we can now must move more toward the Lamborghini look.. we'll have it made! :rockon:

 

Whew! I needed that exoneration.

When it gets toward springtime here, and the temp goes up (50s today!!!), I just can't help myself, and I roll down those windows.

Actually, one of the most pleasurable experiences I have in my Prius is driving down a local state highway that runs through a forest preserve. I can drive through the area in a glide or super stealth and listen to the birds. Very pleasing!

I'm picturing doing the same in my 2010, but going even quieter for longer. OK, I don't know how, but I have the picture in my mind. In any event, it will be happening in a better looking car!

 

And with the sunroof open don't forget!

Won't that be cool when we get true plugins so we can travel a decent distance on electric only.

 

Well, I just didn't see how a sunroof/moonroof/solar panels made that much sense in the Chicago area, so I'll just have to imagine it!

 

I don't know about everyone else, but in the pics. of the front interior I see NO cup- holders. Maybe they are in that fold down hatch thing in the console. I NEED my cupholders, I am in my car most of the day,(sales rep.), so I drink a lot of beverages.

 

Here's the magic pic!


Whats that in the door down towards the bottom?


There it is again...the console that has the lid open

 

I was just checking out the 360 spin on Toyota's site and it looks indeed like the 17" rims on each side are pointing forward. Let's hope this wasn't Photoshopped.

 

I just wish they had put heated/cooled memory seats, rear seat AC ducts, and reclining rear seats as options instead of the Technology package. Still it is a big improvement!

 

Heaters in seats pull a fair amount of wattage... prob more than all your other accessories combined "just for one seat".

They would have to ramp up the inverter to a bigger one and until the main traction battery is bigger, it would be a substantial drain on that too unless the car was running.. but then that would make the engine run much more ofter "similar to having the AC or heat on when cruising"

It could be done, but the energy price to pay is pretty substantial for folks who are trying to run lean.

I don't know what the wattage pull is in a typical seat "its somewhere in PC if you want to look it up" but when you add up all the other components needed to support it.. it makes it an expensive alternative.

 

Reminder to everyone: Heated leather seats are included in some of the available 2010 packages. Those seats include electronically controlled lumbar adjustment. I'm sure fully powered 8-way seats, with or without memory, were rejected due to weight issues for the additional power equipment.

One could argue about whether there should be more user choices in this process, but the U.S. EPA/MPG testing regulations seem to be impacting the available options in the U.S. Without having done any research on the subject, it appears that going beyond a certain weight range would force Toyota to either create a 2nd class of car for testing and reporting, or report a worse mileage number for all Prius.

 

Well Honda finally announced it's price & delivery date. So it'll be interesting to see what Toyota comes out with. There's much better features on the Prius, that's for sure (not to mention better MPG). I just hope it's priced right & I can get a good deal on one as the Insight is coming out at a better time for me financially speaking (even though I prefer a Prius!) :/

 

I'm good for the lumbar adjustment. If it wasn't for my lower back tension.. I would feel like a young whippersnapper!

The heated seat option is not that appreciated in this part of the country... other than to play tricks on a new unsuspecting person in the passenger seat!

I have good circulation in my butt... so I'm good!

 

Surprisingly, my wife and I use the heated seats in our Hycam quite a bit, even in summer, because the heating extends up into the lower part of the seatback. It can really help if your back is sore that day, or you are on a long highway trip.

 

I would prob use it, as long as it didnt' make me sweat.

I have to keep my cool when I'm driving with all the sleepy farmers driving their big work trucks in the left passing lane!

 

We have had heated seats in our cars since 1988, and we love them. Even here in south Texas we get cold weather. Cooled seats are fantastic in the heat, though!

 

I am a 2004 owner who was looking forward to replacing it with the 2010. But these packages are highly unfortunate... cant get the solar option with the LED's??? insert obsenitites here!!!! I was willing to settle for not having the tech. pack. with the solar option. But not having the LED's with the solar is making me think of waiting for another car.

 

A lot of us felt the same way.

Tom