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

2010 Solar Package in cold weather

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by southeprius, Jun 17, 2009.

  1. Midpack

    Midpack Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2009
    461
    43
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    And I don't know about the rest of you, but when I have an opportunity to park under a tree in summer, I will always take it. So up north, the solar feature will be of very limited use (cool/cold months, overcast days, shade, night, parking indoors). Really a marketing gimmick for the most part unless you live in Phoenix or the like - maybe.
     
  2. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2004
    12,747
    5,243
    57
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I parked under a tree the other day... though did feel a little guilty, since it was literally the only spot like that available and there were lots in the open sun.

    As for gimmick, give it a rest. TOYOTA OFFERS CONSUMERS A CHOICE! That's a drastic difference from GM, which just decides for you. We get to choose. Those of use in the north aren't as tolerant to heat as those in the south. So while it may seem to be of limited value, that's not what it actually translates to in practice.
    .
     
  3. Manolo1

    Manolo1 New Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2009
    150
    8
    3
    Location:
    South Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I live in Florida and although I wanted a Prius packed with gizmos, I went to version 4 to get the solar roof.
    And precisely the issue is NOT parking under a tree for three reasons:
    -falling branches under a sudden tropical storm
    -bird poop and
    -tree sap
    I have not yet received the Prius (just 13 more days) and will not be able to comment on the efficiency of the ventilation until at least one week after that (we are already enjoying 90 degree days!)...keep on reading...
     
  4. accordingly

    accordingly Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2009
    268
    63
    0
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    What choice is there? If you want a factory installed sunroof you are forced to buy a navigation system, a solar vent, and remote AC, and the latter two are practically useless to a lot of people. Plus, you are then restricted from a whole slew of other options including very high demand items like nicer wheels and headlights.

    GM offers consumers a choice to have an aftermarket hybrid engine installed on any vehicle too, as well as any thing else the Prius has.
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2009
    1,389
    947
    4
    Location:
    Foot of Pikes Peak
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Limited
    I started out feeling the way that you do, so I decided not to get the sunroof. I am getting the remote start. It will run longer (up to 10 minutes Vs 3 minutes) and definitely will heat in winter. Trade off is that the ICE may run.

    Part of my interest in Prius is it's elegant design that is attractive while maximizing fuel efficiency. That includes the sculpted roof that channels air flow. The Solar roof abandons that. Probably not much real world difference, but I choose the original shape.

    I am influenced by having the same design roof on my Tc and having shattered the wind deflector glass twice (see my posts in another sunroof thread), although I don't think that is typical. Bottom line, don't park under a tree. That's how I shattered it the first time.

    Gotta go, I'm off to the dealer for the second replacement, No joke.
     
  6. 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
    The fact that you're even getting a factory moonroof that's available for the first time in a Prius.

    Sure, they could've offered a moonroof on its own but then it wouldn't be a Prius, would it? It would just be conforming to the rest of the vehicles. If you want a moonroof, get a Camry Hybrid. IF you want power seats, get a Camry Hybrid.


    I could easily argue "oh a moonroof is a gimmick". Those living in PNW will never get to use it cause it rains all year long (no it doesn't but people seem to think it does). Or you can't use it up north cause you only have 2 months of summer and 10 months of winter.
     
  7. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,073
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Now is they only had a decent hybrid they might be onto something.

    Tom
     
  8. accordingly

    accordingly Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2009
    268
    63
    0
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Those anywhere in the world can enjoy the extra natural light and less confined feeling that a glass roof gives them 365 days a year. That's why over 25% of vehicles sold have them.

    Audi and Mercedes have been offering solar ventilation options for years, but hardly anyone buys them. Mazda stopped offering theirs. You can buy one at Autozone in their "As seen on TV" section. So much for being special.
     
    1 person likes this.
  9. Dolce

    Dolce Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2009
    61
    9
    0
    Location:
    Chicago
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    You have a great point. When given a real choice, most people don't buy solar ventilation because it is not practical for the high cost, and the little benfits in return.

    It is just a small % of Prius owners who enjoys the attention they get for showing off their green badge to the world. The solar roof is the biggest badge they can find to wear, doesn't matter if it actually helps with lowering their carbon footprint or not.

    Common sense taught us that if a car is hot, open the windows to cool it. No need to pay somebody $3000 to put a hole on your car to feel cool. There is plenty of glass surface to let light in on the 2010 Prius already to not feel confined in a tight space. As for the 25% of cars sold with sun or moon roofs, not all of them were conscious selected options, and only a small % of car owners uses the sun roofs they have everytime they drive.
     
  10. 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
    That's a small percentage and even then, that doesn't mean they'll use it. My friend boasted about his moonroof when his car was new but every time I was in it, it was closed and more often than not, the shade was also pulled. So much for "I have a moonroof but I don't use it" Keep in mind some don't want moonroofs because it intrudes into headroom or they don't want to have the sun shine on their bald head or any other reasons that might constrict them into checking that option box.

    Yes and it was incorporated INTO the moonroof so you couldn't tell if it was there or not. They already have the REST button in their climate control system.. maybe that's why hardly anyone buys them. Or maybe it was an expensive option (I think it was Cdn$4k here when I was pricing one back then which is expensive for a moonroof ... compare that to ~US$1,800 that Toyota is offering and you add the moonroof as opposed to replace the existing moonroof that the car came with like it was on the Audis and MBs.).
     
  11. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    well i live in a very temperate climate where the average high's in summer only hit 80 in July the hottest month. being so far north means that as we lose daylight, the temps drop pretty fast as well so August only averages 78º for highs.

    i also live in an area that has its very fair share of trees, and i can tell you that making a habit of parking under them, means washing your car weekly and still having it look like crap most of the time (in fact, you will get pollen all over your car even if parked in the middle of the mall parking lot, its just a lot worse under a tree) the benefits of living in a green area means a variety of flora and a pollen season that lasts over 5 months.

    now with all those drawbacks, you are right, i would still park under a tree if i could. now at my work, there are (should have went out and counted them, it would not have taken more than a few seconds) handful of parking lots that are shaded. the rest are exposed.

    at home in summer, the shade does not hit the car (we have very small area to park in) until about 9 PM.

    also,

    i think that of all the features the new Pri offers, this has been the most maligned of all and why is that??

    easy question to answer. it is ignorance. lets go back 20 years to the same people who poo-poo'ed cellphones. sure they were expensive and met with a huge amount of resistance, but lets face it, they were a good idea. now that they are semi-reasonable in cost (well, they are if you take off the laundry list of additional charges from other services now available of them) everyone has one.

    i want to see how many people WHO HAVE THE SOLAR PANEL who dont like it...i dont want someone who doesnt to tell me how stupid i was to buy it, because i think it does have a significant amount of value and i dont live in AZ, FL, or TX....

    and ignorance is to be expected. NAV is easy to evaluate the worth compared to need because its a known benefit. same with AC, BT, 14 speaker systems and adjustable seats. the only in question for those things is the quality of the implementation. we have all background info on them...

    this solar thing, what do we have to compare with??? who had a 1990 whatever that they loved that did the same thing??? etc...

    no one did...so its all new.

    so is it a novelty?? ya, sure in part. does if fit a need?? of course it does and the million sunshades sold in this country every year pretty much proves that.

    here, we have probably already experience nearly half our "hot" weather... we had a spell of 5 days (unusual for us, we normally only do 2-3 days) in a row over 90º. and was very impressed at the difference. although it was still hot inside, it was not anywhere near as bad and i did have the SPM sitting 10 feet away to compare with twice. it was a good (actually hard to say i guess) 10-20º cooler.

    so, all in all, i guess you all can skip this post, and read the one from the guy in AZ, TX of FL...
     
  12. westweb

    westweb New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2009
    4
    3
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Solar panel owner's two cents from S.CAL:

    - New model car with solar panels at the start of summer season...good move Toy. Harder sell in the dead of winter.

    - Deflector raises in front when roof is opened...minimizes wind noise and drag.

    - Many nooks and crannies for leaves and the like to accumulate around the panels...a pain to remove (vacuum worked best).

    - 90+ here for a few weeks - 96 this weekend...not so hot is better than hot-hot-hot!!! Interior cooled down in seconds, not minutes. Sun glasses don't stick to side of face anymore. Seats don't cause third degree burns. Can hold the shifter knob for more than 100th of a second. AC doesn't feel like a furnace when you first turn it on.

    - Interior and batteries not exposed to excessive heat...longer life for both.

    - Some plug-ins coming soon...exploding batteries can make a mess.

    - Never cared much for sun roofs...I use it everyday.

    - Gimmick? - To some...Necessity to others. You choose.
     
    2 people like this.
  13. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    It’s 45 degrees now, direct sunlight on solar panel and it’s pulling in air. So vents will run at any temp
     
  14. 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
    After 9.5 years with a solar roof Gen 3, I found it was quite useful even this far up north. (And yeah it ran in March even though it was -20°C outside because the sun is strong in March and the interior is warm).

    I will miss the cooling feature as it was noticeably cooler than all our other Prii. (Granted it doesn't get as hot as Phoenix but once in a while it will hit 35°C)
     
    Lightning Racer likes this.
  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,073
    14,982
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    If there are seasons when you would rather it not run, you turn off the switch on the dash....
     
  16. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Arrr neveeer matey, me reef sails with haul winds in me cog all seasons.
     
  17. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2013
    5,884
    3,486
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I only turn mine on during the summer months, it makes a big difference on a hot day!
     
  18. Bay Stater

    Bay Stater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2016
    534
    771
    0
    Location:
    Central Mass
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Absolutely it does! The car is never hot inside after sitting in the sun on a warm Summer day. :)

    Now at my current employer, I get to park under the carport. :cool:
     
    Raytheeagle and orenji like this.