2010 Prius Models and Option Packages

No, VAT is only 25% here. It's this extra tax called 'engangsavgift' that adds so much to the price. This tax is calculated based upon the car's weight, horsepower and CO2 emission. In theory, if you drive a car that weighs 500kg, has only 50hp and has a CO2 emission of 50 g/km, then this won't amount much. But for most normal (2 liter, 4 cylinder) cars this tax comes out between 15000 and 30000 dollars. Prius, however is exempt from the CO2 tax, so the punitive tax leveled on Prius is less than 10000$, thus the relative low price.

 

Reflections of a week old owner of a 2010 Prius Model III with solar package.

Everyone that sits in my new car says the same thing.
This car has the WOW factor down! (Color that green with envy!)

What I can't get over is how quite it is!
I was really eager to have the excellent JBL stereo system,
but a lot of the time I just drive in peaceful silence!
I just love to not hear the noise!
I called my DH over the other day and asked him to listen to this and I led him over to the car. "I don't hear anything", he said. Exactly! And the car is running! "It's on now, that is amazing?"

As for the Nav system: It has been a disappointment.
It is not anywhere near as intuitive as my Garmin Nuvi.
The automatic shut off of many features while the car is moving makes me mad!
I understand their concern 4 my safety but when I have a passenger, or I am one, I want to be able to enter a destination by name or stop one! We continued to get directions after we had tried to delete a destination, but the instructions continued! I found a place in the manual showing how to pause a destination, but I have still not been able to figure it out yet!
The nav manual is almost as big as the Owner's Manual, but you really need to read the Nav manual! I have post-it tabs sticking out all over it!

And the solar roof is my favorite part!
My next car was going to have a moon roof anyway, but the fact that it keeps my car cool in the Southern CA heat and starts my air conditioner from across the parking lot is literally VERY cool!
I hadn't really noticed it being cooler until I parked one day without enough battery power in it to use the fan. When I got in it was the old opresive heat I had been used to. Believe me it is VERY effective. I am not sure why the AC shuts off when I open the door but when I use the key fob to start it remotely I can hear it and the interior is not as cool as full power AC, but again, it is effective.

It took me awhile to figure out the day and night view adjustments for the screen!

My first fill up I ONLY got 38 MPG. I was doing a whole lot of sitting in idle showing it off, I guess that's not good for GPA, and I have always been lead footed!
It is truely teaching me to be a more earth responsible driver.
I keep the upper screen on the Ecco bar indicator and have found how to get up to speed then back off the gas and let Newton's law do it's magic.
I use the cruise control whenever I am driving over 35 MPH.

I am busting with pride for my wise choice!
I notice Prius owners don't have a lot of the on the road commodery of some model owners who nod knowingly at each other!
But the other day I was stopped at a stop sign with a Gen I car with it's window down. I smiled and rolled my window down and said, "Nice car, and you have an HVO sticker!" They laughed and asked what year mine was. It's 2010 Gen III I gushed, with the solar roof! He said that he had over 90,000 miles on his so he was about ready for a new one! :rockon:

Oh yea, and I was told by a Gen I driver that they were still giving out HVO stickers at the DMV, that she just had hers replaced after painting it! So I filled out the form off the DMV website and waited my turn to talk to the nice DMV lady! She said that they don't have any at their offices and that the form had to be sent in with my $30 check! I will try, but the web site is clear that they have met their quota and will not be issuing any more stickers except for replacements.

Any way, here I am a very happy Prius owner having a great time and staying cool in Southern CA!:mod:

 

Thanks for the info. I ordered a Blue III from a dealer 6 hours away today after exhausting the search in the PDX Metro. I absolutely did not want nav which most of the III and IV available cars had. I had an 03 Avalon and hated the system. Manual was so big it took me a year to figure out that it did not work because the car was "on." I traded for a Honda CRV last year for my work car and bought the Nuvi in 06 to use for work travel and is so much better. I love the CRV but the mileage stinks (esp for a 4 cyl - Avalon 6 did better). Since its leased, I will have both for the next 15 months and then evaluate if the Prius is enough (since I like to go in to snow a few times each winter).

 

Please clarify. If you enable the solar cooling, the fan keep running when you unlock and open the door, doesn't it? If you remotely start the AC, then unlock the door, the AC stops? When this happens, does the solar powered fan continue or does it stop also? In other words, does starting the remote AC set up an "all or none" condition where when you unlock the car you get no AC or ventilation until you start the car? I asked this question in another thread but haven't gotten an answer. Thanks.

Edit: got the answer in another thread. It is all or none once the remote AC is activated.

 

OK, here's an issue I have been dealing with!

I find not using my key to be a Prius double dare!

Therefore, I manually click the lock button on the door when I exit.
Because I have only had it 3 weeks, I am still insecure that I have completed all of the deportation procedures!
(The first night I put it in the garage, my DH came in to tell me that I left the windows down [it's so quite, I didn't hear any engine noise to remind me my windows were down!] and I left the "Power Button" on!!!)

You see it coming right?!? So as I have done with all of my past cars, I try the door to make sure it's locked! Well of course it opens, because my key is in my purse!

So I lock it again, and walk away laughing at myself!

 

I was under the impression the the solar fan shut off when the remote A/C is activated? But it/they do shut off when you open the door.

As I have posted earlier, I am a BIG fan of the solar fan!
It does make a huge difference when parked in the sun.

The remote A/C, however has proven to be a fun, ineffective feature.

First of all, it is the A/C you get when you are in the accessory mode, which is not as effective as the A/C when your engine is on.
Then it is pretty much "line of sight" so from a parking garage, etc you have to be pretty close to activate it. I also found that you have to hold the "A/C" key down a few seconds to activate it. (Your lights flash to confirm.) So it is only on for a couple of minutes. When you open the door, it does shut off until you start the car, but it doesn't take long to press the brake and push the "Start" button!
No searching for the right key or finding the ignition! :rockon:

And as I have posted, I try not to ever use my "key", the remote A/C is one of the only reasons I need to take it out of my purse! (Unless I forgot if I locked it or not then I use the "key lock" to be sure!)

 

Never heard this one before.

First off, the Prius A/C is completely decoupled with the engine -- always. That is one of the greatest features about the Toyota hybrids (not sure about other manufacturers here). Because of this arrangement, the fact that the engine is on or off, or if the Prius is in Start Mode or not, should be irrelevant on the A/C.

With my 2006, there appears to be no functional difference between the A/C in accessory mode versus when the car is "on" with (or without) the engine is running. It is every bit as effective. I imagine the same is true with the new 2010 Prius. Someone please correct me here if I'm wrong.

However, talking about differences, there is a noticeable non-functional difference. When the A/C and engine are both running, and you are standing outside the car, you primarily hear the engine (a little louder than the A/C). When only the A/C is running, all you hear is the whine of the A/C compressor, which is a very unusual sound to the casual ICE car owner.

 

Next time, ask some stranger to hold your purse while you check the doors.

I'm assuming when I hear the beep they are locked. I did look hard the first time for the sensor. My TCH had a little black button to puch. This design is really nice looking.

 

You are right, I tested it and it does seem to be the same in the accessory mode or when the engine is on!
It just doesn't seen to help much, so I thought that was why.

I need to remember to turn the fan up on high before I leave the car so it will give a bigger blast; but again the couple of minutes from line-of-sight to entering the car is so short that it doesn't have much impact.

Thank you for this clarification.

 

Have you programmed your fob to unlock all doors when you unlock the driver's door? If so, when you lock your driver's door, you can check that everything is locked by trying the rear passenger door.

 

Thank you for your reply.
No, it only unlocks the drivers door unless I press the fob button twice.
How do I reprogram it to open all doors?

Also, does anyone know how to override the annoying backup beeping?!?
It is not a safety feature because it only beeps on the inside of the car!!!! (I know that I am backing up!)
If it was audible from outside the car it would make sense!

 

The remote A/C doesn't seem very useful unless you plan to stand around for a few minutes and wait for it to have a chance to do some cooling. If you have line of sight to the car within range to operate the remote, most of the time you can walk to the car in less than a minute, often even less than 20 seconds. Will the interior cool even 1 degree in that much time? If you are in a crowded parking lot with many cars blocking your view, you will need to be almost on top of the car to use the remote fob.
Remote opening of the windows would do more to reduce the interior temp in that short time span.

 

The steps to reprogram your fob should be in the manual. I have a 2006 not a 2010, so I don't know whether it's the same. You have to follow the steps exactly.

 

it's in the manual and in another thread or two but i THINK you just hold FOB buttons lock and unlock down together until the car beeps at you (twice i think)

 

checkout starting at 1:30 on this video for instructions:

 

1st let me introduce myself. I live in the Netherlands (Europe) and I became interested in a 2010 Prius after a disappointing testdrive in the new Honda Insight. My mind was set on buying a new hybrid car, the Civic Hybrid was no option for me because the rear seats dont fold down, I had to wait for the new Prius. Browsing the web for info and pics I stumbled upon this site. (A big thank you to founder Danny!)

The versions in europe are very different from the US packages.
We have the choice out of 4 versions. The standard one is called the Comfort. This version comes with a HUD, infact this is a standard feature on all versions, as are foglights and with the 15" alloy wheels 195/65/15 with covers. Radio/Cd with 6 speakers. No cruise control.

The next one (this is the version I've ordered) is called the Aspiration. It comes with 17" alloy wheels 215/45/R17, leather steering wheel trim, Bluetooth function on the radio, velvet fabric on the seats, 3 door smart key entry, cruise control, rainsensor, 8 speaker sound system. As extra option I bought the TNS 510 Nav-system for this version and have them install the rear parking-sensors.

The 3rd is called the Dynamic and the extras on this one are Full HDD nav-system with the rearview camera and IPA. Lights in the footarea of the car, Led headlights with sprinklers, daylightsensor, rearview mirror that auto dimms (sorry for this translation btw), water repelling glass in the 2 front doors.

The most expensive is called the executive. Extras are heated leather seats, adaptive CC, Pre crash safety system, LKA and active front seatbelts.

I found it a bit odd that the US models dont come standard with the foglights nor with the 17" wheels. These are the 2 features that I think gives this beautifull car its "oumph". The little thumbnail below is what it should look like when I get her...

I'll have to wait 'till the 31st of august, then it will be ready for me! I can tell you right now, the wait is killing me!

 

Most cars in Europe have better/more useful options than we. Indeed, most nations with roads have better cars than we have. This is because auto manufacturers have (rightly) concluded that U.S. drivers are stupid. How else would G.M. have remained in business for so long?

Seriously, thanks for your info, and I fully share your impatience.

 

Hello fellow Dutchy and hello fellow future Prius owner!
I just got happy news from the dealer than my new Prius (Dynamic, Abyss Grey) will arrive somewhere end of this week. Which is a LOT sooner than the "Somewhere week 44" the leasecompany told me at first! Dealer said I got lucky in that I picked a Dynamic in that color which the importer had just gotten a few of