2010 Prius Driving Impressions Thread

Has anyone used cruise control in a regular car after having used DRCC for a while? I'm wondering how quickly you start to take the auto speed control for granted and expect it to happen when driving other cars.

 

I now feel comfortable posting my impressions after having the car for almost 1 week. I got it in the 4th of July, so it will be hard to forget. It is a non-NAV model 3.

Exterior: I’m glad I changed my mind and got the blizzard pearl. The extra charge for premium color really worth it in my opinion because the pearl looks great on the Prius design. I must admit, I’m still not a big fan of the Prius looks but I have learned to like it. I guess the 17†wheels would help it but I picked model 3 for several reasons, so no fancy wheels for Indy .

Interior: I really like the interior. The cabin transmits that nice futuristic look that impresses anyone who looks at it for the first time. I have mixed opinions about the center console. While I really like it for better ergonomics, it does result in some cramping leg room for tall drivers like me since I’m constantly moving my knees around looking for more comfort. Seat support has been adequate so far but I have to see what happens when I start my 1000 miles/week commute in September. I’m 6’3†and head room is adequate in the driver seat, but awful in the sides of the back seat for someone like me. Leg room in the back seat is also decent but I found the width of the back seat very limited. The limitation is partially caused by the space taken by that air flow system in the right side of the seat. So, in my opinion the back seat is comfortable only for 2 average adults (not tall like me) or 3 children. I had 2 car seats set in the back seat, one in each side and the space left in the middle was too little. I recall that my last midsized sedans all have more room than the Prius in the back seat, so I guess I was expecting a bit more room for a mid-sized car but this is not a big deal for me because I will be driving my Prius alone 99.9% of the time. Cargo room is fantastic, more than adequate for my needs, considering that I can always fold the back seats forward when riding alone.

Finishing: Well, in general, I think the interior quality is good, although I felt like some competitors had better quality during my shopping around. My only complaint is the sunglasses holder. That thing is ridiculously small and looks very cheap. My sunglasses cannot fit in there. Well, it could, if I force it a little bit but I’m afraid to break it given the poor quality (break the holder, not the sunglasses). Also, it would be nice if Toyota added a convenience mirror in the holder, so front passengers can see the back seat. That’s a very cheap addition that is very useful for those who have kids. I was surprised by its absence in the Prius. Again, the mirror is also not a big deal for me though, because I’ll be riding alone most of the time.

Accessories/features: I’m a music lover, so I decided to pay extra cash for model 3 instead of 2 mainly because of the upgraded sound and had high expectations for it. Well, the JBL meets my expectations, not above or bellow it. It basically delivers what I was looking for, which is better quality than those of my previous cars. My brother (visiting from Brazil) is a guitar player and knows a lot more about car sound systems than I do; to him, the JBL is just OK. Bluetooth integration is great, syncing with my iPhone and Blackberry was easy and quick, and quality of conversation is great. My only complaint here is that I wish I could increase the received voice a little bit, but I think this is not possible. Satellite radio reception has been great so far despite of some complaints about it somewhere else in this forum. So, overall the extra 1K for the Prius 3 was worth it. This is my first smart key thing and I love it due its convenience. The A/C, although have not use it much yet, is very effective too, even in ECO mode. I realized that when I had to set my Odyssey at 70 to give the same level of comfort in my Prius set on 76 degrees during similar weather conditions (maybe my Odyssey A/C needs some reconditioning). The MID is very nice, though I wish it was multicolored. Its distance and location has not been an issue for me as it has been for a few others. I am very disappointed by the fact that IPod connector is not standard in the Prius 3. The accessory is actually already available to be installed in the glove compartment but it is hopeless because it’s too expensive in my opinion and you have to give up satellite radio for it in non-NAV models, so not an option for me! I’m using my IPod through aux jack, just like I have always done in my previous cars, and I don’t have any problems with it. There is also a Kensington adapter that is very convenient for the Prius because it fits well in the center box near the power and aux jack input, has a remote that can be attached to the steering wheel, recharges the IPod, stop the IPod when the car is powered off, and costs only 40 bucks! I’m thinking about buying it. Also, I could not believe there is no warning signal for leaving lights on when you turn the car off, any cheap economy car brings this feature these days . Oh, before I forget, the left foot rest in the floor is too small; I can only fit half of my left foot in there.

Driving experience: No question ECO mode is sluggish, and it takes a while to get used to it. Normal mode improves it a little bit but I’m OK with adapting my driving style with ECO. I have not needed PWR mode yet, but I tried it many times during my many test drives. Driving my Prius has been a great fun so far. The constant desire of improving your MPG by integrating your driving habits with the real MPG and energy monitor is what makes the driving experience extremely exciting and fun. I’m always looking forward to drive it again, can’t wait for the next time. It’s a different kind of pleasure when compared to driving a high-torque sports car, just different, not better or worst. I realize I’m more adept to the fun of driving efficiently and beating my MPG goals than driving dream sports cars. The environment says thanks! Noise level is great for its class, except in those short periods where the energy bar is working in the power range. The suspension delivers a fairly smooth ride. The electric steering does give a weird artificial feeling until you’re used to it. Changing through MID screens is cool, but the energy monitor is the most useful set of information. My complaint here is about back visibility. The bar separating the tailgate glass and that dark glass in the bottom blocks visibility of the front lights in many cars coming behind you. I guess it can be beneficial driving in the highway in the dark since my Prius does not have auto-dimming mirrors but I found the blockage in visibility rather annoying so far.

Fuel efficiency: Last but not least. I have driven only 250 miles so far, so less than half tank, and I have got impressive 56.3 MPG at 35 MPH recorded in the MID. Now, it is true that I have not used the A/C much yet but the driving conditions after I got my Prius have not been the best for MPG either. The temperatures have been bellow normal (60-70) and lots of rain. I think that’s very impressive MPG for a brand new car. I’m very pleased.

So, overall, I’m really satisfied with my Prius, this is my first Toyota and first hybrid, and if its reliability proves to be great as most Toyotas, it will certainly not be the last. When is Gen 4 coming out?

 

That's big especially coming from someone who considered Jetta TDI and test drove both. According to some extreme ignorants, you bought Prius because you hate driving. LOL. They don't know what they are missing. them!

Did you brother test drive your Prius?

You are one of the 98% of the owners that satisfied. I am one of them as well. My car just passed the 100k miles mark and I couldn't be any happier. There is no way I can go back to a traditional car.

 

>>Also, I could not believe there is no warning signal for leaving lights on when you turn the car off, any cheap economy car brings this feature these days .<<

The lights will automatically turn off 30 seconds or so after you turn the car off...no worries.

 

Yes, he did, and he's going to drive the Prius to Chicago to pick up a friend at the airport soon. He has a Peugeot 307 hatch 1.6 flex (gasoline/ethanol) (http://www.peugeot.com.br/descubra307_hot/index.asp) in Brazil. He loves the Prius. He said his car does not feel that much more powerful than the Prius in ECO mode! He was somewhat disappointed with the JBL sound system but he has a customized expensive sound in his car, those that you can hear the cars nearby vibrate when playing... so no wonder he does not like the JBL...

 

Is that right? I'm so embarrassed... I did not know that! Thanks.

 

Just got back from a trip to the San Bernadino Mountains east of Los Angeles. After driving from the coast to the foot of the mountains in ECO mode I was pleasantly surprised at the kick in the pants I received when I switched into PWR mode. There was more than enough horsepower to accelerate up the mountain, including the steepest parts of the road (Hwy 330). There is even a steep, uphill turning to the right, pair of passing lanes where I pulled some good lateral acceleration. The 17" wheels kept me glued to the road quite nicely. I know I killed my MPGs doing this but I really wanted to see how my Prius V performed. I'm very impressed with its responsiveness to the accelerator in PWR mode. (Note: I didn't have any other riders in the car or a trunk load of luggage. So I was traveling light.) By the time I reached 7,100 feet at Snow Valley, the battery was down to two bars. So the traction motor was adding its power to the ICE to give an impressive performance for a 4-cylinder "econo-car".

On the way down the mountain I expected to use the "B" - Engine Brake during the low speed twisting portions of the road. It worked so well that I had to use the accelerator more than I expected to keep up with the car in front. I doesn't seem to matter how fast your are going when you engage "B". I was traveling at 65 MPH at the end of a downhill passing lane when I popped it into "B". No apparent complaints from the engine compartment. I also noted that the battery was "topped-off" with the highest charge I ever seen. While driving on the flatlands I've never seen the battery completely full. I also saw four 5-minute bars at 100 MPG. That was fun to see.

Lane Keeper Assist doesn't work well, if at all, when the sun is low in the sky and the lines on the freeway lanes are not all that distinguishable. It worked about 90% of the time when I drove home on the same freeways in the afternoon with the sun high in the sky. I'm getting better at using the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control in LA traffic. It is all a matter of anticipation, using the #2 & #3 lanes and one bar on the display. When a car passes you and pops into your lane ahead of you, the DRCC doesn't falter, even when the car is within the "safe follow" distance it would normally use. Only when the distance between you and the car ahead of you is decreasing will you see a decrease in speed.

I'm planning on taking my Prius on a cross-country trip. Has anyone made a long "road-trip" yet? I would like to know your impressions and your comfort levels.

 

Love your review, great read.
Maybe now you can see why us Prius fanatics get upset when someone says driving a Prius is not fun, as you say, it is a different kind of fun!

Welcome to the merry band of satisfied Prius owners. That grin on Prius drivers faces isn't smugness, it's satisfaction! Almost better than sex!

 

Nice review-

If you ever take the Grapevine for a trip up and down Norcal let us know with a review. I would really like to know how it handles in those conditions.

 

I've owned my 2010 Prius for just under two weeks, so I thought I'd write a “short†review. I'm Canadian, so my car has the "Premium Package", which makes it one model above the basic car. I believe the Premium Package is mostly equivalent to the US Prius III package with the JBL satellite radio, but it also includes a mirror with the backup camera that displays in the left part of the rear-view mirror when the car is in reverse. It's blizzard pearl, which I think is a practical colour in a car full of electronic displays, since white helps keep your car a lot cooler than any other colour, which in turn may improve reliability. It also doesn't hurt that the car looks gorgeous in this colour.

My original intent was to buy the basic car, in white. I didn't think I needed the satellite radio and I wanted to keep costs down to a minimum. But the basic radio seemed to have problems playing back some of the mp3's that I'd recorded to disk, while the car with the enhanced JBL radio played them back fine. So when the salesman offered to cut the $2100.00 “Premium Package†upgrade fee in half because of this issue, I decided to go with ahead with the deal. Since the car was sitting in the dealer's showroom, it only took them a few days to have it prepared for us.

I live in the Toronto area and we wanted to take a trip to break the car in and to have some fun. So we decided to hook up our Garmin 265T GPS unit and drive down to Burlington Vermont in the US for a few days vacation. This is about an eight hour trip from Toronto, and it places us just below Montreal where my wife's sisters live. This Garmin has one of the smaller screens, which is lucky since it was small enough to sit nicely on top of the front cup-holder during our trip. From this position, the Garmin's satellite reception worked fine (i.e.) it locked onto the satellites quickly and we didn't need to try and position it in the windshield area.

The car handled well during the trip; it was smooth and quiet with a comfortable and relaxing drive (despite the fact that it seemed to be raining for much of the trip). I was a bit worried about the Prius seats since my back is a bit particular about what it likes me sitting on, but so far I'm finding the seats to be quite comfortable. During the trip we took turns sitting in both the front and back; I'm six feet tall and my son is about 5' 11†and we were both very impressed with how much room we had in the back seat and how comfortable we were back there.

The JBL radio sounded surprisingly good to me with a very detailed midrange sound. I was very surprised to hear deep bass coming from two speakers positioned at the front of the car and located just under the two far corners of the windshield. I noticed that the rear view mirror would vibrate a bit with deep bass notes; I checked and the mirror was firmly attached to the windshield, so I guess that the whole windshield was vibrating. The vibration in the mirror didn't particularly bother me; it was just unexpected. The whole family was surprised at how much we enjoyed the satellite radio while driving on our trip. My wife and I are older so we enjoyed the 60's and 70's stations while my son enjoyed something a bit more modern. I will be hard pressed not to renew this when the three month trial runs out. The reception was great; I think we only heard it fade maybe three times during our entire trip, and then only for about a second or so.

During the trip, we played around a bit with the bluetooth phone capabilities that the car offers. We first paired up my son's Iphone to the car and later on we changed this to my wife's Sony Ericson phone. Once paired, the car will automatically find and attach to the phone via bluetooth when the car is powered on. It was really cool to touch a button on the steering wheel, have the satellite radio automatically suspend itself, and then verbally issue the “Dial Home†command that we'd programmed in earlier. The car's voice recognition hardware recognized it and dialed our home telephone number (all with my wife's phone tucked safely away inside her purse for the duration of the call). When our other son picked up the phone at home, the car's JBL sound quality was so clear, it was almost like he was in the same car as us, and we were all able to talk with him. When we were done, another button was pressed on the steering wheel to hang up the phone and the satellite radio came back on.

Earlier, we'd tried to pair the Iphone's ability to stream mp3 audio via bluetooth to the car's radio, but we weren't successful there – it seems that you need the NAV option in the Prius, which I don't have, before you can do this. Not a big limitation since that's what the auxiliary port hidden inside the central armrest is for.

We stayed in Burlington for a couple of days, relaxed, and did some shopping. The surprising thing was the number of Prius cars we saw there – you couldn't drive for more than a block in Burlington without seeing at least one or more Prius cars (although I didn't see another 2010). I thought I saw quite a few while I was in San Diego last year, but there were at least twice as many in Burlington. Although the Prius handles minor bumps well, both Burlington and Montreal roads are fairly poor, and the car's suspension doesn't deal well with them, yielding a very rough ride in places.

According to the car's display, we got 4.2litres/100km on the trip down to Burlington and 4.1L/100km on the trip back from Montreal to Toronto. Using google, this translates to 56 mpg / 57 mpg (in US gallons). I've found that the car's display is optimistic by something between 6 and 10 percent, but even then the numbers would still be above 50mpg. We travelled fairly carefully since the car was breaking in, so I'd guess that this is about as good as it will get for the car for any highway situation. On our trip back from Montreal, we filled up shortly after entering Ontario. We ended up putting about 400km on that tank of gas getting back to Toronto, with the fuel indicator sitting on the notch just above the ½ way point as we arrived home. We used the car for our weekend shopping and then I continued to drive it on my 106km round-trip commute to/from work across the top of Toronto, mostly via the 403/401/410 highways. This commute is done during rush hour, and the trip can vary from 35 minutes on a great day (very rare) to several hours on a bad day (thankfully also very rare) – typical is about an hour give or take in each direction. When I began the commute, I had about ½ a tank of gas and the car said my current mileage was 4.1 L/100 km. I drove four more days and put a total of 820km on that tank of gas. The car said I had another 78km to go before I ran out, so it was time to fill up. By that point my fuel economy had improved from 4.1 to 3.8L/100km as measured by the car (or 62 mpg when converted). This is the only car that I know of that rewards you for driving in stop and go traffic. It took 34 litres (the tank holds 45 litres when full) of gas to fill it, making the measured mileage 4.1L/100km (or 57mpg). This included a misguided attempt on my part to top up the tank after the gas pump clicked off. Most of my other cars can take an additional 2 -3 litres of fuel at this point while the Prius ended up spilling fuel on the ground when I tried it.

It's weird to pull away from work and have the engine start and run for 5 minutes to warm up the catalytic converter -- and then shut off just as I merge onto the 404 highway below Steeles. I've found that if the traffic is stop and go along here, that the gasoline engine will shut off and mostly stay off for the 15 minutes or so that it often takes before I hit the 401 highway.

On one of those trips home last week, it took over 1 ½ hours, so the Prius was on battery for much of the time. I watched the battery bars slowly drop over a period of about 15 minutes, going all the way down to 2 bars and yet still continuing on battery power. Eventually, before the single bar was hit, the gasoline engine started up and ran for about 3 – 5 minutes, charging up the battery. Once the battery hit about 3 or 4 bars, the engine shut off and I continued on battery for another 10 minutes or so. As far as I can tell, this long stop-and-go trip home didn't negatively affect the fuel economy at all. And it was a reasonably relaxing drive since the gasoline engine was off for most of the time, and there was no annoying vibration being passed from it through the steering wheel. I've found that with most other cars you would not relax since you would feel the air conditioning/cooling system cycling on and off, with their added load reflecting as a changes in engine vibration. This, along with the revving of engine and the transmission cycling up and down between first and second would make for a tedious ride. Since the Prius gas-electric differential drive eliminates the transmission, it is a very good thing for stop-and-go traffic.

The stop-and-go action of the 2010 Prius was in contrast to the previous generation Prius that I'd rented a year ago while vacationing in San Diego. We'd hit major stop and go in Los Angeles while travelling to San Diego and once that older Prius hit 2 bars, it began to cycle the gasoline motor on and off (i.e.) you hit the brakes and the engine immediately turned off; you hit the gas and the engine immediately turned back on. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the engine would shudder each time it cycled. So I'm happy to report that the 2010 Prius doesn't do this – the engine comes on and stays on long enough to significantly charge the battery before turning off. Also, the 2010 engine doesn't shudder when it starts up from a dead stop; rather, there's a “bump†that you will feel when the engine starts up, much like driving over a small bump on the road.

So far I've made one complete round trip to work (about 106km) since I last filled up, and the fuel economy is currently being reported by the car as 3.4L/100km (it seems to be cycling between 3.3 and 3.4). This equates to about 70mpg US, but that's most likely too high since the car tends to overestimate it's fuel consumption. It'll be interesting to see if I can maintain this excellent fuel usage over the next few weeks or so.

The car has a fairly sophisticated rear view mirror. Besides displaying the backup camera image, the mirror automatically switches itself from day mode into night mode to prevent glare from the headlights of cars behind you. Also, it has a “HomeLink†remote system built into it. We have a wide 2-car garage at home with two separate garage doors, each one with its own electric opener and its own remote. You can think of the HomeLink system in the Prius as a programmable “learning†remote for garage door openers (and possibly other devices). There are three HomeLink buttons on the mirror, so it can learn to open a total of three different garage doors. I found it a bit confusing to program, since neither garage door seemed to open when I first tested it after programming the mirror's buttons. Finally I realized that you have to press and hold the button on the mirror for a second or more before the garage door opener will respond (just like the real garage door remote), and then all was well.

The headlight system also seems to be fairly sophisticated. The car has an “Auto†selection for the headlights that works in conjunction with the “Headlight control sensor†that's located on the right-hand passenger side of dash beside the right-front speaker. During our trip, we ran into a thunderstorm and it got dark enough outside to automatically turn our headlights on (as seen by the headlight indicator light on the dash). Then when the storm passed the headlights automatically turned off. I'm guessing that this sensor will also allow the system to automatically switch the headlights from dim to full and then back again to dim as needed, but I haven't driven the car at night yet to test this.

One other minor thing that impressed me -- the other evening I walked past the car and just as I approached the driver's door, I watched the interior slowly light up, as if someone was turning up a dimmer control. As I walked past the car, I watched the interior light slowly dim back down. This was all without unlocking or entering the car and the effect was cool enough that I deliberately walked past the car a few more times just to see it in action.

 

Good review, thanks. The only thing I disagree is head room in the back seat. I could not comfortably ride in the sides of the back seat, maybe in the middle (but the seat support in the middle bothers me), however, I'm 6'3" tall, which is 3" taller than you. 3" or 8 cm is a lot. I'm really impressed by your MPG, very nice! Also, just one word on your breaking-in comments... my understanding is that you have to actually avoid going too easy on the car to break it in appropriately. This can be done by keeping varying speeds constantly (no cruise control) and forcing the engine torque a bit.

 

You're welcome. Your earlier review helped encourage me to add my own.

No real disagreement there; at 6'3" I can see where it would be challenging for you to fit in a lot of cars. My older son is 6'1" and his head brushed the ceiling when he sat in the back. He hasn't actually driven with me in the back seat yet, but fortunately he doesn't complain too much!

I had to drive incredibly carefully to do this (i.e.) drive in ECO mode at or just slightly above the speed limit, and in the right hand lane as much as possible, keeping acceleration down so the HSI display stays in the economy area. I wanted to know what the car could do under ideal conditions. But I'm finding it a bit difficult to stay with stop-and-go traffic, so I'll probably change my style and burn a bit more fuel so I can accelerate faster to keep up. I don't like slowing other people down.

Break-in is an interesting topic. I'm not convinced that a modern engine needs to be broken in, but I hear that the rest of the car might appreciate it (brakes, transmission, etc), and I think those parts want a gentle break-in. Anyway, varying the engine speed is indeed recommended as a good way to break in a car. For most cars, setting the cruise control would be a questionable thing since the engine would always spin at a set RPM based on the selected cruise control speed. But the Prius is different from a normal car in that it uses a differential type of transmission where the power slides back and forth between the gasoline engine and the electric motor, depending on road conditions. So any kind of hill (both up and down) would cause the engine RPMs to vary, perhaps satisfying the variable speed break-in recommendation...

 

I'll look forward to your one-month review, but the real important one will come after you've been doing the Ind-Wi commute!

Who knows whether you'll actually come to like the looks. Most likely you'll learn to appreciate the car for what it is, but you won't be like some of us who really liked the styling of the Gen2. I think the 2010 is a big step up in looks over the Gen2, and I really liked my 2007.

To me, the 17" wheels seemed like overkill -- even a bit out of place -- though I really like the look. After driving my Prius V for about 50 days now, I can say I wouldn't go to the 15" wheels if given a chance. I think the handling and stability are far superior, but I also think the look of the 17" wheel is very appealing. You may want to look into getting some aftermarket 17s. You'll be able to find many options of wheels that weigh less than the stock 17s, so perhaps you won't face the same MPG hit I'm supposed to have received.

I'm quite gratified to hear this review from you. I'm a bit surprised you think the back seat is smaller than other midsize sedans you've had. I suspect it isn't the case except for width. There is no doubt the Prius is a narrower car than most, and this certainly can be felt by tall folks who see and "feel" the car coming closer to the sides of their heads. Cargo room really is amazing, and I think it is significantly improved over what I had thought was a spacious Gen2.

You know I've never been a fan of that center console. I've become accustomed to it, but I think I'd be even more bothered if I had long legs. The benefits include having the Nav screen lower and closer (not an issue for you), gaining a storage area underneath, and having the mode buttons close at hand. The negatives include the loss of a cupholder and the loss of lateral leg room, along with the visual effect of having a smaller interior.

If you have large sunglasses (usually a wrap-around design that doesn't fold flat), then you're accumstomed to placing them in a special case. The good news is that the case can be stored underneath the console.

The convenience mirror is nice when you have children. I think there are some available which may even fit in the current holder. I haven't measured (and probably won't, as our children are older), but I suspect something is available to fit.

The "funny" thing in this review is that the MID DOES have color. The problem is that it is so faint the color really has no value. This is what makes the energy screen basically worthless to me. I've wondered, though, whether my reaction is based on being so accustomed to the large, clear and colorful Gen2 energy screen. I've suspected it wouldn't be as big an issue for new Prius owners as it would be for those of us coming from the earlier Prius models.

I'm a bit confused by the iPhone/iPod situation. If you have the iPhone (at least a 3G), then you should be able to connect for both BT phone and BT streaming audio. The sound is so much better through BT streaming audio than it is in a direct-connect AUX line. Have you downloaded your iPhone contacts? It is a very simple process. Also, if you can upgrade your iPhone to OS 3.0, then you'll be able to use the BT streaming audio. You won't go back to the iPod if you have that connection!

I agree with your view of the JBL system. It is MUCH better than the Gen2 JBL premium sound, but it really isn't the "premium" sound that you'd get in other cars. I think the Nissan premium systems I've had (the ones with the Bose speakers) have been superior to the JBL. This sound system is just fine by me, but I wouldn't suggest anyone go buy one and install it aftermarket!

THIS IS THE BIG SURPRISE! Not that you are upset about the rear-view, but that you are having fun driving your Prius. I am VERY glad to hear it -- and a bit shocked. I'm glad you see it as a different kind of fun for driving a car. I had a similar experience soon after I bought my Gen2, and it really never has left me. I'd still be talking about my 2007 as if I got it yesterday -- but I don't have it anymore. Now I'm left with the 2010 as something to talk about!!

If it helps you any, please take comfort in the fact that I had a difficult time accepting that rear views would be OK, given the fact there is a spoiler breaking up the view. I think it took me less than 2,000 miles in the 2007 to get to the point where I didn't even see the divison any longer. I suspect you'll be at that point fairly soon.

Rain really is a mileage killer, so get ready for some really nice FE results. You are doing quite well, anyway, but is suspect the mileage will increase for you. Don't be afraid to use the A/C. I haven't seen that it really lowers FE to any significant degree.

By the way: NICE MILEAGE!

Nice review, Indy. I think this should be a big help to those people who are on the fence or wondering whether there is anything they can trust coming from PriusChat members. The fact that you were much the skeptic (or at least a doubter of some things, not all) is likely to give credence to your reviews.

 

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My brother is in Chicago right now picking up a friend at ORD and will be back today. That is my Prius first road trip, too bad I could not go! It will be interesting to see what his impressions were. I'll let you know. He's usually 1-2 MPG behind me. We have this sort of MPG contest going on.... My wife is the worst

I will definitively consider the after market 17". I forgot to mention in my review, but I'm not happy with the 15" looks and quality either. When I was cleaning it the other day, I noticed that it has a alloy core but it is actually covered by a plastic material that make up the design of the spikes. Very cheap and ugly!

Yes, my main problem is really the width: however, I'm too tall for the back seat of mid-sized cars anyway, but in the Prius, I had to actually bend my neck a little, it was not only the touching of my hair on the roof. I don't recall doing that in my Civics, Elantra, Gol (it's similar to a Golf in Brazil) or Polo (also a mid-size VW car in Brazil), but it's been a while since I had those cars... I could be mistaken here...

Is that right? I did not notice!

My understanding is that BT streaming is only available for NAV-JBL, but I guess I will have to find out. Someone else posted that the quality of BT streaming is the same as using the aux jack, have you compared both? I have not downloaded my iPhone contacts as well, and again, I thought that was limited to NAV-JBL only. Can anyone help us here?

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I'm so disappointed when I cannot fit everybody of my family in the Prius and have to use the Odyssey instead. Not that the Odyssey sucks (it is a better car than Toyota Sienna for the record), but I just love my Prius. It's fun to drive and I'm becoming addicted to it. It was not just that first-week-excitement thing. I think I will like it forever...

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I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about the Priuschat because people here was a lot more passionate about the Prius than the TDI forum members were about the Jetta. At first I thought, am I dealing just with very conservative Toyota fans that don't care much about anything else but the Prius? But then, I realized people here were passionate because the Prius is indeed a great car, it's addictive, that’s all I can say! I mean... wonder how many people is missing it because they would never try a hybrid or a non-American car...

 

3 years and 2 months for me and the fun hasn't worn off on me yet. I keep moving forward and never looked back.

Yup, they just call it SMUG.

 

I agree. I didn't like the look of the rings on my 2007, so I just took them off! I think the alloy wheel underneath looks better. I think the plastic rings are there to provide a better aerodynamic flow. They weigh less than the alloy and are cheaper as well. Try the "ring-less" look, you might like it.

You must not only be tall but also have a long torso. I had even a 6'5" guy in the back of my 2007, and he didn't complain about the space (he's a pretty thin guy, though, and has very long legs).

It's true! The arrows in the energy screen are different colors. You can tell when you see it in the evening. If you turn the light intensity up high, though, you really can't see color differentials. It still may be helpful to someone who hasn't seen the earlier (Gen2) energy screen, but it really pales in comparison.

I don't know about the BT streaming for NAV only. Earlier, I thought that was the case, because the Toyota site showed it that way. I thought someone advised that Toyota had changed the advertising because it wasn't correct. Sorry to say that I wasn't affected so I didn't check up on it.

I found that the quality of the BT streaming was far superior to the AUX. I was using a fairly long cord, however, so that would make a difference. Still, I think the BT streaming quality is very high. I greatly prefer it to the AUX -- not only for convenience, but also for quality.

I've got to admit it -- I'm just a nut about the Prius. I've never had this feeling about something as mundane as a car (well, not since the first car, which was a '68 Camaro Rally Sport).

 

I don't know about my torso but my neck is very long... so, head room in the driver or passenger seat is really a show stop for me when buying any car (I rarely ride on the back seats). Picking the CR-V over the RAV-4, for instance, was easy because of the much more abundant head room in the front seats of the first. I have always been frustrated about not being able to dunk at my height (love basketball) but my friends keep telling me that I have shorter arms and longer neck, which is fooling me.

My dealer is supposed to get instructions specific for iPhone integration with the non-NAV-JBL from Toyota. That may solve the problem. He's going to call me when it is available, not sure when.

My brother, the car sound geek, is telling me that a good cable will deliver a sound of very similar or even superior quality compared to the BT streaming, so maybe your cable is the problem.

 

All right, my brother is back. His trip form Indianapolis to Chicago was under dry and cool weather, high 50s to mid 60s, the car was light (just himself and no baggage), A/C off all the time. His way back was under sunny skies, low to mid 80s, A/C on all the time (mostly on 75-76 degrees automatic), with one guest in the passenger seat and 140 pounds of baggage in the trunk. Total trip mileage was 450 miles and he drove at the speed limit, mostly HWY driving with a few miles in Chicago downtown to show it around to his buddy.

MPG: 59.5!!!! He was so frustrated he missed the 60MPG mark and he is blaming it in the manual A/C. According to him, at some point, he set the A/C still at 75-76 degrees but in manual mode instead of automatic, and that start killing his MPG. He put it back on auto and the problem was solved.

I just can’t believe that he went all the way to Chicago, round trip, in the same tank and still have almost 150 miles to go. Sweet!

 

That's amazing MPG from someone who has never driven a Prius before (right?).

How is that compared to his Peugeot 307? And is it manual transmission?

Two years ago I drove from NY to Boston and got 60 MPG as I rolled into downtown Boston. On my way back, I got 59.5 MPG. The whole round trip was with the same tank of gas. This car is amazing.