Telling the prior years apart

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IMO quite easy unless it's going 60mph on the other side of the road. The Gen III:

1. The front end - much larger lower air dam, Toyota nose and emblem, and the swoopy wider lamps.

2. The rear - taller white lights, flat lack spoiler-not body color, and squared off rear body sides.

3. The side - very wedge-like and the defined styling ridge from front to rear.

In general - subtle familar look but MUCH more sportier appearance, And the TOP reason I bought one.

Perhaps someone could do a side<>side photo shop of Gen II & III Front, rear, side for ease of illustration.

 

If you are referring only to Gen 2 Versus Gen 3, then the threads above mine are correct. Are you asking about these, or the differences between the different Gen 2 Model Years (such as how to tell a 2006 from a 2009)? This is where I fail to know which features are which.

Does anyone have a link or series of pictures which would show the evolution from each model year as minor changes were made? I know that I have seen at least 4 different headlight and taillight configurations for the Gen 2 Prius.

 

If seeing a 2010 from the front or rear, a quick identifier is the LARGE BLUE Toyota emblem!

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

I also like how the Gen III just says Prius on the rear and not Toyota. Also, the Gen III has the round filler door rather than square, as in the Gen II.

 

In order to tell the 04/05 versions apart from the 06 to 09 versions, rather than looking at the headlights and taillights (I didn't even know/pay attention to the diffs before), look at the dash materials. The dash materials in the 06 to 09 are a different texture rougher texture.

Also, on the 06 to 09s, the Hybrid badges got added to the sides.

 

If people look at it, it's Gen III. If nobody looks at it, it's Gen I/II.

 

Dang, I wrote up a long post but it got lost.
Rewriting sucks because it's never the same.

Anyhow, assuming a North American Gen II model with no modifications, the following are in addition to the stuff already posted:
If it doesn't have a rear wiper, it's a 2004. The rear wiper was only available optionally during 2004. Afterward it was standard.

If the front grille is the same color as the car, it's a 2004 or 2005. From 2006-2009 the grille was changed to chrome.

If the underside has a more pronounced black plastic covering, it's a 2006-2009, although this may be difficult to see while you're driving.

If there is a backup camera to the left of the rear license plate, it's a 2006-2009.

If it's a touring edition, it's a 2007-2009. 2006 didn't have a touring edition, even though it still had the rest of the changes mentioned in the other posts. (It also doesn't have placement holes under the side "HYBRID" emblems, but that might be more difficult to determine if the car isn't yours, heh.)

If it's Spectra Blue (dark blue) in color, it's a 2008/2009, since that color wasn't available until then.

Lastly, I check the license plate. At least for California, I have a rough idea of what plates were issued for the 2006 and 2007 model years. And if later, I just assume it's a 2008/2009.

 

Now I know how the Pious term originated...

Proud of my 2006 and to be in the first 20% to own a Prius before all the latecomers...

 

From the side or back, the earlier models have a longer antenna. The 2010s antenna is shorter.
The Prius badging on the back is up above with the Toyota symbol, which, by the way is blue. Also just below the rear window with that stuff is the hybrid symbol.

 

Lame.

Really? This coming from someone who owns one of the ugliest and the most bland SUVs out there, a ugly egg Lexus RX350 Talk about blending in, I don't even notice them on the road...

 

The easiest way from the side is to look at the side doors....

The G2 cars have a prominent horizontal line running across a quarter up on the doors, while the G3s do not have this line so high up.

http://priuschat.com/forums/attachm...gen-2-prius-what-pictures-tell-us-prius_7.jpg