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Rear sliding doors, why not

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Airbalancer, Dec 31, 2010.

  1. Airbalancer

    Airbalancer Active Member

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    I wish the Prius had rear sliding doors
    I know then it would be minivanish
    But sliding doors are really much easy to use
    loading people or cargo in a tight parking would be a breeze

    Is it too pricy to have sliding doors?
     
  2. Bob Comer

    Bob Comer Active Member

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    I think size is more of a problem than price. The prius would have to be quite a bit larger.
     
  3. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    Suicide doors would be good (but i think they should be on every car.)
     
  4. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    "Why not?" is the incorrect question. The question is why. Why do you want to spend so much money on something that has never been seen on a car? Why do you think it would be practical? Why do you want to increase the weight so much?

    Sliding doors on mini-vans are handy, but they are dangerous, more difficult to use, and unreliable. They also add weight to the vehicle. Quite a bit of weight. Their only real advantage is the large opening they provide for loading cargo. Prius can hold large cargo but it can be loaded into the hatch, saving weight and keeping the car design simple.
     
  5. SeniorDad

    SeniorDad Junior Member

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    Me too.

    I've owned a Mazda5 for about a year. I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to put its body on my Prius' frame or the HSD guts in the Mazda's tummy. For people with kids sliding doors really are indispensable.

    My beloved Prius is being given the boot for a LEAF (Hello, Nissan, where's my car?) and would have liked to have a Prius Mini van to replace the Mazda, but oh well. Toyota has their too-big-for-me (and my garage) Sienna to sell. The Ford Grand C-Max is looking good. And it may be fitted with a hybrid drive train in the near future.
     
  6. Airbalancer

    Airbalancer Active Member

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    I was using the Prius as a service van, so it would have handy to have sliding doors
     
  7. UsedToLoveCars

    UsedToLoveCars Active Member

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    This might not be too hard. Find a wrecked prius w/ a good drivetrain and transplant the entire engine and transaxle and driveshafts. And then find a place to put the battery and electronics.

    My dream is to stuff the HSD into the back of an 80s VW Vanagon.
     
  8. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Why not Lambo doors? They'd be perfect with the sliding Solar Roof.
     
  9. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    I was just talking to someone who was dreaming of putting Prius guts in a small pickup truck.
     
  10. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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    I know you're being sarcastic but for those that took that statement seriously it wont work. [ame="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/433164/rear_door_vertical_scissor_gull_kit_new_lambo_lamborghini/"]Rear Door Vertical Scissor Gull Kit, New Lambo Lamborghini - Video[/ame]
     
  11. Pinto Girl

    Pinto Girl New Member

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    I was thinking of screens on the windows, so you could drive with the windows down and not have bugs enter the car.
     
  12. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    That fact that you can do something tasteless doesn't mean that you should do it.
     
  13. Jim Clark

    Jim Clark Member

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    Simple...weight and cost.
     
  14. Red Solitaire

    Red Solitaire New Member

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    I traded an '05 Ford F150 truck for my '08 Prius. Loved that truck, except for the gas mileage and the rear, front-opening (suicide) doors. In most supermarket parking lots, opening the front door in order to open the back door so I could put my groceries in the back seat was ... eh... well, hard to explain, but the gymnastics required were just about impossible.

    But, hey... to each their own. What do I know... I'm still trying to understand why GM forces you to get On Star. You like suicide doors, another wants sliding doors... all good.

    Me - I was thinking a three door Prius Coupe might be pretty cool. Blacked out windows, 500W stereo with two mega woofers under the rear lift door; welded chrome chain steering wheel, blue neon lights in the wheel wheels, hydraulic-lift kit, some triple-chromed, deep dish 22's with low profile tires.. stylin', Baby!
     
  15. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    Unsafe how? They are about as easy to use as normal doors, which is very easy. The only unreliability I've heard with them is with the electric auto-open ones.

    I think sliding doors are fantastic, especially in a fairly narrow garage they ensure zero chance of hitting the other car. My kids find them harder to open than regular doors (we have van without elec doors) but I absolutely love access they give that is impossible with normal doors, and the aforementioned reduction in door-slam events.