2016 owners, do you wish you had waited for prime?

I'm in the same boat!

 

Wish our petrol was that low, I just filled up my Yaris Hybrid yesterday at £1.09/litre ( $1.91/litre Aus, $1.43/litre $5.41/gallon US)

 

The 5 passenger hatchback/sedan is ubiquitous and expected- especially when the standard is set in previous iterations. It seems a bad compromise to limit seating to 4 in a car that has a history of "practicality"- trumpets everyday usability, drivability, utility and "standard" car qualities (which the '16 Prius upholds well- i own one), and then eliminate a "standard" practicality of seat capacity.

As an example of engineering genius that the Prius is, the Prime currently seems a rush to rollout with a bad engineering compromise. Why not make it a "sports" model and go for a two seat capacity? It would be a different car category and market. The 4 seat limit in this segment seems a glaring compromise and a mistake on the part of Toyota if sales projections are intended to grow. The perception is that the "Prime" is set to supersede the current "standard" Prius. But with 4 seats only it is meant for what- unmarried, kid-less drivers - a younger only market segment or grandparents with no more than two friendless grandchildren?

I had have two (now grown) kids and managed to resist a minivan. There were many times my wife and I had to take two cars to transport kids and friends and grandparents. The 4 seat only limit just adds aggravation to a situation like that I would avoid- that is finally a deal breaker for me. If future generations brings back the 5 seat capacity, I will "upgrade" in a minute. Before I learned about this issue, i was contemplating trading my 4 month old 2016 Prius for a Prime as soon as it hits the market. Now I will wait. Oh, and it would have allowed me to commute to work on on

 

Sounds like the arguments long ago for keeping a bench seat in front... and you know how that went. Some people wouldn't give up what the buckets brought for anything nowadays.

For example, think about how much of a deal breaker it is for some to not have a heated seat. You really think cold seats in back is preferred?

That's an important consideration when you are using electricity to warm the car too. Would you really want to crank the heater when all that's necessary is just turning on a seat warmer? That's an easily avoided large draw on the battery-pack.

 

I'm in the study-research and wait mode, so I really do not qualify to have an answer.

I would not, will not buy the hatchback Prius for aesthetics reasons. I like the looks of the Prime, but I see diminished value (low EV milage and 4 seats). Personally, I'd be interested in a hatchback that looks like the Prime.

I know that will not happen .... consequently, I am looking elsewhere.

 

What do you hope to find?

 

I don't own a 4th Gen I have a 3rd but there is always a newer fancier version coming out. Not long after the 2017 Prime we will have a newer fancier 2018 or 19 version. It's not good in my opinion to get caught up in lusting over the newest model.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Anyone else notice the recent paradigm shift?

There are no longer any posts related to the technology itself anymore. That's a profound change.

We have collectively moved on to the next stage.

 

Any car is an olio of mechanics, electronics, ergonomics and esthetics. They all matter.

 

i wonder what john q public thinks, lincoln navigator?

 

You asked, I'll respond. First: I am committed to hybrids, (and the price of gas and being green are not factors). I need a "town" car to complement my Avalon hybrid "road" car. I like the G4 Prius' reliability, fit and finish, technology and fuel efficiency, I just dislike it's appearance. The Prime solved some of those problems for me, but from what I read, the Prime is way more expensive, and the EV milage does not meet my needs. The quoted miles are no where near worth the additional cost, weight and limited seating.

Truthfully four seats is not a major problem, but I don't think Toyota has not been truthful about the reasons for only 4 seats .... if a 5th person would cause structural problems, then an owner should never haul the myriad of household necessities they put in the big space in the back (boxes of books, bags of fertilizer, furniture items, camping gear and etc.)

Second: I like the looks of the Ioniq and await real world tests and evaluations. Truthfully, I think most of the Hyundai lineup are among the best looking vehicles on the market. Consumer Reports rates most very highly as well.

Third: I await the Tesla 3. Time will tell.

Finally, I'm not all that sold on Lithium batteries, or 17 inch wheels. I'd purchase a Prime (standard) as soon as it became available if it looked like the Prime, rode on 15 inch wheels, had the old battery chemistry (forget the EV and plug-in), came with an emergency tire, and cost the same as the lower priced hatchback. And, in that configuration, it would have a 5th seat.

BTW .... I have no hope of finding such a vehicle. So it is a compromise.

 

i think you're stuck with lithium, everything else can be had, but not all in one place.

 

bisco - Like I said, it will be a compromise.
I don't feel there could have been a better battery for a hybrid than the one in the G3 Prius. In 130,000 miles it never gave me ANY cause to be concerned; I was unaware of any reduced power potential; it was small and out of the way, in fact, I never knew where it was ... I thought it was beneath the rear seat. When the SOC became low, usually listening to the radio while my wife shopped, it recharged almost instantly; and it would keep it's charge for 30 days when we were on vacation. The local Toyota Service Manager told me they never replaced a G3 battery, and only three G2 batteries.

I have no issues with Lithium, but feel that a 22 mile, EV range is a poor trade for the higher cost, added weight and the loss of an emergency tire as well as a 5th seat.

 

all cars are a compromise in some way, all of life for that matter. the compromise in the pip was the loss of under hatch storage and the spare. we each have to find the compromise that works best for us.

a lot of us pine for toyota to make the compromise that works best for us. but in reality, i guess it's just not possible.

i can say that in 4+ years, the lithium battery has been every bit as good as the nimh.

 

I think inadequate seat capacity is a more essential disincentive than the option of heated seats to up gas mileage or power conservation or to accommodate the cold of a passenger that cannot be present, although I can imagine for some childless couples or singles the relative luxury or alternate technology (and those in northern climates with urgent heater needs) are more critical issues than basic practicality of what I imagine is the majority demographic for the Prius.

It is useless to compare the market of the 1960's to today- apples to oranges in consideration of the ultra specialization of the car market today as compared with the bench-seat era, let alone technology, changing demographics and seatbelt laws. I am old enough to remember that- my dad had a car with "three on the tree" and a full bench seat in front and a 6 person seat capacity. In the 1960's, radios were all of 2"x8" with two tiny front dashboard speakers, there were no cup holders, the aforementioned transmission shift was on the steering column (no center console) and there was no "mini" van on the market, but a enormous "station-wagons" that could hold 9 adults or up to 12 kids without seat belts, which few used even if provided.

I maintain that the 5 seat capacity remains an important standard in any market that where basic practicality is promised and expected (touted by Toyota regarding the Prius and implied in the economy of gas mileage to begin with).

The "Prime" is a transition vehicle. It can evolve several ways: the greater electric-only run hybrid "family" hatchback with 5 seat capacity to supersede the G4 Prius in a few years, and then the "family" of Prime generating a sport model with enhanced "power" mode and maybe even two seats, a "V"-like version or larger passenger capacity "mini" van (that will justify a 4 only capacity model), and the inevitable all- electric e-Prime that will discard the ICE and jump to the real next generation.

In this transition period major changes like eliminating basic passenger capacity will need to be compensated with other models to quickly fill the gap. The G4 Prius does that nicely, but as an answer to the original question of this thread- yes, I want the Prime, but with the fulfillment of the practicality of my G4's 5 seats along with the greater e-drive capacity. As I said, when that comes, I will trade up.

 

Prius Prime targets a different audience. The point is to grow the market. That means appealing to a new demographic, rather than the existing.

That assumption of it being intended to get current Prius owners to upgrade is quite understandable, but not what Toyota has conveyed. Their purpose is the expand hybrid system use, not cannibalize their own sales.

Remember, the overall goal is to phaseout traditional vehicles. Doing that requires delivering diverse choices, not just providing a larger battery with plug option.

 

John 1701a - I do not disagree with your statement, I can easily understand Toyota's interest in growth in the market and appealing to new demographics .... I'm just not sure what group (demographically speaking) will be interested in a vehicle that cost more, does not have a 5th seat, nor a spare tire, less interior space, and only travels 22 miles on EV, AND, when apparently in many cities, the electricity cost more than gasoline. The one saving feature that keeps me returning to this thread, is I like the looks of the Prime significantly more than the hatchback.

 

The lack of spare is (sadly) now almost a given, in particular with the spare disappearing from reg Prius as well.

My perception: the first plug-in was a "bolt on" addition to a Prius, sacrificing the spare to shoehorn in increased battery.

My hope was the second iteration, if and when it came, would be a distinct vehicle, engineered to accommodate a spare, and a modest range increase at most.

 

imagine this; a customer walks into a dealership, usually with an intended model in mind. (correct me if i'm wrong) the sales professional, with increased incentives and training from toyota, asks the if they would like to see the car of the future while they are there. in just a few minutes, they have fallen in love with 4 heated bucket seats, the uge screen, and the fabulous looks, both in and out. they have completely forgotten about the model x that they came in for, and drive away with prime. win/win for the buyer, toyota, national security and the environment.

 

I am not sure the rear seats are heated in the Prime.