1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Heated Steering Wheel

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Dennis_MA, Oct 27, 2017.

  1. memasterac

    memasterac Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2017
    21
    14
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    You first.

    But seriously, I demand Toyota for a fully heated steering really has nothing to do with safety. Why people enjoy to make irrelevant comments against other people just to defend Toyota? My F-150 has fully heated steering wheel and I really like it. Do not tell me you only hold on the same 2~5 and 7~10 heated section when making a turn... You touch the entire wheel!

    That is the trend, thanks. (y)
     
  2. Oniki

    Oniki Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2017
    652
    499
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I make a conscious effort to not place my hands and arms in harm's way. If partial heating of the wheel acts as a reminder, all the better.

    Google a bit, to learn the sad results of what happens to drivers who have air bags inflate while they hold the wheel in a way that place their hands and arms in front of the airbag.
     
    #22 Oniki, Dec 31, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2017
  3. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,018
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    4 Things You Didn't Learn in Driver's Ed

    "A cop I know was once fiddling with the in-car computer with his right hand while driving the car with his left hand at 12 (the top of the steering wheel, for those of you young enough to be unfamiliar with analog clocks. We know you're out there.) When the distracted police officer smashed into a stopped car, the force of the airbag deployment flung his hand back into his face, and he broke out his front teeth with his own hand.

    That, my friends, is why you don't drive with a hand at 12 o'clock. The 10 and 2 position, once the common wisdom of driver's ed classes, is also dead (or at least it should be) thanks to airbags. The proper position is 9 and 3, while the Italian-esque 8 and 4 is more than acceptable. Don't do those hand-over-hand turns anymore, either.

    Most modern steering wheels have "thumb hangers" that naturally put your hands at 9 and 3 so you won't smack yourself if an airbag deploys."
     
    pilotgrrl likes this.
  4. Oniki

    Oniki Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2017
    652
    499
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    That is one bad outcome. There are others, much nastier.
     
  5. memasterac

    memasterac Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2017
    21
    14
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    You guys either can't read my posts or intentionally to ignore my points. Never once I said it is safe to drive with my hands at 12 o'clock position as you keep talking about...

    I prefer a fully heated steering wheel so when I make a turn I don't have to touch the part of the steering wheel where is cold. (Is this really related to safety???) Why is it so difficult to understand? Why keep throwing the safety thing because only you know it??????? I understand the safety position at 10 and 2 o'clock my friends Oniki and Lee Jay, please stop already. I am done on this with you two so I wish you have a happy and safe 2018!
     
    ct89 likes this.
  6. Oniki

    Oniki Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2017
    652
    499
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Read
     
    Lee Jay likes this.
  7. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,018
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
     
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,837
    16,073
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Ok I'm with @memasterac on this one.

    A half-heated wheel feels weird. Even if you don't do hand-over-hand turns, you still have to shuffle the steering wheel which means you will come in contact with a cold part of the steering wheel.

    Honestly, it's a wheel, not an airplane controller. What's wrong with a fully heated steering wheel?

    It's like saying why have heated seat bottom and seatbacks when the bottom is just fine since it's your bum that is cold. Well no, a heated seatback is quite comfortable and a nice feature to have.
     
    memasterac likes this.
  9. It would be nice to have as much heating element contacting fingers, hands, bottom, and back as possible if I paid the extra money for the highest-level trim. My guess is that Toyota wanted to save a bit of money by concentrating the heating elements on the wheel at its sides only.
     
  10. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,018
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Your back is against the back of the seat 100% of the time. Your hands are NOT at 9 and 3 more like 1-5% of the time.
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,837
    16,073
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah well clearly you only drive straight 95-99% of the time. Some of us live in cities that have shorter streets or that require multiple turns.
     
  12. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,018
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I do too. Trust me, there's no real reason to have your hands off of 9 and 3 more than a few percent of the time (parking, mostly). The rest of the time you can and should drive with your hands only on 9 and 3.
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,837
    16,073
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    You're preaching to the choir here but again, luxury isn't about practicality. It's about superfluous things and a fully heated steering wheel certainly falls under that :)

    (Wait til others hear about the heated door panels from Mercedes)
     
    memasterac likes this.
  14. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,018
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    It's just wasted energy, nothing more.

    Personally, I prefer driving gloves to the heated wheel anyway. I got some hybrid ones at Costco where the thumb and index work on touch screens.
     
  15. Oniki

    Oniki Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2017
    652
    499
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Have you tried gloves ?
     
  16. ct89

    ct89 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2010
    323
    266
    1
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I'm going to agree with @memasterac on this one as well. Both my Highlander and Prime only heat a portion of the steering wheel and although my hands never vary at all from the absolute safest position (even while I'm texting, eating and reading the newspaper), I find the hot/cold contrast as I turn the wheel less comfortable than it would be if the entire wheel was warm and cozy...

    I am not arguing that much of the heat generated at the top of the wheel will do nothing more than help defrost my windshield but I would be 100% OK with that.
     
    memasterac likes this.
  17. Oniki

    Oniki Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2017
    652
    499
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    You are making about as much sense as the other guy.
     
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,837
    16,073
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Considering my winter temperatures can be more severe than yours, yes.

    I also religiously use the engine block heater, fully block the lower grille and run dedicated winter tires on steel rims.
     
  19. Oniki

    Oniki Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2017
    652
    499
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    And ?

    I find that a good pair of gloves is a great solution to cold hands. I don't bother heating up the steering wheel.
     
  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,837
    16,073
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Good for you.