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A few ?'s on upgrading to a 2020 from a 2008 Touring...

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by ShuttlePod, Oct 19, 2019.

  1. ShuttlePod

    ShuttlePod Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    First off, I wanted to thank Priuschat for helping with my 1st purchase 11+ years ago. My 2008 Touring has been awesome, up until recently. I actually had a down payment on a Civic at the time, and decided on the Prius at the last minute after a lot of reading on here. 170,000 miles & many x-country road trips later, it was definitely the right choice. Even for 3-4 day music festivals, it's a lifesaver. Foil all the windows & it's perfect for a daytime nap!

    My 1st question on the Gen 4 is... did they ever fix the gross smell from the A/C? I live in Colorado & rarely use it, but it still gets that old locker room smell when I do. I try to blast hot air through it afterwards, but it's still an issue.

    2nd, since it rarely snows much in Denver, is the AWD really worth it? I think I'm between the LE & LE AWD. I'm kind of more worried about being stuck somewhere without a spare tire than I am about being stuck in snow. And since it's not AWD at highway speeds, is there a general consensus on the amount of snow where it may be worth it?

    3rd, how customizable is the display at night with regard to colors & brightness? I love how dim I can get the dash lights on the 08, and can even use the orange scheme for the display. I've driven Camrys & the blue LEDs are just obnoxiously bright, even when dimmed. Toyota should really do some research into colors & how they affect the brain & night vision, rather than trying to look 'futuristic', or at least offer modifications.

    I really hate to let go of my 08, but the problems keep piling up. 2 of the rims are bent, so 2 tires each leak about 2-3 psi per day. I have the dash issue where the entire thing shuts off & I need to unhook the battery, & then turn off all the beeps every week or so. Never know when it will occur, & it varies in severity. Sometimes it's just the display, other times it won't shut off at all. I didn't get the recall letter in time, so if I want it fixed, it's out of pocket. Shocks are getting bad, window is chipped, plus general wear & tear.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Plug-in Base
    welcome!
    1) no

    2) no

    3) not sure

    4) a new combo meter is not that big of a deal, and will help to sell it if you decide to afterwards.
     
  3. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    1. Still has that smell, but it goes away with AC use.
    2. Since you do live in an area with snow, it would be best to get AWD. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
    3. You can change colors, brightness and contrast of the main display.

    Hrm. You should be able to do recalls for free regardless ... Otherwise it would be pointless to do a recall and force the owner to pay for it. Somethings not right there.

    If you decide to buy, just use the Gen 3 as a trade-in, but do your research on its value beforehand.
     
  4. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    N/A
    1) - haven't noticed it in 50,000km - but in this climate, the A/C is on almost every day. Mine still smells fresh;
    2) - sorry, never seen snow - and if it snows here ... ;
    3) - never worried about the colour, but the brightness can be changed.

    Cars get to the stage where the repair $$$ add up to - let's change cars.
     
  5. ShuttlePod

    ShuttlePod Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Sat in the 2020 LE at the dealership the other day, only 1 thing that I wasn't too happy about was the armrest. I'm about 5'8", & my elbow barely made it to the front end of the armrest. I may have to buy or design some type of extension for it. Even another 2" forward would work. On my 08, I took off the soft cloth on the armrest, padded it with memory foam & topped it off w/ black 'monster fur'. It lasts about 2 years before it starts looking ragged, & then I just re-do it. It looks way better than it probably sounds & is super comfy.
    Still debating on whether to go for the AWD or not, probably purchasing by the end of the year. I never needed the spare on my current Prius, but have many times on prior vehicles.
     
    bisco likes this.
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the first time you don't have a spare on board...
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    If it just gets cold, the AWD may be better, the NiMH chemistry in the AWD battery is good 15 degrees colder then the LiIon battery in the others. so if it gets to -20F much, i would go AWD.
     
  8. pjksr02

    pjksr02 Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I'm also looking at the 2020s, and have discovered that with AWD, the moonroof is not available, and the moonroof is a must in my consideration. Our 2010 is really good in snow, with snow tires, and I'd expect the 2020 to perform as well.
     
  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    That drives me nuts!! I'm 5'9" and with the power seat set all the way at its lowest, I can just reach the arm rest and still reach the steering wheel. But then I feel like I'm looking up out of a manhole cover in the street. I'm working on an armrest extension that will raise it up several inches.

    The spare tire vs AWD question is a hard one. I think that if I lived there and had not really needed AWD (and I did live several years in the Denver area and never did need it), I'd go for having a spare tire, which I have needed a number of times. The LE is apparently the only one that comes with a temporary spare. Since it's not a PHEV, the winter performance of Lithium vs NiMH isn't really much of a factor.