2010 Features and Impressions

Yes, the 2010 has autolock doors. I assume it will be configurable.

The 2010 has an extra inch or two of legroom for the driver. Combine that with the telescoping steering wheel and height adjustment and you have a lot of options for comfort.

Tom

 

I think the extended peak of the 10's roofline will prove to be one of the biggest improvements.

At 6ft2in in back seat, I cannot use the headrest. My head hits the roof. Can 'get by' in back seat of Gen2, but feel a bit claustrophobic back there. Leg room great though.

So, for the families whose 14 year old is over 6ft, the 2010 might be looking better.

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2010 section up to 8 pages of threads already. No disrespect to the Gen2, but the Gen3 will be eating up market share.

 

It may be just the camera. It definitely has better image quality for the "low light" condition.

 

I personally like a rod for the hood better than the struts. Struts wear out after a while, the rod doesn't!
Anyone know if the 2010 still has the gas bladder? I consider the bladder an overkill, and the extra capacity would be useful.

 

The gas tank is the same size (11.9 gallons).

 

With the exhaust heat recovery is the thermos still there?

 

No, the thermos is gone.

Tom

 

So, how many eyedroppers does it take to fill the 11.9 gallon gas tank?
Given a 2ml volume eyedropper (typical), it would take about 22,520 eyedroppers. I don't think the Blue Men have the patience for that.

Now, how does my engineering geekness fit in with the Priuschat crowd?

 

Your signature (two scangauges) indicates you are very Priusky

 

Just saw the new Prius at Prius connection:

1) The MFD (about 1 inch thick) tilts out at 90 degree angle to provide access to NAV DVD. That was a surprise!

2) The keyless entry no longer has buttons on the driver and passenger doors. Instead, there are two small lines about where the thumb goes when opening the door - both on the top and bottom of the door handle.

3) The Nav lady's voice is annoying! I am not sure I can take it - it is that bad. What was wrong with the gen 2 Nav lady? Too bad we can not pick the voice we like.

4) The cup holders in the back are now in the dividing arm rest of the back seat. For us (with two kid's car seats) these will not be usable.

5) The console cubby between the driver and passenger seats feels more substantial with the 12v power and stereo plug being in the rear of that compartment. The shelf inside is now on a hinge.

6) The MFD display did not appear to have any improved resolution over the previous generation.

7) I was told it is now possible to get the entry level version without a MFD. That should help the entry price be competitive. It appears this was made possible by having more buttons on either side of the MFD.

8) I did not see anything in the presentation that indicated a lower pollution rating than the previous generation. Does anyone know about that (ex. for VOC, NO2, etc.)? One might imagine that the heat recovery system might reburn some of that and improve this?

9) It does feel more roomy in the back. And, the front seats move back an additional inch which helps front seat passengers with long legs. This is much appreciated!

10) The rear hatch seems to have somewhat more sturdy 'lift struts', so the hatch feels more substantive somehow. And, there is now an interior hand hold for closing it on both sides. That is nice, as is the unlock button now being part of the opening latch (more protected from dirt, and easier to find in the dark).

11) The cubby space under the rear hatch area is much bigger/deeper. There is a lot of room down there now, really nice for long trips (w/family of four). I am sure the after market battery folks are excited by this space availability too.

12) It is my understanding the 150 or so plug-in Prius being leased to fleet customers later this year will likely be the 2010 model with a larger battery and perhaps a modified batter control system. Otherwise, not much change.

13) The enhanced braking power that engages when the radar detects the possibility of a collision is amazing, as is teh tightening of the front seat belts when a potential impact is detected. These are things that one hopes will never be needed, but it clearly increases the safety level. Also, now disc brakes are on all four wheels, seven airbags are standard, and if I understood it correctly the anti-slip braking is now standard.

14) Though we could not drive the car it was reported to be much quieter due to the larger engine (lower rpm) and increased sound proofing.

15) Interestingly the motor/generator now spins at 13,000 rpm (up from 6,000), and for highway speeds there is now a second step down gear to help the engine run at a lower rpm (for better mpg at highway speeds).

16) From other posts the design goal is to half the cost of the hybrid component cost premium, but I could not get any confirmation of the progress made on that.

17) If my understanding is correct, the big hybrid battery is identical to the previous generation. If so, that bodes well for continued availability of cost effective replacements as the earlier generation ages.

18) No update on the refurbashing/remanufacture of failed hybrid batteries, though apparently it is still being looked at. Of course, since so few have failed there may not be much of a need for this.

Eric

 

15) The current MG2 max is 6,500 rpm. MG1 max is 10,000 rpm. It sounds like MG2 now spins up to 13,000 rpm because of the SRU (torque multiplier). It seems dual stage HSD is confirmed.

16) Chief engineer in Detroit said they were able to cut 20% on the powertrain. I don't know how accurate it is.

 

Um, the slot behind the MFD is where you put your music CDs in.
The Nav unit is under the driver's seat. There are photos of this.

 

Rick, you are awesome. I did NOT realize that!
I had this idea that you stuck the CD/DVD (whatever the nav thingy is) in the doo-hickey under the seat!

Thanks for setting me straight

 

Actually there was almost no presentation except a welcoming speech by Irv Miller. The rest of the time was spent picking around the three models and probing Doug Coleman for info. It was a short couple of hours but enough to see, touch and turn-on the vehicles.

A lot of the important info like pricing and actual EPA data is still uncertain.

 

6) For some of us (like compared to my 2004 and some later non-Nav models) it is much higher resolution.

7) And the new Info-Display by the Speedo/Odo that handles the rest. That's where the Energy-Monitor and Consumption-Screen moved to. Plus, you get the new Eco-Meter and Trip-History.
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