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Changes by model year? (USA)

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by DavePants, Feb 22, 2019.

  1. DavePants

    DavePants New Member

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    Hello. I'm going to be shopping for a used Prius V soon, and I'm trying to decide what years and trim levels to include in my search. I'm trying to find a list of what changes were made each year, including changes to options within various trim levels, and I haven't found this information compiled in one place. For example, here's a few changes I've stumbled on:

    2014:
    - Optional Panoramic Moonroof offered on Three (this year only?).
    - All trim levels now include Daytime Running Lights.

    2015:
    - "Facelift" included improved Frontal Offset Crash protection, cosmetic changes to front end, what else?
    - Smart Key System (3-door) previously only available on Five trim level, now included on Three.

    Is there a central thread here, or a resource elsewhere, compiling these changes by year? If not, I suppose I could create one, if others were able to help provide the information.

    Thanks in advance for your help!
     
    #1 DavePants, Feb 22, 2019
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    I have not had the time to create one. I usually do in the form of an Excel spreadsheet like the ones found in the Knowledge Base section.
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Feb 22, 2019
  3. SBCA_CA

    SBCA_CA Junior Member

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    I know that in 2015, the automatic emergency braking was significantly improved, as the 2012-14 did not pass industry testing criteria. This is only a concern if you're going for the Advanced Technology Package, since it's not available without it.
     
    #3 SBCA_CA, Feb 23, 2019
  4. Offline

    Offline Active Member

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    Location:
    Lenexa, Kansas
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    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    We have a 2012 Prius v Five with the Advanced Technology Package (ATP). The only Prius v that I would consider as a used car would be a 2015-up Prius v Five with the Advanced Technology Package.

    The standard halogen headlights on the 2015-up Prius v are rated "Poor" by the Institute for Highway Safety. "Poor" usually means really bad. (We rented a vehicle last month (2017 Kia Sedona) that had headlights rated "Poor" by the IIHS - headlights so bad that night time driving was very scary.)
    The LED headlights on the 2015-up Prius v without the ATP get an "Acceptable" rating from the IIHS.
    The LED headlights on the 2015-up Prius v with the ATP get the IIHS highest "Good" rating due to it having "Automatic High Beam" which is pretty remarkable since they are not curve adaptive like most other headlight systems that get the IIHS "Good" rating.

    IIHS ratings can be viewed at IIHS-HLDI: Crash Testing & Highway Safety

    2015 is also the first model year that the Prius v Four and Five got a power driver seat. I can't get comfortable in the driver seat of our 2012 and sure wish it was power like the 2015-up Prius v Five.

    ATP on the 2015-up also got Lane Departure Alert but it doesn't have the "Steering Assist" feature that is included in the newer TSS-P system that is standard on current Toyotas. I loved the Steering Assist feature on the 2019 Camry we rented last month.

    The Prius v Five lost the headlight washers starting with the 2015 model year. Maybe most don't care but I like seeing where I'm going in dirty slushy conditions at night without stopping to wipe off my headlights. If we had a 2015 Prius v Five, I would install a Hella high pressure headlight washing system like I did on our Toyota Sienna for around $150.

    The ATP on the 2015-up Prius v Five lost the "Advance Parking Guidance System" that could automagically parallel or back-in park the vehicle while the driver controlled only the brakes. It's fun feature but not one we found useful.

    Sales brochures for all model years can be viewed at Auto-Brochures.com|Toyota Car PDF Sales Brochure/Catalog/Flyer/Info 4Runner 86 Avalon Camry Celica, CH-R, Corolla Corona Echo FJ Cruiser Highlander Land Cruiser Mark II Matrix Mirai MR2 Prius RAV4 Sequoia Sienna Solara Supra Tacoma Tundra Venza Yaris
     
    #4 Offline, Feb 24, 2019
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