is there a way to get heat from both floor and center vents?

You can select floor and window vents (the ones on the dash by the door windows). The ones in the centre of the dash are for outside air and for cooled air. So the answer is no.

 

I think if you press the 'mode' button and cycle through to the setting where the arrows point at your feet and chest that should do it. It turns off 'Auto' mode, though. In Auto mode, it always starts with feet only, then eventually cycles through other modes.

I wasn't aware of what David Beale describes above--it feels to me like warm air comes out the center vents. I may well be wrong. Could Canadian models be different in this respect? I can't imagine why.

 

If you press Auto and set a full blast temperature of 85F, it will likely blast to the feet for a matter of comfort, I suppose (I wouldn't really like to have an hair dryer blown into my face... ) - again a matter of taste, but this is also what happens on my Prius.
The way to get hot air from the central vents is to press mode until only the horizontal arrow is being shown, set the temperature you like and the fan speed of your liking. If the engine is cold, you might likely get cold air until it is not warmed up. Auto mode will not blow any air until the engine is warmed up, unless defogger is on.
Please check page 272 of the US manual for more details on how to get air from floor and central vents.

 

Sorry David, where did you read this? is not on the Owner's Manual and it clearly shows that air comes from all vents on the dash, even when feet and "upper body" are selected - see page 272 of the manual.
Nowhere on the manual it is mentioned that the centre dash vents are for outside and cooled air only. Where did you read this?

 

Who cares what the manual says or doesn't say? Try it! In the GII you -CAN'T- get heated air from the centre vents. No matter what you do. Except, of course, air heated "accidentally" by the environment. You owners of the GIII can confirm or correct that perception with your car - that is, see if it works the same. I suspect it does. Every Japanese car I've ever owned works this way.

Remember, there are -four- vents on the dash (six actually, counting the ones used for defrost at the base of the windshield). The outside two will deliver heated air, the centre two will not. No matter how you set the controls. I'm talking here of air that is heated by passing through the cabin heater core. You -can- get heated air from the vents at the base of the windshield, of course. In fact, you can't fully shut that off, unfortunately (it leaks and heats the windshield so falling snow will melt at the base of the windshield and will smear into ice if you use the wipers under certain ambient conditions such as snow at close to freezing temps).

 

Based upon what DavidBeale says, the Gen II does not blow air simultaneously from center vents and feet (floor). But the Gen III does blow air from both of these locations at the same time (certainly mine does). What is Toyota's rationale for either changing this between Gen II vs. Gen III models and/or not providing for this option on the Gen II?

Unless I misunderstand the issue here, this is crazy!

Happy Motoring,

Tom