One week into ownership...the good and the niggles

The heated leather seats, auto-dimming mirror, and automatic headlights are all standard on packages IV and above for the Gen3 state-side. The UK has its own import packages, and that's Toyota UK's decision to not import lots of things everyone else gets. I guess you also don't get the HID lights on any packages right, because of some washer requirement? Anyways, all of those are things that can be solved by swapping in original Toyota parts from outside your local area or aftermarket if you want. It is silly that the "t-spirit" model which is supposedly the touring equivalent doesn't have all this stuff, but that is true in all the UK and during some previous generations all of Europe. You probably also have rear disk brakes versus the drums in the US right?

For the cargo-space liner lots of companies make hard sided covers for them. Weathertech makes them for the Gen-3, here is the product page. As the BBC would say, other brands are available.


2010 Toyota Prius | Cargo Mat and Trunk Liner for Cars SUVs and Minivans | WeatherTech.com

 

The cargo cover like this?



If so, then not that I know of. I don't think there is much demand for anything of that sort. I've never seen one, or seen anyone use it. That's the first thing in all our vehicles that gets ripped out and put in the garage until the car is sold or traded in. Completely useless for most things. It is not meant to store anything. It is meant to provide shade or security cover to what you have back there. 99% of the time it just gets in the way of putting actual stuff back there. The plastic bits that it rests in and clips onto are not meant to hold any weight at all other than the cover.

 

As far as the cargo mat the Weathertech is a one piece which blocks access to both the tray underneath and the clips if you get the cargo net. The genuine Toyota all weather cargo mat is a two piece unit which allows easy access to both. I am not aware of any hard cargo cover, nor how you would even mount one. I agree that the Gen 3 interior is nicer than the Gen 4 but I really like the Prime interior.

SCH-I545 using PriusChat mobile app

 

Appears that full time musician didn't do part time investigation on trim options. Prius 4 and 5 have all those trim options.

 

True, however if you had read the rest of the thread you would notice that the OP is in the UK. Toyota UK does not have a Prius 1/2/3/4/5/Touring/ATP. Your 3 choices are T-3, T-4, and T-Spirit. The T-Spirit is the highest package and while leather is an option, it is a 1500GBP option on all 3 packages, not standard on any of them. And the leather does not come with heated seats on any of them.

The T-Spirit has automatic headlamp leveling, but not automatic headlamps. You have to turn them on/off. Another difference from the USDM packages.

Auto-dimming rear view mirror is also an option completely missing from the UKDM options.

 

Try that (newly discovered) "Normal" mode more, I think you'll like it. After switching between ECO and Normal for a bit, I found Normal was getting similar mpg, and the pedal feel better too, by no means touchy. If anything, it's EASIER to modulate.

 

Sorry Richbaxter, just learned from your post that the line of UK prius is not the same as US.

I retract my statement above, apologies my friend.

 

Then you don't have a T-Spirit, that simple. T-3 and T-4 have the manual headlamp adjuster only. T-Spirit has auto-headlamp adjust only. There is no option here. So if you don't have auto-headlamps, you don't have a T-Spirit.

You mention you had the nav package because you are going to upgrade your maps. If you have navigation and a T-Spirit, then you should also have the IPA (Intelligent Park Assist). If you don't, then again it is not a T-Spirit.

Do you have cruise control? If you do, then you have a T-4 as it is not available on the T-3 but comes with the T-4 and T-Spirit. Same with the rain-sensing automatic wipers, only on the T-4 and T-Spirit and the 3-door ("All Door" in Toyota speak even though it isn't) SKS (Smart Key System). Do you have the SKS on both front doors and the hatch? If so, then a T-4. If not, then a T-3.

 

Toyota UK does not sell a T-Spirit model with manual adjust headlamps. If you have it, they didn't come with the car. I am only going off of what you said. It is extremely common for dealers (even Toyota dealers) to accidentally sell a used car as a higher package than it is because the people making the window sticker can't possibly memorize all the minutia for each and every model that comes across their lot and they only have so long to do it. We get posts on PC all the time that "I bought a Prius package 4 but I don't have 3 door SKS" and stuff like that. Answer is, you didn't buy a Prius package 4, because then you'd have 3-door SKS, but the dealer mis-sold you something.

In your case, something is wrong. The T-Spirit never has, ever, come with manual level headlamps. The T-3 and T-4 do. If the car was in a front end collision and repaired with the cheaper lights and they added the manual control? Maybe. Could be a T-4 model that they added factory or aftermarket extras to. Either way, Toyota UK did not receive it that way. That's the entire reason for packages. Unlike most German cars you can't willy-nilly add options to a Toyota. They sell them in packages, and that's the only way they leave the factory. Even dealerships can only request certain build specs (aka packages) with perhaps certain details (like paint colour) and they may get one allocated to them, or they may not. Toyota will not make a car to a spec. They make cars how they want in certain packages, and you get what you get. This is in stark contrast to like a Porsche where you can customize everything down the contrast colour stitching in the upholstery and the dealership puts your order into the factory and the factory builds your car for you for your delivery. Toyota don't play that game.

Of course it could be another lost in translation issue.

Does your leveler switch look like this (the one the finger is adjusting)?

 

Yes there is a marked difference.

"Missing" items that no Toyota Prius in the UK has (the heated seats, auto on/off headlamps, and autodimming rearview mirror) is very different than missing a feature that is one of the key separating items in a package.

Does the control you are talking about look like the image I posted?

 

Here is the full list. Again, this is definitive.