Road trip in the "not a Prime!"

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by jerrymildred, Oct 4, 2020.

Page 1 of 5
  1. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,137
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Last year we took a 6,000+ mile trip in the Prime. It was amazing. This year, it's a different route. Mildred has a new-to-her Prius, and she wants to take her car this time.

    So ... this coming Thursday we'll hit the road at about Oh dark 30 in her 2017 Prius 2 with safety package.

    Pluses I see for taking this car:
    • The BSM that my Prime Premium lacks.
    • Cloth interior.
    • A little more storage.
    • Not losing storage because of a strapped down spare tire.
    Minuses that I see compared to Prime:
    • Annoying as the 11" display is, I've kind of gotten used to the quick glance map to keep my bearings. We won't have that. And that reminds me that I need to dig up the Garmin and update the maps.
    • Might not get quite as good of gas mileage, but I'm expecting something close as long as we don't fight headwinds most of the way like last year's 30-50 head winds.
    Total trip should be well over 3,000 miles over a span of 17 days. Single day from home to Galion will be the long one. I love road trips in a Prius!!! I'll try to keep you posted.
    Oct2020Trip.jpg
     
    #1 jerrymildred, Oct 4, 2020
    Prodigyplace, kithmo, alanclarkeau and 1 other person like this.
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    11,004
    8,926
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Whaaat, 2017 Gen4 Two trim has BSM standard? How about other safety/convinient features that were available only in PP Advanced? And it still has a compact spare?
     
    #2 Salamander_King, Oct 4, 2020
    jerrymildred likes this.
  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,137
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    No. Not standard.

    This is why we jumped on it. Only 20k miles, cloth seats, small display AND safety package. Best of both worlds. ;) Well, all three when you figure that it's practically brand new at 20k miles.

    Edit to add: Yup, it has a compact spare tire, too. Best of all four worlds. From 2017 Toyota Prius Options & Packages
    Screen Shot 2020-10-04 at 11.54.51 AM.png
     
    #3 jerrymildred, Oct 4, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
    alanclarkeau and Salamander_King like this.
  4. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,137
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    She has stuff I don't even have!!
     
    #4 jerrymildred, Oct 4, 2020
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    11,004
    8,926
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah, PP lower trims have no safety plus package as an option IIRC. In fact, I don't think there are any additional option packages that are available for the lower two trims of PP.
     
    #5 Salamander_King, Oct 4, 2020
    jerrymildred likes this.
  6. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,137
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yeah, when I saw that it had the smaller screen, the cloth seats, the spare tire, AND also had BSM and rear cross traffic alert, I was all over it. I'm really glad she liked it because it has everything she wanted and everything I wanted for her. Plus, other than a few small paint chips and a small dent in the bottom of the rear bumper cover just behind the left rear wheel, it looks like a new car. Also, it was Toyota serviced every 5k miles before we got it.

    Edit to add, it also has the parking assist, but I doubt she'll ever want to mess with that. And it has the beepers to annoy you when you get close to something. She thought that was pretty cool ... for about a week. :LOL:
     
    #6 jerrymildred, Oct 4, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
    Salamander_King and alanclarkeau like this.
  7. robsnyder20

    robsnyder20 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2012
    375
    302
    0
    Location:
    SW Florida USA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Nice, have a fun trip. Speed kills the MPG in our normal lowly prii without prime. I used to live in Odessa by the way Jerry.
     
    #7 robsnyder20, Oct 5, 2020
    jerrymildred likes this.
  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,137
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Sure does. And our trip is pretty much all interstate highways. :(

    Wow! Small world. Our offices are in Odessa. On Tarpon Springs Road, which I'm sure you have traveled. (y)(y)
     
    #8 jerrymildred, Oct 5, 2020
    alanclarkeau and robsnyder20 like this.
  9. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    5,629
    3,802
    0
    Location:
    So. Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    While shopping for a used gen 4, the safety pkg was priority #1 and I couldn't find base 17's with the pkg locally; typically only the much higher priced level 3's and 4's came with it till.... the 18's when the safety pkg became standard equipment. So I ended up with a level II 2018.

    For trips or commuting, one can add the plug-n-play OpenPilot system by commai for about $1,000 that will bring almost "autopilot" levels of driving assistance to the Prius. It works extremely well in reducing fatigue on long drives. In Jerry's situation, with an additional mount, it could easily be switched from the prius to the prime in seconds for more value/use.
     
    #9 fotomoto, Oct 5, 2020
    douglasjre likes this.
  10. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    11,004
    8,926
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Last year when I was doing ~600miles interstate drive almost weekly base, I considered buying the OpenPilot, but never did. Since then, we got bigger more comfortable Pathfinder Hybrid SUV for a longer trips even though it gets only about half of mileage of Prius. OpenPilot is not compatible with our PF, so I stopped thinking about it. Now, my need for a long drive became much less, so I don't think I will revisit the idea again, but I have a question. How does OpenPilot work at night? Does it really keeps car in the lane?
     
    #10 Salamander_King, Oct 5, 2020
  11. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    5,629
    3,802
    0
    Location:
    So. Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid

    IMG_5458.jpeg
    It might actually work better at night because lane markings are so reflective that I think the camera can see them better. Yes, it keeps the car in the lane for miles and miles and miles...... but unlike some other systems, it watches you and disengages if you don't respond or stop looking forward. That feature is hidden but it can be turned off too if one knows the "hack".
     
    #11 fotomoto, Oct 5, 2020
    Mambo Dave, douglasjre and Tideland Prius like this.
  12. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    12,398
    11,676
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    That was added mid year. My early 2017 does not have it.

    That is because most all the safety features were standard, especially for later 2017.
     
    #12 Prodigyplace, Oct 5, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 5, 2020
  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    11,004
    8,926
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    But that is not for Prius PRIME. Those safety features, BSM and rear cross traffic alert, intelligent parking assist and intelligent clearance sonar, were standard only on Advanced (or Limited) trim and never available even as option on lower trims (Premium or Plus in pre2019, or XLE or LE for 2020 and up) to current year model. I have not heard that will be changing for 2021 model PP trims.
     
    #13 Salamander_King, Oct 5, 2020
  14. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    12,398
    11,676
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    Technically they were no charge options added to all Trims in mid 2017.
     
    #14 Prodigyplace, Oct 5, 2020
    Tideland Prius likes this.
  15. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    11,004
    8,926
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    You are talking about regular Gen4 Prius, correct? I did not know that lower even Two level Gen4 came with those features. I am just saying those safety features option never existed and still does not exist in Prius Prime lower trims.
     
    #15 Salamander_King, Oct 5, 2020
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,217
    16,443
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I thought so. That's why I was confused by @jerrymildred 's post with the screenshot saying it's a $1,000 package.
     
    #16 Tideland Prius, Oct 5, 2020
    jerrymildred and alanclarkeau like this.
  17. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    12,398
    11,676
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    They reduces the price of the safety addon for higher grimes and actually added am appearance package for Trim 2 if I recall correctly.
     
    #17 Prodigyplace, Oct 6, 2020
    Tideland Prius likes this.
  18. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,137
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It is confusing. I don't see that package listed in the brochure for the regular Prius 2. But the car clearly has those features. It's a late 2017, so I guess they didn't revise the brochure -- at least the PDF version that's online.

    This really amps up my "wow" factor since it seems to be a rare find and it's so perfectly what we wanted.
     
    #18 jerrymildred, Oct 6, 2020
    Tideland Prius likes this.
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,217
    16,443
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah they only update once a year... except 2017 when they added the One trim level.

    But I meant it was supposed to be a no charge package.
     
    #19 Tideland Prius, Oct 6, 2020
    alanclarkeau, Prodigyplace and jerrymildred like this.
  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    12,398
    11,676
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    #20 Prodigyplace, Oct 6, 2020
    jerrymildred and Tideland Prius like this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 5