1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Still No Sightings in the Wild

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Prime Example, May 29, 2017.

  1. Bri-n-TX

    Bri-n-TX Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2017
    15
    10
    0
    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I truly think that I'm the ONLY one here in San Antonio with one. But then again had to go to Connecticut to get mine. Not sure many others around here would do that.
     
    pilotgrrl and HPrimeAdvanced like this.
  2. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2017
    531
    578
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Here in So Calif over the last few months I've seen them here and there.. but lately, I'm seeing a lot more of them. Within just the last 4-5 days, I've seen two Primes the same color as mine in my own neighborhood, driven by different people (one with a bumper sticker) -- though there are still many more normal recent generation Priuses than the Primes, which always makes me wonder, since the Prime is actually cheaper if you qualify for all the rebates. But Primes are getting to be a much more common sight here. Still, just the other night I had a colleague (who owns a normal Prius) wonder what the Prius Prime was when she saw me get out of it....
     
    HPrimeAdvanced likes this.
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Around here, still, you can replace the word "Prime" with "fourth gen".

    I'll see a 4th gen maybe once a month, at most. Not on the roads that much though.
     
    HPrimeAdvanced likes this.
  4. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I see more and more Gen 4, but just that one white Prime now and then.
     
    HPrimeAdvanced and Mendel Leisk like this.
  5. MNdriver

    MNdriver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2016
    549
    577
    0
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I've seen a handful of Gen 4s now. Still pretty rare in these parts. Lots of 2s and 3s on the road, though.
     
    HPrimeAdvanced likes this.
  6. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,594
    11,213
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Saw my second Prime yesterday, and my first Ioniq today.
     
    HPrimeAdvanced likes this.
  7. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2017
    2,301
    3,517
    0
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    No, it's a 4th gen. encounter!!

    .
     
    walterm likes this.
  8. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2017
    2,301
    3,517
    0
    Location:
    Anaheim, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Here in Socal, the alarm would be a steady buzz (ring?), from mostly jaded, and indifferent Prime owners!!
    You all in the "Prime Desert" of the Midwest etc., remind me of us Alfaholics who would practically go into convulsions when we were blessed with the Coming of another Alfa Romeo!! I still miss mine, but financial woes and divorce forced that sad separation upon me.
    I've seen dozens of Primes everywhere out here!! Taxis are almost exclusively Prii, but no plug-ins. That's why there's none of that "Prius Hate" you mention in Oklahoma etc. ; everybody's got one, sometimes two!! We truly live in an alternate universe here in Southern California, and I love it!!

    .
     
    pilotgrrl likes this.
  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You guys need something like the low wave that motorcyclists do on the highways. ;)
     
    pilotgrrl and HPrimeAdvanced like this.
  10. stuyguy

    stuyguy Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2012
    160
    123
    0
    Location:
    Lakewood, CO
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    First day back in NYC (Astoria,Queens, to be exact) after visiting friends in Maine, and I spot two Primes while eating in the same diner as before. Same gray one and then a silver!
     
    HPrimeAdvanced likes this.
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,767
    16,016
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Saw a CA-plated Prime.


    Just a small advice: If you plan to visit Canada, please turn your DRLs on at the minimum if you can't be bothered to turn on your headlights. Driving in the heavy rain with no lights is asking for trouble (esp. since other drivers actually have their headlights on, not just DRLs).
     
  12. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2017
    531
    578
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Could be worse. In Iceland, I noticed about every 3rd car coming the other direction towards you had one of its two front headlights burnt out.

    I'm surprised that DRLs aren't automatically always on in Toyota's American models (as they are on Hondas, where they can't be shut off). I always have them on myself, as I see it as a safety thing even in good weather (after all, you never know when some deranged moose might jump off the CN tower and land in front of you, waving a Toronto Maple Leafs flag...)

    I seem to recall the Prime's owners manual mentioning somewhere that that DRLs will slightly reduce the EV range, which surprised me that they'd even mention that, as I'll take safety over 1/100th of a mile extra any day (and also, because I thought it would've drawn from the 12V battery like most cars, not the traction battery).. but I can't seem to find it now. Was I hallucinating? (don't answer that question...)
     
  13. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2009
    2,945
    2,735
    0
    Location:
    OK
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    My 2003 4Runner had always on DRL's. This was a first for the 4Runner. They were amber color which did not get lost in the sea of white DRL's. I loved them. There were some complaints about them not being switchable. Some areas had Christmas light display drives that required all vehicles turn off all lights, etc. many complaints were sent to Toyota and they later became switchable.

    I love the bright white LED DRL's on the Prime. They also stand out more than the non-LED DRL's.
     
    Tideland Prius and stevepea like this.
  14. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    And the traction battery charges the 12V battery. ;)
     
    stevepea likes this.
  15. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,594
    11,213
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    So did our 2004 Matrix.
    GM has petitioned NHSTA to make DRLs mandatory in the US. Likely to save them money on installing a different switch between US and Canadian markets. NHSTA cites that the data for improved safety isn't conclusive. At least in the US, different areas of the world have different conditions on the road.
     
    pilotgrrl and Mark57 like this.
  16. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2017
    531
    578
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I found the section in the manual talking about the lights and fuel economy, but I was mistaken in that it compares the DRLs to normal headlights for fuel economy:

    "Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers greater durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel economy." (p. 341). It still made my head turn though, to see better fuel economy and headlights in the same sentence, I hope there aren't people out there who think "maybe if I just use my DRLs at night instead of headlights, I'll get slightly better fuel economy."

    There was once a winding, 1-lane road in each direction here in SoCal that went through mostly wildnerness area which had a posted sign stating "Daytime Headlights Required next XX miles" for years because a lot of accidents seemed to happen on it. It's still a wilderness area (though for how long is anyone's guess), though when the road got widened to 2 lanes in each direction the sign got taken down, and there's now no such requirement. But again, I keep the DRLs on as a matter of course, perhaps to make someone think twice about deciding to do a left turn at the same time you're going through an intersection...
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  17. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    LOL! Well, they have to put on labels telling people not to use hair dryers in the shower. :confused: :)
     
  18. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,594
    11,213
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    And why DRLs come with auto headlights.
     
  19. Krzys

    Krzys New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2017
    6
    8
    1
    Location:
    Chicago
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Chicago here...haven't spotted another one yet (we've had ours since March-ish...)
     
  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,767
    16,016
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    They could still install the same switch anyway and not give an DRL OFF location.

    The 2009-2013 Corolla had a weird automatic headlight setup. There wasn't an "AUTO" position but if you left your headlight stalk in the "OFF" position, the headlights would still come on automatically when the light sensor sensed it was dark.

    So it's like automatic headlights but without the ability to toggle between OFF and AUTO. The brochure doesn't list automatic headlights (automatic headlamp system in Toyota-speak) but rather "ambient light sensing headlamp system". I guess Toyota Canada was experimenting with removing the "OFF" position.

    That would help now. The current Corolla (2014-?) uses the LED lowbeam as DRLs so there's a good probability that the driver will drive without the headlights on because the DRLs are so bright. There's a Gen 4 Prius in the neighbourhood where the driver is completely unaware that her headlights are off.

    Also, Gen 3 smart fortwo drivers frequently drive without their headlights on (combination of bright LED DRL strip and always-on instrument cluster).