Toyota may have mis-calculated here

I was in the market for a Prius, any Prius, and after numerous visits to multiple dealers, I found one 70 miles away that had both gen2 &3, I chose the gen 3, because it was about the same price and had a nicer ride.

 

I'd like to chime in here in case the Toyota folks are paying attention. I love the new design, but count me among those who are extremely disappointed that we have to be saddled with the dumpy Nav package to get the backup camera. It's almost 2010. A car this expensive should just come with it in every model. And, no, I don't want the Nav - I have a fantastic Garmin GPS unit that I bought last year which I have lifetime map updates for. I've seen the Toyota nav in action on YouTube and it's underwhelming to say the least. It's downright embarrassing when you add in the map upgrade disc costs! So, yes, I think Toyota should at least reassess including the backup camera with all trim levels (or at least II through V, maybe the upcoming I should be kept stripped down.)

 

Hope we do not discend into my generation is better than your generation and that we can all get along.

Frankly had enough of than with the RAV 4 community. The 4.1 people would say they were the 'Originals'. The 4.2 folk would say they had the best looking. And the 4.3 tribe just knew they had the best .

Anyway, some people will like the Gen II and other's, including myself love the Gen III.

I can't speak on specifications, I guess Toyota build these things to a price and to include everything on every model costs money.

So please can we agree that the Prius is the best :grouphug: ....

....and get back to bashing Honka's!

 

Believe me, I was hoping that "forcing" people into expensive upgrades would backfire on Toyota but so far, nationwide, it hasn't. A backup camera can be added pretty inexpensively but requiring leather to get 3 door smart key, nav to get sunroof,etc. really bothered me.

Unfortunately, many people paid for nav to get the sunroof, to the point where sunroof cars are now very hard to find, so their strategy is working.

If your dealer is having so much trouble selling the Gen III because of the camera, he could offer them as a dealer installed option including the "Canadian style" with monitor integrated into the rear view mirror.

 

I'm not sure what response you expected in the 2010 Forum? I personally LOVE the iconic look of G2, and am not in love with the G3 looks. Though I like the function (seats, storage room, no bladder tank, etc.) of the G3 better. So I can't decide and haven't bought either...and am looking elsewhere as I don't think I should buy a car I don't love, as I tend to drive them for years.

 

I'm one of those new Prius owners also. When I went to the car show here in town this spring I was looking at the TDI, HCHII, and Fusion Hybrids. I didn't even look at the Prius because I just didn't like the look of the car. Then the PIII 10 came out and everything changed.

I love the car. I'll probably be complaining just like some of the II owners are when the IV generation rolls into the show rooms five or six years from now.

 

22k for a new car is hardly expensive nowadays.

 

If your dealer is having difficulty selling 2010 Prii (hard to believe), then you should advertise that dealer since there are quite a few people on this site in the North East who are waiting for inventory to be available and some would likely travel to get a car from your dealer. There is plenty of demand out there for the gen 3s and very little supply at many dealers.

And for what it's worth, I don't have nor do I miss the back-up camera. It is just a non-issue for me.

 

I've never had a car with a back-up camera and as a short person, I don't really feel the need for one in the Prius. Now, before I got my Prius I drove a 2008 Ford Fusion rental and I did have trouble backing out in that because I simply couldn't see what was behind me. Compared to that car, reversing in the Prius is a breeze. YMMV.

 

The backup camera was one of the reasons I traded our 05 pkg 6 Prius on the new model. My wife is short and the 05 was difficult to see out the back. The camera really helps. That being said, the other reason was the fact the new one is quieter and has leather seats. These were things not available when we bought the 05. I considered the Lexus HS 250H but after seeing the pictures, I could not get past the extreme Corolla look-alike problem. I wasn't willing to pay $40k for a Corolla with a Lexus badge. I think thid will be a bigger issue for Toyota than the issues mentioned here for the Prius, unless the shopper is a "brand only" shopper and would only have the the Lexus nameplate.

 

My wife's car has a backup camera and she really likes it. I don't, and I don't miss it... but if we had kids or outdoor animals I'd have one for sure. That horizontal blind spot in the rear could be really scary.

As for the miscalculation... sorry but I must disagree. I've spent enough time in a friend's GenII to say that I like my GenIII a lot better. I'm not qualified to say if it's better for hypermiling, but for the average driver and passenger, the GenIII is more comfortable and more enjoyable overall.

Center console, I could see that being a love-it or hate-it thing for people. For me it makes no difference.

The only change I do hope they make in '11 or subsequent years is replacing the vacuum-fluorescent multifunction display with an OLED one. The black level on the OLED should be similar to the rest of the dash display and the information could be presented a lot more clearly in high-resolution.

 

I said I liked my 08 dash better because of the lack of a center console. That tends to restrict knee room. I also read the '10 sits lower, making it better for taller drivers, which I am not.
My 08 is close to perfect. The only improvement I'm waiting for is in the battery technology, and that isn't here yet.

Oddly, I don't care much for the backup camera, because it's not real distance. Don't use it.

 

My thoughts EXACTLY. Keep the engine and drive train and other 'external' changes. Keep the new front seats but blow that arch to the hills. Put the MFD AND its Gen II functions and the old console back in. Is TPMS a federally mandated thing? If not, toss those and use the money for the MFD. The wheel sensors alone are $100+ each. (Dang, I just found a reference that said TMPS IS mandatory as of 2007. Shame, not something I have had a problem living without for the last 35 years of car ownership).

They want to fancy up the Gen II console a little? Fine but it and the cup holders are a LOT more usable than the 2010 console plus there is more storage with the drawer under it. Oh, and while they are at it, put the pocket back in the lower glove compartment. Much nicer having the manual(s) separated from all the other stuff. Is there ANY other difference between the Gen II and Gen III lower box??? I also make use of the shelf in the upper box, MIA in the 2010.

I had a loaner Corolla yesterday and the short console armrest (elbowrest?) was equally lacking. But in that car, they can't have a longer console because the shifter is up front and there would be no room for the cup holders if the console was longer.

 

About as intelligent as GSP H2 owners saying non owners are just jealous because they can't afford one. If a Gen I or II owner couldn't justify/afford a 2010, they would be posting about how much they REALLY want one but can't justify/afford the purchase. On the other hand, given how much I DON'T like the new interior, I don't have to justify buying one when my 2004 is in really fine shape at 94K miles and I don't trade cars until they are 8-10 years old. I'm waiting for the PHEV and hoping Toyota goes back to giving cockpit design decisions to people who know the value of ergonomics, functionality and safety instead of to artists and gee whiz.

I can agree with the willing (or possibly able) to pay for it but I SERIOUSLY doubt that the majority of car owners would NOT want a car that could use NO gas for some reasonable number of miles if all it took was plugging in a cord at night.

Abandoned? No, I don't feel abandoned but I do think there are a lot of ergonomic, functional and safety losses with the gen III cockpit design. Pretty funny too since there is a YouTube video of a Toyota sales/marketing type talking up the 'eyes on the road' touch tracer feature. If Toyota thinks eyes on the road is so important, why did they:

1. Get rid of the radio and climate controls on the MFD in favor of a bunch of small, mostly non tactile buttons much lower down. Eyes OFF the road.
2. Get rid of the 'dimple and bump' steering wheel switches that are easy to find AND know where your finger is on the switch in favor of buttons with the same raised dot on both sides.
3. Even bother with the touch tracer? If you are looking at it, you aren't looking at the road. If you need to look at it to know where your finger is, the wheel buttons are poorly designed. Whiz bang maybe but a feature with some cost that, at best, is covering for the poor button design.

 

I certainly agree with the '"have to buy this thing you DON'T want to get something you DO want" packaging.

A puny backup camera display on the edge of the RVM is not even CLOSE to comparable to an MFD size display. Same with the portable Nav systems.

But I also agree with the Nav issue - WAY too much to get updated maps, but an image large enough to see while driving. But some of the portables announce street names whereas the Toyota built in you just get "in 2 miles turn right" or "next left" and a chime when you get there. Put the functionality AND affordable map updates of the portables in the built in system. I mean, it is nice I can see any place in the US and Canada with a single DVD, but for real, how often am *I* going to be driving my car in California? Let me buy a separate DVD by region for $50 every few years AND tell me what areas of the map have been updated so I can decide if it would 'buy' me anything. Also, make 'overlapping' regions so if a person lives at the edge of their region, they don't have to buy two. Frankly, I think the cost of producing that would be WAY more than the stock DVD so sell IT to me for $50. Burning them is cheap. At the moment, they MSPR for $350 - about the cost of the more expensive portable units.

 

Would be a good use for the OLED display. Sony sells an OLED TV but you have to get way back in the specs to find out it is an 11" diagonal screen. And it costs $2.5K. OK, OLED not going in the Prius any time soon!