What I don't like about the 2016 Prius

In all fairness, I think KayakerNC's sentiment was "Eh - this one's not for me," not "Oh my God, Toyota - how dare you make this terrible car that nobody should buy!"

 

To be honest I am a rare station wagon fan...had one of the last Cressida Wagons. Power - she had some. So they keep taking away the room but it's a style thing and the masses out-voted me again.

 

"...an insufferable nannying busybody."

Yep, my comment was two-fold contradictory.
1) If you want to be a "minimalist" the new Gen4 is perfect!
2) If you need more space, don't gripe! Just throw a plastic box in the back!

Better yet, just buy a Prius v.

 

short term memory loss.

 

That TRD Prius is nice. Love the wheels. Looks like Bugatti wheels.

 

Oh you're far from alone. I love wagons - they're cars with the utility of much larger vehicles, ideal for occasionally moving some stuff (apart from gravel, manure, etc.) without compromising the driving experience the way vans and trucks do. "A car with four doors and a hatch" has been my mantra for vehicle purchases for years, and the U.S. market has had some very dark times over the past quarter century for those with such tastes. The U.S. continues to endure such abuses as losing Acura's tidy TSX wagon and being denied the Cruze station wagon sold in Europe (though we are finally getting a hatchback), but there are at least more options today than some years I remember, when about all that matched my preferences was a Golf (and I've never been a VW fan). When the Gen2 Prius showed up as a good-sized hatchback I was elated, and have remained so as we've moved on to our Gen4 LB.

So don't despair - the Gen4 LB still has plenty o' space, well-configured - you'll just have to add your own containers, i.e., they by and large kept the room, just lost the structured compartments. I'm currently looking at some cupholder-mounted mini-baskets and trunk organizers that I hope will fill the bill. I wish that hadn't been necessary, but while I do miss the Gen2's nooks and crannies, I'd gladly lose all the cubbyholes and keep the basic hatchback form factor than the other way 'round.

 

I agree.

But what I find baffling is the compulsion to post online why one car doesn't appeal to this specific individual. Particularly when they have not test driven or (in some cases, not this one) even examined at the vehicle in person at a dealership, just read about it somewhere and looked at photos. The Prius v and c don't ring my chimes, so should I put a long post about the why's and wherefore's of my opinions on those sections of this forum? I find the Tesla S's styling to be unimpressive (especially for such a groundbreaking car) compared to the Porsche Panamera, should I post something about that on the Tesla owner's forum?

I'd appreciate it if someone could explain this to me.

 

If you are feeling desperate for for a place to keep your stash (of Swifter sheets for the glossy dust attractor) there is always the cup holder cavities in the rear seat armrest. Easy to reach back and fold up or down to access since you have standard Bluetooth for your phone hand.

 

Thanks for the Swifter idea. The plastics used in the interior seem particularly electrostatic. White dog hairs (see my avatar) cover too much of the black interior of my Gen 4.

 

I'm having trouble parsing that whole bit about the phone hand, but unless you're some sort of mutant or basketball player (same diff), you are not folding down the rear armrest from the driver's seat. I'll concede you could reach the cupholders with a stretch if the armrest is already down.

As for Swiffer sheets, I'm thinking this would be a better bet:
up & up™ Retractable Multi-Tasking Brush : Target

What I've actually been using for years in our Gen2 and have moved to the Gen4 LB:
Lanco Corporation Personalized Retractable Computer Brush

. . . but that was a promotional item from some trade show, not sure if they're for individual sale anywhere.

 

Don't revisit it. Too depressing.

 

If I had to guess, the loss of the top glovebox could have something to do with airbag deployment. Looks like the 2016's airbag deploys lower down, and with more things to protect the occupant:

 

The simple flat ones for a mop work best for a quick swipe across the dust attractor-- not the swifter "duster" version designed to get in corners and such. And you may want to be sure they are unscented-- I had some with perfume that darn near killed me.

As for a related matter of something I don't like about the 2016 is that the black appliqué will surely show scratches over time. I first noticed that after dragging a gas station vacuum hose over it. My advise to those considering doin that in the first few weeks of ownership: Don't do it.

 

Gawd, I'm gonna show how anal I am now. I was inspecting the shiney black area around the center console and noticed a smudge which could be a scuff that I couldn't remove. Size of a half penny on the left driver side edge area. Only noticeable with flash light , warranty ? JK ;-)

LG-H901 ?

 

Think you're being a little too picky.

 

Yeah, again, loose plastic box = bad idea. And again, the core problem is loss of secured spaces. It ain't the end of the world, it's just an annoyance, and not one improved by suggestions to make things even worse.

And why on God's green earth would anyone buy a Gen1 v instead of the Gen4 LB just to get a few cubbyholes? Are you misdosing your meds? The v is 2/3 a van with lower mpg, fine for what it is, but addressing a different market niche altogether. "Better yet" indeed - sheesh.

 

Whoever said my small box slides around??? Never slid once. And it serves my purposes very well.

Does my box really bother you that much, Vike? Don't lose any sleep over it! Please tell me you have more to do, than being so concerned about my "box suggestion!" Dude... are you serious? I'm laughing my nice person off!

SHEESH is right!

 

There's always using velcro on the box, then it won't slide around for sure.

Or, getting a Prime, and putting everything in the rear center console.

 

Well, one could also wait for the Prius Prime, which has a storage box between the rear seats. plus 2 more cup holders. That, at least, is +1 more spot to put their stuff.