You know what I just realized?

The Gen 3 is my first Toyota. I understand there are no drive belts, an improved CVT transmission and no gas tank bladder. There are many threads here on the new "pluses" for the G3. I'm just hoping for Toyota reliability and love getting 50mpg in the city!

 

Stay tuned for next year's models.

Anyway, that's like saying, for example, when they cured cancer it was cool and all, but now that they have cured the common cold, it doesn't seem like such a great thing.

 

I think it's important for young drivers today to be passionate about efficiency and to expect more from our automakers - whether foreign or domestic. If you are really on your second Prius at your young age - kudos to you!

As far as what future Prius will bring...I can only hope Toyota makes a reliable plug-in version that can go 100 miles per charge and then if need be, revert back to the hybrid system seamlessly. And all of this for about the same price as the base model. Now that would "wow" me.

 

It's called getting an ROI. ;-)

 

The Prius Gen 3 is my first Toyota, I love the design and concept It could be the best car out there but Toyota decided to make it a plain car, yes under the hood seems to be a reliable car.

The small details, interior plastic quality, software/screen , rattles, buttons, leather sits, lighting department and some incongruous parts of the interior sucks.

Every time I sit down in my car I sigh !!! how I would change the car, for example; when you open the center console and hit the legs of people sitting in the back, or the front door water bottles don't fit, overheard buttons for lights & sunroof in the dark, darkness under the flying bridge, a color screen in the main console including nice windows screens (software) with multiple information with maintenance minder and having TRIP+DTE+MPG miles at the same time as my other cars!!, the AC controls to be negative LCD instead of the one black who doesn't belong to the design seems almost like a 3rd party add-on (specially for people with Navi), etc..

Definitely it's a raw diamond without final form and polishing!!

Hope the 2013 Prius comes with a bunch of changes including LED DRL, AUTO lights, Less ICE noise, softer suspension, etc.. the wish list is huge !!

 

Maybe its that we are all just used to them now...

Which says an awful lot.

 

You have a point...but....

I still think 3rd Generation Prius is hands down the best mass produced Hybrid available. It's closest competition is coming from Toyota itself.

As far as Toyota pushing the envelope harder? They are limited somewhat by their own success. 2nd Generation became an automotive and social Icon so Toyota can't abandon that reality. You make 3rd Generation too removed from all previous Prius and you are throwing away an established brand. VW Bugs...pretty much looked like VW Bugs for 3 decades....

I think Toyota is clearly still the leader. As far as mass produced Hybrid products, easily. I think they can show creativity and expansion by doing what they are doing, which is expanding the "Family" of products. Like it or not, The Prius v, is growth of the product, in the family sized, family transporter segment..Prius v IMO is cutting edge.

Hopefully Toyota will show creativty and expansion with products like the upcoming Prius c. I fully expect it.

Does Generation 3 Prius stand in the shadow of it's own ancestor? Perhaps. But that's just inevitable when you create a product as unique and succesful as Generation 2 Prius.

Gen 3? It's an evolution more than a revolution...and I'm okay with that.

PS.

Where I would say Toyota needs to catch up, or apply more creativity would be in the design of their dash displays. Honda's and Fords displays are much more dynamic.

 

Isn't making the Prius more mainstream along with having technologies (e.g. ATP) that were previously reserved for very expensive cars not innovative enough?

Do you think that making a car that appeals to wider population easy to do?

I would argue that it is easier to make a freakish vehicle than a vehicle that a lot of people like or drawn to.

The whole point of hybrid technology is to make it available to everyone. Having a good HSD system and then cramming it into an uncomfortable spaceship-looking thingy is not really innovative in the grand scheme of things. Sure, you will have a group of folks who like it because it is "unique"...but that does not sell the technology nor the car to the masses. (Just ask Pontiac Aztec owners!)

For example, I am an average consumer. Never had a hybrid before...i have owned all sorts of vehicles in the past 10 years...SUVs, sports coupe, econobox, etc.. Forget the 1st gen Prius. That was not even on the radar. The 2nd gen Prius was OK, but there were plenty other choices that interested me much more. The seating position sucked to no end. The stereo sucked. Road noise galore. Unreliable HIDs. In other words, why would i sink so much money into an average weird package with a great HSD system? For me, HSD does not sell a car...the WHOLE package is what matters to me.

The 3rd gen Prius improvements made me come around...it was more mainstream, it was better in everyway that I care about, and it actually had features that were cool beyond the HSD.

Isn't it cool to have a below $35k car that gets 50 mpg with LEDs and ATP stuff that is seen only on cars costing $50,000 or more? That is innovative packaging, no?

Sure, there could be improvements to the 3rd gen Prius...like even more sound proofing (even tho i am very OK with the current sound proofing with my new Ecopia tires), memory seat (but this adds tons of weight), better interior plastics, and maybe some other minor stuff that escapes my insomniac brain now. Are they deal killers? No. We have seen how some of these improvements have led to negative compromises (in my view)...see Lexus CT200h: much smaller less practical package just to stay competitive with efficiency. I have two toddlers with two baby seats and tons of stuff...so, CT200h packaging is a deal killer for me.

Now, there is ONE big wish for the 3rd gen Prius...Lithium batteries. But, this is only a year away for us.

So, remind me, how is it that you don't think that the 3rd gen is a major step forward again???

 

Oh yeah, i forgot about the solar roof with remote AC...how cool is that? (No pun intended!) Let me tell you...here in TX heat, i sure could use that solar roof when i get into my car after work! Packing all this into a car that costs less than $28,000 (less than $25k in some cases)!

Or how about the efforts that Toyota went into to make the Prius a cleaner car from first weld to production?

Not innovative enough for you?

 

The Gen 2 also won one UK magazine readers award for being the easiest car to drive.