Solar panel roof OR LED headlights & 17" wheels (IV or V)?

So far no one has mentioned this, but you can get the IV without the solar roof and the V without the tech package. Nav is available separately on both. So the difference between the IV and the V would be that the V would have the 17 inch wheels and the LED headlights and cost most more. I live in Texas so I wanted the solar roof and remote AC for the summer (and the moon roof to let some light in during the dreary winter). It seemed to me that V's were limited in availability vs. the IV, so I am not sure if that might influence you. It took me 3 weeks to get my IV. Not sure how long it would have taken to get a V. I know that Prius's are more available in CA.
As another poster said, you can't go wrong with either.

 

I'm gonna go for 17" and the LED. The rims are a huge part the visual appeal for me. I have searched tirerack and none of the aftermkt rim do it for me. They all have skinny spokes that just doesn't work with the Prius. The short nose, high beltline, and stubby proportions work better with the thick five spoke OEM rims. The penalty is weight......one that I'm more than happy to pay.

I have a sunroof now and I can live w/o it. I don't like the sun to begin with, and at certain cruising speeds, the air causes an annoying resonating sound. I have to crack a side window to change the air flow but then it gets really noisy. And no one wants to hear me blare Britney Spears anyways....... I'm kidding.

 

It's all basically been said, but my decision came down to this: I could not remember the last time I used my sunroof, even though I've had them in my last 4-5 cars. So while I liked the idea of cooling the car, the wheels won out. If you tend to actually use a sun roof, rather than just like the idea of a sun roof, then you would probably go the other way.

 

Another totally worthless advantage with going with the V and its wheels, are that they match the hybrid display car wheels.

 

Exactly. He already has mentioned he owns one of the most sophisticated cars on the market, a carbon fiber M3, so I'm pretty sure he's quite capable of figuring out what makes the most sense for his "parking situation". My comments were intended for others (in LA or elesewhere) that don't have a good feeeling for how hot the inside of a car can become...even in 80F outside temperatures. It does NOT need to be 100F before the solar panel/cooling system makes sense. A sunny, 80F day is all it takes for the interior to heat uo to the low 100's.

http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/hot-in-the-car.html

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2008/07/kids-in-hot-car.html

Finally, the inside/outside parking should be a "no brainer". It goes without saying that the car needs to be outside. It operates by a solar panel that needs direct, or near-direct sunlight to operate. It will not work in a garage. I think (?) or hope that most people would know this. certainly any M3 owners would - IMO.

 

My experience was just the opposite. I had to wait 3 months to get my IV with solar roof. I heard from my dealer, and what I read online was - the maker of the solar panel had a limited production capacity, and could not supply the quantity needed in japan and the US markets.

The solar roof is a very unique feature, that you just can't swap out. I can change to 17" today, if i wanted. I could change to HID headlamps in a few hours. With the exception of the tech package on the V, pretty much all the other features i can independently (and fairly easily) add to my IV when, or if I want to.

I use the moon/sun roof tilted, and then turn off the AC - a LOT - to help with mpg and with hp's. On the hottest of days, I need the AC, but I would say 75% of my driving is done without the AC on. Not running the AC is one less drag on the engine/battery. By the way, my average MPGs is in the low 50's (Winter months) and high 50's in the Summer/Fall. After 7,500 miles of driving, I've only had two tanks of gas that were below 50 mpg - 47.5 and 48.8mpg. My terrain is fairly flat and I try to stay within +5-10 mph of the speed limit.

 

why I bought the IV

-Sunroof
I love the sunroof. Always wished I had one in my GenII. Wouldn't give it up now that I have.

-passive cooling system/solar panels
Love this. It does what it is supposed to do. I've tested all over the country from White Sands, New Mexico to the arid deserts of Eastern Oregon. Never let me down.

I would have loved to have the wheels on the V, but I didn't want to give up the sunroof. I love the built-in nav. I'm a huge proponent of portable navs and appreciate their strengths but with that said, I've had no issues with my built-in nav. I think Toyota did an excellent job with this version.

I got to drive both the IV and V a year ago. I appreciate the handling the differences but did not personally see them as strong enough to force me into the V. Yeah, without a doubt, the V looks cooler with the wheels. That said, take the plastic covers off the stock wheels and but a set of chrome wheel plugs. The V looks pretty tough in its own way too.

I would love to have some of the advanced tech stuff. The avoidance and collision radar would be cool. In the end, it came down really wanting the sunroof. That's an absolutely personal and subjective decision however.

 

Right, but if the battery drain is accelerated by running the AC (which it is), then that means the ICE has to kick on more often (which it does).

If it's not too hot, and I can get adequate cooling by tilting the sun/moon roof, and not have to turn on the AC, then it's a win-win for both mpgs and hps. That was my point.

The sun/moon roof can help the prius be more fuel efficient by reducung the reliance on AC for cooling comfort, AND, the solar sunroof & cooling fan can help to bring down the thermal load of the cabin, and thus, reduce the amount of time the AC has to run when first starting up....which also helps efficiency. Win-win.

 

It depends largely on the region. The OP is in California so if he wasn't considering the ATP then Vs with no AT are definitely limited in availability (and can be gotten only at selected dealers who manage to grab them en route to other regions) compared to SR.

 

No doubt. And it also probably depends upon what time of the year. Right now, I don't think too many buyers have solar driven cooling fans on their mind (ie low demand)...but they will come next Summer (higher demand).

 

Yep, that is ESPECIALLY true - ie, not using the AC on lengthy traffic jams. Do it all the time. I'll even turn off my headlights, and just run the parking lights to save...I think (maybe you can confirm?) that the parking lights are LEDs. Turning off the heavy demand systems, like AC and headlamps definitley helps to lengthen the interval time between the ICE cycling on/off. Every little bit helps...little here, little there, and pretty soon, getting mpgs in the mid-50's is a piece of cake. :rockon:

By the way, I don't consider myself a hypermiler. I just enjoy the challenge, or game (if you will), of seeing what I can do to up my mpgs. I have a lengthy comute, so I actually enjoy the challenge of trying to improve my efficiency. Finally a game that saves me money, and can enjoy playing at the same time...

 

It's pretty pathetic if they don't consider the long term, but I'm sure there are some narrow-minded buyers like that. Expect some "I wanna trade in for the SR" threads from newbies this coming summer.

 

The side windows can do the same (minus cooling fan) for free, unless your hair has to be held at an exact shape.

 

Don't know itf it's "pathetic", but it is human nature. Hard to get concerned about high temperatures, when it's sub-freezing in most parts of the country. It's like people I know that put in a pool. Cheapest time to do that is in the fall/Winter...but everyone that I know that have done it, does so in the Spring/Summer, when thoughts of the outside are foremost.

 

I already addressed in a prior post. Biggest problem I have with opening the side window at any kind of speed is - noise from other cars/trucks and road noise (in general). If it's raining, then tilting is also better as virtually no rain enters the car. Not to mention that heat rises, so what better place to have a "vent" than in the roof. Never read a study, but suspect the air flow is better through the sun/roof, than through a side window. I believe the air flow over the roof is faster than along the windows, or side of the car...as with an airplane, that creates a (slight) pressure differential between the cabin, and right above the opening in the sunroof...air will move faster.

 

I still think it's pathetic when it comes to car buying. If you don't get it, you're stuck with not having a SR. At least you can install a pool at any point (except when it's sub-freezing).

 

Maybe a better analogy would be a convertible car. Don't know when most convertibles are sold - I suspect in the Spring/Summer out here on the East Coast. But I do know this - go into any dealership around here in the Winter, and they won't have any convertibles on the floor, and maybe none on the entire lot.

It's human nature - buying habits and selections, from cars to cothing, are dependent on the seasons, and weather.

 

I had the same dilemma, and opted for the V - I really do love gadgets. The Nav sucks, but it does have a nice screen. I put in an aftermarket sunroof (Webaco 5300 - cost about $1200) and it works great and looks factory installed. I now have the best of both models.
Hope this helps.