Why do they have a PiP under Prius 3rd Gen and a Prius Plug-in as a heading above next to Prius? is the Prius Plug-in considered a "Prius?" The second question is would the new 2013 Regular Prius be considered a 3rd Gen Prius? And finally is there anyway to get a PiP if they are not selling them in Salt Lake City, UT? (I can just imagine the answers I will get with these questions, but I have to try and learn somehow.) Going to the Toyota dealers now is not teaching me much because both dealers only had the one Regular Prius which I think the sales guy called a model 3 and a 4 and 2 Prius c.
As far as why we have a separate tab for the plug-in, you'd have to ask the site owners (mainly Danny) about that. Maybe we're just super special. The pip is indeed a variant of the third generation Prius. It has the same body and largely the same interior. The Prius c and Prius v, on the other hand, are completely different cars that Toyota has chosen to put under the Prius brand in the US for marketing purposes. The only way you can buy the car is to travel to another state where it's officially offered and drive it back. Or, you can find a dealer who will be willing to sell the car out of state and then contract a shipper to ship the car to you. Welcome!
The dealer wants to much for the PiP. A member sent me a reply saying he will try to get me a PiP (which I hope means Prius Plug-in) but I lost his post.
I am not sure I stated my question (the main one in the original post) clearly. Just by the way you replied in your first post in this thread. I could be wrong. what is the advantage of the PiP? Is it to use the electric battery s much as you can in hopes that you will save on gas? so I am looking for a Prius to set up as my place to sleep at night while I drive around secluded areas during the day looking for a mountain to rock climb all alone and back to the Prius with a Thermarest mattress pad and a couple pillows at night. Besides the Prius V, would you say all the regular Prii have the same size area from the dashboard on the passenger's side to the back where the liftgate is? This is where I will be sleeping. (Not counting the Prius c, just the PiP and the regular Prii?) Look forward to some assistance tonight which will be the nexttime I can sign in and read the posts. anybody know a dealer on the East coast that can get me a 2013 PiP with a moon roof and a slider shade? I have a 2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagon with 9000 miles on it as a trade in. Was a family car but has bad memories so it has not be driven except for an occasional drive around the block or two a couple times a week to keep things flowing. Has the longest moonroof I think I have ever seen, but the memories I have with the car are too much for me to handle so it has o go before it gets any older.
You cannot get PiP with moon/sun roof. They don't offer that option due to the added weight (bigger battery already weight more). FAQs on Toyota PiP page should help. Should I buy a Prius or the Prius Plug-in? The Prius Plug-in operates just like the 3rd Generation Prius, but it gives you the added benefit of a dedicated electric driving capability. This is a great option for drivers who take many short trips and have access to outlets for charging. For instance, it's possible to nearly always run in electric mode and never use a single drop of gas. However, if you find yourself regularly taking longer trips and/or have limited access to outlets, then the 3rd Generation Prius may be a better choice.
Fly to CA, buy a PIP, then go to Yosemite. The purpose of the PIP vs a regular Prius is that you will have a place to charge it, thus driving in EV mode a lot, thus using less gas. If you will be camping out a lot, the PIP isn't a good choice. The moonroof is only available on a regular Prius. Mike
I think most people have covered your questions. But in brief, yes, all regular Priuses, including the pip, have exactly the same amount of space. The pip does not have a moonroof option. The point of the pip is that you can charge it from the wall and run your errands/driving around town without using any gas. Also, for some of us, getting a pip was actually cheaper than getting a regular Prius due to the incentives available from TFS. This is no longer the case since pretty much all base models have been sold off at this point.
I got that about the PiP. I am not interested in the Prius V. There must be a regular Prius with the moonroof option. There is enough room in a regular Prius for me to sleep if I set it up right. In talking to a couple salespeople it appears only the Prius 4 or 5 come with the moon roof and it is a hefty tag. We got dumped on last night as far as snow and I have not seen the roads this bad in 5 years here on Salt Lake city. I was surprised a lot of cars I saw stuck in the snow that they did not get to plow off yet were Prii. We would pass a car that was just coming out to go on to a main street and my friend said that looks like a new Prius. I would think that the Prius would do a little better in streets with some snow on them. It is a front wheel drive, right? Maybe the standard tires are not all weather. Not sure but it did surprise us both.
Mike- With the PiP do you carry a cable around in your car and when you see a docking place, stop and plug it in? do people have them installed at their home(s) too? Is it safe to leave the car charging and leave it or is it best to stay there with the car? If the PiP is the same size as the regular Prius, the moonroof is not vital. How long does a charge take?
You are almost correct. The Prius Three and Four have the moonroof available. The Five does not. I can't speak to stuck cars but John1701a on this forum has driven Priuses of all generations for over a decade now in Minnesota and has never had issues. The supplied charging cord plugs into a regular 110 outlet. Most public stations will have their own cords so you won't be using the supplied charger. There are threads you can find that detail how some people secure their charging cords if they do use an outlet somewhere in the public (like a garage). A full charge takes 3 hours from a household outlet and will get you anywhere from 10 to 15 miles depending on how you drive and the conditions outside.
I don't take my cable with me. Public stations have them, but public outlets do not. Most people with PIPs use 110v at home. 90 min to charge from L2 (220v) and ~2.5 hrs from 110v. Mike
Lensovet, I ask questions in this forum because this is what the forum is for. Nobody, I do not think, is twisting your arm to help me with my questions. Referring me to an article is not the way I want to learn when I came here. I have read so much on these cars, even know it may not seem like it, but you get some from reading, you get some from asking owners, you get some from test driving, etc. I have read a lot on the PiP so my main reason for posting questions on here is to get some input from people who have owned them. Well I do not know about John and how long he has been driving. It was a comment I was interested in hearing about what you Prius drivers thought. it is a major snow storm, but I was also in an older Prius and although my friend does not have all weather tires, it is a very unusual situation for a small car and a front wheel drive on top of that. I am not sure what the tires or like that they are putting on the new Prii, but most of the ones we saw stuck looked new. I have seen that you can upgrade to a different tire, but it does not say what type of tire it is just the size and another number.
I'm not sure what you're railing against here. Because I don't have the URL of every single post memorized, I was referring you to the search function. If in fact you're asking for advice, perhaps you shouldn't argue with or try to attack those who are trying to help you. A front wheel drive car doesn't somehow magically become immune to being stuck in snow. Even a four wheel drive car isn't immune to getting stuck. You yourself said that this was an unusually large amount of snow. Perhaps people aren't experienced with it? The "upgraded" wheels you can get on a Prius are an upgrade in performance and handling, not snow traction. For that, you'll have to get a separate set of snow tires. This is true for any car. TireRack.com is a good resource if you're interested in that. As far as traction is concerned, "numbers" are the only things you do need to improve your winter/snow traction. Again, this is true of any car in general and in no way specific to the Prius.
I think that the Prius, any prius, may not be the best choice for you. Sleeping sitting upright in the seat starts to suck after a while. Why do it if you don't have to? Get something where you can lay down and stretch out in the back. You'll sleep better, feel better when you head up the slope. You are going to be off into unimproved roads. The Prius has a very low clearance, even a rock the size of a softball might do it harm. Get four wheel drive, halve your chances of getting stuck. One of the small Subaru wagons might meet your needs better.
Why would he be sitting upright? You can fold the rear and front seats such that you have an almost flat bed.
Get an old VW bus. That's what all the rock climbers I know drive back and forth from Taquitz to Yosemite.
