Disappointment Moving from Gen II to Gen III

Skilene · Aug 25, 2013

The Gen II Prius holds the honor of being the best car I ever owned. Having driven it 25k beyond when I usually sell a car, it was time for me to reluctantly get a new one. Without doing my usual shopping around, I bought a Gen III after one quick test drive. Big mistake. I should have looked at it more closely. There are a number of downgrades going from a Gen II Package 5 to a Gen III Prius Four with the Deluxe Solar Roof package. To be fair, there are some improvements, such as more comprehensive smartphone integration and traffic/weather information. Also, I’ve never had the ability to raise the seat height before and I like how it helps get my eyes above the sun visor. That said, here are my gripes:

1. The cargo cover no longer completely hides any luggage you may have in the back. There is a gap behind the rear seats and along the sides and people can see that you're concealing something. Had I noticed this ahead of time, it would have been a deal-breaker for me.
2. Fortunately, the hidden storage compartment under the cargo mat is still there. However, the mat has folds in it that flop around so it takes a bit of fussing to put it back in place each time.
3. I ordered a bisque interior that arrived half bisque and half grey - like they cobbled it together with whatever they had on hand. The seats are bisque, the roof and cargo area is grey and the floor mats are black.
4. The compartment to hold my sunglasses has disappeared, which means I now have an extra step of getting my glasses out of and back into a case when I switch from my regular glasses to my sunglasses and back again. I would rather have a sunglasses holder than a sun roof (which I don't use), but I had to get the sun roof in order to keep the same quality navigation screen as I had before. (I don't need or use the HUD either.)
5. The CD storage compartment, the rectangular door compartments and the coin tray in the center console have also disappeared. And, the glove box is no longer lined, so things rattle around in there and it feels cheap.
6. The JBL sound quality doesn't seem to be as good.
7. The steering wheel button to change from one audio preset to the next is now farther away and is a stretch for my thumb. I use this far more than the volume controls and wish they hadn't changed it. Also, it now takes 2 presses on the screen to get to the phone speed dials vs. 1.
8. Using the audio presets is not intuitive at all. The Mode button and the tabs for the presets are not connected to one another. When you change Mode, you need to touch a tiny arrow on the screen to get to the presets which is difficult to see while driving.
9. When I pull into the garage with my sunglasses on, I can't see the Park button.
10. The arm rest is useless, other than for appearance. It is positioned too far back, so my elbow goes into the cupholder. The iPod plug-in in the center console is also too far back to be accessed by the driver. I also miss the cupholders that were on the back of the center console. These were handy on road trips when we had 2 water bottles and 2 soft drinks.
I do like the new solar ventilation panel, but it's hard to tell whether the button is pressed or not. In general, I find the ergonomics to be a bit off, including the dash display which is now more centered vs. in front of the driver.

While there are some improvements in this new model, I'm left feeling disappointed and wishing I was still driving my Gen II.

jnet · Aug 25, 2013

I may have similar complaints if I were buying a Lexus which I also own. I know a lot of people who own small gas cars and Prius and none of them ever said "My car is so comfortable". The Prius takes me to work at a economic cost. Mission accomplished.

cary1952 · Aug 25, 2013

jnet said: ↑

I may have similar complaints if I were buying a Lexus which I also own. I know a lot of people who own small gas cars and Prius and none of them ever said "My car is so comfortable". The Prius takes me to work at a economic cost. Mission accomplished.
Click to expand...

Skilene said: ↑

The Gen II Prius holds the honor of being the best car I ever owned. Having driven it 25k beyond when I usually sell a car, it was time for me to reluctantly get a new one. Without doing my usual shopping around, I bought a Gen III after one quick test drive. Big mistake. I should have looked at it more closely. There are a number of downgrades going from a Gen II Package 5 to a Gen III Prius Four with the Deluxe Solar Roof package. To be fair, there are some improvements, such as more comprehensive smartphone integration and traffic/weather information. Also, I’ve never had the ability to raise the seat height before and I like how it helps get my eyes above the sun visor. That said, here are my gripes:

1. The cargo cover no longer completely hides any luggage you may have in the back. There is a gap behind the rear seats and along the sides and people can see that you're concealing something. Had I noticed this ahead of time, it would have been a deal-breaker for me.
2. Fortunately, the hidden storage compartment under the cargo mat is still there. However, the mat has folds in it that flop around so it takes a bit of fussing to put it back in place each time.
3. I ordered a bisque interior that arrived half bisque and half grey - like they cobbled it together with whatever they had on hand. The seats are bisque, the roof and cargo area is grey and the floor mats are black.
4. The compartment to hold my sunglasses has disappeared, which means I now have an extra step of getting my glasses out of and back into a case when I switch from my regular glasses to my sunglasses and back again. I would rather have a sunglasses holder than a sun roof (which I don't use), but I had to get the sun roof in order to keep the same quality navigation screen as I had before. (I don't need or use the HUD either.)
5. The CD storage compartment and the coin tray in the center console have also disappeared. And, the glove box is no longer lined, so things rattle around in there and it feels cheap.
6. The JBL sound quality doesn't seem to be as good.
7. The steering wheel button to change from one audio preset to the next is now farther away and is a stretch for my thumb. I use this far more than the volume controls and wish they hadn't changed it. Also, it now takes 2 presses on the screen to get to the phone speed dials vs. 1.
8. Using the audio presets is not intuitive at all. The Mode button and the tabs for the presets are not connected to one another. When you change Mode, you need to touch a tiny arrow on the screen to get to the presets which is difficult to see while driving.
9. When I pull into the garage with my sunglasses on, I can't see the Park button.
10. The arm rest is useless, other than for appearance. It is positioned too far back, so my elbow goes into the cupholder. The iPod plug-in in the center console is also too far back to be accessed by the driver. I also miss the cupholders that were on the back of the center console. These were handy on road trips when we had 2 water bottles and 2 soft drinks.
I do like the new solar ventilation panel, but it's hard to tell whether the button is pressed or not. In general, I find the ergonomics to be a bit off.

While there are some improvements in this new model, I'm left feeling disappointed.
Click to expand...

SELL IT if you don't like it. Boo ho0 ho0!

john1701a · Aug 25, 2013

Having done the same transition myself (2004 fully loaded to 2010 solar package), I can point out you're in for some surprises. First impression is not what you end up discovering afterward with the new layout/configuration.

The hybrid system itself is clearly improved too. There's no contest in a few situations, like winter driving. Efficiency is overall better as well.

arnesto · Aug 25, 2013

Listen,Men and women serving in Afghanistan are wondering daily if they are going to make it home in one piece ( mentally or physically) and you are upset about no sunglass holder or going to an extra step to use the audio system the way you want. Think about it. I like my 2013 model II. It is all I need.

SuperGLS · Aug 25, 2013

Sounds like you are more upset with yourself for not doing a better job picking out a car, rather than the car doing anything wrong. Had you spent even 10 minutes with the car you would have noticed most of these things.

Sorry it didn't turn out like you wanted it to.

loansum · Aug 25, 2013

Skilene said: ↑

The Gen II Prius holds the honor of being the best car I ever owned. Having driven it 25k beyond when I usually sell a car, it was time for me to reluctantly get a new one. Without doing my usual shopping around, I bought a Gen III after one quick test drive. Big mistake. I should have looked at it more closely. There are a number of downgrades going from a Gen II Package 5 to a Gen III Prius Four with the Deluxe Solar Roof package. To be fair, there are some improvements, such as more comprehensive smartphone integration and traffic/weather information. Also, I’ve never had the ability to raise the seat height before and I like how it helps get my eyes above the sun visor. That said, here are my gripes:

1. The cargo cover no longer completely hides any luggage you may have in the back. There is a gap behind the rear seats and along the sides and people can see that you're concealing something. Had I noticed this ahead of time, it would have been a deal-breaker for me.
2. Fortunately, the hidden storage compartment under the cargo mat is still there. However, the mat has folds in it that flop around so it takes a bit of fussing to put it back in place each time.
3. I ordered a bisque interior that arrived half bisque and half grey - like they cobbled it together with whatever they had on hand. The seats are bisque, the roof and cargo area is grey and the floor mats are black.
4. The compartment to hold my sunglasses has disappeared, which means I now have an extra step of getting my glasses out of and back into a case when I switch from my regular glasses to my sunglasses and back again. I would rather have a sunglasses holder than a sun roof (which I don't use), but I had to get the sun roof in order to keep the same quality navigation screen as I had before. (I don't need or use the HUD either.)
5. The CD storage compartment, the rectangular door compartments and the coin tray in the center console have also disappeared. And, the glove box is no longer lined, so things rattle around in there and it feels cheap.
6. The JBL sound quality doesn't seem to be as good.
7. The steering wheel button to change from one audio preset to the next is now farther away and is a stretch for my thumb. I use this far more than the volume controls and wish they hadn't changed it. Also, it now takes 2 presses on the screen to get to the phone speed dials vs. 1.
8. Using the audio presets is not intuitive at all. The Mode button and the tabs for the presets are not connected to one another. When you change Mode, you need to touch a tiny arrow on the screen to get to the presets which is difficult to see while driving.
9. When I pull into the garage with my sunglasses on, I can't see the Park button.
10. The arm rest is useless, other than for appearance. It is positioned too far back, so my elbow goes into the cupholder. The iPod plug-in in the center console is also too far back to be accessed by the driver. I also miss the cupholders that were on the back of the center console. These were handy on road trips when we had 2 water bottles and 2 soft drinks.
I do like the new solar ventilation panel, but it's hard to tell whether the button is pressed or not. In general, I find the ergonomics to be a bit off, including the dash display which is now more centered vs. right in front of the driver.

While there are some improvements in this new model, I'm left feeling disappointed and wishing I was still driving my Gen II.
Click to expand...

michinnom · Aug 25, 2013

If the gen II was the best car ever for you, you really need to open your horizons, as there are MANY cars that destroy the any generation prius at almost every facet of measurement except for mpg. Actually, the Tesla destroys the prius at that now too...

adamace1 · Aug 25, 2013

If your that picky you made a huge mistake. Next time write everything down you have to have in a car and spend 5 hours inspecting the car be fore you spend 25plus grand. You wont be upset then.

loansum · Aug 25, 2013

Skilene said: ↑

The Gen II Prius holds the honor of being the best car I ever owned. Having driven it 25k beyond when I usually sell a car, it was time for me to reluctantly get a new one. Without doing my usual shopping around, I bought a Gen III after one quick test drive. Big mistake. I should have looked at it more closely. There are a number of downgrades going from a Gen II Package 5 to a Gen III Prius Four with the Deluxe Solar Roof package. To be fair, there are some improvements, such as more comprehensive smartphone integration and traffic/weather information. Also, I’ve never had the ability to raise the seat height before and I like how it helps get my eyes above the sun visor. That said, here are my gripes:

1. The cargo cover no longer completely hides any luggage you may have in the back. There is a gap behind the rear seats and along the sides and people can see that you're concealing something. Had I noticed this ahead of time, it would have been a deal-breaker for me.
2. Fortunately, the hidden storage compartment under the cargo mat is still there. However, the mat has folds in it that flop around so it takes a bit of fussing to put it back in place each time.
3. I ordered a bisque interior that arrived half bisque and half grey - like they cobbled it together with whatever they had on hand. The seats are bisque, the roof and cargo area is grey and the floor mats are black.
4. The compartment to hold my sunglasses has disappeared, which means I now have an extra step of getting my glasses out of and back into a case when I switch from my regular glasses to my sunglasses and back again. I would rather have a sunglasses holder than a sun roof (which I don't use), but I had to get the sun roof in order to keep the same quality navigation screen as I had before. (I don't need or use the HUD either.)
5. The CD storage compartment, the rectangular door compartments and the coin tray in the center console have also disappeared. And, the glove box is no longer lined, so things rattle around in there and it feels cheap.
6. The JBL sound quality doesn't seem to be as good.
7. The steering wheel button to change from one audio preset to the next is now farther away and is a stretch for my thumb. I use this far more than the volume controls and wish they hadn't changed it. Also, it now takes 2 presses on the screen to get to the phone speed dials vs. 1.
8. Using the audio presets is not intuitive at all. The Mode button and the tabs for the presets are not connected to one another. When you change Mode, you need to touch a tiny arrow on the screen to get to the presets which is difficult to see while driving.
9. When I pull into the garage with my sunglasses on, I can't see the Park button.
10. The arm rest is useless, other than for appearance. It is positioned too far back, so my elbow goes into the cupholder. The iPod plug-in in the center console is also too far back to be accessed by the driver. I also miss the cupholders that were on the back of the center console. These were handy on road trips when we had 2 water bottles and 2 soft drinks.
I do like the new solar ventilation panel, but it's hard to tell whether the button is pressed or not. In general, I find the ergonomics to be a bit off, including the dash display which is now more centered vs. in front of the driver.

While there are some improvements in this new model, I'm left feeling disappointed and wishing I was still driving my Gen II.
Click to expand...

What would you have done if you knew in advance about these deficiencies? Keep your Gen II or buy something else?

bisco · Aug 25, 2013

welcome to priuschat! thanks for reminding me.

GrumpyCabbie · Aug 25, 2013

Buyer beware.

You obviously made a mistake so sell it and get something more suitable.

The Electric Me · Aug 25, 2013

I'm not knocking your complaints.

I've never owned a Gen 2. I'm sure much, maybe all of what you note is true.

But what do you do?
As you say, the years on your Gen 2 were getting long. You could buy a used but "newer" Gen 2, but that is a risk.

So you bought a Gen 3. Discovered some disappointing minutia in layout and function.

Doesn't that almost always happen when you go from one long time owned vehicle to another? I love my Prius, BUT I miss a lot of things about my Honda Fit. When I first got my Honda Fit....I loved it, but missed things about owning my 1992 Honda Accord. And so on and so forth almost always.

I think you should focus more on the "good" differences. The new engine is beltless, the accessories are all electric, you now have a heat reclamation system for engine warm up as opposed to the old coolant thermos, and you have a regular gas tank instead of the Gen 2 fuel bladder. As well as is pointed out, the newer generation of the entire Hybrid system.

Here's hoping you adapt. Here's hoping you discover some layout and operating minutia you actually like better on your new vehicle.

Eventually, unless you are committed to the expense of maintaining a rapidly aging vehicle, eventually everyone has to move forward, and while sometimes that does come with loss, it usually comes with gain as well.

Perhaps the mistake you made was buying a Prius 4 with sunroof package, when you didn't want a sunroof? That's paying for a BIG UPGRADE for a bunch of upgrades you now profess you don't want or never wanted.

If you value a place to stick your sunglasses MORE than you value having a sunroof and all the advantages of the Prius 4 sunroof package? Well? Can't help you much.

I would suggest that your local Dollar Tree sells sunglass clips, that can be attached to your visor, if the exhausting exertion if reaching for your sunglasses isn't routinely countered by the refreshing ability to use your sunroof to let in more light and air.

GrumpyCabbie · Aug 25, 2013

I find it hard that someone buys a disappointing car and then searches down the forum to tell everyone.

Hits me as strange, or do i say trollish?

Fluxuated · Aug 25, 2013

Love my Gen III, so each to their own.

Should have done your homework, I guess.

muddyglass · Aug 25, 2013

Skilene said: ↑

4. The compartment to hold my sunglasses has disappeared, which means I now have an extra step of getting my glasses out of and back into a case when I switch from my regular glasses to my sunglasses and back again. I would rather have a sunglasses holder than a sun roof (which I don't use), but I had to get the sun roof in order to keep the same quality navigation screen as I had before. (I don't need or use the HUD either.)
Click to expand...

just a quick note: the prius four without a sun roof does come with a sunglasses holder and built-in navigation system.

SuperGLS · Aug 25, 2013

^^^Yeah, I bought one yesterday. Would have saved the OP a LOT of money too. Strange thread.

32kcolors · Aug 25, 2013

Skilene said: ↑

3. I ordered a bisque interior that arrived half bisque and half grey - like they cobbled it together with whatever they had on hand. The seats are bisque, the roof and cargo area is grey and the floor mats are black.
Click to expand...

What color was your Gen II interior? Gray upper half is ubiquitous across manufacturers regardless of the color you pick. Fortunately, it matches in my Misty Gray.

9. When I pull into the garage with my sunglasses on, I can't see the Park button.
Click to expand...

Why do you need to see/use it at all? Just hit the power button and it'll automatically put itself in park.

10. The arm rest is useless, other than for appearance. It is positioned too far back, so my elbow goes into the cupholder.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, too many well-meaning 2010-11 owners complained about the hidden cupholder so Toyota listened and made it an open cupholder at the expense of a shorter armrest. The maxim "Be careful what you ask for, you might get it" is absolutely true here.

WE0H · Aug 25, 2013

I suggest you sell it ;-)

I researched online as well as drove rental Prii for 2.5 years before I ordered my car. I fully knew what I was buying even before the ship arrived in Portland

Mike

Mobile on my SGH-i717

css28 · Aug 25, 2013

My 1992 Mazda 626 had an oscillating face level vent. Really.

Somehow I've managed to pull myself together in the 13 years since the car was totaled.

Disappointment Moving from Gen II to Gen III

Skilene New Member

jnet Member

cary1952 Member

john1701a Prius Guru

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SuperGLS Member

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GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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Disappointment Moving from Gen II to Gen III

Skilene New Member

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