I'm driving the 2016 Prius next week. What do you want to know?

do they plan to completely redesign it before roll out, because some here hate how it looks, and will probably move on to mazda or hyundai?

 

Perhaps they only want to keep those buy cars for functions over looks.

 

I would really be interested in how the brakes feel. Is there still that harsh jump from regen to friction braking at 8 mph? It supposed to be a smoother experience with the new adaptive brake pump.

 

Hummm, business opportunity. Make a foam and fiberglass shell that looks like a Hummer but opens up to be the Prius garage. The Hummer sides open up and out to make a rain-shelter so we can do the umbrella thing without getting wet. Then once in the house, the sides come back down. . . . We'll call it the Potemkin-port.

Bob Wilson

 

Is that with a second gen? I'd say that's been addressed with 3rd gen, I find the brakes very seamless and natural feeling.

 

It's tolerable when you get used to them on the Gen III, but compared to normal car braking the switch-over is anything but seamless...especially when you have rough road.

 

Mostly I want to know you had a safe trip.

Bob Wilson

 

Oooh - Battleship Potemkin!
I like the way you think...

 

Thanks for doing this research for us all!

I'm very curious about front leg room and entry/exit height, bending needed to get in/out. I hear it's supposed to have more leg room (I have long legs), but also have a lower ingress height (I have occasional back trouble).
Also, what's the cheapest price I can get one with adaptive cruise control?
Is the adaptive cruise control one that works all the way to a stop, for use in rush hour traffic?
Official color choices (I think this is already established, but I'm hoping for a surprise, because the current list is a little black n' white... and white, and silver, and gray, and BLUE AND RED!) hehehe... Cosmic gray perhaps? Is the black metallic at all? The red is the most interesting, but I'm not a big bright-red car guy...
And can the plastic-looking parts in the wheels actually be removed?

Have a great time!

 

The plastic bits can be pulled off, on the 17" rims. What you're left with is very utilitarian tho: spindly black spokes with a silver dollar sized lobe-with-hole at the end of each spoke.

(There's a recent pic of one of the covered mule cars where you can see a bare 17" rim.)

 

The icon that shows door open is now individual door. Is it the case with the tire pressure?

I am not suggesting you go and deflate one of the tire before the test drive but you can do it afterward.

 

See if you can push it into a 4 wheel drift or an over-steer. (using the emergency brake doesn't count!).

 

And does it force you to sit in a semi-reclined driving position, such that any non-short person is forced to chose between seat forward -- MASHED LEGS -- and seat back -- SORE NECK & SHOULDERS from reaching way out to the tragically limited, barely telescoping steering wheel?

 

do we know steering wheel and seat travel yet?

 

Steering wheel I think yeah, it was checked by the Prius Crew at Vegas. Forget what it was but they weren't that happy.

When I'm setting travel, I tend to whomp/whomp the wheel between nearest/furthest, then try to get it about midway, then up as high as it'll go.

 

bummer.

 

On the topic of steering wheel. I noticed it is circle now. Prius always had the bottom half oval shape. I guess it is the result of the new platform that shares many parts?

 

non issue for me, i never understood the angst. but maybe if you're a real driver...

 

Correct, I'm driving a Gen 2. Haven't had an opportunity to drive a Gen 3 yet, but I will take your word for it.