What I don't like about the 2016 Prius

Prius does not have Automatic Brake Hold with Electronic Parking Brake. Google, Youtube it, plenty of videos on it.

Why do you think Prius doesn't need the above? Extra cost?
I read it saves weight too.

 

what is that, exactly?

 

Since my Gen 2 I always wondered why the car wouldn't hold "0" speed at a stop. Then and now they apply forward torque. I had assumed to mimic a normal automatic transmission. I would love that feature, at a light or stop and go traffic when you come to a stop automatically the car stands still, with a indicator on the dash to let you know it's on. Apply gas and you go. I guessing here, but there maybe a transmission issues that prevent this. But for the most part I think it's software.

 

Never heard of this; seems like another factor in promoting owners walking away from their cars without turning them off.

 

I was under the impression that if you held the brake on a Prius, current would be cut to the motor.

There is always putting it in park, though, and setting the parking brake yourself, rather than relying on the car to automatically set the parking brake when you come to a stop. If that's too much work for you... maybe you should consider living where mass transit is feasible?

Where an electronic parking brake would be nice is tying it to the park button, so people don't forget to set the parking brake (the park pawl isn't intended to be the only thing holding the car, but many people don't set parking brakes because they're used to the park pawl being there). However, a mechanical parking brake is going to be far simpler and cheaper.

 

I see a number of complains here about engine noise. A few weeks ago, before picking up my Prius 4, I was riding in my daughters new RAV 4 hybrid. She and her husband commented on the noise. It took a while before we could all hear it, slowing and starting. Being the family's hybrid expert, I must know. I said my gen 2 didn't do it, but look I'll into it. So what I found out our Toyota's have a simulated high tech motor noise at slow speeds. It's to warn pedestrians the presence of what would be a silent car the might walk out I front of. Toyota has a name for it. We used to call the silent movement of the car "Stealth Mode"

 

I had heard of that feature, but does anyone know if the Gen 4's are equipped this way?

Could it be a regional thing? When a dealer was driving one off the show room floor... it was completely silent (being outside the vehicle). Or maybe it only kicks in when you've been driving at higher speeds and are slowing to a stop. Somewhere I heard about this (and saw a video) - but can't recall if it was a 2016 Gen 4.

 

Correct, If you press the brake pedal hard, the motor current is removed. But if you let up a little pressure and there is no movement of the car, the motor forward power is applied. That my Gen 2, and I think my Gen 4 is the same. Actually I would rather have it do nothing at 0 speed. Your always holding the car to prevent the car for motoring forward. In stop and go traffic I find my self putting the car in park when I stop. I'm in the motor drive control business. Same type permanent magnet motor drive and motor that's in the Prius. 0 speed instead of X value torque, command to the motor drive is all that's required.

LOL, maybe I'm a lazy driver and need to look at mass transit. Actually I was looking for the autonomous car. A little early for that but I replaced my Gen 2 with the Gen 4 for the driving safety features. Soon all cars will be mandated to have some of these features. I really like the automatic braking to avoid rear end collisions. The automatic distance and speed control on cruise control, lane warning and control are great. Not an autonomous car yet but real nice systems that will prevent some accidents. So 0 speed control when you expect to be at 0 speed is a no brainer.

 

I don't know for sure we do or don't have it. I did find that they have it. My gen 2 is whisper quiet. But in the the gen 4 I do hear a motor whine slowing and accel 0 to about 25 MPH. So is it a real engine compartment or simulated noise. This is a little technical, but If the drive switching frequency is lowered you can make the motor resonate any noise. Lower PWM frequencies at low speeds causes much lower heating of the drives IGBT's, while increasing audible motor noise. Technically that's good.

 

I think what you will need is an electrode implanted in your brain so the car will know what you want it to do. Maybe bluetooth from there to the car's computer.

 

VPNS, 'vehicle proximity notification system'. all prius have had it since 2012. but i understand on gen 4, you can adjust the volume.

 

It's got all the hardware to drive automatically I've read.

When backing the Prius on a driveway it does hold when I let go off the brake.

LG-H901 ?

 

Tough group here. I'm a tech guy. Anything to make the vehicle safer is what I want. Just wish the other drivers on the road felt the same.

 

Brake Hold only works when a car is in a moving gear, D, R.
Would you rather get out of the car accidentally in gear and have it drive forward or backward into something else, or have Brake Hold keep the car in place so you can get back in and put it in Park?

It was so simple to use electric parking brake: Simply press button down to release the parking brake, move finger an inch forward, hit the brake hold button. Good to go.

No more guessing how much to push the old fashioned parking brake pedal or handle and whether you've set it enough to actually hold the car.
Electronic parking brake takes car of all of that. No mechanical cables to route.

And to the other guy wanting parking brake to be set whenever putting transmission in Park: I don't think any manufacturer anywhere has ever done that and there's probably a very good reason why.

 

Give me a break, I doubt Wald is dumb enough to design something that has such legal repercussions as that. A simple glance will show you the covered area was more for questionable aesthetics than about light spread. I'm sure they tested it, weighted the effects, and decided the effects are negligible. But if it makes you happy putting other people down, more power to you... lol

 

in 45 years of driving, i have never gotten out of a moving car. and i'm a complete idiot.

 

Oh, no, please, give ME a break. If you want to make offhanded comments that come across as irresponsible, don't complain when someone notices, then shift to a more reasonable argument after the fact in order to take some imaginary moral high ground.

Let's rewind the tape, shall we? You put up the Wald pictures, and while I didn't care for some of the mods, the headlights seemed okay to me, with one small caveat:

. . . and that's an entirely reasonable concern. I'd want to see the effect they'd have on the light output, since I wouldn't accept any compromise in illumination for the sake of style. You might reasonably have replied (as you just chose to do) "I'm sure they tested it, weighted the effects", etc. And that would have been a fair point. End of topic.

But the thing is, while I never said Wald was nuts for putting these on the market, or that anyone who'd buy them must be a sociopath with no regard for human life, that's pretty much where you went, dismissing my concern with this extreme statement:

That's not "I like the way these look, and I'm sure they'll be safe to use." That's "I don't give two shakes if they leave me half-blind driving at night, as long as the car looks good to me." It's that attitude that drew this reaction:

That's it - just a little reminder that you probably do care "how bad they will affect the light spread," because any reasonable person would. If you want to back off from the "I'm just wild and crazy" argument and point out Wald was probably obligated to test these little buggers better than I feared, it would be easy enough to do that without attacking my character.

So when it comes to being "happy putting other people down," I'd say if the shoe fits, buddy.

 

whatever, moving on....

 

It seems the (gen4) Prius essentially forces driver to hold their foot on brake pedal in any stopped condition on the road for the duration. Last Friday night I was stuck in traffic jam before likely fatal accident, stopped for several minutes at a time, repeatedly. In Civic with Brake Hold, chill that braking foot at will. (our 2005 Accord in sea of stopped cars, I'd just pop transmission in neutral if sitting minutes at a time).

Since (gen4) Prius is not supposed to be put in neutral (which does not charge hybrid battery), I'd been rotely holding brake pedal all the time while stopped for very long times. Or do what, put it in Park on the road?

 

I use park when stopped for longer than a minute or so. It keeps the sensors at bay.