What a great car!

incredible, well done! sometimes, we get a little numb to the amazing mpg's, but toyota shocked the world, and they're still in shock.

 

Are you USA, or IMPERIAL MPG? (your profile doesn't give a clue.)

 

pretty incredible car eh!

 

Over here in Australia, they only offer some options in a VERRRRRY expensive higher price model. No individual ones (other than mats etc). Only thing I particularly want is Rear Cross Traffic alert - and it's over $8000 for the higher priced model - for just that item. Yes, there are other things which aren't really on my wish list too. Sunroof (which I don't want) and Auto Parking (which I would like) aren't available at all in Australia, not for any price.

I'm suspecting that someone at TOYOTA here have said "We sold mainly to TAXIS in Australia in the past, so lets give them a TAXI PACK - like it or lump it". Toyota and dealers didn't seem very interested in promoting Prius to private sales in my experience. While Camry, Corolla and various trucks and SUVs were always having promotions, they didn't ever even advertise Prius, let alone have promotions. And my request for information from TOYOTA AUSTRALIA recently (because the salesmen couldn't tell me) gave me even less information than the salesmen had (which was nearly nothing) - told me to ask a salesman.

(The higher price model gets
17" alloy wheels
• Leather Accented seats
• 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat
• Front seat heaters
• Blind Spot Monitor9 (BSM) with Rear Cross
Traffic Alert9 (RCTA)
• Smart Entry (Front passenger door and boot)
• Satellite Navigation1
• Digital Radio (DAB+))

 

Interestingly, Front Fog Lamps are on the base model in Australia. You just can't win.

Over here, they're illegal to use in almost all situations, though they get abused and police ignore them even when blinding (and when they're blinding other people, they'd be useless in REAL fog).

 

They're not illegal to HAVE on your car, but they can only be used under strict circumstances - ie FOG. I don't remember the full set of rules, but Police are able to fine you if you drive around with FOG + headlights on when it's not foggy. Having had real FogLamps on a VOLVO, they illuminated under the fog so the light didn't bounce back into your eyes - and didn't work unless you turned your main headlights off (which make the fog bounce back into your eyes, blinding you.

But lots of hoons (and other ignorant people) here just turn them on, thinking they're smart - creating excessive glare, but in reality, they're just dumb. Because, when other people's eyes are getting older, they don't react as well after an idiot with highpowered fog lights (which he's probably put oversized bulbs in) dazzles your eyes. Spot the danger.

 

I'm wondering how much of the capabilities like BSM are present on the lower models but just not enabled. I know the mirrors are the same between the 3 which does not have BSM and the 4 which does. Was not able to find out about the sensor array. I would love a spare, and BSM, but have to choose between one or the other since I have to either pick a 3 or 4. I know there are a lot of latent capabilities that can be unlocked on my VW with VCDS, I wonder if cross traffic and BSM are just not enabled in the Prius controller.

 

You will find out that the read out is about 2MPG high according to the gas pump which I consider to be an inaccurate way to measure MPG. Gas pumps and fill ups are prone to multiple errors and all on the side of the oil companies. Pretend the 70.6 is perfect and you will not be far off.

 

My Three model has the footwell lights. Nothing special. They are very dim (and orange). Buts that's ok, I don't want a bright distraction down there. (Some guys are replacing the orange bulb with brighter LED's.)

I don't really don't need fog lights, but Toyota could've at least painted that "blank" the same color as the car! The black looks odd.

 

I once had a Ford that had no footwell lights, whereas the higher trim did, it turned out Ford just didn't put the bulbs in the lower model even though the bulb holder and wiring were there already.

 

I used my foglights for the first time on some country roads late at night this week - they actually make a huge difference! They helped avoid some very confident (or stupid) kangaroos that just sat in the middle of the road!

 

the whole trick is to hop over to techinfo.toyota.com and find 'em in the wiring diagram - the trickiest part is thinking you're looking for "foot lights" and finding they're actually called "No. 1 Interior Illumination Light Assembly" (lefthand and righthand). I gave up and used the "location and routing" view to find them, then selected them and followed to the circuit view.



As you discovered, those four wires are all marked (*3) which is noted at the bottom to mean they only exist on cars sold with the foot lights. Anyway, when you're viewing the diagram on techinfo, you can click any of those wires, the connections at both ends of it will start blinking, and the button down at the lower right corner lights up. Click that button to see the part numbers and pinouts of the connectors, and "location" links you can click to see them called out on a physical map of under the dash.

You'd probably end up buying the F4 and F5 connectors using the part numbers listed, plus the metal terminals to go in them. (The online diagram doesn't usually give the part numbers for the terminals, but your Toyota parts counter person can look them up when you give the part number for the connector.)

You would also give the counter person the part numbers for connectors 3A and 3D, which are already in the car so you don't need to buy them, just so he/she can look up the metal terminals used at positions 3A/36, 3A/37, 3D/24, and 3D/25 and sell you those.

Get some wire and a crimp tool, crimp the ends on the wires, click the ends into the connectors, and enjoy. It's almost harder to describe in writing than it is to do.

Cheers,
-Chap