Top 100 Coolest Features of a Prius

#18. If you accidentally drop something between the front seat and the center storage box, your item immediately goes underneath the front seat, where it's easily retrieved from the behind.

There's clearance (and surfaces are properly inclined) for your item to fall and roll neatly under the front seat.

There's even a lip, on all sides, to hold your item there until you retrieve it.

 

#19. There's enough space under the front passenger seat for your jumper cables.*

Push them in from behind. I have them in a plastic bag for cleanliness). The floor even lips up to prevent cables from sliding back onto rear passengers' feet !

Similar built in storage under the driver's seat; lipped up as well .


* Jumper cables should be placed there, since the hatch can't be opened if 12v battery dies.

 

#21. Distinctive Beep ! When you exit the car and or hit the lock button on the key fob, the car beeps at you in different ways to let you know that the car is left on, not left on, etc.

I should be doing that at some point.

#22. There is an interior light that shines down and illuminates the shifter when the headlights are on

- - -

Just a quick note re: #20:

Note for new owners:

On a steep hill, when stopped, press brake for and hold for a short amount of time until a yellow indicator appears on dash. Then when take foot off brake pedal to give it gas, the brakes stay engaged for two seconds so the car stays in place and its easier to accelerate without worrying about braking.

#23. On a slippery hill, the Prius provides Constant Power and Speed -- and since it doesn't shift gears as in an automatic transmission, there is no chance of the spin out that can occur in cars with automatic shifting mid-hill.

per post #35 in Winter Driving | Page 2 | PriusChat:

"...the awesome benefit of Toyota hybrids in general on the snow, the lack of a transmission. In a manual you can pick a gear and stick with it throughout an entire hill if you are sure you can make all your power and speed needs with the one gear. In a conventional auto, it is going to shift for you when you're trying to climb a steep gradient, wheels will lose traction briefly and sometimes this is enough to spin you out. With the Prius you get all the power and any speed all the time. I can climb a hill and not worry about a jolt of the transmission knocking me loose."

 

#25. Just to emphasize / flesh out Feature #4:

You can turn the Prius into a comfy motel.

There are plenty of threads about camping in a Prius!

Including:
- Fit a Full sized mattress (or other types) in to a Prius:
- We love camping in our Prii | PriusChat, and the video on Habitents - Home
- Open the hatch and turn Prius into a tent: Habitents - Home
- Heat for a LONG TIME from one tank of gas. I think it was: 24 hours of heat or 9 days of electric blanket? Something like that.

#26. Headlight Auto -Off (and On) operate very sensibly, the car doesn't beep you that lights were left on (no need), and you can change how long lights stay on before Auto-offing.*

Question about headlights "on" vs. "auto", no warning bell when you leave the car | PriusChat








* Except flashers. I don't think you can program those to auto-off. They'll run down your battery after like 10 hours.

 

Oops.
Thanks.

 

#27. It's a twist on #17, but it's got to be said:

Hybrid tech coolness