DRCC braking Prius 4 Touring

I thought they do - but would depend on how severe the vehicle is slowing. I though I'd seen the brake lights show shining on the car behind.

My previous car, a diesel, had fairly good engine braking, and if I dropped back a couple of gears at a Motorway exit it would drop back to the speed limit quite quickly, but no brake lights would show as I didn't use the brake pedal.

Have you had someone following and observing?

 

They do come on when braking hard enough to turn them on. The DRCC may slow the car down as if in B mode with engine braking. When this happens there is more drag that slows the car down without touching the brake.

 

Thinking about it since my last reply - maybe someone with 2 cars and a spouse/friend be able to do a test run and ascertain for certain what happens?

I've only got one car and 2 dogs, (neither of which are old enough to drive).

 

I'd think that, unless it was steep downhill, it would only be regenerative braking. You can get some indication by the position of the Hybrid Indicator in your HUD - if the blue section isn't full, then it's regenerative braking:

 

How do you know it wasn't regenerative braking - it's quite savage, particularly in "PWR" mode. I regularly wind my C/C stalk from 100 to 60, and it's only regenerative braking unless it's a downhill grade. Though, I'm usually in "ECO".

I don't think anyone uses "B" mode much - I've only ever used it once.

 

I agree.
BTW, nice dogs - a Poodle and Portuguese Water Dog? I hope you have water nearby and room for them to run!
Our Miniature American Shepherd (a smaller version of the Australian Shepherd) is a hyperactive water dog!

 

It's an older photo of Winston-Gerard who was only a puppy there - he's 5 now, red pure-bred MiniPoodle. Kieara, the black with white isn't pure-bred - I got her 2nd hand - a used dog, was about 3yo then - 8yo now. Plenty of room for them to run, but no suitable water near here.

 

I love the colo(u) r of your poodle! I assumed he was a standard poodle. Minis are more my size.
I thought your black dog looked like this.


From Photo Gallery

 

B mode is drivetrain braking, thus not using the brakes at all, so no brake lights

 

I've never seen a Portuguese Water Dog - I just looked it up - there are only 3 breeders in the country. Probably a bad photo - they were zooming around the yard when I snapped them. Winston (red) is 5kg, Kieara about 6kg.

 

I wouldn't shift to B for something like that.

First off, as you mention, that is one situation where the car will slow suddenly without showing brake lights: never a good situation, doubly so on the freeway.

Secondly, it's just not a good application of B "gear". You could likely go the entire life of the car without ever using B, or needing it. It will reduce regen braking, and reduce mpg. The reduction in regen braking is by design: it's main use is to postpone the hybrid battery becoming fully charged. And it's only practical use is for descending mountains, where there's a serious danger of the battery becoming so charged that regen braking will cease and the car will fall back to friction brakes only.

 

I think it would be a good idea if Toyota offered (subsidized/subsidised) courses to help driver's adjust to the precipitate peculiarities of the Gen 4 Prius as and how to use it properly. Obviously, many find the choices of features a stumbling block and I know I'm far from perfect. Would $€£100 be too much for such a service?

But then you'd have to find a willing dealership with salesperson in the know. That should be a problem should it?

 

My local salesman didn't even know Trim Two was available with interior color other than black!
The salesman I purchased from still drives a Gen 1 Prius and spent over 30 minutes covering the Prius features before we test drove it.

 

That's great, me too. However, it seems to me that not everyone buys from such an informed dealer and understanding of the B Mode seems to crop up more than it should. Perhaps it's just that I've forgotten all the stuff was what we used to mull over back along to we worked it all out together.

 

Willing and Capable. Seriously though, the Prius is the easiest car in the world to drive, so no need for lessons in that, the technology on the other hand should be explained FOC at the point of sale. I think it's just a case the many dealers don't have enough knowledge to explain it properly.
I'm lucky, my dealer has one salesman who has a Prius as his company car/demo model so drives it all the time and another of the sales team has been on the Gen 4 induction course over in Japan before it was introduced into the UK.