Trying Not to Lust After the Prime

At least based upon our Advanced, it’s above all else a very practical and comfortable car. So, congratulations in advance!

Anybody know whether there were any substantial changes in the Advanced version in 2018? My guess would be not likely.

I think it’s worth adding that the additional features of the Advanced, I at least find to be well worth the money, especially the ultrasonic sensors!

 

I don’t claim to know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 2018 P.Primes are being produced in a more-automated, higher-volume, less-prototype-oriented factory than where the 2017s (especially the early ones) were made.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if 2018s incorporate a few small tweaks to their internals, not easily visible to drivers — tweaks likely in common with all Gen-4s.

 

Elektroingenieur posted some information a few months ago. Post #6 in this thread:

Any differences between 2018 model and 2017? | PriusChat

 

All in all reasonable, I’d say.

FWIW, we have a 2009 that’s still working fine (although has >130K miles), but when my wife (finally) decided to get her driver’s license, meaning that we needed two cars anyway, I jumped for the P.Prime Advanced.

As it turns out, she still has not gotten her full driver’s license, but I’m still glad we got the P.Prime right away: I am now driving about 45 miles per day, and I really want the ADAS functions to help keep me safe when I drive so many miles! I’ve been driving for about 40 years with no accidents of any significance, but TSSP and blind-spot monitoring/rear cross-traffic monitoring really improves a my driving confidence!

 

The Advanced’s “robopark” does a pretty good job. Remember that it positions your car, in essence, midway between the cars you’re parking between, so if those cars are parked badly then you might end up parked only so-so too.

Its ultrasonic sensor system has “saved me” a few times. All but one of those times it would have been just an inch per second into stationary and fairly soft objects in my own garage, but one time, it probably did prevent me from hitting the car in front of me (2MPH or so, but still!). That would-have-been accident was because of what I perceive to be a fundamental design flaw of the 11.6” screen software: Menus pup up from the bottom of the screen rather than down from the top, which takes our eyes farther off the road!

 

Yeah, primarily audio and climate. I like the Tesla Model S & X split screen, letting you to choose where you want the map.

 

Excellent! You’ll love it. What color?

How much do they charge ($$$) per minute and/or week and/or per KWh at work?

Thankfully, Austin Energy customers can sign up for a $50/year all-you-can-charge buffet around town! Essentially $1 per week, which, if it were gas money instead, would buy me enough to get me to work Monday morning, and about 30% of the way back!

So, luckily for me, it’s not only burning almost no gas, but I’m also getting all-but-free “juice”!

On the downside though, we have only 5 chargers at work. Almost never, but a few times, I‘ve been unable to “fill ‘er up” at work due to a combination of me and/or the “electron pumps” being busy all day.

 

Fairly-similar situation here: Blizzard Pearl, Advanced, with a 19-mile (each way) commute. Some elevation changes on the way, but not huge.

 

The Oregon incentive for the 2017 Prime is now $3,000, good through July 9th.

 

Plus of course, $4500 Federal.