2,000 Mile Review

Isn't there a Volume +/- on the steering wheel?

 

That's what I use. Same with changing stations.

 

I have a 2021 LE, and it DOES have a volume knob. This enables a passenger to adjust the volume too.

The LE also has physical climate controls, which is a plus too. Someone here on Priuschat clued me in about this. Apparently the XLE and Limited trims do not have these.

 

My biggest complaint after 3k miles in 3 weeks (vacation trip lol) is that I could use 1 more faster speed on the wipers..... a downpour on the expressway in SC had me struggling to keep up/see with the rain....

 

The larger screen probabaly takes away the space for the knobs.

 

What I want is a Prime with the controls and display of the LE and the safety features of a Limited.

 

As a Honda owner, try doing that while turning the wheel in complete turns. FUN. Honda went even further down the stupid idea path and put two similar feeling rockers right next to each other on the wheel so we frequently change sources instead of volume.

Honda learned and quickly brought the knob back. Unfortunately, the new head units can’t be swapped in.

 

2021 Prime Limited purchased a month ago. 3,000 miles on it already. I wholeheartedly agree on the volume knobs, small Apple CarPlay screen allowance, and wiper speed.

Would add that my assisted steering stuff seems super active and aggressive compared to my 2019.

A couple of additional first world problems :

-I don’t like the arrows v select functionality of setting charging settings. Seems clunky to me.

-I thought the Toyota app would let me change charging settings, start a charge when car was plugged in, and a lot of other stuff.

All it lets me do is see how charged it is and maybe start my car. Never actually tried to do it.

 

Nearly 6000 km since late April (new 2021 base model). A few quirks leave me perplexed (why does album art disappear when I’m not in park? Why is my key fob range so pathetic compared to our other vehicles? Why is the Toyota app so useless? Why can’t I set different AMP charge settings for 120/240 in “set and forget” manner? Why is the “hi” setting for heated seats so tepid? A few others too minor to mention.). However, so far, very happy with it in all situations (short EV only trips, medium length trips, 7hr marathons through remote regions of the province). No regrets.

 

Did they finally enable changing stations with the steering wheel controls? In my 2018 it just flipped through presets, which I rarely use. I eventually just stopped using those buttons and reach over for the < > buttons.

 

I think the steering wheel switch is just to the next preset station or back. No "scan" function. I might be wrong, for I almost never listen to the radio anymore. But on my way home from the dealer after purchasing 2020 PP, the radio was on, and I played with the button. Only to find out that I could not get back to the station that was playing... because, it was not in the preset list.

 

I have always changed stations with the left and right up/down arrows on the left side of the steering wheel. It doesn't scan, it just goes through your presets. I have five stations set in my presets, two are AM and three are FM. It goes through them and when it gets to the end, it starts over. What I haven't discovered is how to turn off the sound system with the left steering wheel controls. I turn it on with the mode button, but if I hit the mode button again, once it's on, it changes to a different audio source. So, to turn it off, I check traffic, glance at the audio on/off button to get my bearings, check traffic again, and then I reach over to the passenger side and hit the capacitive power button. SO much easier than the old-fashioned power/volume knob on the driver's side of the radio. NOT!

 

For buttons that require several presses, like the station/track up/down button, I plant my four fingers so that I can use my thumb to press the right place without looking. That way I can keep driving and looking ahead and just press my thumb whenever I need something to change.

 

No OFF switch for the HVAC either. You can turn it on and control the temp or fan speed with the wheel button, but once it is on, there is no way to turn it off.

I got fairly use to using the wheel buttons for most of audio and HVAC controls without ever turning on the 11.6" screen, but several critical functions are missing from the wheel button, so that I have to turn on the 11.6" screen once in a while. Scanning the USB music folder is another function wheel button can not perform. Although, since the 11.6" display also limit the numbers of folders that can be scanned while driving, it is not much better option. I hated that "safety" feature. I could never get to the folder I want to listen while driving.

 

And here are reasons 127-131 why I am EXCEEDINGLY happy to have gone with the base model Prime.

 

I got to be the other way. The steering wheel buttons are mostly just a useless appendage to me. If there was a model that was $1,500 less expensive without steering wheel buttons I'd take it in a second. Of course, I have the LE so I have more actual buttons and knobs to turn.

 

Long press should scan vs preset change, try the same on mode and see if it mutes maybe...

 

Long press does scan, but nothing on the steering wheel does "just move to the next frequency." I tried using the steering wheel for scanning, but inevitably I won't hold it long enough one time (you can't always hear the beeps) and then it jumps to a preset ... usually in another band and messes everything up. Then I have to do the whole SOURCES -> AM thing and then dial back to where I left off. It's easier not to use the steering wheel buttons.