2010 Solar Package in cold weather

And I don't know about the rest of you, but when I have an opportunity to park under a tree in summer, I will always take it. So up north, the solar feature will be of very limited use (cool/cold months, overcast days, shade, night, parking indoors). Really a marketing gimmick for the most part unless you live in Phoenix or the like - maybe.

 

I parked under a tree the other day... though did feel a little guilty, since it was literally the only spot like that available and there were lots in the open sun.

As for gimmick, give it a rest. TOYOTA OFFERS CONSUMERS A CHOICE! That's a drastic difference from GM, which just decides for you. We get to choose. Those of use in the north aren't as tolerant to heat as those in the south. So while it may seem to be of limited value, that's not what it actually translates to in practice.
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I live in Florida and although I wanted a Prius packed with gizmos, I went to version 4 to get the solar roof.
And precisely the issue is NOT parking under a tree for three reasons:
-falling branches under a sudden tropical storm
-bird poop and
-tree sap
I have not yet received the Prius (just 13 more days) and will not be able to comment on the efficiency of the ventilation until at least one week after that (we are already enjoying 90 degree days!)...keep on reading...

 

What choice is there? If you want a factory installed sunroof you are forced to buy a navigation system, a solar vent, and remote AC, and the latter two are practically useless to a lot of people. Plus, you are then restricted from a whole slew of other options including very high demand items like nicer wheels and headlights.

GM offers consumers a choice to have an aftermarket hybrid engine installed on any vehicle too, as well as any thing else the Prius has.

 

I started out feeling the way that you do, so I decided not to get the sunroof. I am getting the remote start. It will run longer (up to 10 minutes Vs 3 minutes) and definitely will heat in winter. Trade off is that the ICE may run.

Part of my interest in Prius is it's elegant design that is attractive while maximizing fuel efficiency. That includes the sculpted roof that channels air flow. The Solar roof abandons that. Probably not much real world difference, but I choose the original shape.

I am influenced by having the same design roof on my Tc and having shattered the wind deflector glass twice (see my posts in another sunroof thread), although I don't think that is typical. Bottom line, don't park under a tree. That's how I shattered it the first time.

Gotta go, I'm off to the dealer for the second replacement, No joke.

 

Now is they only had a decent hybrid they might be onto something.

Tom

 

Those anywhere in the world can enjoy the extra natural light and less confined feeling that a glass roof gives them 365 days a year. That's why over 25% of vehicles sold have them.

Audi and Mercedes have been offering solar ventilation options for years, but hardly anyone buys them. Mazda stopped offering theirs. You can buy one at Autozone in their "As seen on TV" section. So much for being special.

 

You have a great point. When given a real choice, most people don't buy solar ventilation because it is not practical for the high cost, and the little benfits in return.

It is just a small % of Prius owners who enjoys the attention they get for showing off their green badge to the world. The solar roof is the biggest badge they can find to wear, doesn't matter if it actually helps with lowering their carbon footprint or not.

Common sense taught us that if a car is hot, open the windows to cool it. No need to pay somebody $3000 to put a hole on your car to feel cool. There is plenty of glass surface to let light in on the 2010 Prius already to not feel confined in a tight space. As for the 25% of cars sold with sun or moon roofs, not all of them were conscious selected options, and only a small % of car owners uses the sun roofs they have everytime they drive.

 

well i live in a very temperate climate where the average high's in summer only hit 80 in July the hottest month. being so far north means that as we lose daylight, the temps drop pretty fast as well so August only averages 78º for highs.

i also live in an area that has its very fair share of trees, and i can tell you that making a habit of parking under them, means washing your car weekly and still having it look like crap most of the time (in fact, you will get pollen all over your car even if parked in the middle of the mall parking lot, its just a lot worse under a tree) the benefits of living in a green area means a variety of flora and a pollen season that lasts over 5 months.

now with all those drawbacks, you are right, i would still park under a tree if i could. now at my work, there are (should have went out and counted them, it would not have taken more than a few seconds) handful of parking lots that are shaded. the rest are exposed.

at home in summer, the shade does not hit the car (we have very small area to park in) until about 9 PM.

also,

i think that of all the features the new Pri offers, this has been the most maligned of all and why is that??

easy question to answer. it is ignorance. lets go back 20 years to the same people who poo-poo'ed cellphones. sure they were expensive and met with a huge amount of resistance, but lets face it, they were a good idea. now that they are semi-reasonable in cost (well, they are if you take off the laundry list of additional charges from other services now available of them) everyone has one.

i want to see how many people WHO HAVE THE SOLAR PANEL who dont like it...i dont want someone who doesnt to tell me how stupid i was to buy it, because i think it does have a significant amount of value and i dont live in AZ, FL, or TX....

and ignorance is to be expected. NAV is easy to evaluate the worth compared to need because its a known benefit. same with AC, BT, 14 speaker systems and adjustable seats. the only in question for those things is the quality of the implementation. we have all background info on them...

this solar thing, what do we have to compare with??? who had a 1990 whatever that they loved that did the same thing??? etc...

no one did...so its all new.

so is it a novelty?? ya, sure in part. does if fit a need?? of course it does and the million sunshades sold in this country every year pretty much proves that.

here, we have probably already experience nearly half our "hot" weather... we had a spell of 5 days (unusual for us, we normally only do 2-3 days) in a row over 90º. and was very impressed at the difference. although it was still hot inside, it was not anywhere near as bad and i did have the SPM sitting 10 feet away to compare with twice. it was a good (actually hard to say i guess) 10-20º cooler.

so, all in all, i guess you all can skip this post, and read the one from the guy in AZ, TX of FL...

 

Solar panel owner's two cents from S.CAL:

- New model car with solar panels at the start of summer season...good move Toy. Harder sell in the dead of winter.

- Deflector raises in front when roof is opened...minimizes wind noise and drag.

- Many nooks and crannies for leaves and the like to accumulate around the panels...a pain to remove (vacuum worked best).

- 90+ here for a few weeks - 96 this weekend...not so hot is better than hot-hot-hot!!! Interior cooled down in seconds, not minutes. Sun glasses don't stick to side of face anymore. Seats don't cause third degree burns. Can hold the shifter knob for more than 100th of a second. AC doesn't feel like a furnace when you first turn it on.

- Interior and batteries not exposed to excessive heat...longer life for both.

- Some plug-ins coming soon...exploding batteries can make a mess.

- Never cared much for sun roofs...I use it everyday.

- Gimmick? - To some...Necessity to others. You choose.

 

It’s 45 degrees now, direct sunlight on solar panel and it’s pulling in air. So vents will run at any temp

 

If there are seasons when you would rather it not run, you turn off the switch on the dash....

 

Arrr neveeer matey, me reef sails with haul winds in me cog all seasons.

 

I only turn mine on during the summer months, it makes a big difference on a hot day!

 

Absolutely it does! The car is never hot inside after sitting in the sun on a warm Summer day.

Now at my current employer, I get to park under the carport.