Just got my 05 Prius and everything is great, but where do you put coins for tolls or change from the fast food drive up? That small change always ends up in your left hand and I don't see anyplace on the left side of the car to easily use for change. Unlike other cars I've had where there has been a device in the cup holder to secure different size cups, this car's cup holder is just one size and the cups bounce around. Any tips? BTW first 250 miles I'm getting 47 to 49 mpg. That's better than the sales man told me to expect.
Yeah, that's one thing I noticed with the Prius. It doesn't have a driver's side coin box that our Corolla and Camry had. Kinda annoying. As for cupholders, well, trying leaving bottles on the bottle holder and try the one closer to the radio vs. the round one ahead of the centre console.
I bought a "type-s" coin holder from super bacs usa. It's basically like a cup with 4 cylinders inside for coins. I can't seem to find a picture...
Ive seen what you are talking about. This one wasnt a ricer "type-s" coin holder though but Im sure it looked similar. The one Im talking about was sold at Target. it was pretty cool looking but IMO not worth the price. I keep my change in a cup holder ash tray I got for my other car. There are several vehicles that come with them. Grand Ams, Econline vans just to name a few. Not sure how much they cost since I got mine for me.
I bought one of those small vinyl trash cans which secure to the floor with velcro. I placed it just in front of the center consol. With that, I can put my largest Dunkin Donuts mug in there and it doesn't move a bit. Oh - and it also serves to collect trash too. My wife stuck some coins in the upper glove box on that upper tray inside. I really don't like that spot, but I've been too lazy to move them since they don't make much noise to bother me.
The type-s coin holder actually doesn't look ricey. I know that "Type-S" makes cheap ricey products, but this one is actually decent looking without any blue or orange lines thru it. It's just flat black with a small "Type-S" scripture on top. I couldn't find any pictures online, but it's NOTHING too special ok people?
I keep all the coins in the drink holder with the flip-up lid. I also keep my drink there (don't carry drinks in the car often, though). I keep a clean paper napkin on top of the coins. That prevents the coins from rattling, and keeps any drippage or sweat from the drink off of the coins and the plastic. (Also comes in handy for that emergency noseblow, etc.)
:roll: Is it just POSSIBLE that dreichla missed the drawer in the bottom front of his center console? Sounds like his "added" convenience thing would totally block use of that drawer. Seems many new Prius drivers didn't discover that handy, narrow drawer.
Don't put coins in the front hinged cup holder. I got a penny jammed in the hinge and it would not close. Finally worked it's way further down and dissapeared into the inner parts of the cousole and no it did not make it to the drawer. It is in there somewhere and as long as it does not rattle around I am leaving it.
Yup - it sure does block the drawer.. And yes - I knew it was there - I even showed the salesman it was there when I bought the car. But the trash receptacle sure holds my monster coffee mug better than those useless cup holders in the door and center console - as well as some litter. Also. . . my family and I generate so much trash that I needed a receptacle to collect it in. In my last car, I actually started growing "life forms" of some sort on the passenger floor - so I vowed not to do this to my precious Dora. What sort of things are good to put in that "secret" drawer? I have to admit, I only gave it a passing glance because I thought it was not very convenient to access.
It fits regular highway maps nicely. But, since I have Nav, I don't carry many maps. I put a full size soft package of Kleenex in mine. Couldn't find a box version that would fit. Coins fit nicely in the console tray, it has a fabric lining so I assume they intended it for things that you don't want sliding around. If I'm nearing a toll area, I take out what I need early and put it in the door handle. I wouldn't mind having a coin box on the left though. Still haven't figured out what the forward vertical section of the console is for. I put my "valet cards" in there and also all my "frequent this, frequent that" cards. Now my wallet is much thinner. If I could only remember to get the card(s) I need before I go into the store!
Heh. I put all my prius-hacking gear down in the lower drawer -- alligator clips, tiny tools for removing connectors pins, little screwdrivers, paper clips, tape, the CAN interface widget, scope probes... . Of note: y'all may not realize that the entire front plastic part of the center console simply snaps off, bringing the cupholders with it. That makes it easy to recover coins or whatever else fell down in there, wipe out the congealed coke, etc etc. . _H*
omg, I gotta take a photo for you guys then. I have found a Kleenex box that fits in there! It's a shallower than normal tissue box and shorter and wider too. It just fits the width of the drawer =) You can also put soft gloves (not those big ones), torch, tyre pressure gauge, swiss army knife
I don't keep coin in my car. And when I get coin back from the fast food join, I do my best to put it in my pocket where it will end up in my coin jar at home and then get to the bank every now and then to be redeposited. The positive of living in a state with no toll roads, no coin needs to be kept in the car. On the other hand, I keep new crush washers in the felt lined tray that sits under the armrest. I suppose if I put washers there, it would also work for coins. As for the drawer at the bottom of the console, I found the most interesting rubber nonslip pad to put in there. I put my cell phone down then when on trips. It doesn't slide around, and because of that I usually forget it is down there. But that nonslip pad is a real wonder. I picked it up at the checkout of Linens N Things a couple of months back.
I keep the charger for my phone in the vertical compartment of the console. I assume the vertical part is to hold your phone while it is being charged, but I would forget it tucked away in there, so I just stretch the cord and put it on the seat in front of my purse. I LOVE the power outlet in the center console!
Actually, I think the drink holders work quite well. My Explorer had two side-by-side cup holders in the center console, unlike the Prius which has one in front of the other. Having them side-by-side was great because the driver and the passenger weren't bumping into each other, or reaching awkwardly, when getting drinks. The big downside to the Explorer's cup holders is that they wern't quite deep enough. I had to put my hand on the drinks every time I turned or stopped sharply, like at a stop sign or parking lot entrance/exit. If I didn't hold onto the cups, a medium sized McDonalds cup would topple onto the floor. I had this happen to me the day I bought my explorer, although fortunately nothing spilled, and then two weeks later, when I dumped half of a Coke onto the hump between the foot wells after a quick stop. Anyhow, I have no such problems with the Prius cup holders, and that makes me very, very happy.
