I finally got the guts to try out the horn. Well, sort of... because I wasn't in the driver seat. It is toward the end of the video. I would say it sounds the same. Remember the car is indoor and I have no idea how the echo will affect the sound. The beginning is the explanation of the Touch Tracer feature.
I forgot how ours sound like but I can tell you, it's no Camry. The Camry has a dual-horn setup so you get a fuller sound.
I was there with usbseawolf when the 2010 horn was honked. It sounded the same as the Gen II horn -- same pitch, same low volume. The Gen II also uses dual horns like the Camry. They just don't sound as good or as loud as the Camry's. I've read here on PriusChat that several people have replaced the Prius' horns with new Camry horns or used Camry horns from the junkyard. IIRC, it's a plug and play operation. I haven't replaced my Prius' horns. But I did try to change the pitch and volume of the Prius' horns by turning the adjustment screw on them. I think they're a little better now. But I could be imagining things.
If it does use dual-horns, it's only for the alarm. Pressing the panic button gives the nice horn sound. I think the regular horn only taps into one of the two.
Use Stebel Magnum to replace weak stock horns, they are LOUD!! Magnum is the loudest non-air horn there is.
it has dual horns, but they sound as before, as every other toyota... like toy car . They expect you to move to Lexus if you want real horn
I almost never use a horn, except on a boat when required by law. One of my few exceptions is when boxed in, and some numnuts tries to back into me. That warrants a short tap on the horn. Still, I would love great big air horns, just to be a jackass. Tom
Thanks for testing this - this was one of my "questions" not answered at PCD. Disappointing, but expected.
Had that happen this week actually. Coming into a light, with 20 cars behind, perfectly timed, light goes green - three seconds later - mini van fourth in line goes into reverse 50 yards out rather than proceed away with the other cars!! Yikes -- flash lights go half brakes, he is still dumb that the 20 cars behind that will be splitting into the dual lanes near the light are not going to be able to slow down and let the left turner across in front of them - so he might as well just go. Tap the horn - cars in front of him are now 75 yards off in the distance and through the intersection - and the 20 cars are now coming around me at this point. Go to full brakes and FULL HORN!!! He eventually realises he was stupid, and flips me the bird, and finally drives off. Make the light on yellow. Guy turning left is still stuck there, all thanks to the wacko being too eager to get to the light, and stack up in a long line of cars, and because of the delay, not all of the 20 cars made it through the green light. If he had just come into the light slow, the guy he tried to let in would have had no problem getting across in front of us, because he would not have been there blocking the driveway!! Or, he could have just stopped short of the driveway. But, Nooooo (reference John Belushi because this happened in his home town, or at least close enough). I stopped in time, but it left no room for him to back up, and not all the cars went around me. They are right there too. I heard on the radio later in the week that the reversing driver is 100 % at fault in all circumstances, if a collision occurs if the reversing action occurs on a street.
Hey Rick; can i hear your new horn on your 2010 Prius. i am over here in Sun city west, would ya hit the horn button so I can hear it. Just kidding but I need to see how ya mounded it as i have WOLD horn that i 'd like to put on. kenny [email protected]
Other drivers ignore fire engines, ambulances, police sirens, the Archangel Gabriel. . . . You expect a car horn to attract attention? Part of the problem is non directionality. Where's that noise coming from? Part of it is indecision. Should I speed up, pull over, or stop in my tracks? Which is safest? Then, at least half of the few times when I've thought blowing the horn would be a good idea, I couldn't find it. Laser-guided missiles -- that's the ticket.
I took the horns out of my old 1996 Ford Crown Victoria (cash for clunkers) and put into my Prius. Now I have American sounding loud horns, not the wimpy beep beep horns from the factory.
I actually really like the horn. It is much better than my last car (99 Chrysler Sebring). That car's horn was really quiet.
So, whilst the girl was there you probed both the volume and impressiveness of the horn? Tell me, was she suitably wowed by your horn?
I think the horn sounds reasonable. I was afraid it might sound like super weak and embarrassing like the horn on a scooter, but it is an OK-sounding dual-tone horn.
I drive a MB ML and the horn on it is an embarrassment, it should be on a scooter, talk about a lame horn, my wife has an old Rav 4 and that horn sounds like it is on a large car. So the Prius horn is not that bad and as the previous poster said, "it's a horn."