Hi all, I just totaled my 2006 Prius. I am wondering for those of you who switched from 2006 to either c or gen3, what your thoughts are? I use the "secret drawer" (tissue drawer under front cupholders) a lot, backup camera, love the little knob thing to switch between drive/etc. Not sure what else is different, how different is the dash and do you like the differences or not? I was really attached to my 2006 and did not want to upgrade when seeing the differences initially but I am wondering if I will grow to like them or not. Thanks for your advice and please feel free to link past threads that have relevant content instead of retyping.
Well the Gen III has the "flying dash" that connects the dash to the center console. Some people hate the Gen III for that reason only. The Gen III also has only one usable cup holder ( the 2nd one is hidden under the console lid). No secret drawer in the Gen III. But, it has a larger open tray under the "flying dash". I have both a 2008 and a 2010 that came off the first boat in June 2009. Things I like about the Gen III: 1. more power (better for highway merging and MPG) 2. better seats (but, some dislike the Gen IIIs - it depends on your body type) 3. better MPG in general (easy 50 mpg) 4. better cornering and crosswind stability
You will also find that the Prius c is a bit 'stubbier' than your last car, with a slightly higher profile, but only slightly. The rear of the c is also 'boxier', so the rear view is not nearly as obscured as the Prius you drove or the Gen 3 with the bar in the middle. The cargo space is a bit different for the c, shorter, but taller.
Besides what people wrote, there were a ton of changes/improvements over Gen 2. See posts by me, evpv and Tideland at Prius versions | PriusChat. Gen 3 still has the joystick for RNDB and park button. It feel flimsier than Gen 2's though and the placement's a little different. Prius c is much smaller inside and out. It also uses a more traditional shifter and doesn't come standard w/smart key system. It's optional whereas it's standard on the regular Prius (aka liftback). On Gen 3 liftback, you get either 1-door SKS (driver's door only) or 3-door SKS (2 front doors + patch), depending on the trim level. It Gen 2, it was 0-door SKS (no SKS) or 3-door SKS. 2012 Prius c: Overview video | PriusChat was a good overview video on the c.
