I have been researching the Prius V and one of the things that concerns me is that there are no A/C vents for the rear seat passengers. I would be downsizing from a 2005 Sienna and my kids have become accustomed to the rear seat comfort, especially the air conditioning vents directly over their heads. I would like to know, especially from those of you that live in hot and dry climates, how well the front vents are able to cool the rear seat without freezing the occupants of the front seats. Thank you for your help.
The AC works really good, cools down fast and plenty of capacity. Plus the front vents are high on the dash. From Toyota "Prius v features a climate control system with enhanced cooling capability to cope with a larger cabin. The system uses an electric compressor, so the air conditioning can run without depending on the engine, and improved component design for better maximum-demand cooling performance."
We live in a warmer area of San Diego county and have taken the V on vacation in Palm Springs over the 4th of July were temperatures reached over 100 degrees. Even with five people in the car the cabin stayed comfortable and cool. I should also add we do not have after market tinting on the windows. Your kids may not have as much control over their climate as they do in your Sienna, but I'd be surprised if you experience legitimate complaints. With respect bisco's question regarding the floor vents we find the air distributes more effectively if you leave the airflow coming exclusively from the dash vents opposed the the dash/floor combo vent option. Hope this helps.
Yes, I see vents there and I just assumed they are A/C vents. I did not verify that the air comes out from there.
Have yet to test this, but section 3-1 of the owners manual (pp 328-9) show that modes of ventilation which direct airflow to the feet should send air from the vents below the driver and passenger seat.
I assumed that meant it went from the very front, under the seats and to the back. No? I thought those things under the driver seat had something to do with ventilating the battery pack.
The way I read it, those vents are for the climate control. There is a separate section of the owner's manual (1-1) which describes (on p 35) the ventilation for the hybrid battery and it seems to indicate the hybrid air system is underneath the rear seats. So I'm going to test this tomorrow, but the way the owner's manual reads those vents should be for the climate control.
the battery duct begins at the grille on the side of the rear seat, passes over the battery and exits the car at the rear fender area. it simply takes cabin air in and it's important to keep the grille clear and check the fan every so often, especially if you have animals.
I tested this morning and when the Mode on the climate control dial showed the arrow by the feet, I had air coming out of the ducts under the front seats blowing into the rear seat footwells
A simple way to test the airflow is hit the "Auto" button on your climate control. Then bump the climate dial to the left (it's like a joystick) and you should notice on the climate control display the box highlights now the mode of airflow instead of the temp. You can now twist the climate control dial clockwise/counterclockwise to change the airflow mode. Select a mode where airflow goes to the feet and you should feel air from the ducts below the driver and passenger front seats. As a side note, you may want to spend some time with your owners manual there are likely many other features of your car you learn about in there.
I have never seen underseat vents used for anything but heating. Why in the world would you want cold air aimed only at your feet?
Agree cold feet are no good. I've been using it the past couple weeks (only had my v 2wks) just to cool down the car quicker in the back when my kids are with me. Once the car is cool I return to auto mode.
We've taken a few long trips in sunny 90+ F (34+C) humid weather with 3-4 adults in the car, and those in the rear seat were comfortable with the AC using all 4 dashboard vents.
No issues at all. It's been as high as 115 here in Phoenix and the back cools off very quickly even after sitting in the sun all afternoon. We have had zero complaints about comfort on the back.
I've been wondering the same and was disappointed to see no rear seat vents above the floor when we took our first test drive of a v. My husband always wants to have the mixed vent running to keep his feet cool and in my 2006 Prius this means that we sweat in the back when it is over 90F outside while our toes go numb from the underseat vents. Do the newer Prius models have better cooling compared to the Gen2 Prii?
There are "heat" vents on the floor - when you set the output to feet... that blow under the driver and passenger seats. with AC however - that cold air will typically stay down low and not reach the passengers, where heat will rise. For what it's worth - we had a pretty warm summer upper 90's and low 100's this year... though it was warm getting in (I have the dark grey) .. the AC did cool the car quite nicely, and the kids didn't complain. I usually take the center vent on the center stack and point it up toward the ceiling straight back... vents at the door posts - i aim along the glass... which helps get the air back there.
