Summary of proposed improvements for future versions of Prius

They need to add stiffeners to the outer door skin to keep the sheet metal from oil canning when you shut the doors. Heaven only knows what that flat door skin is doing at highway speeds. It can't be good for sound attenuation properties.

 

Lighted side mirrors
A much better NAV system-a $200 Garmin would be a huge improvement
I agree with the idea of a data window as a selection for the main monitor
I thing repositioning the MPG indicator, it's current location is a bit confusing next to the battery indicator
I'd like to see enhanced visual digital meters for some of the gauges, example MPG gauge change from red to yellow to green as MPG improves
I like to have a completely hands free audio/phone/ NAV system. No one should be taking there eye off the road
In accordence with the previous suggestion raise the monitor so a slight glance to the right to view the map or station or phone call information. It's all about keeping the drivers eyes on the road
I hate plastic hub caps, just put on good polished alloy or aluminum rims and be done with it
Did I say loose the fossilized NAv in your premadonna Prius, it like a big zit on a gourgis chicks face, it a dud, rotating dialing phones aren't a good idea either

 

I would love super aerodynamics. I know the Prius has a low Cd but I would like to see it pushed even lower by
1) side mirror delete (replace w/ camera's and lcd on the inside)
2) full belly underpan (super slick)
3) windshield wiper cowl cover
4) rear wheel skirts
5) smooth wheel covers
6) front grille shudders (active)
7) full boat tail (retractable for parking)

This should bring the Cd down to .19 or less (which would be phenomenal) and 60mpg's hwy should be easily attained at 70mph.

 

Would love to see a factory designed and engineered optional AC inverter putting out about 1500 Watts to run basic home electrical needs in the event of a power failure. This would be sold with the Prius as an option, like a sunroof, etc. Many, including myself, have already done this for minimal cost. I think having it as an option would be a major selling point.

 

I would like a super glide button. A button to stop engine and prevent battery charge. This would be nice instead of trying to hit the sweet spot. Also a mode for max fuel efficiency mode. The computer would take several data points like current speed and predicted terrain then using a gyro to maximize FE using P and g.

 

Too late:

Shift into "N":

• if engine is running - it will go into minimum, idle fuel burn
• if car is less than 42 mph (1.5L) or 46 mph (1.8L) - lift accelerator, engine stops (if it can) and no fuel burn
• coasting in "N" is minimum energy mode
• try to avoid exceeding hybrid threshold speed when engine is off

Bob Wilson

 

Hybrid threshold speed? That sounds like something I should know about! What is it, where do I find info about this?

 

It is the speed at which the ICE will turn on and stay on (for the most part). I believe it's 44 mph on a Gen III.

Assuming your in S4 mode, and your driving along in "EV" mode (let's say 38 mph, flat surface, using battery only (99.9mpg's)), now you slowly speed up to 44mph, you will notice the ICE kick on even though you still have battery capacity left. The ICE will stay on until you let up on the accelerator and/or drop below 44.

 

This needs to be said because things like this affect the car through the entire generation. Said it before, so here's Edmunds words regarding 3rd Generation liftback (and also Prius Plug-in) -

"Sadly, taller drivers still have to contend with a steering wheel that's placed too far away. There's a telescoping column, but it doesn't come out nearly far enough."

2012 Toyota Prius

Also, after one year, I resorted to placing a 1" slab of very dense foam on driver's door armrest. Make armrests, especially door more padded and at even levels with each other. Door armrest too low.

Here's a couple items I didn't find anywhere in the list on first post -

Increase total load capacity of liftback Prius closer to 900 lbs. Mine is 815 lbs total and easily exceeded with 4 total occupants with and sometimes without cargo.

Make the car a little more fun to drive around turns

----------------------

Here's a bad idea that's still on the list -

"A button on the steering wheel that, when depressed, lets the driver make sure the level indicated on the HSI never crosses the middle bar, even if he floors the accelerator (227)."

Calls for - button on steering wheel, when engaged, if you floor the accelerator, the car will not invoke the gas engine (HSI bar stays below centerline). << This seems dangerous, a hazard. There should be no way to tell the car to barely move (EV only) when obviously you need it to take off by flooring the accelerator.

For the poster just above -

For rear wiper, release, then flip up the plastic cap at base, lift up wiper to detent position (gr?).

Pull out visor extensions are nice, but for now, spend $15 and get pair of http://www.visormates.com Mine work great!

Little more attention to interior detail so I don't have to cave in after a year and put a slab of foam on driver's door armrest to get it padded and placed where it ought to be. See pic.



I'm sure these have been said, but I think they are key -

1) Reduce road noise with better sound proofing or active noise cancellation, etc... The road noise on rough asphalt at highway speeds (65 MPH) is too high. Noise level ok on smooth asphalt, but annoying on rough pavement.

2) The car could use ' a little bit more horsepower', maybe about 150 total HP give or take a couple, but at no loss in fuel economy.

Toyota really ought to make a

power adjustable driver's seat standard in all but the lowest trim Prius liftback. Add two position memory for the highest trim Prius.

For example, the Three would have power adjust with fabric trim and power adjust lumbar support. Four and Five would get two position memory power adjust with Softex trim.

Or at the least, add a seat bottom tilt adjustment knob on mechanical seat which would increase or decrease the front of seat bottom height for more or less thigh support.

A driver's seat without seat bottom tilt adjustment can be a problem - you can adjust the seatback angle, but cannot adjust the seat bottom angle. This can create an angle that is too small between the seat bottom and seatback, causing the feeling sort of like sitting in a hole. Sure, you could recline the seatback to increase the angle, but then the steering wheel may be too far away.

Camry LE has power driver's seat with fabric trim. Only the bottom trim Camry L has mechanical driver's seat adjust.

Prius needs some more power and / or less weight

Better handling. Doesn't corner all that well. Go to independent rear suspension.

More adjustability range of steering wheel and driver's seat.

More appealing dash and cockpit design.

 

My biggest gripe was with the shifter in the generation II being moved to the center console. I have not considered purchasing a newer model of the Prius because I totally dislike the interior. PLEASE put the shifter back on the dash! (or make a standard model and a sportier model)!

 

Here's my gripe-list:

• Bluetooth only connects to one phone at a time. If it's talking to my work phone, then my personal phone will ring, every freakin' time. My $60 Jabra headset somehow manages to juggle both, figure it out!
• The HSI indicator bar is inoperative for the first few seconds after starting, precisely the time when I need it most. The display doesn't lag at any other time, so why now?
• Audio plays, but audio controls don't work, for the first several seconds after power-on. So I was rockin' it on the way home last night, fine, blast me in the morning, but at least let me turn it down!
• HVAC does zilch for the first several seconds after power-on. I don't believe the fan rotor has that much inertia...
• There's no way to turn on the HVAC except by smacking Auto, which clobbers my recirc/vent settings. Pressing Off again should bring it back on to the settings I had before I turned it off.
• Max A/C isn't smart enough to realize that the often outside air is cooler than the solar-oven interior air, so it should use outside air at first until the relative temps flip and using inside air becomes a good idea.
• The default 15-amp wire and fuse on the power outlets is too small to run many portable air compressors. Now I have a flat tire AND a blown fuse, thanks! (Sadly, replacing the compressor with a wimpier one was easier than beefing up the wiring.)
• The audio source "diagonally staggered squares" screen serves no purpose, and is distracting because the icons move depending on how you enter it. Eliminate it and just bring up the six-squares-at-once screen, which can be used with less distraction because the controls are in the same place every time it comes up.
• USB folder structure is flattened, forcing the user to scroll through overly-long lists, rather than preserving the multi-layer tree that the user put there and in which structure the user already thinks of their music. What's worse, it must've taken extra effort to code up this flattening "feature". Wth? At least make this tweakable!
• Why should I have to bother the dealer, and waste hours that they're gonna bill back to something, to change settings like reverse-beep? Every such setting should be configurable from the touchscreen.
• Actual TPMS pressures per-tire should be displayable, like GM does.
• When locking the doors with SKS, by touching the special spot on the doorhandle, the delay is frustratingly long. What's weirder, I can touch the spot just briefly, then walk away, and after the delay, the doors lock anyway. Why the delay?
• Rear wiper can't be raised far enough to properly scrape or squeegee under it. For bonus points, let it hang in the raised position like the front ones can do, so I can raise 'em all before an ice-storm.
• The sunglasses compartment is too small for every pair of sunglasses I've tried to cram into it, breaking one (cheap!) pair in frustration. But, there's a bunch of unused space in front of it.
• Every other car I've driven recently has little pull-out extensions on the sun visors, because some of us sit way back there by the B-pillar. Why not this one?
• Holding the "Seek" button to fast-forward and rewind through the current track, requires a much (and frustratingly) longer delay than on other radios.
• The volume knob is too short, and is nearly unusable with gloves on.
• After filling up the gas tank, there's an unconscionably confusing use-the-wrong-buttons interface to input the price. Keypad on the touchscreen was voted out, why? Yes, they're separate modules. Make it happen anyway.

And my wish-list:

• Steering-wheel radio controls: Up/down are always prev-preset/next-preset. Fine when I'm home, but when I travel to other radio markets, I'd love to be able to scan or seek with these same buttons. It'd be sweet if I could use the touchscreen to change the function from preset to seek to tune.
• Power export. Gimme an option for a 20kw 3Φ twistlock, eh? I shouldn't have to buy a truck to fully realize the benefits of the hybrid system. As long as it's cheaper than a comparable Generac...
• MPG is crap, please give me an option to display GPHM or l/100km. Of all the people in the world who should know this...
• The Prius isn't actually much smaller than the Matrix, but because the passenger seat doesn't flip down, it's nearly useless for cargo. I didn't realize how severely I was downgrading. Luckily, the airbag connectors unplug quickly and a socket takes the seat right out, but that's not something I want to do very often! Flippyseat, please?
• Temperature displays. Mom's Suburban had this, because it knew its driver wasn't an idiot.

 

myself248 several posts back made many good suggestions, as have others. I'm sure someone mentioned this previously, maybe not, but I'll throw this out since it covers probably 80% of the changes that people would like to see made...

The new Tesla Model S has a 17" LCD screen that is software controlled and controls nearly everything. The beauty of this is that 95% of the problems that new owners have with the vehicle can be fixed with a software patch. They roll out patches on a ~monthly basis to fix issues as they arise. This gives them plenty of flexibility in being able to upgrade/fix the vehicle down the road, but the downside is that since everything is software controlled it has to be pretty robust. You don't want to be stuck on the freeway having to reboot your car.

The trend is clearly that all vehicles will be moving in this direction in the future. It would also allow for a degree of customization not present on many of todays vehicles. If they go this route, they need to take a lesson from Tesla and Apple, and keep things as simple and intuitive as possible, while still providing flexibility.

RT

 

3 driving modes ( Power,Eco,EV) controlling buttons should be added in to the steering wheel so that you don't have to keep moving your hand from the wheel to shift modes !!

 

How about a report that looks at trends in driving habits based off of the on board data system that gives suggestions to improve MPGs. It could appear on screen with live time information. An example could be:
Breaking too hard to stop - It appears that by using better breaking techniques this vehicle may gain 1-3 mpg.
Over excelerating - this vehicular will improve MPG by slower excelerations.
If this were a feature by reviewing a history one could work on trends to improve saving on gas

 

Yes that would be awesome. I would love to see more data so I know what's going on and I feel like they could do it easily and cheaply, if not at no cost to themselves!

 

The steering wheel in the full up position still rubs my legs on exit on both the 2011 and 2012.

My legs are not that big yet!

 

This Consumer Reports review is spot on in my opinion -

Consumer Reports Video Hub - Cars - Hybrids &amp; Alternative Fuel - Toyota Prius review

Here's some choice quotes from it -

"Prius isn't the most fun car to drive, but as efficient transportation, it's really hard to beat"

"Handling is 'ok', it's secure, stability control works well, but the feel is not that impressive, steering is pretty vague.."

"Rear window bar often blocks the car behind you"

"The center console cuts into legroom making you feel more confined"

"The buttons for the seat heaters are in the worst location we've ever witnessed ... really hard to see and really hard to reach"

"While the dash is well put together, there's really nothing plush, it's hard plastics wherever you look, there's nothing luxurious"

"There's a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, but it doesn't come out too far"

"Even though the engine is a little bit bigger, it doesn't translate to quicker acceleration. Part of that is because it is heavier"

... work on that Toyota, please.

Please reduce the engine noise when it's spinning fast /working hard climbing hills. The noise is annoying.

Reduce cabin noise especially at highway speeds.

Lose the mini dead pedal and put in a proper one for full size shoe.



Make the mechanical driver's seat easier to adjust with better ergonomics.

I'm virutally certain the Prius seat cushion angle changes when the seat is raised or lowered. When fully down, there is an awful lot of tilt back in the seat cushion. By the time the seatback is reclined enough to get near the correct angle between it and seat cushion, I'm reclining too much down and away to steer well. ..

I've needed to lift the height adjuster up about 8 times bring the seat (back) up enough to reach the wheel and steer well. 8 pumps up is, I think too much for a tall (6'2" guy like me).

This will sound like 'rubbing it in', but in a new Civic, slide the seat fully back, height adjust up maybe 3 pumps, set the seatback and I feel comfortable right away.

1) Make the steering wheel much more adjustable in tilt and telescopic range. When I get the seat right where I want it, the steering wheel does not adjust up to me. I have to move the seat away from where I want it to accomodate the steering wheel (be able to reach it well).

2) Make a classic low center console to be able to rest the right shin (lower leg) on. These are found in most family sedans today - Camry, Accord, Altima, Corolla, Civic, Passat, Jetta, etc....

Photo shows my 2011 Prius seat slid fully back and only 5 pumps up on height adjust. Wheel tilted fully down, pulled full towards seat. looking straight down, bottom front edge of wheel does not overlap front edge of seat. Please check this as I've found top selling cars where wheel does slightly overlap seat with similar seat bottom length, meaning steering wheel comes closer to driver.



Seat slid fully back, can easily reach gas pedal with bend in knee:



But steering wheel does not cross my wrist or base of palm as it should with shoulder against seatback, arm straight. I want steering wheel to adjust to me, not scoot forward and adjust up to it.




This is the best grip can get on steering wheel and it's quite a reach:




I wouldn't have a chance of using the door armrest or driving with seat slid fully back without this 1 1/2 inch block of dense foam. Can you review and raise / pad the door armrest and increase steering wheel adjustment range in 4th generation Prius please. Thank you.

 

The Prius needs a much better LCD display. It is near impossible to read in the daylight when wearing polarized glasses. It doesn't need higher resolution but it does need brightness and contrast, good viewing angle and the anti reflective coating needs to work better with polarized lenses.

 

Can they make the steering wheel point exactly straight towards the driver? Can easily see the front edge of seat not parallel to edge of steering wheel. The steering column appears to point to the left meaning 3 o'clock grip area is slightly closer than 9 o'clock grip area. I'd prefer it straight and with more adjustability of course.

The small, scant steering wheel adjustment range, both tilt and telescopic, necessitates moving driver's seat out of my preferred setting.... isn't there an ergonomics department at Toyota Motor Corporation to check the steering wheel range versus seat range? Fix that please. Make the steering wheel tilt and telescope with plenty of range to match the seat adjustment range. Doesn't seem it would cost much to have longer slots in steering column to allow this. Isn't there some room available in the column area to allow increased tilt and telescoping range?

I'm tall, 6'2", if seat lowered far down, steering wheel points more towards my upper chest / neck because the wheel barely tilts down. Seems to only tilt an inch or fraction more. Why? I've seen other models move more. At 6'2" tall, have to pump height adjuster up 8 or 9 times, but lose headroom and thigh support. So unnecessary if they would only improve steering wheel. Driver's seat seems good to me.


Foam near shifter for driving leg support due to seat out of preferred setting in turn due to scant steering wheel adjustment range both tilt and telescoping. Center console pad to soften unpadded fabric over hard plastic.


Door pad to soften unpadded fabric over hard plastic. Armrest seems unusually low compared to many other cars and I use door armrests in any car. Why else are they there?

Oooh, I think we've missed this on the list so far .....

Make front cup holders to accomodate the wider plastic bottles like large size Gatorade or Powerade. These days I have top put the top on bottle right and lay them on passenger seat cause I hate it rolling on floorboard.

Some cars have the wider cupholder with spring-loaded fingers to hold bottle or smaller bottles.

This would really help.

Also, when displaying miles to empty or ODO, show average CONS figure as well. There is room to display CONS. Maybe this is changed in the 2012+ ?

On mechanically adjustable driver's seat, maintain constant angle of seat bottom while height adjuster lowers or raises the seat diagonally. Thighs will contact seat as it goes back and down. (Currently, seat bottom angle seems to increase as seat lowered and results in awful lot of seat bottom tilt (too much thigh pressure) for me.)