I just sold my 2006 prius and purchased a PiP. what I didn't notice until yesterday (first real day of driving it) was that there is no longer a physical button on the front doors & trunk to lock the car anymore. does anyone know why toyota took this out? I thought it was quite useful/convenient
The trunk one is still there-it's the smaller of the two on the trunk. The door handle one has been replaced by the two lines on the handle. If you touch them, it will lock/unlock. There are also two lines on the underside of the handles, in case of ice/snow covering the top ones.
Yup. They're touch-sensitive now! Easier to wax the door handle (don't have to worry about getting wax on the black rubber button) but harder to lock with gloves (unless you have one of those that can be used to operate electronics). You can also lock (with a thick glove) if you just press your palm against the door handle on the side where the lock function is.
After cursing at the "sensors" on our 2010 Prius II for three years, I got a Leaf this Spring, and love the simple button instead. Not all progress is...progress.
The sensors on the PiP work flawlessly for my wife and me. Grab the door handle and pull to unlock and open the door. Tap the top of the door handle to lock.
Yes, I knew how they work. I wear gloves a lot, and they don't work well with gloves. Even with bare hands, they weren't 100% reliable for me. Tapping the handle never worked - I always had to "pinch" both top and bottom sensors to lock them.
From a parts perspective: I've had people with the buttons call me looking to buy just the rubber "cap" from the button. You have to buy the whole door handle...the sensors are an improvement for most people. You must have unusually dry hands, or your body has an unusual electrical field.
I'm not going to apply lotions or ointments or seasoning to myself to make the car happier. I rarely drive the Prius now that I have a Leaf, anyway.
Ah, my wife put over 400 miles on my PiP yesterday. Last week I went about 100 miles for the week all electric...Two extremes where the PiP shines! I want an all electric car, but it starts with a T, and we'll still have a gas/electric hybrid as the "other car" for long trips.
