We traded in our Gen 2 for a 3 today, and it was difficult for me to give up my car that I've loved for the last 6 years. But I've been thinking about a Gen 3 and our car was 11 (although no one could believe that). The dealer assured us our car would be auctioned and would stay within Europe, because it hasn't reached 200K km. We had shopped around so we knew what we wanted - a moon roof/solar roof, and we learned how bad a navy blue can look in pollen season so decided on white or red. Not many colors are available here in Germany, and we got a Barcelona Red today. The red is outrageous after looking at our modest blue every day. I'm curious about the solar roof - I read the manual and they don't want me to sit in the car while the fan is on (even in my driveway on a mild but sunny day?). What are your experiences regarding the solar roof? I know some of you have said it doesn't do much. In reading the thread about people's perceptions of the Prius, I admit I've been told "Don't park that in front of my house" - but the thing is, this is a rare car in Germany. There is only one other Prius in our town, and it's rare to see one on the Autobahns. It is fun to have an uncommon car, but the most fun of all is the silence. (Oh, and driving through 5 countries on one tank is also good.) The reasons they are not popular here: They are considered unnecessarily large, and there is an abundance of economic diesels. We also have a Yaris diesel, which gets the same MPG as the Prius. The top speed I reached on my Gen 2 was 183kph and I'm curious to see what the red one can do. 160 today felt like coasting. Germans are very loyal to their country's cars, I get that, but I can't imagine wanting one of those when the Prius exists. ~eli
"What are your experiences regarding the solar roof?" I whined about the extra expense of the sunroof/solar option on our 2015 P4. Now, having lived with it for a while, here in sunny Florida, I've changed my mind. The option is worth the extra $$$.
I have to add something that may make me seem odd, but since this is a car forum and I'm a car freak.... One of the reasons I never liked red cars isn't just how extroverted they are, but the rear lights blend with the color of the car and disappear. Am I the only person who feels that head/tail lights should be differentiated from the car color? One cool thing about the Prius - the rear lights are silver, so they don't disappear into the red. We almost bought a white one, and although the distinction between the rear lights and the car color wasn't lost completely, it wasn't as striking as with the darker car colors.
This is a stupid question, but how exactly do you use it? Like I said, I read the manual, but I don't quite get it. It runs for 3 minutes only, and only on a sunny day?
The solar roof powered fan is the difference between an extremely hot interior vs a bearable one. I will admit i barely read the manual on do's on don'ts with the solar roof, so i do frequently stay inside with all the windows close with just this fan keeping the inside bearable on milder days. So far i haven't seen any reason not to. I think in the long run it will help extend your battery life by keeping it cool in hot weather. Kept on, it also prevents the musty odour in the AC unit as it will dry out the dehumidifiers after the car is off. It will cycle on/off based on how much power you are getting from the sun. I've never timed it but in really good conditions, i think it can continue longer than 3 minutes. To activate, press the button next to the power side mirrors. It will only work 10 minutes after you press it, or 10 minutes after you power off the car. You need a good sun to have it working. Once running it will continue even if you open your doors/trunk. But once you turn on the power to operate the power windows or moon roof you will have to wait another 10 minutes before it restarts. It looks quiet durable. Barring it being cracked in a collision or a heavy object falling on top of it, the solar top looks like it will last beyond the life of the car. btw due to the effectiveness of the fan in keeping the interior cooler before i step it (and also for fuel efficiency sake), i've never tried the remote AC yet.
Not that I have one, but the intent is straightforward. In places like the southern U.S., where it can be 95F (35C) or greater air temperature, humid, and direct sunlight, it can get very toasty inside a car. To the point where one walks up to a car, opens all the doors, waits for the hot air to leave, wait a bit longer for the upholstery to cool, and then, and only then, get into the car. And immediately breaks into a sweat anyway, it's hot in there! I've spent some time in Arizona in the summer. Forget 95F, how about 110F in the shade? (43C). Under these conditions a solar-powered fan and small air conditioner makes lots of sense. As you may note, I live in New Jersey, somewhat further north than these hotter climates (although we have our moments). For that reason, the solar roof is not quite as popular around here. Germany is more of a northerly country, but I've only been there once in the winter and once in the fall, so you would have to tell me how hot it gets. My guess is the solar roof is a nice-to-have, but not need-to-have in your area. There have been a couple of cases, I think in the U.S., where on a hot day cars parked on a street were exposed to direct sunlight.. And sunlight reflected from nearby skyscrapers. Some of those cars literally melted inside. Global warming, anyone? KBeck
