I pulled the trigger...

I don't think that's when most of them die. That's just when mine did. Well, the new car fever got me, mostly. Yeah, that was it.

 

It had started to about two years ago. I did an oil consumption test at the Toyota place and I was still within specs, but it was still going through almost 2 qts in 5,000 miles. I used some oil additive to clean out some of the gunk that was presumably keeping the rings from fully seating -- I read about that here on PriusChat -- and that helped a little. But it came back relatively quickly so the rings must have been somewhat worn.

 

Thanks!

 

So it's been two months and about 5,400 miles with the 2016 Prius Four that started this thread. A couple of folks asked that I report back after a bit and compare and contrast the new beastie with the 2005 I traded in.

The driving experience continues to be unremarkable just like the 2005 was. Prii are aptly described as "appliance transportation" and I agree with that. My Dad's older Camry was more comfortable, but both Prii were easily adequate for comfort. I'm not disappointed at all with the 2016, but neither am I enthralled with it.

One thing that I find uncomfortable is that there's no comfortable place on which to rest my left elbow when I'm driving. I mean, I CAN, but it still feels a little awkward. It's not awful, but in the 2005, there was a worn spot where my elbow went and I don't remember it being awkward.

Using the adaptive cruise control on the commute is the most useful and fun features of the ATP. I can set the cruise control for 80, activate it and the radar does the rest even when exiting the freeway and queuing up on the off ramp. If the vehicle ahead of me stops, so does mine and just a touch of the accelerator or cruise control stalk starts the Prius moving again. Many days, I set it at the head of the HOV lanes in Northern Virginia and turn it off when I reach surface streets about 30 miles later. Feet off the accelerator. All I do is steer and signal. The radar cruise control does the rest. Pretty slick!

I may have mentioned information overload. There's too damned many screens in the thing! For the first couple of weeks, I couldn't figure out where to look first. It was genuinely distracting. Now that I've got some time with it, I have found a combination of screens that tells me the info that's important to me. I keep the compass/speed limit screen up most of the time and occasionally use the fuel consumption diary. The head up display gives me my current speed and so I can essentially ignore the speedo in the dash. Same for the dynamic power graphic that really isn't useful to me. It's on the head up display if I want to see it, so there's no sense duplicating it on the dash.

Toyota's nav system is.... well, Toyota's nav system. How good can it be? It's kludgy, though more accurate than the 2005. I find myself using Google Maps/OK Google more often 'cause it's far closer to being a hands free solution. If only I could access Google Maps through the touchscreen instead of Toyota's system, I'd be a happy camper.

I DO love Entune. It lets me use I-Heart-Radio to listen to some of the stations I miss in LA while remaining fully integrated into the car's audio system. Since I have an unlimited data plan, I can listen for hours and not sweat the data consumption. I have Facebook Locations and Movie Tickets apps configured, but they are of little use in all practicality. (Oh, and Clear Channel Communications, the owners of I-Heart-Radio, is my least favorite corporate entity, having nearly single-handedly destroyed terrestrial radio. But damn, they have a good app on the Toyota!)

The storage thing is still a problem. I'm adapting, but I still can't keep the manuals in the car -- and there are like six of 'em. So I compromised and got the PDF version and put 'em on my phone. What would be neat is if they could be displayed on the touchscreen. That way you could carry them with the vehicle and not give up storage space. Hmmmm....

Mileage is phenomenal. I rarely get less than 58, and occasionally exceed 60 mpg. And I don't even try. I'm not one of those hypermilers, and I tend to leave it in power mode (there are three modes) because that works best on the commute with the radar cruise control. That's a good ten plus increase over the 2005 and I find that yes, I AM filling up less often.

This is a picky item -- my phone won't fit in the wireless charger. It's a Nexus 6 and it's just a tad too big. It only works in the QI compatible charger if I remove the gel case. Even then, the QI compatible charger can't keep up with the phone's battery consumption if I'm streaming and all that, That's a phone issue, though. A newer phone would probably charge at a higher rate, though I've not done the deep dive to learn the facts about it. So I still use a USB cord and a 12 volt quick charger. No big deal.

I usually get it washed every couple weeks or more often as part of my Saturday morning routine. It's still awfully shiny and I'm delighted that I didn't settle for another color.

It's been two months and I can say that the 2016 is a worthy, if underwhelming replacement for the 2005 Prius. I love the car, but in terms of the driving experience, you will not be invigorated with the change. While the high-tech safety features are to my mind revolutionary, the driving experience itself is evolutionary -- incrementally better, but well within the acceptable range.

And that's what I was after. So for me and I suspect for a lot of Gen2 Prius drivers, the 2016 will be a fine replacement with which you'll be comfortable and familiar.

 

The Four does NOT have a spare tire. I have the emergency pump kit, so storage below the deck in the back is nonexistent. Literally zero. And yes, I DO have the grandfathered tags from 2005. Those tags were a compelling reason to buy the Prius back in 2005, but are less so these days since nearly all of the former HOV lanes are now EZPass lanes. I still have access to the roughly eight miles of 395 in Arlington County that aren't EZPass, and I-66 inside the beltway. I was delighted to be able to transfer those plates.

 

The seat is quite comfy particularly with the adjustable lumbar support. That was a nice addition. I was comfy in the old one, and this one isn't all that different.

I don't drive often at night, so I've not really experienced the full benefits of the new headlights. The little I have driven after dark is phenomenally different! I'm surprised I'm not blinding oncoming drivers. Sidebar: One of the reasons I don't care for driving at night is that I had a pretty good cataract developing in my left eye. That has since been surgically corrected in both left and right eyes and the implanted multifocal lenses, magnificent in many respects, gives me rather significant halos at night. So I'm still getting used to that.

I don't feel as though the visibility is better or worse. I DO like the back up camera which wasn't available on the 2005. That's also a great addition.

It's decent audio. I had the JBL package in the 2005 and it doesn't seem to be all that different except for the HD Radio part. But I had an aftermarket HD Radio in the 2005, so I was already ahead of the game there.

Again, overall, there's not much difference in the driving experience. It's virtually the same. It's the safety bells and whistles that make this car great for me.