Prius Improvement Wish list

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jimmyhua @ Jun 13 2006, 08:06 AM) [snapback]270429[/snapback]</div>

I've had mine for 5 days now and I don't pulse and glide... and I average 45.2 MPG. I just drive normal.

As for the shifter... I kinda like it... however when I turned off the beeping this weekend I noticed something... to me down should be R while up should be D. Ten mins after I turned beeping off I mixed the two up a few times.

 

You can't have a conventional shifter in the Prius because the Prius has no gears. There is no shifting.

The computer sees to it that the engine will run at the most efficient rpm for the conditions. You'd only make it worse if you could override that. And BTW, you can get a tachometer if you install CAN-View.

My wish list:

1. A 30-mile plug-in EV range at normal city driving speed & acceleration. (Darn it all, that CDrive Systems mod sure does look nice! Though it does not change speed and power limits in EV mode.)

2. Simple, mechanical climate controls instead of the amazingly user-unfriendly computer-controlled climate control.

3. A girlfriend. The car should come with a personable and attractive woman. (Or man: buyer's choice.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jimmyhua @ Jun 13 2006, 05:06 AM) [snapback]270429[/snapback]</div>

Do that enough and you will quickly be in the tranmission shop! Regular cars are not designed to be constantly shifted into Neutral while moving. Since the Prius works differently that is not the case.

 

I think the Prius needs a smug meter. Being laughed at in close to 200 posts in the "Hybrid Racing Stories" thread is embarrassing.

 

I have two suggestions:

1. Better seats. Better as in electronically adjustable. Lumbar support.

2. Warn us not to use GPS or Bluetooth while in motion but do not restrain our use. We have paid for the use of this technology. When we are on a trip my wife (as the passenger) can operate the GPS while I drive.....or visa versa. But as configured that is impossible.

I hope Toyota is listening.

Cheers

 

bicycle-like pedals for manual propulsion so that you could pedal it if you ran out of gas. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(riscky @ Jun 13 2006, 06:22 AM) [snapback]270441[/snapback]</div>

Well, on my 1991 Camry and my 1985 Honda, the floor-mounted shifter had (from front of the car to the back of the car) PRNDL. That is exactly the way the Prius is laid out, except it's mounted on the dash.

 

I like the way the Prius is now. I love the cloth seats which I find every comfortable and supportive without the need for power or memory adjustments (I am a healthy weight, not to call most Americans unhealthy or anything, but I think that is why a lot of people complain about the seats). It would be nice if they didn't "sanitize" the American from the JDM version though, give us the auto-park system and plasmacluster air ionization systems, or as they will more likely do, make them included in the high end packages that I can't afford yet. The last thing I want Toyota to do is move production of the Prius to America, make it two feet bigger in every dimension, give it more power, and put in wide unsupportive seats that will accomodate the 200+ pound American drivers. I would be more than happy with the 1.0L beams engine and its 70 some horsepower coupled to an Li-ion battery pack and motor that I could plug in every night and drive 150 miles before using gasoline each day. I'm in it for the environment not the race track.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jun 13 2006, 11:51 AM) [snapback]270514[/snapback]</div>

Or a crank to charge the battery enough to get you to the next gas station....

I would also add:
1. Telescoping steering wheel
2. DRL with auto-on headlights (they have this in Canada)
3. Auto-dimming driver-side mirror

 

1) Tilt AND telescoping steering wheel. There are three points of reference that need to be addressed to make a car that can comfortably fit everyone. Your butt, your hands and your feet. Two of these three need to be adjustable to fit everyone. My current car has movable seats, tilt steering wheel (no telescope) and movable pedals. The movable pedals part should be easy to do on a drive by wire car like the Prius.

2) 2-3" more rearward travel on the seats. (Also height and tilt adjustments would be nice.)

3) A replacable faceplate to allow installation of RETMA standard audio parts. I am a programmer, and I am starting to see a LOT of computer cases (Dell is noted for this) with molded front panels that limit what I can install in the case.

4) A plug in audio jack on the OUTSIDE of the console, so I can put my player on the passenger seat for easy use.

5) A Navigation system with a 'birds eye' map view. My current car has this (Nissan is the only mfg that I know of that installs this type of Nav). The 'birds eye' view tilts the top of the map away from you toward the horizon, so objects close to you are in large scale at the bottom of the screen, while more distant things are at smaller scale, giving you a bigger picture of thing further away. Visually, it lets you mentally 'overlay' the map with the view through the windshield much more easily than the plane view available in the Toyota navigation system.

6) I don't have my Prius yet, but I do not think the current one supports this, voice entry of digits and letters so you can enter new phone numbers and destinations into the system as you drive. I don't need full speech recognition if I can have these. Rather than just allowing you to reference previously entered numbers, addresses, etc.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 13 2006, 07:38 AM) [snapback]270477[/snapback]</div>

The Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid and Lexus Rx400h all have the same type of planetary gears power splitting device that the Prius has, in lieu of a transmission, yet they all have conventional looking floor (or lower dash) mounted shifters.

 

Overall I think it's a perfect car and couldn't come up with any improvements until I read some of the previous posts and agree on the following...

1. A 10-20 mile plug-in EV range. Would make the car AMAZING.

2. Warn us not to use GPS or Bluetooth while in motion but do not restrain our use.

3. Tilt AND telescoping steering wheel.

This car has exceeded all my expectations. Can't say enough good things about it.

 

I love my Prius and would only change one thing: the seat adjustment! I am not particularly tall (5'9"), yet I cannot push the driver's seat BACK far enough to be comfortable. As it is now, I must bend my knees so much that my right leg does not rest on the seat cushion. For whatever reason, this is fatiging and I often stick my wallet (about 1.5" thick) under my right leg for support, to make the position more comfortable. Another 2-3" of backward movement would be sufficient. Either that or adding a tilt option so I could raise the front of the seat. Other than that, I've got no complaints! -V

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 13 2006, 10:38 AM) [snapback]270477[/snapback]</div>

IF CAN-View were in fact available for a 2006, but it's not (the original poster has a 2006). If it were available, I'd certainly be interested in ift for the 2006 I have on order but there seems to be a lack of motivation for making that happen.

And I still want a solar panel that is the same contour as the roof to top off the battery when it's just sitting in a sunny parking lot.

 

What's life without regrets,
1 Comfort - the seats are FIRM, with few adjustments(no motors= less weight=better MPG)
2 the door armrests - is that 1/8th" or 1/16th" of foam padding under the cloth?
the same for the console lid.
It's almost summer, I can't rest my elbows (in short sleeves) for long on them
(I know - wait for winter & padded sleeves)

Hey anyone with aftermarket leather-- do they add more padding?

 

It would be nice to add a feature to the wireless key fob --- when one depresses the unlock button for more than 5 seconds, all the windows automatically lower to cool the car, just like Lexus does.

A small solar panel built into the roof which runs both an air intake and air exhaust fans

A switch which turns the console into a beverage/sandwich cooler

OnStar-like services --- human contact on airbag deployments, password unlock assistance

Subwoofer for JBL sound system

Airconditioned air coming from the perforations in the leather seats (ala new Lexus).

Butt warmers for winter and leather seats

Collision avoidance radar with copmuter intiated braking for in fog like Acura now advertises

for young people, different interior trim options like the mini cooper offers -- that sort of sin city/Gotham look and feel

 

EV as standard available here!