I currently have a Gen2 2007 Prius. On every other car I have owned, I have had a sunroof. Some I loved and some were not to my liking. I read a little about the sunroof and how it was a very expensive feature that kept the interior cooler in warm weather. I am looking for some feedback on how drivers like their sunroof. Info like is it noisy, rattles, issues opening closing, and overall feeling about the position and size. I guess I can give an example of a couple cars I have owned. My 96 accord had a sunroof I loved. It was quiet enough to hear an conversation while driving highway speed and all i felt was a gentle breeze overhead. My 2004 pontiac vibe had wind noise and a would also have a pulse with the air deflector up at lower speeds. both seemed to be of good quality and I never had an issue with the operation of either. I loved driving the accord and the vibe was just OK. Both retracted under the roof. Also the vibe's roof got to a point where it would creak going over uneven surfaces. I took the headliner down in an effort to tighten it up and was not successful. Appreciate everyone's time.
We've only had our gen3 with sunroof for 4 months but I love it. Haven't driven on the highway with it open so I can't speak to the noise at that speed. On surface streets though it's not loud, and I've never heard it make creaky noises. The solar vent system is nice, we never worry about trying to park in the shade anymore since it makes no difference. I also love the way the sunroof looks - we have a black Prius and you can't even tell there's a sunroof unless you look closely (it doesn't look like a roof with a window stuck on, like a lot of other cars). I forgot to mention, we got the car used so we didn't end up paying much more for the sunroof package, as it wasnt that much more than comparable used prii w/o the sunroof package. iPhone ?
My glass rattles when it's opened in the regular position (the one meant to minimise wind buffetting) but if it's fully opened (another inch or so rearward), it doesn't rattle as much but I'll need to crack a window open to balance the pressures to avoid that "whomp" sound. That being said, it's quiet when it's closed. No issues there. If I'm on smooth road and I open the moonroof to the regular position, it's quiet up to 42 ish mph (the wind deflector is the huge piece of glass, compared to other moonroofs where it's a small piece of plastic). On our old Camry (2002), there would be wind noise at 37 mph. If you like airflow, then open the moonroof to the fully opened position with a window cracked. The air will be sucked in through the moonroof (and the opened window). Oh and the Gen 3's moonroof opens up and over the roof (which may explain why it's easier to develop rattles compared to those that slide into the roof).
I have the Solar roof package, and i really like it. It keeps the interior cool. It opens very smooth and makes some noise at high speeds (80km\h+) You can watch some youtube video about it, search prius solar roof.
I hate the sunroof in my gen3. Bought the car used and it came with it. Because of the sunroof the rear dome light is 2 inches lower thus reducing rear passenger headroom. I took out the dome light and installed lights next to the grab handles on both sides and redid the headliner myself. Looks cleaner and gained headroom. Had the liner and sunroof out to install soundproofing anyway so it was easy. Compare the headroom of a non sunroof car vs a sunroof car first.
But you're not sitting under the dome light . There's a cut out near the rear headrests where you recover the extra headroom.
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like its not perfect, but has some valued cooling benefit and doesn't cause issues when closed other than a headroom reduction. I think I will keep my eyes open for used cars that have the solar roof option. Will be worth the upgrade to the newer generation!
I feel the benefit of not getting into a super hot car in the summer is worth the benefit. (Plus you can pre-cool the cabin with Remote A/C on the key fob. It runs for 3 minutes or if the battery gets low, whichever is first. The engine does not run. ) Ensure you get two SKS fobs!
If I knew it would be an issue I would have sought out a non sunroof model. Didn't discover the issue until after a few months of ownership. the issue was easily fixed. Just feel that the rear dome light could have been done better on the sunroof model without loss of headroom.
I like sunroofs so I bought my Prius with one. I use it on a regular basis during the warmer months in the Northeast. As Tideland Prius has mentioned, you will get some moderate wind noise with it fully opened. IMO it's no worse than opening a door window. For best air flow that's not in your face, I crack the right rear window down an inch. The solar panel runs the interior fan keeping the car cool on those hot days. A really nice feature! So far no rattles.
I'm pretty sure the solar roof is going to make me keep this car until I drive it into the ground...Not getting into a burning hot interior in the summer is amazing... I completely forget what that is like until I have to get into someone else's car then I freak out. (We just bought a 4Runner with leather seats...ugghhhh it's terrible). I generally only open the roof when it's not sunny out as I don't like the sun in my face...I LOVE it open at night. It's definitely not quite at higher speeds but again, I generally don't have it open when I'm on the bypass anyways. I also have absolutely no rattles either...with 65k miles since December 2012. I do want to add though, we are incredibly disappointed/annoyed by the AC feature...and it's barely been used. It shouldn't turn off once you open the door. I'm fine with it only running a few minutes, but let it run it's time or until I start the car...It takes time to load a kid (and next year there will be 2 of them to load up) into their car seat and I want it to cool down while I'm doing so! /end rant I guess
Get the Solar Power Tech Package sunroof! It's sooo worth it!! Well I guess it may depend on where you live. I'm in California, hot all year round. And I currently have a Prius Prime and I love the Prime!.......however, I miss that Solar Sunroof so damn much! I had a 2010 with the solar package and I had no idea how much I loved it, till I have a car without it.
That IS annoying. I make a point to turn on the car and then the A/C the moment I open the door. The first thing I do. Additionally I turn temp to LOW, fan on high. I guess I could open windows or the sunroof as well..
