New to the Prius. What’s the practical purpose of this thingy? As far as I can tell, it just sorts of...flops around in there. What are you guys using it for?
Back when they designed that thingy, phones were small enough (those were the days!) to fit in it. Your charging cable could even sneak out through the little cutout in the front lip, and down to the power outlet in the bottom of the console. Likewise the audio from your headphone jack (those were the days!) to the aux in jack down there. Or USB cable to the sound system's USB jack, also down there. Close the top armrest and smash-and-grabbers wouldn't see any of it. (Nor would they ever, ever guess there might be a phone there, of course.)
Several new cars have these. We're roaming around southern states in a rental nissan SUV, & a Rav4 & both have 'em. .
So, yeah. It’s clearly to put things in. My problem is A.) it’s so shallow that stuff falls out of it on pretty much any turn, and B.) it’s completely in the way if you want to get at anything below it. ♂️
when they reconfigured the center console in 2012, they took it out, and didn't put in a lift out model like gen 2 had. i found a plastic licorice container at trader joes that sits in there perfectly.
Phones don't fall out as much as coins do; the usb cable fed through the little notch tends to hold them in place.
I keep a 6" ruler and a basic calculator in it. Combined, they fit perfectly and do not fall out. Thanks to Chap's interesting suggestion, I'll try putting my mobile telephone in it.
I couldn't find a good use for the tray. Took mine out on day one as it looked like the rattling would drive me crazy, especially if I had coins sliding around in it, and it was going to be in the way for access to the main compartment. I put the tray back in on the car's last day when I traded it in.
