Ok..now you know how really lame I am!!! I found the a/c in the middle of summer. Now, where is the heat?? Someone please explain.
Ha ha! Just set the temperature higher instead of lower. Some people like to use the "climate" screen, but I love the auto settings. Hit the "auto a/c" button on the steering wheel and then bump up the temperature with the temp+ button.
Although I've never had to use the heater in any of my cars since I moved to Hawaii , I assume that you just leave the A/C on and raise the temperature.
You can still use 'auto ac', just bump up the temperature to where it's comfortable. You can use either the touchscreen or the steering wheel buttons. The term 'air conditioning' means more than just cooling - the Prius has a full climate control system that reguates temperature, humidity, and airflow. You can set it and forget it, or fine tune the settings to your heart's content.
And if you have the voice-recognition feature, you can hit the voice button and then say the temperature you want: "73 degrees" and the car responds, "setting temperature to 73 degrees." As for turning off "a/c" in response to the above question, I never do. The climate control system regulates use of the compressor to control temperature and humidity, so I take the "set it and forget it" approach too.
the temps here are just on the border of needing heat in the morning. It looks liek there is some 20 degree difference where the AC really shuts down and the heat turns on when AC is engaged. So, for now, I shut down the AC button on the console. I'm hoping that come winter time, it will be a set-it and forget-it scenario.
The a/c button at the bottom left of the screen, you can turn it off and the heat can still run through the air conditioning system.
That's what I've been doing on cool mornings. I like the windows down even if it's quite cool, but can't stand the idea of running the A/C with the windows down. I will add that it took me a while to figure out how to turn the heat on as well. I've never had a car with auto climate control before.
Remember that "A/C" = "air conditioner", not "air chiller". Conditioning includes heating and de-humidifying. So just set the temp higher and wait a minute or two. Study the Owner's Manual and experiment with the "Climate" screen on the Multi-Function Display and all should become clear.