Morning and afternoon sun can't be adequately blocked at side doors when traveling north & south due to short width of sun visors. Visors definately need a tinted slid-out plastic extension. Also wish climate control screen could be brightened up by driver.
Odd, I find w/ the seat height adjusted higher, the visor is almost too tall and has to be angled for me to not obstruct my view - this applies forward and to the side as well.
Rick - talking about width or length (horizontal dimension) of sun visor, not height. Early and late sun comes in beyond back end of visor -periforal (sp) vision affected.
Ugly niggles: how about them hex head bolts in each wheel well opening? Couldn't Toyota have used flush-headed screws/bolts or pan heads at the least and painted to match color of car?
Update on my original post on this thread - #1 niggle. Panel light dimmer not backlit. Add another. 2010 Side mirrors adjustment control not backlit. Out driving during the day yesterday. Let my 5'3" girlfriend (owner of Gen I) drive home. Then we went out late last night and I decided to drive. We both got into the car, I started it and began to adjust the seat and check the mirrors. All needed adjustment. I looked down at the left dash area where the mirror adjustment is and began pushing the square button around. Hmm, left mirror not moving - right side, nope. Then she said "Is it beginning to rain"? I looked on the windshield and there were droplets on the lower windshield. Put on the wipers. Then put on the dome light and checked the mirror switch. I was moving the headlight washer control switch! It feels exactly the same (square) as the mirror control. The $&%#! headlight washers were activated instead of the mirror control. Went outside and the entire hood, bumper, and fenders were soaking wet with sudsy liquid. Got a microfiber towel and dried the best I could. Back into the car and finally saw that the only switch on the left dash panel backlit is the headlight washer. The mirror control and panel light dimmer - no lights. So two findings. 1. Once again the headlight washer IMO is a complete waste of engineering and cost for the consumer. And they are terribly overpowered. I can imagine at highway speed they may not reach as high as the windshield - but poor design standing still or moderate speed. Unless my car is filthy and plan to wash it the next day - I would never use this "feature". Even though it is automatic if the lights are on and the windshield washer is activated (dumb...). 2. Why is this washer control backlit and the other two adjacent switch panels lights and mirrors, both safety related - not? I would much rather had a useful safety-related feature built into the V such as side mirror signal lights than these washers. If the washers are mandated in Europe, fine. But give us a useful feature. Off my soapbox.
I understand, spending many years in IL and MA - the salt and yuck. They would be fine in snowy environments - but if you ever have a chance see how the ones in the Prius V make a mess of the entire front end. Imagine if the standard windshield washers spraying all over the top of the car (sunroof too) as well as the rear window every time used. And if they really are crucial...they should then be standard on all cars and all model Prii. I know it sounds as if I'm making a big deal about those unlit switch panels, but it is irritating to try to feel around for important items as that. really no excuse not to have them backlit on a car like the Prius. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE the Prius; but like anything, improvements can be made. And not many for the '10 - Toyota got so much right.
My biggest issue is the loss of the various storage compartments that were in the cabin of the 09 and earlier. While I like the under console space, the lack of map pockets in the doors, the missing small change drawer on the left side of the drivers, and the "secret" drawer at the front bottom of the old console certainly takes away storage capability for those small items. The shrinking glove boxes also contribute to a net loss of available storage, and I think the main console is also smaller and less usable. We did pick up some storage in the back seats area with quite a bit of space under the front seats, but they are inaccessible while driving and too much stored under the seats will block the back seat heating and cooling vent. I like a neat cabin but the loss of all the storage is making that much more difficult. With all that said, these are small complaints compared to how much the car has improved. My average 60 mpg to work rather than the 21 I got with my old Lexus certainly overwhelms the storage issues. The few times I drove my wife's 07 Prius to work I never did make it over 50, and was normally around 45..
Wish it had a tachometer, no engine temperature gauge???, no oil pressure guage. Also the drivers side armrest is way too low. Some funny noises that are probably the hybrid compnents that take a bit of getting used to. Other than these issues pretty happy. I guess I'll buy and mount a scanguage.....
Actually my windshield washers can spray the rear window. But when my car's covered in sand/snow crud mix, I don't really care where it lands. I guess crucial is the wrong word. "Really really useful" is probably a better phrase.
This is a "first" for me. Will the washers really help that much even though there is not a small wiper?
I would guess they operate more like a 'pressure washer' to blast stuff off. All I know is that (by mistake on 3 occasions since I had the V) the fluid gets all over the hood, bumper, and up to the windshield. It really makes a mess. Tideland - I understand in winter, with crud on the lights, it would be good to have a feature as this especially during long stretches of highway travel. It just seems to be counter-productive to make such a mess. But, what really irks me is that "automatic mode" when Toyota insists the headlights be sprayed if the lights are on and I decide to clean the windshield. I'd like that operation to be my Choice.
I concur with pretty much all the original poster observed, and also think they're pretty minor issues. One thing I'd add to it is the fact that instead of map pockets in the front doors, they have these stupid "bottle holders," and a vast expanse of what appears to be unused space in the doors. Any idea why Toyota chose to do this?
I believe the RX 330 I had with the headlight washers had a separate button, but it still got washer fluid all over the hood, windshield, etc.
Agreed. If there's a separate button, let us use it at our discretion. I don't like headlight washers that are linked to the front wipers or washers. I don't mind the mirrors linked to the rear defroster (since most of the time, you'll need to defrost both anyway) but the headlight washers are another thing. If they're high powered, it'll be good enough. Just like a touchless car wash. It'll get most of the stuff off.
There's no tach, engine temp, oil pressure, etc. as the computer controls all operation. If something's amiss, you'll get the light and warning. If you really want this data, you can get a ScanGauge which will show all of this and more.
