Most Obscure Gen III Facts (way out there)

As I recall from the Gen2 forums a couple of years ago the vent in the back is the intake. They put it inside the car so that when you are driving it will get cooler air in the summer and warmer air in the winter. The battery performs better at moderate temperatures. The Gen2 (and I assume the Gen3 as well) has a fan that runs occasionally to draw air into the battery compartment. On my Gen2 I could sometimes hear it running.

 

The vent has to be on the inside for several reasons. A couple are that you need clean, conditioned air. I am assuming it moved from the top of the seat to the bottom because hot air rises, and if you live say in Arizona or somewhere similar the air at the top of the inside of the car could be quite hot?
I too think it's not a good location. It could have have been put under the seat without raising the seat, or I assume in the back cargo area, but maybe the cargo area is an area that get's hot too isn't it?
If this is all that is "wrong" with the car, I guess that I can live with it

 

I own a GEN II prius and am seriously thinking about buying a GEN III. Here in Japan, orders have piled up to more than 230K, and we are told by Toyota that we have to wait until April 2010 if we order now. So all I can do now is reading the catalog of GEN III prius over and over again.
While doing so, I was interested in the device "Hill-Start Assistant Control", which is said to automatically activate the brakes when you release the brake pedal in an uphill situation, until you depress the accelerator. I really hate uphill start, and this mechanism seems very good. The curious thing is that there is little discussion about this in PriusChat or Prius forums in Japan. It should be very helpful at least for people in San Francisco or somewhere if it ever works, I suppose.

 

Sorry to hear about the backlog over there! That is amazing.

About the hill-start thing... I really don't understand the need for it in this car. Totally makes sense in a manual transmission car. With the Prius all a person would have to do is put one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator and trade off as needed. I am missing something?

Peter

 

You'd be amazed how many drivers have no idea how to do that. Plus, you assume all automatic drivers have two good feet.

 

Good point, didn't think of that. Thanks,
Peter

 

I definitely feel your pain with the long wait. We got the order in on ours 7/1, but still have to wait until the end of February - at the least. It seems different models are longer than others, so we don`t really know. If I were you though, and planning to buy one, I would do it now for the hope of getting the 100,000yen. They are saying April and that it won`t make it in time, but it seems like with the non-touring models it is getting a little bit faster thanks to increased production.

And... :focus:

The hill-start is something I`d forgotten about... Read about it in the catalogs and thought it sounded great. I`ll love trying it out, as there are a number of stop lights near me (and rail crossings) where you have to stop on a steep incline. My current car rolls back very quickly if I am not careful.
They give you lessons on keeping the car from rolling back in Japanese driving schools, and you are checked on it when you take the driving test, so I assume it`s a pretty big problem here. If the electric motor is even weaker, I have to wonder what it would be like without assistance!

 

I was thinking about a situation waiting in a parking building with stories. I know I can effectively use both feet but this is rather cumbersome, and I would preferably use the handbrake, releasing the both feet free while stopping. It will be great if the Hill-Start-Assist-Control, which I believe is a standard equipment for GEN III Prius, really works. Thank you for your reply.

 

I'm sure this doesn't qualfy as "way out there" but I've found that the little thingie I really appreciate is that the seatbelt height is adjustable. For years I didn't wear one (I know - forgive me) because it was always cutting into my neck. I've used all sorts of gadgets and gizmos to make a seat belt fit (and they all interfere with the ability of a seatbelt to work properly when you really need it to!). But adjusting the point where it comes across has made all the difference. Now I'm happily buckling up! Click it or ticket here in MA!

BTW I've had a chance to test out the hill-start goodie a couple of times and found myself using the two-foot method anyway. There was a definite roll back as I engaged the accelerator. I'll try it again and pay more attention to what's happening.

 

On our new 2010 when you pull up to park and put your foot on the break and hit the power button and it all shuts down, you can still run the power windows up. Never seen that on any of my cars before.

 

Retained accessory power, but only within the first 45 seconds or so of vehicle shutoff.

 

Did anyone mention the rear seat headrests that fold down so it will make it easier to fold the seat backs down if the front seats are all the way back?

 

I presently have an '09 Corolla loaner car that has that feature and so does my '05 BMW. So it's not really a new idea but I sure like it and I'm glad they included it on our 2010s.

 

Thanks for that! 'Splains why it din't seem to kick in for me. I'll mosey over to my favorite stop-on-a-hill tonight and try that out!

 

A Blackberry Curve will fit there also; plugged in to lower power adapter if needed and laying flat across the top of the forward (open) cup holder.

 

My husband got this from a Toyota podcast: For those of us with bun warmers - the seat heater will automatically turn off when it reaches a certain temp. The fun will be this winter - how warm does it get before it shuts off? I like it really really warm and my husband just likes it warm! It was nice and toasty when I checked it out during a test drive one cool day in June.