2010 Center console design: no-lie-made me decide not to buy a new one

Sorry, this looks very little like the flying bridge on the 2010 prius. No air gap, or underneath shelf, no gear shifter on the bridge, etc...

What? I made no reference to your "body shape"?

This is a bizzar comment??

And as i already said, I'm fine with that. But you didn't initially say that, did you? You tried to imply that the design was completely impractical for most buyers. It's your generalization that I take issue with.

It's not impractical for me, and for many buyers.

News flash, since you don't seem to get the concept behind web sites like this one. You don't hear from most posters that have no issues. You mainly hear from those that have a complaint, or need to whine. So how many is that regarding the flying bridge...10, 20...maybe 50 buyers...out of how many G3 owners? LOL. You are naive if you try to draw any conclusion from a handful of complaints on a web site.

See, this is excacly what i am talking about. You may not like it...but guess what, other's do.

I actually LIKE having the support on my leg/knees...on long trips, it's nice to lean on the bridge, so to speak.

Oh, and I'm a BIG guy. 6'4", 235 lbs.

LOL. Now that's a new one to me, but that doesn't may the flying bride, "impractical". So buy a holder/shelf to put stuff in, if you are so worried about this?? I use it to put my cell phone and iPad on. No problems after 18K miles. I've never had anything fall out of the shelf - ever. So no clue what you are putting on the shelf that this is a problem??

You have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to the design...the flying bridge does NOT make it (inherently) more prone to rattles.

Oh, and no rattles out of mine. So keep trying.

Are you serious? Most heating cooling control buttons/knobs, on almost every car, is positioned much lower than the drivers view of the road. I know of very few cars that you don't have to take your eye off the road - momentarily - to make a change.

That said, most of my actions involve using the control buttons on the steering wheel, including voice activated commands - Nav, making calls, changing XM channel, temp/fan speed up and down...all down from the buttons, voice activation from the steering wheel.

WOW. Are you like 90 years old and just have to whine about everything?

Let me summarize - While you find the flying bridge design "impractical", many other's do not, and in fact, find the design very useful. I not only find it practicle, but visaully, very pleasing to the eye. But the reaality is - any drammatic (or radical) design change from the conventional, is going to have it's fans, as well as it's detractors. I understand that. It's all cool. :rockon:

 

Love the console. Keeps important things that much closer to reach - some of us have to put the front seat way back, y'see. Also the area under keeps some of the phone/iPod cords out of sight, ditto the garage door opener, etc. I understand some ladies place their purses there. It's all good.
Full of win, really.
Each to their own.

 

Sometimes the things that bother you initially aren't a big deal anymore. When I first test drove the 2010 Prius, I HATED that "visually confining" center console. I felt cramped and claustrophobic. Now after reading this thread I was reminded of my initial experience in the car. In other cars, the few times I've climbed over the gearshift and handbrake to the passenger side of the car it was quite a challenge. I think now it would be impossible (and maybe even deadly if you were desperate to exit your car but couldn't open the driver's side door--do you have other options? Can you drop your seat back and scoot into the back seats?).

Despite my initial thoughts and feelings, now I don't view the center console as such a negative thing. I do however, find that the space under the bridge is pretty useless. It's a weird shape and things don't fit neatly in that space. Oh well. I still like the car!

 

Pretty funny.... if your claustrophobic.... get a Hummer!
I like the fact that I can rest my Knee on something.... and I like the close proximity of everything to my fingertips without having to lean forward and find it on the dash.

I love the soft glow at night and the cockpit look makes a sleek flying machine type of look.
I have a place to store my stuff, put my drinks, and plug in my goodies with a place to rest them.

Now what can I do "without" a console?... lets see... If I'm a grasshopper I have a place to stick my foot in the center or bend my 7 foot legs over to the right.
Still not enough room to put a third person so the space is wasted without the console.
The gas mileage is only 5mph from the GenII.. I say if you don't like the console.... get a GenII and save some money and don't damn the world because it doesn't revolve around your taste or learn to try something new.

Life gets pretty dull when we won't entertain change and learn new ways of experiencing things..... Its called getting old, dull, and boring.

Since i didn't quote anyone.. don't get offended unless the shoe fits.

 

Blizz -

Re: "I do however, find that the space under the bridge is pretty useless. It's a weird shape and things don't fit neatly in that space"


Just curious - what would you like to fit under the bridge, but can't...yet would fit in some other car's storage?

I know many woman fit their purse in this location...and my wife's purse, for example, is pretty bulky /large. I've seen pictures where some small dogs easily fit in this space during trips. I put my iPad, day planner and / or cell phone down there. My kids will put their lunch bag under the bridge. Etc

I realize large screen TV's won't fit, but seriously, what common things you carry in the car won't?

 

I actually liked the Center console design because it was "different" and in a car where "drive the future" is part of the design brief I appreciate the effort. Until someone has the balls to install a steering yoke there will really only be a few interior concepts around and we've already seen most of them. Open bench...cockpit...semi open bench (ala early acura legend)...they just go back and forth. Heck I remember when you could order a car with a bench or with a console...But like it or not Cockpit equals sporty...and I believe Toyota was going for sport + Drive the future in the Gen III...this was probably the best of 200 plus design studies the leadership saw.

Also have you seen how well small dog's fit under there?

 

It almost feels as if they were considering a yoke with the flat portion of the wheel. I've never seen a steering wheel with that before.

 

I'm one of those who bought the Gen 3 despite the console.

At the time we bought our 2010 Prius, I saw the console as a poorly conceived and poorly executed monument to bad design but I also felt that the overall car design was far superior to any other car currently made.

A year of ownership has done nothing to change this view so I don't let the console bother me.

 

Just about every car I've owned has had a center console, so I didn't even notice that this might be unusual! The shelf under it was new, and I keep lots of stuff there, cigs, wallet, mail... never had anything fall out!

 

I tried to put CD Jewel cases there--that didn't work. I tried to fit a box of Kleenex there--too big. I'm not currently using a purse since I switched over to a backpack for the "hike" between the parking lot and my new office. So the backpack doesn't obviously fit there. So for right now I'm using it for my garage door opener. I'm sure eventually it'll get a bit cluttered up with some more stuff. Yes, I've seen the photo with the Chihuahua--very nice spot for a tiny dog! Maybe I should get one?!

 

We had a Dodge Aspen wagon and a Ford LTD wagon in the 80's that did not have a centre console but everything but a couple of pickups did not have a centre console
It appears most people who do not like it are Gen II owners

All I can say if you do not like it dont buy it

Which car out there does not have a centre console anymore?

 

That's because the cabin orientation is the wrong way round in your country. Unlucky. In the Prius's domestic market, and all other RHD territories, it's the sedentary left leg that is adjacent to the centre console.

 

I don't visit here often, but since I have an hour long lunch today, thought I'd take a peek...I honestly can't believe all the fuss over the 'bridge'! When we first opened the door to get into our Gen III when we went for a test drive, I'll admit, we were a bit taken aback just because it's different than our 2008, but we don't mind it at all! My husband is 6' 1", and he has no complaints about it, either. It does make it look more modern, IMHO.

The question about what to put into that tiny space? Well, lots of little things like a cell phone, bank or ATM receipts, even the keys, since you don't have to have them in the ignition. Our solution was to find the perfect sized cardboard box and use it for our trash bin. Perfect, because there's always a question as to where to stick the inevitable garbage that accumulates while driving, even on a short trip.

We only have a tad over 1,000 miles on our 2010, and my daughter is now driving our 2008 which is also low mileage - only 24,000 miles on that one, despite the fact that we've had it for over two years. Still, wouldn't want to own any other car!! :high5:

 

Yes, it would be an improvement to have a nice place to put CD's without fear of them sliding away... I suppose you could simply put a holder in there, but it may not be secure....

The best solution for that is to put a hardrive in place of the CD player.....We download our music and forget it!
Now a days.. a simple card reader thats integrated to the console or dash would suffice.... how needs a whole hardrive?

But I assume that will be a gradual shift rather than sudden in that we may have both hardrive and CD and still need holders... not sure about that one.

Until then, we will have to continue to plug or bluetooth our phones and storage devices.

 

I have one of those humongous Kleenex boxes from Costco under there. In fact, it angles perfectly, to reach right down with the right hand and pull. It also doesn't rock around much, either.

The downside, is that I don't use too many kleenex in the car, so the little flimsy plastic part that the tissues usually pull through, has long been gone so it's a little more difficult to grab just 1 tissue at a time. That's of no fault to the car, though.

As far as the poster mentioned a memory card in place of the CD player. My HCHII had this, and it worked very well. I only ever got around to using a 128MB (yes, that's right, MB) card, and it didn't really do "random" well. It didn't play in track order, but it played the same tracks in the same order - as in, 12, 20, 8, 4, etc, and didn't vary from that. I wish they'd make a spot to where you could slide your iPod 2/3 of the way into the dash, and have it hook up with an iPod port for use and be able to use the steering wheel controls for it also. It would keep it charged too. Essentially, take the iPod dock that the dealer sells and usually puts in the glove box, but make it built into the dash instead.

 

Good God!!

I was so surprised with this one, that I actually decided to try it myself. For what it's worth, i keep my CD's on my visor. In any event, I grabbed a CD jewel case that I have on my desk at work and just walked out to my car. Not only did it fit, but it had inches to spare in all directions. So no idea what kind of CD jewel case you are using, but mine fits very easily?

If you're talking about storing an entire jewel case storage bin, then that would depend on the capacity of the bin. I have a 10 case storage bin at home that would fit there. Larger than that, could be a problem? Don't know. Never tried.

Are we talking about the same space under the flying bridge? Because that's the space I am talking about.

LOL. Do you shop for the JUMBO sizes of everything? My wife, on trips, brings along a small box of Kleenex that she puts in this space. Fits beautiful. Of course, it depends on the size of the box. The one she uses is a square/cubic shape box, and not the long rectangular Klenex box....but that might fit, as well. never tried it. But the square Klenex box fits fine, and it contains (at least) several hundred tissues...so I don't see the issue?

Your backpack doesn't fit in the space under the flying bridge?? What? OK, I'd sell the car then. Any car that can't take a backpack in the storage bins, is not worthy.

Ever try fitting a coffee maker in this space? It's a tight squeeze, but....

 

A jewel case fits fine. I just tried it. No problem. If you're talking about a jewel case storage bin, then that will depend on the number of CD's you wish to stack.

But I've always stored my extra CD's in an aftermarket holder that attaches to the visor.

 

its all in what you make of it. i have both the old and the new and much prefer the new.

it is more confining, but i am not large enough to care quite frankly. and it does provide storage that is easier to manage especially if you have a lot of smaller items. i can actually glance down and see most of what is on the shelf while driving while other storage options were not nearly so easy to search.

also, i also like having more controls within easy reach. on the SPM, i have to lean forward to touch the screen. on the 2010, i do not. granted, i sit a bit farther back than most of my body type, but that is true in the 2010.

all in all, its different and whether its better or worse is really a matter of preference. my SO does not like it but then she has limited time in the 2010 as a driver. her opinion might change shortly when we sell the SPM. she DEFINITELY loves the heated seat option