2010 Prius Driving Impressions DISCUSSION Thread

That is an awesome report.

I have a few dumb questions:
What are those little car-like symbols in the fuel-consumption history bars? Are they good or bad?
How does the AC affect MPG? The AC isn't driven by any belt so the engine isn't loaded down, so I'm guessing the effect must be indirect.
Why would 15" wheels result in more MPG vs 17"? Is it due to less friction or what?

 

The car symbols represent energy captured by regen braking. However, you should aim to drive so you don't need to brake, rather than trying to maximize regen. Some of the energy that goes into the battery is lost when trying to turn that energy back into motion. So actually fewer car symbols is actually better. If you do have to brake, it's better to do it more gently so that the friction brakes are used less.

AC affects mileage because the energy to run it has to come from somewhere. More energy has to be generated, which means the engine will generally need to run a little faster to generate that extra energy. That will use a bit more fuel.

The car has a variable-speed compressor, so the amount of energy used can be varied depending on the need. Belt-driven AC can generally not vary the compressor's speed independently of the engine speed and presents a constant load when it's enabled.

In ECO mode the new car dials back on the compressor a bit, to use a bit less energy, at the cost of not cooling the car quite as quickly. I find my 2008 car tends to run the AC too much when it's enabled, and I don't like the feel of chilled air.

 

62 on wet roads is a very respectable result a priori.

 

AC is electric, not belt driven, mileage is affected, but not very much. i also think the larger engine reduces strain when AC is running (although it does not draw directly from the engine)

as far as those car symbols, that designates the amount of power fed back to the battery during the regen process. in the Classics, each car was 50 wh... on the 2010, each car is 30 wh (watt-hours).

regen happens when coasting or braking moderately. it is basically helping to recharge the battery

oh btw... there is no such thing as a dumb question...

dumbness only happens when you either dont ask or choose to be ignorant

 

No big deal, but I noticed in the attachment photos in cantgobacks post that the consumption screen in the 2010 seems to vary. With the 5 minute consumption it reads that each car symbol equals 50wh but with the 1 minute consumption screen it reads 30wh. So I'm guessing that is it. On the new Prius you get either 30wh with a 1 minute consumption, or 50wh with a 5 minute.

 

Interesting that you say this but the only positive comments were related to the driver's seat BTW, IMHO the ergonomics are hugely degraded in several areas. This being one of them:

The prior models had differentiated tactile buttons so you had NO reason to take your eyes off the road once you learned them.

The phone pickup and hang up are now 'dimple and dot', in the prior incarnation they were 'left | right' where the bar was raised; the touch tracer buttons are all 'dot'. Presuming you are not wearing gloves, I imagine you can feel around and find the appropriate button without looking. You just have to remember that the ones on the right are 'up' and those on the left 'down'. Why you need a Trip button on the wheel is beyond me. Maybe it isn't for the ODO / Trip A / Trip B display??

I hadn't realized they pulled the Auto A/C button off the wheel. The only ones left are recirc and temp up/down. Lost from the wheel are front and rear defrost and Auto A/C. In the 2004-2009, you can turn the climate control off simply by pressing the Auto A/C button (once if auto is on, twice if you have overridden any setting after turning Auto A/C on). Another thing for me to dislike. And another thing that suggests Toyota doesn't think much about people living in cold climates. Not only are the defroster buttons off the wheel, they are as far away as possible on the climate control module.

BTW Auto A/C does NOT mean auto air conditioning (as in cooling) it means auto climate control where it selects the fan speed and vents based on temp and your temp set point.

When climate control was on the touch screen you could hit the climate button on the side of the screen without looking (not tactile, should have been, but easy enough to find unless you are wearing gloves), and hit the large vent and fan speed buttons of choice with little 'eyes off the road' time or distance. Now there is a single press and cycle through 'Mode' button that is a fair bit lower and smaller, not tactile. Only the temp and fan speed buttons seem to have retained the 'dimple for lower, raised for higher' feature. Oddly, dimple is now 'up' and raised is now 'down'. ????

 

:hug:

 

You are bringing up some good points here about the buttons on the steering wheel. I didn't use the A/C for on/off very often, so I don't really miss this, but the defrost button is another thing. Winter will be different this year . . . Of course, the car will warm sooner given the significant changes to the ICE!

 

i kinda see the point about removing the climate controls from the steering wheel and it will take a bit of time to get used to the new controls, but at least they are easier to reach and are all buttons so no more touch screen... kinda the "retro" approach.

different, but the steering wheel options had a lot of drawbacks as well. no way to change air flow if you wanted a different option. granted, once you set it, you could toggle but i still found myself playing with the controls on the MFD frequently anyway.

but they added the ionizer so its a trade i was willing to make.

 

Has anyone calibrated the Scangauge yet for the new 2010? We are picking ours up today and leaving immediately for a 700+ mile drive to Charlottesville, VA and I would like to preset the gauge fairly close.

 

The controls are easier to reach, because they are within reach. I'd kind of forgotten about having to lean and reach everytime to touch the MFD.

There are new buttons -- many new buttons -- though I still found I was touching the screen frequently. This has to do with the Nav, mainly, but the setup screens all have on-screen "buttons" as well. I have no complaint (except for the smudges from my own fingers!). I just wanted to point out that the new Nav screen is a touch screen, just like the former MFD.

 

Must be my arms are too long as I've never felt like I was reaching for any button on the MFD Reaching around or over the shifter to find a single purpose non tactile button well below eye level seems less convenient, especially less convenient than having the buttons on the wheel.

One of the 'shortcomings' of the Gen I was having the long vertical shifter between the wheel and left of the MFD where it was in the way of some functions when in Drive. The Gen II nicely fixed that with a small shifter on the dash not in the way of anything (well maybe the knees of really tall drivers). The Gen III then goes backwards putting it on the center arch between the driver and some of the controls, especially the EV/ECO/PWR and some of the climate control buttons. Sure, you can reach around or over it but why??

That being said, anyone want to comment on the console cup holders? As I've not sat in a 2010, I have only pictures to go by. BUT, the forward cup holder (on the arch) seems to be near or further back than the rearward one in the Gen II. The one in the console looks to be so far back that is is about even with the driver's upper thigh. And, being recessed, a short cup wouldn't even extend above the top of the open console.

I am assuming the pictures are 'seats back' and both look difficult to use without shoulder and elbow contortions, especially with my apparently abnormally long arms . Unless the pictures I've seen are 'seats forward', short drivers would not be able to make use of them at all.

 

Cupholders

The cupholders suck.
They do not have a commuter in mind.
They should have redesigned the lower half of the console underneath for a drop down or a swing-out thing... that would have been pretty cool. I know it's supposed to be ergonomic for the purse and the stuff you CAN slide and hide but truthfully, I won't stuff my purse there so it's useless wasted space that I once used with the small pull out drawer and floor space.

Oh well. The improvements in the car MORE than makes up for the poor cupholder design.

 

I use it all the time, even if I'm going to change the vent setting (usually to defrost/feet in the winter), a bit less 'eyes off the road' time.

And some people don't even know what they can do with the buttons on the wheel. For example, the first person in my neighborhood to get a 2004 (in late 2003, one of the first in the state) did not know you can use the Mode button to turn the radio on and off. She found out about a month ago when I was describing what I knew about the new cockpit design. I used the mode button to turn the radio off and she said "How did you do that??" I don't think I have EVER used the button or knob on the radio itself to turn it on/off or to adjust volume. At least that is still possible with wheel mounted controls in the 2010.

Without the MFD, I wonder how one messes with the equalizer and 'front/back/right/left' speaker settings. Or do they no longer exist?

 

Sat in one a bit more today ... like the "cockpit" feel, but it does impede on laying your legs open a bit ... my knee rested against it a bit more than I'd like, so I can't imagine how tight it might feel for someone taller (I'm 5'11").

I like the fact things are separated out from the central display on this one. Agree that the cupholders aren't the greatest, but neither were the old ones I guess. Overall everything just feels like a step up in quality and luxury (not that this is a luxury car. It just doesn't feel so utilitarian and strictly functional.

I definitely felt like I was sitting down in the car a bit more ... probably had something to do with the seat setting, but the Gen 2 definitely felt like you were sitting up in the car a bit more.

Again saw the Blizzard Pearl in person on the showroom floor and it just looks sharp. Would still like to see the 17s in person on the Blizzard, but I am leaning to the Blizzard Pearl big time now. I will have this car a bit longer, so more concerned about dings, scrapes, swirlies, etc. so White-ish over black might just be in order. Gonna be a tough fight down the stretch though. I am going to contact the dealer about a dealer trade for a Blizzard Pearl Pkg V over the Black Package V coming in with my name on it.

I suppose I have to go bisque on the interior with the Blizzard Pearl ... just seems to fit the exterior better than the Misty Gray ... overall I like the Misty Gray best w/o regard for exterior color, but Bisque just seems to go with the exterior Blizzard Pearl best. Staying away from Dark Gray for sure.

 

I like the 2010 layout much better. The cupholders are moved more forward than in the 2009, which makes them more natural to reach.

I don't see why you would put your purse or anything on the floor in the 2009 where it can roll around rather than in the defined space with edges on the 2010.

 

Uhhhh... if you ever tried to LIFT my purse... you'd see! LOL! My son accuses me of carrying anvils.

"Mom! What are you carrying in here? An anvil?"
"Why yes, Thomas. I was planning to meet up with Wile E Coyote later and the Roadrunner later, and they asked me to bring the props."

 

If that black V is nav only, let our own DianneWhitmire know about it. I think she has a customer who would be interested. (me )

 

Nuff said, I'm 6'2" and do tend to 'splay' out a bit on long trips with CC engaged. I get the impression that the extra seat travel isn't enough to make that unnecessary.

Sounds like the models with adjustable seat height are a must. One of the many things I like about the Gen II is that you DON'T feel like you are sitting low and you don't have to 'drop' into the seat if you are tall. It has surprised many people.

 

Yup it's Nav only w/Misty Gray interior ... supposed to be in around late June.