2010 Prius Driving Impressions DISCUSSION Thread

I didn't like the idea of the gear knob on the center console when I first saw it. I have the 2010 now, and I still don't like the placement. It just seems to me that the little shifter was well-placed on the dash -- you only need to reach it when starting up the car, after all!

So far, the placement hasn't gotten in the way. It is convenient to reach the shifter where it is, and I haven't found I need to reach around or over -- at least in any inconvenient way. The EV/ECO/PWR mode buttons are far enough over to the right as to be "free" of gear knob interference. I've complained about it enough, but truly I haven't yet seen the placement interfere with my reach to any other buttons.

The cupholders are at significantly different heights. I've used the one on the console for drinks, while the other one has been used just for my iPhone while charging (yes, you need to have the armrest open in order to do this or to use the second cupholder).

So far so good in terms of interior use. I'm getting use to everything else first, so perhaps I'll evaluate things differently later. But for now I will simply enjoy what I have!

 

i agree that putting the shifter on the console seems a strange decision. but my SO said it was a bit of a reach to shift on the SPM, but she didnt do neutral for extra gliding or putting in park at long lights like i do. it does make it easier to reach and its not really in the way.

to be honest with ya, i think its strange to put the "modes" on the passenger side. that is something i feel that should be a driver control and only easily accessible by the driver, but again, not really that big of a deal.

i will say the 2010 is different and somethings seem a bit awkward now, but i am sure that in 3 months i will be laughing at the notion. there way more good than drawbacks going here

**edit**

ok i went out and wheel lock to lock is just a hair over 3¼ turns. so the 2010 gained ½ a turn over the 2006's

 

My mistake earlier about the rear seat headroom in the 2010 ...

The 2010 does have more rear seat headroom than the 2009. In my 09, my head touches the headliner no matter what I do.

In the 2010, I can put fingers on top of my head with bit of room to spare, so maybe an inch or so more headroom in the 2010.

 

This is a Very Good question--one I have been wanting to ask myself. Any answers out there????

 

You will for sure want to disable SKS (smart key system) ... on the Gen 2 there's a button below the steering while by your feet ... not sure on Gen 3.

 

I've deployed twice overseas for 4-month periods and left my Prius sitting in the garage at home. Both times I disconnected the 12V battery. Each time I've come home, I've all my radio presets and the trip odometer, but I've also had a charged 12v battery and not lost a single bar on the traction battery.

 

I had a few more sits in a 2010 today while having a non-op radio volume knob looked at. I agree with the gal in that video review (forgot which review) ......

2010 Prius could use a little more steering wheel telescope toward driver and a little bit more tilt-down range.

 

Sat in one again today ... Pkg V ... played with the stereo a bit and it's definitely better than the JBL in my 2008. Just felt really comfy all around in the driver's seat. The Bisque looked surprising decent to me, but still glad I'm getting the Misty Gray. The Bisque was not overly tan looking, but just kind of faint. Not too bad though.

The Nav definitely isn't as clear as it seems on my 2008 ... it's not bad at all though ... it just looks a bit less refined as far as words and roads, etc. Otherwise I like the Nav interface and system a lot!

 

Ok, I just got back after playing with my car for the entire afternoon.
I bought a 2010 Prius II
My Driving impressions are mostly positive. My only real gripe with the 2010 Prius is 2 things.
The first is the steering it has a LOT of turns to steer it. Granted the Prius isn't a go-kart but
you really have to crank the wheel around to get it to turn and sharp corners really threw me
at first. I will adjust to it eventually but this is what stuck out the most when I test drove
it as well as driving it home and around various areas.
I would pay extra to have the 2.5 turns to lock steering rack put into this car!
The other thing I have noticed is that compared to the 2009 Prius I drove
this car seems to have a LOT of drag on it and it doesn't glide much at all.
I tried it in every mode but it glides like any other car. So you will feel the engine
pulling down your speed as soon as you are off the gas. I do not like that.
How can I coast when it has as much drag as any other car?
Eco mode doesn't work very well in hilly areas and there are quite a few around here.
So for hills I used power mode. This car does have a good amount of power with the
power mode on. Love it!
Sure if it's pretty flat ECO mode would be best. I'm not used to the car so this will
just take some adjustment.
I love the front seat! It's very very comfortable for my chubby 5'7" frame.
I think I could cruise all day in that seat. Once I get it adjusted back to perfection.
Since my wife adjusted the entire car to fit her 4'11" frame.
My wife was able to get a really comfortable driving position even at her size.
One thing is my wife is too light for the airbag in the passenger seat to activate and
this concerns me. She weighs 87 lbs.
She said she had no problems driving it at all. The only thing she didn't like
was the steering. It's just too many turns for regular driving.
I'm sure she will adjust but compared to her Honda Fit this wheel really has to be
cranked around.
The ride was smooth and pretty quiet. I think the front end is a bit out of alignment.
The wheel was turned to the right a bit too much for my liking on straight roads.
The dealer adjusted what they could for settings but their head mechanic hasn't been trained
on this car yet. I guess that will happen next week.
They will get everything sorted out by then.
I tried to adjust the locking settings as described in the manual but no dice.
I followed them exactly but nothing worked. I will have their head mechanic show me tomorrow.
The other thing is the SKS doesn't always unlock all the doors even tho it's set to do that.
I'm not sure if it's a glitch or not.
This is their first Prius and it's so new that they really don't understand the car yet. It was
delivered to the dealer with 1 mile on it and the dealership put an additional 4 miles on it.
Oh the car did NOT ship with the Manufacturers Certificate of Origin!
The dealer said many cars are taking 3 days to get this from the port, so it's not just the Prius.
Lots of room in this car I can easily sit behind myself in the back seat comfortably.
I have the Dark Grey interior and yet the rear cargo area of the car is Bisque! It's too dark to
take pics of it now, but this car has a 3 tone interior.
Dark Grey seats, Misty Grey headliner and Bisque in the cargo section! Funky!
It's really a big improvement over the 2009 Prius. The front seat alone is almost worth
the price of admission.
Yes there are some niggles, and I'm certain the dealer will correct them if possible.
But overall it's a great car to drive, too many gadgety things all at once but after a few days
I'll be more comfortable with them.
I would be surprised if Toyota did not putthe better steering in all of the new Prius'.
The 17" wheels might give a better ride but I doubt that will help half as much as the
tighter steering rack.
If this review sounds incohesive, well it's been a long day.
I will upload more pics tomorrow.
Steve

 

Question about the Radio Controls on the Wheel:

Can you step through your preset radio stations with the toggle on the steering wheel????

(This is a big deal for me. I have ruled cars out that cant do this. I also have a physical inability to listen to inane radio talk.)

dave T

 

You can on the 09 - I doubt they changed that.

 

Hi Dave, I'm going to go down and preset some stations right now and check for you.

No, you can't go directly to preset radio stations. I tried it in the car and also read the manual. You can select FM1, FM2, AM, CD and tracks on the CD.

 

you cant go directly to preset stations unless you use the display, but the steering wheel controls allows you to scroll thru preset stations you have

 

Just to make it abundantly clear: Yes! You can step through six presets each for AM, FM1, FM2, SAT1, SAT2 & SAT3. By clicking "Mode" you turn on (or off by holding two seconds) and then select whether you listen to AM, FM, SAT or AUX. Once you reach the correct area, you then use the up/down keys to move between your presets.

 

I tried that and it would do a seek but it wouldn't jump directly to the preset. You had to actually go to that station either by seek or manually. Am I doing something incorrectly?

 

Hmm. Something just isn't right. I spent about 10 hours in the car today, and I was using the radio buttons just as I described above, and it all was working well for me.

I'm sorry to ask such a basic question, but: Have you actually put in your own presets?

I wonder if there is something in the setup screen that either you or I have pressed without knowing/understanding what we'd done?