2014 Prius v Model Year Spec & Price Changes

I guess it's a matter of which transmits/reflects/maintains more heat, the resin moon roof or the metal roof?

 

Exactly.

 

I just bought a Prius v (5) a few days ago and one of the reasons was the comfort of the seats. Normally I'd prefer something snugger, firmer, narrower, but considering I'm not going to be hooning it around corners (much), they're very comfy--even my elderly parents like them.

 

I found this to also to be true, then after considering it for awhile I notice now I am only looking for lights not vehicles.
If we had no DRL's we would be accustomed to looking for vehicles. A mixed bag of DRL and no lights is dangerous.

Daytime lights are good for inclement weather though.

 

It's called a moon roof as in Asia people thing you are a peasant if you go out in the sun, and people don't want to think they are getting more sun. Pale skin is considered beautiful. (I live in Asia)

 

A sunroof is a description not known in Hong Kong to virtually all car owners.

 

So that means that the 2014 Prius V will still not have a sunroof that opens like the one I have in my 2010 Prius? I had heard that they will have that option in 2014. I guess I will have to wait longer to get a new Prius V.

 

... or on the '63 VW Beetle, which steel panel popped down slid aft via a crank handle, or on the '83 Porsche 944, an aluminum panel that you could prop up on a skeg, but had to take out and stow in the aft compartment if you wanted open sky.

 

Moonroof option was one of the things I wanted on my 2012 Prius v Three but was not available. Loved my moonroof on my 83 Chevy however that one popped up for ventilation or could be popped out totally. The current Toyota version does not appear to open at all, only allow for light. I wonder if I would have to have it tinted too. LOL

 

You US guys are losing out big time on spec. The resin roof has been available in European version since launch of the v. The US version gets the power fold mirrors too?

 

I have the v Three. No way I was going to spring for $5 grand in the Five to get the moonroof. If a Five was available, I might have considered one, but none to be found. I'm not sure what I would pay to get that moonroof. It's cool for sure.

I've taken two longer trips now, one 250 miles rt, and the other 700 miles. Absolutely no comfort issues with the front seats, and the rear seats won over passengers each time.

Only a few things I miss.

1. I wish I had the auto headlights on option (not a biggie, but nice)
2. I truly miss the auto dimming rear view mirror, and the compass built in
3. I have no garage door opener built in
4. I do wish the stereo was better

Just a few nits, nothing major. In the next gen, they really need to bump the power level up a bit. The additional cargo capacity over my Camry, and the ease of loading have been major plusses. I've had no problem averaging 42 mpg combined, and on my longest trip I was over 45 rt.

There are some tweaks they can do, but overall, a solid platform to start with.

 

The current v owners mostly have the same list over and over of things which were available on earlier models of Prius or other vehicles that seem to have been left off the Prius options to save money, weight or perhaps just forgot about it.

1. DRL lights setting on the headlight stalk.
2. auto dimming mirror / homelink garage door option rearview mirror.

Are these really that big of options Toyota? Why not make them standard on all lines of your cars? Reduce the number of options/parts while creating volume sales for these parts which should also reduce price to produce. Toyota can brag to be the first manufacture to make it standard on ALL Toyota made cars. Everyone wins and customers go away more happy.

 

I've wanted a v since I first saw one (actually for years before, hoping Toyota would make something like the v), but then I was a bit dismayed with the crash test results for the "small overlap front." I was hoping the 2014 might address this poor crash test rating, but sounds like it does not? Or is it too early to tell?

 

You're putting WAY too much credence in that crash test, which was essentially invented for the purpose of failing cars. Unless you're in the habit of hitting concrete barriers or brick walls at exactly that angle, don't worry about it. It has no relevance for real world crashes between autos.

 

DRL's actually aren't an incredible safety feature... They actually can fool you in the dark making you think that your headlights are on (my '09 Civic did this to me often) and they use some energy too. I turn on my headlights whenever I think that other people may have a harder time seeing me, regardless of what time it is.

 

It appears that you are talking about the type of headlight based DRL which the U.S. auto industry has been moving away from and which is not allowed under the European Community's (EC) DRL requirement for passenger cars effective February 2011. I agree that headlight based DRL is particularly dangerous for elderly and distracted drivers unless the switch between DRL and full headlight mode is automatic and ambient light sensor controlled.

The problem with turning headlights on manually when low light conditions are perceived is that a vehicle can momentarily be difficult to see as it travels between sunny and shaded (e.g. forested) areas. The most extreme examples of this situation I have experienced has been when driving in the Pacific Northwest where one second one can be driving in bright sunlight and the next second be driving under a thick forest canopy.

I wired the DRL kit I installed on my wife's Prius wagon so that it cannot be turned off. We leave the light switch in the "Auto" position so that the switch between DRL, normal headlights. and lights off is fully automatic.