BREAKING NEWS! 2010 Prius Photos posted on PriusChat First! Confirmed real!

Point (1) it appears small until one gets inside...then the comments are something like 'Wow, where did all this room come from?'

Point (2) it's quick not fast.

Point (3) it is not at all expensive for the targetted demographic; i.e. the $25000-$35000 vehicle buyer. It hits that group dead center. Yes it is too expensive for the $17000 buyer and it is too inexpensive for the $40000 - $50000 vehicle buyer. That's a common misunderstanding of SOTP 'analysts'.

 

Ugly! Look at those vulnerable lights in the bumper! Much more expensive. I'll keep my 2004 (maybe buy a 2009) and hope honda comes out with a nice small, inexpensive hybrid.

 

Great looking! Big improvement over the current model. I'll probably keep my 2006 until 2012 or so and replace it with this new model. Good job Toyota!

 

Man, I just can't get over all the negative vibes toward the new Prius in this forum, like kkayser. By the way all running lights are vulnerable to bumps from other cars. The fogs on my second gen could be taken out by any medium sized animal that felt suicidal on any given day or night.

This 3rd gen rendition looks really good, + the interior is a step up from what I can determine, since we only have one picture of it, so far. Give it a chance! We don't really even know if the pics are in final production rendition.

And damn it, I want Toyota to produce the 3rd gen with a console. So, there. Take that! :hurt:

 

What about the seats? Power this time or the same uncomfortable current ones?

 

This is true, but the placement of those knobs on the current model is nicely tucked out of the way of the view. I think if you want the car to be optimally usable, you need to consider things like that. One moment of blocked screen view is bad when you could choose to have no such moments.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS! 2010 Prius Photos posted on PriusChat First! Real or no?

I totally agree. Maybe by the time I get ready for a new one in 2012 they'll do something about that.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS! 2010 Prius Photos posted on PriusChat First! Real or no?

It's probably just due to the use of a wide angle lenses on the closeup shot, notice that the A-piller also appears to be much closer to the headlamp...

I very much do not like the center console, would sure make it difficult to move around inside the car. I don't do it much, but it's nice to be able to "step" over into the passenger seat or vise-versa.

I'm mostly interested in what sort of plug-in features will be available.

 

Looks apart, the quintessential questions are:
1) Is fuel economy better? 2) Is performance better? 3) Is it bigger? 4) Is it safer? 5) Is it more ergonomic? 6) Does it handle better? 7) Is it cheaper to own in constant dollar terms?

My take:
a) Economy and performance must BOTH go up to be worth an upgrade.
b) Space improvement would be nice but not essential
c) Safety: The most dangerous aspect of the current Prius is limited rear view; the proto-photos show an even more restricted field of rear view -- rear-view camera should be ESSENTIAL.
d) Safety: A very useful safety feature is FRONT AND REAR night-vision/IR cameras for nighttime, fog, rain and snow.
e) Safety: The current Prius front wheels tend to skid too easily on takeoff in poor traction conditions. Part of this is due to mediocre OEM tires (GY Integrity).
f) Economics. I would only upgrade if the total cost of ownership (fuel, maintenance, insurance, repairs, cost of capital/depreciation...) in constant dollar terms. Essentially, the MSRP should be no more than $23,500 in 2008 dollars and warranty should be extended to 4 or 5 years.

 

I agree. The new one looks fine to me, but its looks aren't really all that important anyway. I think part of it is a natural reaction to Toyota's apparent direction. Its pretty clear they are trying to attract a wider segment of the market rather than focusing on getting current owners to upgrade. While the average car driver is probably more likely to consider the Prius if its quicker, larger, has more gadgets, seems sportier etc, many existing owners would just like it to be as efficient as possible and cheaper. Its a bit of a gamble on Toyota's part, as going any more upscale will really open the door for the cheaper Insight 2. I generally would have said Toyota's approach was probably the better move except for the current way the economy is heading. Pretty efficient and cheaper (Honda) may end up playing better than more efficient but more expensive. The big unknown IMHO is still Toyota's smaller cheaper hybrid. We pretty much know its coming, we just don't really know anything about it. That could make all the difference in judging the merits of Toyota's overall strategy.

Rob

 

I find it pretty hilarious reading all the posts criticizing the new Prius based on a few unofficial and out of focus photos (that are of the wrong aspect to boot).

Patience is such a rare virtue these days. We want everything, and we want it NOW, damnit! Anything less is unacceptable and grotesquely un-American, for sure.

 

Re: BREAKING NEWS! 2010 Prius Photos posted on PriusChat First! Real or no?

I agree. Center instrument console proved to be disastrous for the Nissan Quest!

 

Goose me if I'm not on point here, but wasn't the Quest a van? Are we comparing a van with a Prius automobile, now? Vans tend to be marketed for their ability to move many people, or lots of cargo or both. A console in a van is a little counter productive.

I really hope that Toyota has made our next Prius a real driver's car, with real car ergonomics. Good seats, great handling, improved mpg, better aero, even a sexy wrap-around console. There are some very smoothly integrated dash into console examples, and I even believe that Toyota managed to design one of the best in their last gen Supra, about a hundred years back! They might want to dig around their archives and look that one up!

Hasn't anyone on this forum had the chance to sit in a well designed sports car? Compare that to the straight chair and desk with grafted steering wheel set up in our current Prius interior.

Supportive adjustable seats, in a well laid out and functional interior, are soooooo nice to work from. It actually helps the driver perform better. As I see it, the driver is really the most important safety device in the car. Give the gadget set their choice of goodies, but it would be good if this stuff was available a la carte. I don't particularly need to load up a Prius with a ton of electronic toys.

Cars are for driving. MPG values have trended downward as more goodies are piled into vehicles. All the extras add significant weight that we then end up having to lug around the life of the car. Driver Dynamic Assists, Traction control, ABS, back up cameras, Nav systems, Sound systems, etc... the lists are long. The safety value of some of these things may be pretty high, and some of the rest is nice to have, but it's still getting a bit much in many cases, especially when you are not allowed to deselect some of the equipment content.

One last thing, make my Prius lighter! (but don't forget to add that light weight integrated console :blah: )

 

I see nothing wrong with prospecting customer voicing there likes and dislikes about the next gen Prius. I like the open space in front of the current console on my 07 Prius and 08 Sienna. I find it more useful for (my wife's purse), or other items just picked up at the store, or things we just want to keep close to the drivers seat. However I agree with the above post. If they want a wrap a round console make it an option. The same goes for a sun roof. I have no use for one, but many want one. So make it an option. Just don't bundle it with a bunch of stuff some want and other don't.

 

Perhaps Toyota is now employing TARDIS technology (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space)!

 

How true. Speaking of non-visual, non-ergonomic, DRIVING stuff ... know what would make my year? Real traction control, unlike the joke my 2005 has (shutting off the engine if wheel slide is detected). I live in the mountains in Southern CA and contend with snow. Sure, I can disable my worthless attempt at traction control with a hack, but what a pain, and why can't it be done right the first time?

Cheers,
Tim

 

Its always this way when a new model is released lol, every forum has the 40 page long "its so hideous, ours is so much better, what is (insert carmaket here) thinking" thread

 

Cudos to Danny for the big scoop. Now, just where is that hybrid X? Its time to upgrade, lets go!

 

p.s. tideland - if you check RX450h LED lights, they look the same as prius - 2 led lights + halogen DRL/high beam... so yeah, Prius seems to be getting them as well... yay!

 

Hmmm, it looks like the aerodynamic and hatchback version of my 2009 Corolla.

Of course, this is expected, since Prius will also have the same engine (except for the compression and valve timing) as Corolla. They cut the costs quite a bit by following similar platforms.

I like the separate monitors for navigation and hybrid system.

One thing I really dislike about my 2009 Corolla is the steering linkage that feels like made up of sponge. Basically the steering wheel has a lot of freeplay and responds with a time lag. It gives you an unsecure feeling on the highway and takes all the fun out of driving. Hopefully the 2010 Prius will have better steering than the 2009 Corolla. Altough, I am not too optimistic, and this could be the biggest drawback of the new Prius, as it is of the new Corolla, as well.