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Considering a 2022 XLE for my 9th Prius. Lots of Q's

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by The MCA, Dec 12, 2021.

  1. The MCA

    The MCA Member

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    Five
    Currently driving a 2015 Prius Five. I have stuck with this generation (on my 7th Gen 3 now) as long as I possibly can due to the looks and cargo capacity vs a Gen 4, but I'm finally considering a new 2022.

    Apologies if these questions are answered elsewhere in the forums, I did a fair amount of digging and didn't find them answered. I would normally swing by a dealership and poke around a floor model to answer most of these myself, but no one in the region has any in stock, new or used.

    •What happened to the space where the spare tire and "secret" cargo compartment used to be? There's no longer a spare there and the flat-repair tools look very shallow depth-wise. There should be a large amount of cargo room that's just...gone?

    •It looks like you can store the cargo cover/tonneau cover under the rear cargo mat in a nested space by the spare tools, is this correct?

    •Is there only 1x 12V power outlet in the car now? Looks like they ditched the one in the center armrest

    •Can you set a custom startup image on the home screen the way we could with our 2015 PIP Advanced? Does it still require using an old USB stick, or can it be done via an app? I found a post with a member's 2017 Prime Plus having a custom startup image on the 7'' screen, but can this be done with non-Primes as well?

    •Does Apple CarPlay require a wired connection? My dad's 2018 Subaru Legacy was sold with wired-only Apple CarPlay that recently became wireless via a free software update. Does Toyota support this kind of software updating, and, if so, for free?

    •Can the continuous reverse/backup beep still be changed to a single beep at a dealership?

    Thanks all!

    211210.mca.PER.Prius.CL.12.jpg
     
    #1 The MCA, Dec 12, 2021
  2. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    My 2016 Prius 3 had a donut spare so check other models. If none have a spare, you can ask your dealer to get the Spare tire upgrade for a price. I couldn't do this for my 2020 AWDe as the space for the spare is taken by the power electronics that drive the rear axle motor.

    JeffD
     
    #2 jdenenberg, Dec 12, 2021
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    bad time to buy a car?
     
    #3 bisco, Dec 12, 2021
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  4. MalachyNG

    MalachyNG Active Member

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    In non-AWDe version there is still a wheel well. It's filled in with foam blocks that some people have cut up to fit a spare or add more storage. The foam is what supports the bottom of the trunk area and there's only a thin carpet material on top of that so if you do remove the foam you won't have a level surface for storage unless you get some thin particle board or whatever to lay across.

    That space is used up by AWD components in AWDe models. In the Prime it's added battery space and there is only a very thin cubby close to the hatch with tire change stuff in a bag and a couple of shallow cubbies on either side, one holds the tire compressor and goo canister. In the Prime at least the jack is hidden in a cubby under the drivers side back seat.

    Yes, it has it's own little cutout in the foam.

    It appears the newest models only have the 1 12v outlet. there are now 2 2amp USB ports on the back of the center console for the back seat.

    Unfortunately I did not mess with this feature on my 2016 Prius Four with the 7" screen or on my Prime with the 11" screen. Hopefully somebody else chimes in with an answer for you.

    It is wired carplay. Judging by Toyota's track record on crappy head units it's unlikely they built in the ability for such an update. You can purchase dongles to make it wireless.

    My 2022 Prime does not beep, not even once, when put into reverse which was apparently new for 2022 as some folks with 2021's report still having just 1 beep. The UFO noise has been changed and made louder so maybe that's why they got rid of the in-cabin beeping? But even if beeping is still on the regular Prius you can adjust it down to 1 with OBDII dongles like carista or ask your dealer.

    If you can at all wait I would not recommend car shopping right now. Available stock is low, dealers are selling cars at markups and toyota is offering very scant incentives for new buyers. I wouldn't even consider used with the way prices are right now. There are also rumors of a new gen prius being announced so maybe a lot of these concerns will be addressed with a 2023 model that would probably start arriving at dealer lots come summer.
     
    #4 MalachyNG, Dec 12, 2021
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  5. MIkeDr

    MIkeDr Active Member

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    Re wireless CarPlay… we have this adapter and it has worked flawlessly in our 2020 XLE AWD-e. I used double sided tape to keep it affixed just in front of/under the center arm rest.

    https://cplay2air.com
     
    #5 MIkeDr, Dec 12, 2021
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  6. Pulse07

    Pulse07 Active Member

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    Do you notice any lag?
     
    #6 Pulse07, Dec 25, 2021
  7. MIkeDr

    MIkeDr Active Member

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    No lag whatsoever. It does take a little longer to connect… maybe an extra 10-15 seconds? First the Prius detects the adapter, and then the adapter detects my phone.
     
    #7 MIkeDr, Dec 26, 2021
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  8. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    Word (in Japanese press) is that initial release in Japan is expected to be December 2022. So, full reveal may not be until mid 2022 or later.
     
    #8 royrose, Dec 26, 2021
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  9. dacoobob

    dacoobob Member

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    NINTH prius? what do you do to them??
     
    #9 dacoobob, Jan 13, 2022
  10. DIY gen3

    DIY gen3 Junior Member

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    Last I knew the LE does come with a spare tire, I don’t know what XLE features you’re wanting.
     
    #10 DIY gen3, Jan 14, 2022
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    1. The floor is lowered instead of a false floor. If you don’t have a spare, the cargo area is quiet large. If you have a spare or AWD, then the floor is raised. The difference is about 2” in height.
    2. Can’t remember. Our Gen 4 came with the soft foldable tonneau cover rather than the roller type that older Prii got. Upper trim levels will still have the roller type tonneau cover
    3. Yes. They replaced it with rear USB-C USB-A (as corrected by the post below) charging ports (2016-2018 models had a rear 12V outlet)
    4. I think so but only on the 7” MFD versions.
    5. Wired only. I doubt Toyota will do an update. They’re not that kind of manufacturer (sigh)
    6. I believe the reverse beep was switched for an external bong for 2022 to match the other Toyota hybrids. Up to 2021, it’s the reverse beep that was dealer-changeable to a single beep.
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Jan 15, 2022
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2022
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  12. bootedguy

    bootedguy Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    I recently purchased a 2022 Prius Nightshade edition. Which is pretty much the XLE with a couple of additional cosmetics.

    2. there is storage for the tonneau cover under the rear cargo mat

    3. There are 2 USB-A ports for the rear seat passengers.

    If you have any other detailed questions, I would be happy to do my best to answer, or even take some pictures.
     
    #12 bootedguy, Jan 17, 2022
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  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I will also mention that the Prime's LED headlights are better than the regular Prius imo. They have better coverage and the high beam really lights up a dark road or alley. (We have both a 2016 Prius Touring and 2018 Prime)
     
    #13 Tideland Prius, Jan 17, 2022
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