New owner of a 2012 Prius v, model Three, with about 54k miles. My first hybrid, but I've got plenty of experience with other cars and other forums. Basic question - I know I've got a v and it's a Gen3 of course. Is the "v" only really the body, or are there other related differences vs. Gen3 cars? I'm interested in repairs / maintenance / optimization things, not planning on body issues, so would Gen3 be the main forum for me to be reading on, or are there special "v" things I need to know that can be found here only? Related to that, I always try to get an actual service manual for every car I own. If I had a 2012 v manual, that would of course be ideal, but if I can get a deal on a Gen3 one, or for example a 2010, how different would those be?
For the most part the prius v is the same as the regular prius of the same year except for space, improved ac, pitch and bounce control and upgraded suspension. It has a lower numerical final drive ratio for increased load capacity. Within the prius v trim lines there are a lot of options, most of which are mentioned in the attached brochure. There is no complete service manual although you can download pieces from the Technical Information System as needed. You can get various levels of access priced for days or months at a time. Because of this, the forum is often helpful for common problems. Most of us have a bluetooth ODB2 reader with normal apps and a copy of specialty apps like Dr Prius for battery checks. To really access all of the Toyota ecus and functions, a Techstream PC based application is needed along with a license. https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/appmanager/t3/ti?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=ti_home_page&contextType=external&username=string&challenge_url=https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/login/techinfo&password=secure_string&request_id=7695774894452815352&authn_try_count=0&locale=en_US&resource_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechinfo.toyota.com%2F
Welcome! The 2012 v wagon is significantly different than the 2012 hatchback, in many respects. There is a separate v forum, which you found. (Well done!) The 2012 shop/repair/technical manuals are only available online, through the Toyota Tech Info site, with subscriptions from 72 hours to annual in length. You may print or download and save whatever you want within the open subscription window.
Toyota is not the only car maker to switch all documentation to online only. A brand I owned once published a $700 paper manual but the problem was getting owners of the manual correction updates. Online solves that, you are always dealing with the current one. In 7 years of ownership, I never wished for a manual, never needed one. Previous brand I had one. Things got too complex, needed two many sensor adapter tools, harnesses, etc. It isn't just a OBD2 reader because, once you get into serious diagnosis, those other tools come into play.
