Poll for your reaction of the Gen 4 - so far.

Still trying to figure out what's wrong with the bridge. I went and drove a 2012 Four and the bridge worked just fine. I came away amazed that some people had such strong feelings about it. It was just no big deal.

The bridge reminds me a little of an airliner cockpit.

 

love it or hate it, there wasn't much ambivalence.

 

i didn't like it when i first saw it, but nothing to keep me from buying the car. then you get used to it. in some ways i like it now, it just needs a better layout and move the shifter for more storage space. well, i guess that's not going to happen.

i don't like the gen IV any better, well maybe a little if i can put stuff where the phone charger is. but i will probably buy it and get used to it. even if it's white.

 

I'm getting a mixed average of of 62 mpg on a 44 mile commute.. with full blown a/c running.. without ac as today, i got 53 mp0g.. so ye it was better the 550 they advertise on the Gen 3..

 

it's not an 'advertisement', it's an epa test. you might consider ford and hyundai mpg's 'advertisements'.

 

Just whining!
I use the space under the console a lot, small box of tissue, sunglasses, garage door remote, phone charging, snacks, etc...

 

While its certainly not enough reason for me to not buy or to not recommend the car, I'd really prefer that it wasn't there at all but my real problem with it is that it was so poorly designed and executed. e.g

• The mode buttons which are likely to be used while driving are on the far side of the gear stick and their placement and design is such that I need to take my eyes off the road to find and use them.
• The cup holders are fore and aft rather than side by side which makes the rear one harder to reach and creates confusion about whose cup is whose.
• Using the rear cup holder in the 2010 requires sliding the center console lid back where it interferes with the space behind
• The seat heating switches were located under the bridge where they would be hard to see and operate
• The bridges top edge shape is uncomfortable for a driver with long legs to lean their leg against it
• It is the greatest source of irritating creaks and noises in the car, particularly in cold weather

 

it's almost like the mode buttons were designed for right hand drive vehicle.

 

How can you draw that conclusion before actually trying?

The far side could make it possible to operate just by feel alone.

 

What makes you think that I haven't tried?

The way the bridge design is set up, the park button which is only used when stopped, if at all, is in the prime location and the gear stick which is hardly ever used while in motion is in the next best location.

The bridge mounted controls most likely to be used while the vehicle are the Eco and Power buttons and these are placed as far away as possible, tightly spaced, and flush with the console space surface. In other words they could not have made use by feel more difficult without hiding them.

Good ergonomic design would have the hand operated controls you are most likely to use require the easiest and shortest movement from the steering wheel and be clearly identifiable by touch and placement.

It's a great car but this aspect of its design is in my opinion a clear F.

 

Eco and Power are the most likely to be used? My 2004 doesn't even have them, and I doubt I would miss them if I left it in normal all the time. On the other hand, I use the shifter quite a lot - N for long coasts, R for backing out of places, B for long steep downhill stretches. I'll probably touch the shifter an average of 5-10 times per trip 15 miles or less. P is almost useless in a Prius as I just use on/off 95% of the time. Once in a while I'll use P.

 

Gen-4 isn't available yet.

As for the gen-3 ability to change modes without looking, using only touch, I do that routinely. Feeling for the HV/EV button is no big deal. It's exactly the needed distance for my hand. Perhaps other smaller or larger hands don't share that convenience.

 

Well, because he DID actually try it, since energyandair owns a 2010 Prius Gen3.

I suspect you've gotten confused as to the topic. He was referring to problems with the Gen3's flying buttress, not the Gen4 interior.

 

Well, it's not easy being Green,: ask the other guys: Mercedes Tops Study’s List of Carmakers Overstating Fuel Economy – Bloomberg:

 

The context & wording were indeed confusing.

Looking back at Prius history, it's easy to see how some people simply have their own preference and don't want change. That's why product diversity is so important and a variety of choices should be offered.

Some people absolutely freaked out about the shifter in the Classic model, to such an extreme they strongly spoke out against the vehicle based solely on that. It was amazing to see so much passion from such an infrequently used interface. You shift into drive and never touch it until driving concludes. They made a huge deal out of it, as if that somehow changed the experience of the hybrid system itself. Ugh.

As for the bridge, that's just part of generational changes. Toyota's goal is to expand reach. That means trying new things. Some are well accepted, others are not. Clearly, not everyone has the same experience with buttons. That's why there's a selection of HSD vehicles available. Prius just happens to be the best for trying those new things.

 

i wish they would put the 'auto' button somewhere where you couldn't hit it by accident.