For those that don't have a Gen 3, note that the walls are sloped in the photo above vs. the Gen 2. It's also taller. @Mendel Leisk , your luggage won't fit under the tonneau cover on the Gen 2. True. The Avalon and ES are on a stretched version of the Camry platform (this was changed for the current generation. Previously, the ES was on the regular-sized Camry platform). There must be some leeway to lengthening/shortening the platform. Hmm, maybe I'm misguided. Let me rephrase. The driving position will be very similar among the cars. That's the purpose of TNGA - use the same parts (airbag components, seatbelt components) by keeping the driver's position similar or identical among a larger range of vehicles.
I didn't buy a gen 3 because, to me, it was no improvement over gen 2. Same handling, same performance, same road noise, same ride harshness, and interior space (slightly less in some ways), etc. Prime is a MASSIVE improvement over my gen 2 in every way except interior storage. It's so much smoother and quieter, handles tons better, has way less harshness, the engine is so quiet that in normal operation it's almost impossible to tell if it's running or not, it has Ev mode that actually works (I had the pedal on the floor last night and it stayed in Ev), etc. Sure, I'd like more storage space, but I'm working around that by, for example, replacing my tool kit with a far more compact version, and buying a compact ground cover to replace my large cloth towel, among other things.
see, i didn't notice much improvement over the pip. but i know others have, although, most are simply impressed with the available ev miles.
Mr. Bisco, there is a ginormous difference between my 2012 PIP and my Prime Advanced. The EV-only mileage difference of 8.5-9.0 vs. 33-36 is a huuuuuge game changer. BUT all the other stuff, the bells and whistles, the NOVA powered headlights (I can actually SEE at night), the cool cruise control, the Blind Spot Monitoring, the "Lookout another jerk is trying to get hit while you back out" Warning has saved the lives of several unworthy fools (and my car from needless dents), the wipers which miraculously turned on when some weird stuff fell out of the sky (water? Oh not in drought-ridden California!), the soft, cushy, fully-adjustable seats which unlike my employees, will kiss my rear-end, and the myriad mind-numbing array of buttons, lights, and displays, all to make me (at least, feel) safer! And all this smooth, quiet, sleek, and joyful package for a pittance. Screw the trunk space and the Bluetooth and Entune anomalies, this car, sir, is an Oscar Meyer Wiener! Oh, don't forget, the "finally" accurate gas gauge, and speedometer, the "Nice Closing" doors, and the general improvement in materials and fit and finish. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
see, i knew there were other who saw a tremendous difference. now, excluding all the bells and whistles, i didn't notice smoother, quieter, less harshness (whatever that is) engine so quiet it's almost impossible to tell it's running, just the touchy feely things you would notice, stepping out of one car, and getting into another. maybe i got a bad one. don't get me wrong, it was very nice, and other than the hatch space, i would be happy to own one.
Less harshness means smoother over bumps like ruts or divots in the road. I never drove a PIP. I did drive a 2010, 2012 and 2015 liftback, and the difference to the Prime is 100 times the difference between the 2015 and my 2004.
Noise, vibration, and harshness(NVH) is what the manufacturers work to improve when designing a 'quiet' engine. So it helps to point out whether you are talking the ride, transmission, engine, etc. when using the term harshness in regards to a car review.
Fair enough. The engine is smooth and silent at all but the last few percent close to full power. It's so smooth to start I find it undetectable. The harshness I was referring to was ride comfort - that annoying tooth-rattling you get with hitting a rut in the road. It's almost gone in my Prime. It was quite severe in my 2004.
If anyone is interested...here is a recent review of the Ioniq Plug-in. It has a nice shot of the trunk area here : Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in hybrid 2017 review - pictures | Auto Express
Just heard a great "generic hybrid" commercial trying to break through the hybrid acceptance barrier for IONIQ.
Just curious ... if the two rear seats are folded down, will a bicycle fit in the trunk space? Two bikes? How much disassembly would it take?
I am fine with my Euro "Prime" cargo space, but vertical space is not useless to me and if the car had more I could for example put small suitcases on their side rather than on their back, and get a lot more in the hatch space. Also, I have tall things I carry like large tall bags of things for recycling (do Americans do recycling?) and with insufficient vertical space I would struggle as on their side the contents would fall out. So it seems odd to me to say that vertical space is largely useless. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Yeah I'm picking up four family from the airport in a few days, with our 2010, thinking it's gonna take two layers of suitcases in the hatch. Definitely omit the tonneau cover, but considering hatch roof slope and all, someone may still end up with a suitcase on their lap. I'm thinking to stack suitcases on their sides too, but I suspect the damn things are so thick they're near square in section lol. Back a while, picked up a boxed full-size barbecue. The loading bay guys were sceptical, I was too, but they put their backs into it and it just squeezed in, touching the roof of the hatch opening.
My small suitcases do fit on their sides. Yesterday I had them on their backs and a whole second layer of stuff on top of them without obscuring my view out the back. One of those things in the second layer was a pretty tall bag of books.
I have wondered about the possibility and usefulness of having an additional higher setting for the tonneau cover, to provide more space. At the rear seat end the cover is well below the top of the seat backs and it could be higher at the rear window end with compromised rear visibility. For those who want protection from the sun and from potential thieves and don't mind compromising their rear visibility, this might be worthwhile. I'm thinking it might be possible to make adapters to achieve this using 3d printing. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
In North America, we have the option of a mesh tonneau cover (Plus and Premium models in the US and I presume the base model in Canada). This just has 4 loop-ends at the corners to attach the cover to the car. It's not as elegant as your solution as the mesh will still be wrapped over the taller items but at least it provides a bit more flexibility than the roller-type tonneau cover. In addition, the mesh cover lifts up with the hatch (as two of the mounting points are on the hatch).
recycling bins are the main reason i haven't purchased a prime yet. we separate everything at home, so i have several bins in the back of my pip. won't work in the prime.