Suggested Improvements for Gen-5 Prius

Neither of those is likely to happen any time soon - I believe the new Dynamic Force engine family is the same way (and that family is, AFAIK, going to replace every Toyota engine for quite a long time), and the entire car would have to be wider (or the cupholders much smaller) to support side-by-side cupholders.

I suspect that they're not going to fix that - Toyota appears to have decided that their cars should feel sportier, in an attempt to get driving enthusiast buyers that wrote them off for not feeling sporty enough. Part of that includes lowering the seating position and more aggressive bolstering on the seats. This is likely because Toyota's "normal" buyers in every market are migrating away from cars to crossovers and (for Asian markets) van-like vehicles. (Basically, Toyota's answer for you would be to buy a Prius v or a RAV4 Hybrid.)

You can at least reduce the verbosity of the cruise control through the settings - although I don't have adaptive cruise, I was at least able to stop the message that tells you how to use cruise control. (I still get a popup every time I adjust the speed, though.)

 

I think Zardoz was referring to the DRCC advising when a vehicle has come into range and it's locked into it. I find that is essential advice. Particularly in heavy traffic, and some lane changes have happened, I'll glance across to that screen to check it's locked on - or it means I need to do something, and fast.

I don't really see why it causes a problem, as that screen isn't for any normal driving purposes anyway - I use the HUD for most immediately necessary information.

 

I use the HSI as s reference while driving.
It was very difficult driving the highway home at night with the new car. The cruise control pop ups were very distracting pulling my attention off looking at the road.

 

The continuous pop ups are like a boy calling “Wolf!” all the time. He gets ignored even if there really is a wolf.

 

I don't have a HUD as I have a Prius 2....

 

LOL, we non-USA people don't have your system of numbered grades for our Prii. I think in Oz where Alan is, there are only 2 models. In UK we have 4 but they have names - not numbers.

 

My issue with the front seat cup holders is this: Although the driver wins in my house, everyone wants the FRONT cup holder as the rear one is difficult to access due to its low position and close proximity to the arm reset.

 

I guess that depends on how tall you are? I'm 6'1" and end up preferring the rear cupholder.

 

I am 6'...

 

That'll probably never happen. I have fond memories of our first civic ('81): the filter was accessible from above, never seen that since. But: you've got to raise the car and crawl under anyway, to access the oil pan drain bolt, so maybe a moot point.

I used to yearn for a vertical mount filter, figuring you'd unscrew it and it'd be like a cup, no spillage. Yeah right: a couple of Honda's I'm currently changing oil have that configuration, and with both, as soon as it's loose, the oil is running down the sides of the filter. Ah well.

 

FWD layout coincided with less space around the engine to get to filters. Cars these days are getting less and less user-serviceable. Next generation will have a massive battery and an electric motor (or 2) and a computer doing lots of stuff we have discrete components for now.

Some days I hanker for some of my old cars which you could do a full service with minimal tools, and many repairs can be done by "logic", including mounting tyres and tubes. But I do have clean fingernails now.

 

I realise I'm a lot bigger nowadays, but with cars 'back then' you could almost climb into the engine bay!

 

It is possible to get right - my old TDI had this setup:



You'd lift the cap with the element out, with something to catch the oil, and then pull the element off the cap, replace a couple O-rings, put the new element on, and drop the cap back in.

 

Just a simple nut of some sort holding the oil filter cap on? Absurdly simple and effective.

 

Here's what the cap looks like removed from the car, you unscrew the cap:

 

They should make Extended Range and Long Range version of the regular hybrid for those couriers or high mileagers. The regular gen 3 and gen 4 Prius has what? 11-12 gal tank? The ER should have 15-16 gal tank and the LR should have 21-22 gal tank. The LR should have over 1000 miles range easily.

 

A larger tank would mean hauling around extra weight, That would lower the EPA mileage that they could report to spur on sales. Hybrid users are very mileage conscious.

 

Extra 70 lbs of fuel is not going to make that much difference. Driving around with my 110lbs wife has the same MPG as driving by myself.

 

True, but I fully expect it would affect the EPA test ratings. @bwilson4web might know better than I.

 

And it could affect the test weight by as much as 250 lbs, depending on where cutoffs are on the specific dyno in use.

In any case, the problem is that the fuel tank capacity is limited by the battery. There's nowhere to put more fuel tank that easily works with the main one, and the market that's actually demanding that kind of range on a car probably is hoarding 1996-1997 Passat TDI wagons instead (where you could get something like 27 gallons in there by bypassing the expansion tank's valve).