What I don't like about the 2016 Prius

?...is B-mode supposed to regen at all? B-mode on Gen2 is what we use after batt is full and brakes are kicking in, so you'd rather brake with the engine down the mountainside.

...just passed thru your neck a few days ago after Columbia River gorge to seeing Mt Hood then Bridge of the Gods to WA I-5N to Seattle..nice! (in a rental Chevy Cruze...not bad though)

 

Better yet, just let the cruise control handle it all.
jp

 

Heck, this was even achievable in the olden days - after owning two cars in a row with amber-lit instruments in the '80s, I resigned myself to the more typical blue-green lighting of my new Mitsu Galant GS in 1990 (my favorite non-electrified car ever), only to discover after bringing it home that it HAD A CHANGE COLOR SWITCH on the dashboard that allowed the owner to toggle between blue-green and amber displays. To this day, that's been the most unexpected pleasant surprise from any car I've owned.

I strongly agree. The Gen1 was barely distinguishable from an Echo to the casual observer, making the car somewhat stealth - not ugly, but certainly not noteworthy. The Gen2 is impressively uncluttered, both physically and visually, and its minimalist interior conceals tremendous utility and convenience; much as hybrid-haters mock the "jellybean", it is unquestionably iconic, to the point that I'd hoped it would remain just so for many years, Beetle-like, with technical improvements and even platform upgrades slipstreamed into a continuing style. The Gen3 dashed that hope, and seems to my eye to have added little more than shiny gingerbread to the Gen2's clean lines. I'm not a Gen4-hater, but I do find it excessive and overwrought in several areas, including the exaggerated KIingon Imperial headlights,

. . . and Mark of Zorro tail-lights contributing with the blacked-out "floating roof" C pillar to the random mess of angles and visual gingerbread in the rear quarter. That sounds more critical than I feel, because there's a level at which I kind of enjoy the giddiness of it; but like the "fluidic design" Hyundai Sonata from a few years back, I'm not sure it will age well. The Gen2's combination of clean form and clear function are hard to beat, and "messin' with perfection" can only lead downhill. That's okay - I had mine for over 10 years and enjoyed it, time to move on.

For obvious reasons, I couldn't disagree more, but my tastes do run to the less ornamented.

I've noticed the sensitivity of the Gen4's styling to color myself - I have found white ones particularly odd-looking from behind (for me the rear quarter view is the most problematic); I'm going to guess silver and light green will fare little better. Darker colors really take the edge off, and I've noticed that our deep red picks up the tail lights in a way that reduces the visual noise still further.

This really is the most maddening part of the whole design discussion isn't it? Toyota HAD a beautiful concept car for the next-gen Prius. Unless there was something wildly impractical about it, it would seem some form of that beats the Gen4 and Prime hands down.

I take it getting a Three is a non-starter? Those do come with spare tires, though I don't know what missing feature(s) from the Four you'd consider a showstopper.

The righthand supplemental display screen is insanely configurable. Spend some time with the owner's manual - you can definitely switch that to "hybrid information" mode showing power flows.

Oh dear lord, please let's not turn "Volt" into the Kleenex of PHEVs! It isn't by a long shot, so what you meant to say was "it's not a plug-in" or whatever. And of course the obvious answer to that is "save your money and buy a Prime instead", because that will be a better (and likely cheaper) product than a Gen4 Prius LB plus plug-in conversion.

They are, though I've no idea how often they're issued.

'B' mode is NOT REGEN - it's ENGINE BRAKING. It is ONLY for use on long downhills when the regen doesn't slow you down enough.

 

That's not what they were saying back in 2002. Prius was attacked relentlessly for the way it looked. Remember that Echo followed and barely got any attention in comparison. Also, a slew of vehicles from other automakers looked like Prius, taking on the traits we know see as familiar, but certainly weren't back then. The rounded front and tall interior weren't common.

Realistically, it doesn't matter. People seek out change after awhile. What they'll home in on is anyone's guess though.

The popularity (and obvious benefit) of LED lighting will push vehicles into the "seeking uniqueness" realm. We'll end up seeing a wide variety of new looks in the next few years.

 

The Prius was attacked for all kinds of reasons, including styling that wasn't typical of the time. The Echo got no love either (I recall Car and Driver describing it as "a wretched thing"), but it wasn't symbolic of the environmentally conscious mind-set that Prius-bashers loved to hate, so got much less attention (of any kind). I found the cars quite similar in appearance at the time, mainly because they shared a common space utilization philosophy that set them apart from the mainstream. They weren't unique in this regard, but I think they looked more like each other than anything else around at the time.

I await counter-examples, of course .

 

Regen is supposed to be so-so in B, it's not intended for regular use, just real long hills.

 

Guys, I am surprised at you. Why would a 2016 Prius's logic be dumb in that 'B' would always turn the engine to dissipate kinetic energy. It should only do that if the traction battery is full (top allowed SOC). I had the car in EV mode in 'B' at low speeds of course (else EV mode cancels) and I am pretty sure I noticed a difference between the drag in 'D' and in 'B'. I did not feel the engine rotating, though it could have been. But why would it be that dumb. The only reason for that would be to preserve the driver experience (or full battery). But that would ideally be with no engine revving.... Shouldn't it be exactly the same behavior as pressing the brake pedal lightly (until you are nearly stopped, in which you need the pads)? See quick start guide right side middle.

A used Volt is cheaper than a new Prius. That would be my vehicle of choice. This Prius is my mothers.
On the right side of the steering wheel I can configure the clock, a few things, add a vertical bar thing on the display and reset OIL life and TPMS reset. No options for hybrid information. I'll look in the manual, thanks. ->EDIT: Ah, the right and left buttons.

 

To show the Battery level on the speedometer, you have to go into the settings in the 4.2 inch screen. Then you click customizations and click "complex" as opposed to "simple." You have the choice of using the MPG gauge, battery meter, or something else NEXT TO THE SPEEDOMETER, THE LEFT SCREEN. I love the screens though. They look so nice and have a lot of cool information on them.

 

Well, we're not surprised at you, since many of us have been there. Far from "dumb logic", the Prius team's engineering is breathtakingly smart - you just don't understand it, much as you misunderstood the quick start guide, which is telling you that the brake pedal triggers regen whether in D or B mode. B is engine braking, not enhanced coasting regen. Using it around town is a seriously bad idea and will cost MPG. In situations where you think you want to use it, lightly apply the brakes instead - that's what does produce regen. I've been driving a Prius for over a decade, and I assure you this is a classic rookie mistake that nearly everyone here will recognize/remember.

Misunderstanding this is easy, because the purpose and method of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive is radically different from the largely unrelated tech of the Volt (or the somewhat similar Accord Hybrid). Those designs don't use a variable power split device per se, the engine only mechanically engaging with the drivetrain at one specific "gear ratio" for freeway-speed cruising. At all other times the vehicles operate as EVs, with electrical power coming either from batteries or the engine/generator.

That's just not how Toyota hybrids work. The HSD's power split device (PSD) is continually balancing motive power from the electric and ICE motors, its main purpose being to keep the ICE operating in its most efficient state as much as possible. The electric motor(s) provide power in circumstances and conditions where the ICE would not operate efficiently, though it might in those conditions be running just to top off the battery if needed. If you want to gun it, hey, the ICE is going to spin right up, because ICEs are GREAT at accelerating. If you're puttering along in stop and go traffic, or cruising on level ground at moderate speeds, it runs just enough to keep the batteries charged, since the electric motors handle that much better. The thing to keep in mind is that there is NOT a lot of battery there, just enough to serve as a buffer to smooth out the ICE performance. Every bit of power for a Prius (the PiP and Prime excepted) comes from gasoline, it's just that some is buffered through the battery pack. This approach is a lot more complicated, but it's also a bit more efficient than burning gas just to generate electricity. The Volt doesn't really care too much about that marginal difference, because it's supposed to spend most of its time running as a BEV, with HEV mode available as a reasonably efficient supplement for longer itineraries, but HEV operation isn't its focus.

Folks who really love the BEV experience (I'm one) don't find the Prius completely satisfactory, since it is very much a gas engine vehicle - this car spends very little of its time whispering down the streets as an electric ghost. The Volt drives like an EV all the time, even when the battery is exhausted, because the electric motor is always driving the wheels (except for some freeway cruising where you can't really tell the difference). If you like the Volt, that's great - but don't confuse one tech stack with the other. They're different designs with different objectives.

 

The split screen mode does provide some basic hybrid information next to the MPG/odo info, but it's of necessity limited by the tiny screen real estate. On the other hand, the entire second screen (delivered from the factory set to HVAC info) can also be switched to "hybrid information" mode, which can provide energy flow diagrams, bar graphs of fuel consumption, etc.

I think the Gen4's displays are beautiful, informative, and more customizable than any I've seen personally. But it is definitely a challenge to look through it all and settle on the configuration that tells you what you most want to know. If you're not averse to homework, it's well worth studying.

 

well the thing I did not like abut Gen 1 was the shifter, and the fact that the ICE had to run to power the AC... I think the Eco was designed after the Prius... the Gen 1 started in 1997 if I remember correctly with a 3 cyl Japan only. I waited for the 2002 so I could get curse without doing the "MOD"

when the Gen 2 came out with that elec AC I jumped on it. I had that car mostly trouble free for 10 years (I added Xm Radio). Then moved up to a 2014, but could not get one the "Way I wanted IT"

SO if all goes well I get a 2016 4 "LOADED" this week. and trade in the 2014 with only <19,000 miles (not even broken in good)

I don't like all the nook and crannies lost from the Gen 2, and the temp tire... but it is what it is .... I am getting it for the color and the "TECH" the Prius Prime was not enhanced enough for me to wait.... maybe a 2026

 

I'm curious, can the gen 4 displays show engine coolant temp? Anyone explored through them?

 

I looked and - no. I use my scangauge.

 

Thanks. I have ScanGauge on my third gen, but have an ongoing, very intermittent problem, braking goes into a fail safe mode and lights come on. Dealership, grasping at straws, thought it might be the SG plug always weighing on the port, suggested I try disconnecting for a while.

I'm going along with it, but also going thru withdrawal, lol. It's funny, with all the info available on the MFD, they still haven't got around to include the old basics: coolant temp, rpm, maybe oil pressure.

 

My dealership requested me to unplug my scangauge on my 3rd generation a while back also. I thought that it was an attempt to shift responsibility, and did not comply.
I do like the ability to "see" basic measurements. I've never bothered to go beyond the basics information - and to reset codes a few times.

 

I've found once the brakes start acting up, it often happens a few times. So I figure go along with their suggestion, it's not too onerous, and if the brake thing happens again at least then it eliminates that possibility. So I'll give it a try. It makes me realize how much I actually lean on the HSD for feedback, the various built-in gauges, and just seat-of-pants.

Oh, why did they ask you to disconnect SG, something specific, or no?

 

I was having an issue with "Triangle of Death" for no apparant reason. It would pop up. I would pull to the side and turn the car off. Then I would clear the codes and everything would be OK. I resolved the issue by replacing the 12 volt battery.

 

Well then I am surprised at Toyota. Why would they give the user the option of bypassing regenerative braking. The computer should decide, and it does in 'd' if the battery is full or bad temperature to accept regen, the MG will regen and the secondary MG will spin the engine. If that's not enough to dissipate the energy, it'll use the friction brakes (with the engine I don't know). Why have a 'b' mode at all to force engine spinning when the computer can decide on it's own already. I would expect the 4th gen Prius to be smart enough. Why would the user care or want to use the engine instead of topping off the battery first?
Part of my misunderstanding of 'b' is because the Volt has 'L' and of course that is regen, the exact same thing as if the brake pedal was pressed to the same brake force request. If the Volt battery is full, it does things a bit different; the main MG regens, the secondary MG doesn't spin the engine but whatever it does to use the electricity, the heat ends up in the transmission coolant. That happens whether in 'L' and the battery is full or you are pressing the brake pedal and the battery is full. I assumed the Prius would be the same because the user shouldn't be concerned about this.

at 5:15 , the engine speed is still independant of the MPH in parallel mode. Parallel mode can activate at speeds lower than 70MPH, as low as 35MPH I've heard.

I do like the experience of the Volt. It seems in hybrid operation it is close to the same architecture as the Prius. Except the engine NEEDS to ramp up immediately in order to provide full power. I wonder what the lowest MPH the Prius can do parallel operation. I guess from 0 because the motors aren't powerful enough to use as much torque as the engine can muster.