What I don't like about the Prius Prime

The only reason I'd get another Prius Plug In would be for the EV range. I'm hard pressed to get 10 miles EV range on my 2012. Twenty two miles EV is too low for a 2017 vehicle. Premium price for minimal EV range. Just don't see a market for the Prius Prime. A regular Prius, other EVs, or high mileage gas vehicles, or a used Gen 1 Prius Plug In at a steep discount are better choices.

 

The external design is certainly better than Liftback but I can see issue 1 (no 5th seat) affecting a big chunk of the market. As someone who was (unrealistically) waiting for NS4, I would say I am disappointed. However I am hoping some of the other tech in the Prius Prime will make it to other models like the C-HR.

One thing I find difficult to understand is why buyers are overly critical of pure EV range. There are the nissan leafs and bmw i3s out there that can do that very well and cheaper. IMO the standout characteristic of the Prius Plugin is (and has always been) to be able get from A to B with minimal gas & emissions by using energy stored from external electricity. Let's say I have to commute daily 30 miles each way, I would not drive the Prius Prime on pure EV mode but the normal mode and what I anticipate is that the ICE will not do much work but it will come on from time to time to help. And waking up the ICE from time to time is a good thing because just as with any internal combustion engine, you would want the ICE to get a regular "exercise" to keep fit and efficient.

I think it is actually the fault of Toyota failing to explain the main use-case (and benefit) of the Plugin so everyone keeps comparing it to other EVs out there.

 

How is it possible that this PiP weighs 300 lbs more with such a small battery?

 

How much more does the 2nd Gen weight vs the 1st Gen?

One thing that's slightly different is it has the same gas tank size as it's brethren unlike last gen. Don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Raised floor bed is kind of disappointing. Would rather see 18 miles ev, 5 seats, flat bed and solar charging which could easily tour 2 miles recharge every 2 hours.

Would've loved to see the charging meter on the screen at that point along with regen break. Imagine if trickle charge came to regular prius. It'd probably be 70+mpg

Oh, and did someone say there was a spare tire in there?

 

someone said it, but no confirmation. and where would they put it? why would they add a spare and raise the deck?

 

Look at the ninth entry. It says 30 kg.

 

Can't be a spare tire in PiP2. Look at non-PiP, soon as a sunroof and power seats are added (weight), poof, there goes the spare tire. 8.x kWhr battery and its extra weight? No spare tire, plus nowhere to put it. But, needs to be confirmed.

 

I wasn't sure if the weight gain was verse 4th gen prius or PiP 1st.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about the EV range,it is rated 50 km in Europe which would be roughly 30 miles in the US .
The gen 4 Prius is ratet with 52 mpg but it can get way more as we already know !
I am sure they could have done a better job with the rear cargo area though.
Maybe they really couldn't make the battery smaller or devide it,but they could have at least redesigned the opening area so that the battery would have been flush with it instead of making it look like an amateur aftermarket solution .
I remember that's the way the 3. gen Prius Plug-in looked at the first showing,but that wasn't a production model and they fixed that before it was officially launched .

 

Battery, charger, Space & weight, they fixed last Gen by reducing 5 kwh to 4.4, now double that, purple line!

 

My first guess on the 4 seats was weight reasons.

20 mileish is probably the best balance of range, ICE fuel economy, space, and price at this point. The Energi's got 20 miles 3 years ago, but with more cargo space loss, and a reduced MPG figure compared to the hybrid models. The Sonata PHEV has 27 miles, but is a larger platform with more space for stuff to begin with, and it is far from the Prius' fuel economy.

Small? It's a 8.8kWh pack. That is roughly 8 times the size of the Li-ion one in the hybrid model.

 

I think the 4 seating was because Toyota wants to position the Prius Prime and Mirai as their models that lead into the future. That point was made in the reveal's presentation. The Mirai is a four seater with an emphasis on comfort and luxury and so is the Prius Prime.

For me two comfortable rear seats is preferable to the optional third seat. The further improvement in quietness is also a big plus as well as the ability to drive on battery alone. I like the looks. There are just a lot of reasons for me to be positive about the plug in. I think that the car is a major step in the right direction, at least it is from my perspective.

 

The only thing I don't like about The Prius Prime is that I live in an apartment building where nightly charging would be impossible. Thus making ownership of a plug in, something I can't realistically consider. Otherwise? I think it would be The Prius I would want.

 

Same for me. 5th seat (which would be without comfort anyway) or some inches lower floor are no issues for me. Plus I have 2000 kWh production more than I use per year. I am trying to compare upgrading to this one to keeping my 2013 PiP. Is there anybody who knows how maintenance cost increases with age of the car?

 

I'm ok with the EV range. It works for me to go to work and back each day without relying on the ICE too much. I'm also ok with the 4 seat arrangement because I rarely carry passengers. I like the charge port where it is. What I'm unsure of is the "two-tiered" deck when seats are folded flat. I much prefer the flat deck of the Gen 3 and I'm sure Prius campers would agree.

Ultimately, I don't think I can get over the styling and it's not worth going back to making car payments for. Front end is decent but rear is too polarizing. I also don't like the roof peak nearer the front, like Gen 2. The lower stance of the car also makes it a bit more treacherous in Cdn winters. I've never been stuck in my Gen 3 but close. No 17" rims in US so maybe not Cdn either. So that will be more cost. I love my Gen 3 Touring too much and it does nearly everything I've asked it to do.

 

you're unlikely to have any maintenance issues, at least up to 150,000 miles, unfortunately for you.

 

Too bad, you slap one of my possible justifications out of my hands...

So, I should focus more on the gain I can have by using my own cheap kWh's instead of the much more expensive ones at public chargers. And on the difference in remaining value of the car for the two options after 5 years (I am considering the period from 2017 to 2022).

 

it's a tough decision, and one that likely won't pay off in the short term, even with free kWh. can you sell them back to the power company?