Anyone else found 3rd gen Prius driving position awkward compared to 2nd gen Insight?

cycledrum · 05-16-2011, 02:26 PM

It's been a little while since I sat in or test drove a 2nd gen Insight, but I recall the driving position and controls were quite normal in the car - seat adjusts pretty low for tall guy like me, steering wheel has plenty of telescope (easy to reach) and the view out all windows is quite good IIRC.

Enter the 3rd gen Prius - they added telescopic steering wheel, but in a sly manner it only telecopes 0.5" closer to the driver even though the range is 1.5" (I measured from brake to wheel on 2nd and 3rd gen) IMO, I kinda busted Toyota on this because why would they make wheel scope 1" closer to dash than 2nd gen? I'm calling design oversight.

Minor detail? Not really when you want to slide the seat back another notch but can't really do so cause hard to grip the wheel.

They finally added seat height adjuster - but for me, it would be nice if I could lower another 1/2" or more. I'm only 6'2", but I look over the dash a bit much and down onto the road. Seeing upward is a bit limited.

If you scoot seat all the way forward, put base of palms together and point finger to center of wheel, you can see if it is laterally centered. Prius wheel is about 1/2" skewed to left, weird.

Driver's door armrest is too low relative to center console armrest and hard as a brick.

Honda seems to pay a lot more attention to driver and styling details in their cars than Toyota. I could cap on Camry, Venza and Corolla as inferior to Accord and Civic in terms of interior styling and adjustability.

Cobb · 05-17-2011, 12:32 AM

I have one word to describe the prius 3, G-A-Y!!!!

Just kidding, but it wasnt what I expected. It was full of blind spots and the EV mode was more difficult to obtain and maintain then the I2. Lets not forget all the space noises of different parts moving under the dash and the dog whistle. Worse of all was no engine under 10mph it was all electric. So much for peeling out of a driveway. The dash said I averaged 50mpg, but it took 8 gallons to fill the tank from the 300 miles I traveled.

Give me a prius 2 anyday and Ill trade it for a smart.

circa1986 · 05-17-2011, 01:20 PM

Toyota is no longer the gold standard of build quality!

Cobb, just what exactly are you doing with your hybrid peeling out of driveways?

I would love it if the Insight had the ability to go into golf-kart mode. The closest I can get is EV only mode with ICE still turning, which is very difficult to maintain. I can't imagine it's more difficult to maintain a Prius 3!

amorris · 05-17-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobb

I have one word to describe the prius 3, G-A-Y!!!!

Just kidding, but it wasnt what I expected. It was full of blind spots and the EV mode was more difficult to obtain and maintain then the I2. Lets not forget all the space noises of different parts moving under the dash and the dog whistle. Worse of all was no engine under 10mph it was all electric. So much for peeling out of a driveway. The dash said I averaged 50mpg, but it took 8 gallons to fill the tank from the 300 miles I traveled.

Cobb, how can you say the EV mode is more difficult to obtain in the Prius? That makes absolutely no sense to me -- please explain.

Cobb · 05-18-2011, 12:07 AM

Ok, I rented a prius 3 for a day from enterprise. So, start the car up, press ev while in drive, I get a message that it is unable to enter the mode. I putter along my lane and try it a few minutes later. Success, I start to accelerate from a crawl to 9mph, BOING, I am having excessive speed. I try later on and am in stop n go traffic, WOOHOO. I approach 25mph, BOING, excessive speed I am knocked out of it again. I managed to maintain it starying under 25mph with light pressure on the gas. Within a mile or so I am knocked out again, something about low battery status. WTF?!?!?!? It took forevar for the battery to build up a charge after that to reengage the mode.

I just dont understand the people who come on here and say the prius is the best thing since sliced bread and the owner who drive them do not smell when they use the bathroom as the ev mode is superior to the insight. Well, I came, I saw and I was not impressed. It seems there are quite a few conditions that need to be met and maintained to stay in that mode, like with the insight.

Now I can enter, maintain ev mode on the i2, travel almost a mile and at any speed.

**Jayemtee** · 05-18-2011, 01:17 AM

Cobb, I'd think most people who buy an Insight do not maintain EV for over a mile in their first 3 days. Don't you think there might be a learning curve for both vehicles? So yep, this is an Insight forum, but it doesn't prove a thing to huddle with the home team and bash the opponent.

I bought an Insight because it was what I wanted. Given the number of Prius cars on the road, surely they aren't all miserable with their purchase. I would suspect most of them learn the limitations and quirks......just as we have with our cars.

Cobb · 05-18-2011, 10:21 AM

I got the insight for a number of reasons, part is the local toy dealers fault others is the design and way the prius works.

Having said that I think its unfair toy uses the additional button that proclaims you push this and you wont burn any gas as you drive to be a bit misleading. Id be jsut as anal if this was a feature Honda did, but for some reason they did not include that feature. I wonder why?

**Jayemtee** · 05-18-2011, 11:43 AM

Like the ole AC on AC off Fan only issue? Or AutoStop?

Maybe they talk about the Insight CVT shortcomings on the Prius boards for the sole purpose of misery breeds company.

cycledrum · 05-18-2011, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobb

I have one word to describe the prius 3, G-A-Y!!!!

Just kidding, but it wasnt what I expected. It was full of blind spots and the EV mode was more difficult to obtain and maintain then the I2. Lets not forget all the space noises of different parts moving under the dash and the dog whistle. Worse of all was no engine under 10mph it was all electric. So much for peeling out of a driveway. The dash said I averaged 50mpg, but it took 8 gallons to fill the tank from the 300 miles I traveled.

Give me a prius 2 anyday and Ill trade it for a smart.

If I may respond to that - I rented 3rd gen Prius for like the 9th time last week and took several photos of gage. It showed nothing less than 55 MPG on screen and my 172 mile excursion came 59 MPG at gas station. Every rent has been well over 50 MPG. However, when I rent, I don't just go to corner grocery store, I go.

few pics...

050705 198.jpg

cycledrum · 05-18-2011, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amorris

Cobb, how can you say the EV mode is more difficult to obtain in the Prius? That makes absolutely no sense to me -- please explain.

During my 2 1/2 years with 2nd gen Prius, I pulled up the driveway and into garage everytime in EV. Parking lots, creeping traffic, all EV. 3rd is improved. I prefer hybrids that way actually.

I know the I2 IMA motor is very thin, but I don't know tech details of it. I've seen it mentioned the car can pull itself in EV (up driveway, rolling in EV doesn't count), but is that the case?