Things That Irk You On The Prius?

[stompe]

No Padding in the Arm rests, Open tailgate when wet, it ends up in the boot.

[korat102]

I've been very pleased with my 2005 Prius, most reliable car I've ever owned but it's quite boring to drive, it lacks heated mirrors (amazingly for such an expensive car), a third of the controls lack backlighting (amazingly for such an expensive car), road noise is excessive for such an expensive car...I think they must have been on a major penny-pinching exercise when they made it. On the other hand, it does have a spare wheel, unlike some I could mention.

[stompe]

Hiya korat

Know what you mean about controls, interior and map-lights are hard to find in the dark :(

[Opifex]

A drive system that screams away if I accelerate hard while going uphill.

Using the P button instead of moving the 'gear lever' like every other automatic I've seen.

A sat nav that often takes me way off the shortest route.

And I do miss the memory seats on my last car.

[ph47mf]

• noisy engine when pushed
  
• can't see out the back esp when reversing into a space (no sensors/camera)
  
• no heated mirrors
  
• power socket is in the armrest, if you connect e.g. a satnav on the windscreen the wires will run from inside the armrest to the windscreen, the armrest won't be able to close as a result
  
• Shallow boot
  
• short EV mode
  
• colour of my car (my fault)
  
• Climate control does not turn on Air Con itself when weather gets hot
  

[stompe]

Lets hope Toyota GB sees this!

[wass]

Top of the range gen2 version ( Tspirit) doesnt have :

electrically heated seats

electrically heated door mirrors

electrically heated windscreen

electrically adjusted seats

as options......This is possibly because these systems would have to be 12 volt which would mean a larger alternator and higher capacity Battery would need to be fitted. This explains why low amperage extras such as park assist, voice control etc are included.

[korat102]

With the British climate, I'm amazed that someone thought not having electrically heated mirrors was acceptable. It has a heated rear screen, I'm sure they could have managed heated mirrors as well. Anyway, it's water under the bridge. Nothing we can do about it...

Toyota still keep making strange decisions though. A can of sticky goo is not a replacement for a spare wheel. Sorry ;p

[Chris Dance]

No major issues from me but I would like electric closing and heated wing mirrors. (Had these on my Avensis) .A proper spare wheel instead of a space saver wheel would be better. I am well pleased with the car otherwise.

[kithmo]

Poor demisting of the windscreen when it's cold out. It only demists the bottom half of the screen in the first few minutes and takes about five to ten minutes more to demist the top half.

Also road noise on anything but a perfectly smooth surface is terrible.

[johalareewi]

With the British climate, I'm amazed that someone thought not having electrically heated mirrors was acceptable.

Seems to be a Toyota thing in the mid 2000s. Older Toyotas had them but the gen2 doesn't neither does our 05 Yaris Tspirit.

Good news is they are standard on the gen3 (and other toyotas?).

[Cyker]

Poor demisting of the windscreen when it's cold out. It only demists the bottom half of the screen in the first few minutes and takes about five to ten minutes more to demist the top half.

Also road noise on anything but a perfectly smooth surface is terrible.

You need to force the aircon on and set it to blow on the windscreen; Aircon is the best way of demisting a window by far :D

Is there not a button to do this in the Prius actually...? I seem to remember arguing about something like this in another thread some time ago

[korat102]

You need to force the aircon on and set it to blow on the windscreen; Aircon is the best way of demisting a window by far :D

Is there not a button to do this in the Prius actually...? I seem to remember arguing about something like this in another thread some time ago

I've never managed to get it to do that on my 2nd gen Prius. Turning on aircon switches off the front demister and vice versa. I've never managed to get both to work together.

Obviously when the aircon is on, it directs some dried air to the front screen, usually enough to keep it clear, but rarely enough to actually demist it if it is already misted up.

This actually brings me to another thing that I dislike about Toyota. There's FAR too much interference from the car. Whoever programmed the thing thought they knew best all the time and it drives me round the bend sometimes.

[Yolina]

Good news is they are standard on the gen3 (and other toyotas?).

My Yaris Hybrid T4 does have heated mirrors :) though I would have liked the option of automatically folding mirrors because they are rather large and their shape makes them stick out so much.

I know the thread is about the Prius, but if I may add my list of small annoyances in the Yaris hybrid :P

Coming from a 2002 206xsi, which had quite a few things as standard given the year it was built, I was rather surprised that the rain sensing wipers are only on the Tspirit (I kinda miss that actually, more than I thought!) but not on other models, even as an option; same with things like auto headlights, though that was driving me nuts during daytime on overcast days so stopped using it fairly quickly and certainly don't miss it. The Tspirit is £1k more than the T4, so wasn't going to pay that *just* for the rain sensing wipers as I didn't care much (at all) for the other extras, and the larger wheels on the Tspirit also makes it more expensive to change tyres...

No alarm is a bit strange too

I miss a few really simple and really silly things from the 206:

- The glovebox had some moulded compartments for clipping a pen, storing a small notepad and sunglasses making them easily accessible rather than everything being just lumped in there.

- The boot had handy adjustable straps on one side, which made storing a couple of bottles of water really simple and again kept them accessible even with loads of stuff in the boot.

- Cycling through the trip computer was done via a button at the end of one of the stalks

[r04drunner1]

Prius Gen 3

Overall a brilliant car in so many ways.

Irk #1: there is nowhere to put small items of rubbish. Most cars have a closeable ashtray for sweet wrappers and the like. The Gen 3 does not. So if you unwrap a sweet in a Gen 3, you either toss the wrapper out of the car (NOT recommended) or put it in any of the cubby holes / drinks holders along with the other, non-rubbish, items.

Irk #2: the side windows do not clear off outside condensation when you pop them down into the door and then back up again. In every other car I have ever driven, on a wintry day with moisture on the side window, you could clear the moisture off by popping the window down into the door and then back up again. The little rubber guides in the door would do the trick. For some strange reason, that technique simply does not work on my Prius. As a result, I have to either manually wipe down all the windows with a squeegee before I set off or else (if I forget) I have to pop the windows down at every junction to see out of the side of the car. Not a pleasant experience on a cold or wet day!

One wishlist item: a turbo! :D

One feature: I've worked out that the car sunding so thrashy when pushed is a feature, not a bug. The whole design ethos of the Prius is that it encourages sedate, economical motoring. Pushing the car to the max should be the exception not the rule, and always happens to the detriment of economy. So I think the designers deliberately left the car to sound uncomfortable in those situations, just to encourage the driver to back off as soon as possible. That's my theory anyway. Feel free to disagree...

[korat102]

Just thought of something else that annoys me. BEEP BEEP !Removed! BEEP. Too many things make the car beep at me and it gets wearing after a while.

It beeps if I open a door with it in gear, or with the lights on, or if I move an inch with the seatbelt off. It beeps incessantly when I put it in reverse. Why? I know it's in reverse, I put it there!

SHUT UP Prius! Leave me alone!

[stompe]

Hi korat 102

On page 555 of the owners manual there's dealer options to turn a lot of the Beeps off, hope that helps mate

[kithmo]

Poor demisting of the windscreen when it's cold out. It only demists the bottom half of the screen in the first few minutes and takes about five to ten minutes more to demist the top half.

Also road noise on anything but a perfectly smooth surface is terrible.

You need to force the aircon on and set it to blow on the windscreen; Aircon is the best way of demisting a window by far :D

Is there not a button to do this in the Prius actually...? I seem to remember arguing about something like this in another thread some time ago

I do have the front screen demist button pressed, which brings on the aircon and full fan speed to the screen, when trying to demist. If I didn't it wouldn't even demist the bottom half. It seems to me as if the rake of the screen is causing the air to bounce off rather than travel up the screen. This is the worst car for the screen misting up I've driven since the 70s.

[r04drunner1]

I do have the front screen demist button pressed, which brings on the aircon and full fan speed to the screen, when trying to demist. If I didn't it wouldn't even demist the bottom half. It seems to me as if the rake of the screen is causing the air to bounce off rather than travel up the screen. This is the worst car for the screen misting up I've driven since the 70s.

Yours is a Gen 3 isn't it mate? Mine's a Gen 3 as well, I've had it for two years and I don't have that problem. Like you I put the front windscreen demist button on, that puts on the a/c and sets the blower to high speed. But unlike you my screen clears no problem. So your car is a bit puzzling. I am wondering if there is something different about your car - soaked carpets that didn't quite dry out properly? - lots of passengers with damp clothing? - does it need an interior clean of front window? - somebody smoking in the car? Just puzzled and trying to think of possible reasons...

[korat102]

You just can't beat a Ford's quickclear windscreen. When I sold my Mondeo many years ago that was the first thing I missed...and still do...

[korat102]

On page 555 of the owners manual there's dealer options to turn a lot of the Beeps off, hope that helps mate

Thanks Stompe. Only problem is my manual doesn't have that many pages. When I mentioned the subject to the dealer they were not keen on the idea, even hinting it couldn't be done. Are we talking about the same car here? Mine's a 2005 (2nd generation) Prius.

[stompe]

Sorry korat 102, had a senior moment there, lol i thought you had a Generation 3

[ProfZarkov]

Hi

Only had my Gen 3 (not the facelift version ) for only a few months but quite happy with it so far.

It IS a different style of driving and it does take getting used to.

Some things that irk me . . . it is only the basic model but why does the magic key only open the driver's door!!

Should be std to open em all?

Why are there mouldings for LEDS for daylight running but no LEDS?? This must one of the few cars on the planet that needs such things!

Can they be retro fitted?

Slim arm support on the window ledge - makes me feel as if I'm not sitting centrally . .

Luckily the previous owner fitted reversing beepers - this helps stop the annoying "in reverse gear beep", at least ours only beeps when too close!

The demisting (and today for the first time defrosting!) seem OK.

Very annoyed by the spotlight on the gear knob?? Why omit daylight running lights but put a spotlight on my knob!!!??

It's just on the edge of my peripheral view at night, doh. Where's the blue tack . . .?

Electric seats but no heater . . Volvo have had these for 30 yrs or more!!

I suspect more will be added as we go along . .

Steve

[johalareewi]

Some things that irk me . . . it is only the basic model but why does the magic key only open the driver's door!!

Should be std to open em all?

Base model gen3 in the USA didn't have the magic key at all. On the plus side, the 12V Battery will last longer when left for a long time. Only one SKS sensor to power not 5.

Why are there mouldings for LEDS for daylight running but no LEDS?? This must one of the few cars on the planet that needs such things! Can they be retro fitted?

No they can't be retro fitted - they have never been LEDs. I guess it is just bling.

Luckily the previous owner fitted reversing beepers - this helps stop the annoying "in reverse gear beep", at least ours only beeps when too close!

The reverse beep can be switched to a single beep by your dealer, or by yourself if you have a scanguage 2 ;)

Very annoyed by the spotlight on the gear knob?? Why omit daylight running lights but put a spotlight on my knob!!!??

Too much information....

Electric seats but no heater . . Volvo have had these for 30 yrs or more!!

FWIW if you ordered the option pack that included factory fit leather seats, you got heated seats.

[duncanda]

Lots of things have already been mentioned, but I would add a few more irks: lack of distance in EV mode, noise under acceleration, lack of brightness of dipped beam, cheap plasticky interior, cheapo 'clank' when closing doors, rear window on hatch below spoiler gets dirty very quickly (luckily I have rear camera).

But I do enjoy driving it.