Gen2 to Gen4

[RelaxedDrive]

After 6.5 years of Gen2 ownership I am now looking at getting a Gen4. 

I went and sat in a gen4 at the dealers and had some questions/comments:

1. the usb socket is out in the open by the cupholders - is this really where you plug the mp3 stick in for music?  Or is there another socket hidden somewhere? 
2. the seats are definitely lower! I have got used to the high driving position on the gen2.
3. where did all my storage space go!  I guess you get used to it... but I will miss it in the boot.
4. does the voice command button do nothing on models below Excel?
5. how are the displays when using polarised sunglasses,  on my gen2 there were slightly darker but still usable.
6. do the heated seats stay on unless you turn them off?  (can't believe they work like that, but they felt like switches...)
7. is the leather really cold in winter? (I currently have cloth). This is putting me off the Excel, but I would have preferred the better sound system + voice commands.  I do use the latter in my gen2.

By the way, is there a way to sell my gen2 on the forum? I'd rather it went to a good home.  I've just had a new 12v Battery fitted too!

Thanks for any info.

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards selling a car, one can post in the For Sale section, but will need to include an indicative price rather than just ask for offers. When sold by whatever means, please confirm via the topic and the topic will be locked

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/forum/23-for-sale/

[PeteB]

1. This is the only USB socket.  I keep a fairly short USB stick in it, which causes no problems.
2. Agreed.  The whole car is lower, and the rear roof is so low it means I won't go in the back.  Makes it harder for older/less agile people to get in and out.  When I use a taxi, I have to ask them not to send a Gen 4 Prius.
3. This is something I curse every single day - if I could get my hands on whoever in Toyota thought of reducing the previously excellent storage inside the car and in the boot!!!!
4. Can't help (mine's an Excel), but I hardly ever use voice commands anyway.
5. Sorry, don't have any such glasses.  The displays are certainly beautifully clear with my prescription sunglasses on.
6. No, they stay on, but seem to be thermostatically controlled.  Press top of the switch for max heat, bottom for very gentle heat and middle for off.
7. I don't personally find the leather cold in the winter, but others might feel differently.  I like it a lot, and it was major factor in going for the Excel for me.

It's certainly worth a test drive, as in my opinion the Gen 4 has the best driving dynamics of any Prius.  The Gen 2 had the hardest suspension and seats of all versions, and some people after moving from Gen 1 to 2, changed back and bought a second hand Gen 1 again.  Gen 4 is almost as comfortable as the Gen 1, which was the best of all.

It's also worth making sure the Head Up Display is adjusted so you can see it as it's really excellent and something I never want to be without in future.

I particularly love the Adaptive (radar) Cruise Control, which really reduces stress on a long journey.

Most of the tech is good, but I really hate not being able to disable the auto headlights, which have nearly caused 3 accidents so far when they come on unexpectedly in good daylight but shadow from trees or buildings, and for a second people think I've flashed them.  Autonomous Emergency Braking is comforting to have and helped knock £50 off my insurance compared to my previous Gen 3 Prius.  The auto wipers are the first I've been able to live with.

The auto main beam in pretty useless and so it the speed limit sign recognition.  But the all round sensors, rear cross traffic radar and blind spot monitors are excellent.

[BhxTrev]

Although your questions have been adequately answered, I swapped my Prius Gen3 for my Prius Gen 4 in Sept 2016. It’s the Excel version & it’s brilliant! I love driving this car so much better than my Gen3 T-Spirit. No probs with anything & handles so much better. You like the Prius so just go for it though if you’re like me think about the spare wheel. I’ve got the 17in wheel version & wish I’d chosen the 15in with spare version! Oh well next time!! 

[PeteB]

48 minutes ago, BhxTrev said:

...I swapped my Prius Gen3 for my Prius Gen 4... I love driving this car so much better than my Gen3 T-Spirit.

...wish I’d chosen the 15in with spare...

Absolutely agree - I loved my Gen 3 Prius more than anything else I could buy, but I love my Gen 4 even more.

If the deal is still the same, I got a £400 reduction for opting for 15" wheels, and the spare wheel instead of gunge was no extra cost.

[RelaxedDrive]

Thanks for all the info.

Yes, I definitely want the 15" wheels and the spare wheel.  This makes it much harder to find one though (2nd hand).

Comfort is very important to me, so it's good to hear it's better than the gen2!

Does the Carista app let you change settings like the auto-headlights sensitivity level?  I really wish we had a proper off control though.

I am looking forward to all the cool toys such as HUD and active CC. Infact, just having heated wing mirrors will be a novelty!

I get between 52-58mpg(tank to tank calculated) in the gen2, so it would be great to have another 10mpg or so as well!

 

 

[kithmo]

You can always buy a space saver spare, hold down bolt and a jack and cut a hole in the existing foam under the floor. I believe one guy on the US Priuschat forum did it.

I bought the Excel with 17" wheels but managed to get the dealer to order the spare, the jack and the expensive foam pieces that are fitted to the 15" versions as part of the deal. 

[GreenJuice]

I use Polaroid sunglasses and the displays all work OK (just dimmer as with your previous model).

I also find the leather seats are not cold in the winter. Compared to cloth I have found leather cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
@PeteB - I thought you could turn off Auto headlight by rotating on the stalk...?

[PeteB]

26 minutes ago, GreenJuice said:

...@PeteB - I thought you could turn off Auto headlight by rotating on the stalk...?

Not on mine!

Stalk only has AUTO, side and head positions.  I can manually switch to side or head, but not prevent lights from working automatically if not on either of these settings.

I think this ought to be illegal.

I've turned down the sensitivity in the menus and dealer confirmed that's as low as the sensitivity can be set.

The handbook does show two types of switch, one has an off position as well, but I've not seen any Gen 4 Prius that has the other type - does yours?

My dealer tried to obtain he other type of switch but has been unable to.

Also a damn nuisance if I park in READY mode to keep heat or A/C on in poor light, as I am forced to have at least parking lights on (and remember to turn them off again afterwards).  The headlights will even come on if I go to IGN (all warning lights on, but not READY), which would cause a rapid flattening of the 12V Battery if used for a while.

It's one of my two biggest (and only) hates about the Gen 4, along with the reduced glove-box and under boot space.  I've seen loads of grumbles about the auto headlights on various sites, including one who said it would stop him buying a Gen 4.

At least the road sign, auto dipping and auto wipers can be switch off (latter only by dealer for some reason).

[Starmans]

8 hours ago, PeteB said:

Not on mine!

Stalk only has AUTO, side and head positions.  I can manually switch to side or head, but not prevent lights from working automatically if not on either of these settings.

It's one of my two biggest (and only) hates about the Gen 4, along with the reduced glove-box and under boot space.

Nor on my Business Plus Gen 4 either although I did notice the option within the manual.

My previous car had the option to completely switch off auto headlights and I figured that was a require EU standard unfortunately not :)

[kithmo]

I think US versions have the "OFF" position on the switch, not sure about Europe (left hand drive).

[QuantumFireball]

17 hours ago, PeteB said:

Not on mine!

Stalk only has AUTO, side and head positions.  I can manually switch to side or head, but not prevent lights from working automatically if not on either of these settings.

I think this ought to be illegal.

I've turned down the sensitivity in the menus and dealer confirmed that's as low as the sensitivity can be set.

The handbook does show two types of switch, one has an off position as well, but I've not seen any Gen 4 Prius that has the other type - does yours?

My dealer tried to obtain he other type of switch but has been unable to.

Also a damn nuisance if I park in READY mode to keep heat or A/C on in poor light, as I am forced to have at least parking lights on (and remember to turn them off again afterwards).  The headlights will even come on if I go to IGN (all warning lights on, but not READY), which would cause a rapid flattening of the 12V battery if used for a while.

It's one of my two biggest (and only) hates about the Gen 4, along with the reduced glove-box and under boot space.  I've seen loads of grumbles about the auto headlights on various sites, including one who said it would stop him buying a Gen 4.

At least the road sign, auto dipping and auto wipers can be switch off (latter only by dealer for some reason).

I don't know if it's the same with auto lights, but on mine if I start the car with the parking brake engaged, the DRLs will stay off until I start driving.

I'm not sure why you find the auto lights so dangerous though. I had automatic lights (dipped beams only) in my '02 Peugeot 406 for many years and they never caused me any trouble. If they're dazzling other drivers when they switch on, maybe they need adjustment? I had to manually lower the LED dipped beams in my '12 as they they were too high - the automatic adjustment has a limited range.

[PeteB]

This is about headlights, not DRLs.

The headlights can turn themselves on or off without warning while driving if going into shade, for example.

If someone is waiting to turn or step into the road just in front, thinks I'm giving way, it can and has caused some close shaves. 

[QuantumFireball]

Yeah I know it's not about DRLs - I'm just wondering if the dipped beams also do not turn on if you start the car with the parking brake engaged?

In my 406 if the lights turned on, they would stay on for a good half minute or so at least. Are you saying in your Prius they could essentially flash if they're indecisive about how dark it is?

[PeteB]

2 minutes ago, QuantumFireball said:

1 ...wondering if the dipped beams also do not turn on if you start the car with the parking brake engaged?

2 ...Are you saying in your Prius they could essentially flash if they're indecisive about how dark it is?

1 Brake makes no difference.  Just pressing Start twice to shut a window for example will bring the dipped lights on (when dark enough). 

2 Yes.  Well, not flash, they will come on and stay on for as long as the system thinks it's dark enough.

Strangely, sometimes when thick cloud makes it seem really dark, they don't come on.

It happens any time the system is on (READY) or even if I just get the ignition circuits on (warning lights come on - 2 presses of Start button without foot on brake pedal).

Someone waiting to move in front can momentarily think I've flashed them as soon as the lights suddenly come on.  The fact that the DRLs simultaneously switch off doesn't seem offset this perception.

[Jolly English Gentleman]

I have made the very same journey - and yes the reduction in hidden storage space is a sacrifice, but there are many gains - particularly fuel consumption, heated seats and the heads up display - the Sat Nav is also much improved. You can at last enter a full postcode.

Re the headlights, yes they can have a mind of their own. I think mine has an off position on the stalk - I will check. I have not had it long enough to be an issue. If it does it may be because mine was one of several that Toyota provided to the press for test purposes. 

[RelaxedDrive]

A few more thoughts if I may:

1. Is there anywhere to put small amounts of paper/rubbish out of sight?  e.g. can you get a lid for one of the cupholders?
2. There was no info on the voice command button on non-excel models, so I assume it does nothing. 
3. I keep reading about cracked windscreens on prius chat, is this really an issue? Or more importantly, did the cars starting in 2017 have a better windscreen?! (i.e. should I avoid 2016 cars?)
4. Are people happy with the non-JBL stereo?  The gen2 JBL is ok, once you disconnect that useless centre speaker in the dash!

Thanks!

[PeteB]

1. The Toyota ashtray is about the size of a coke tin, fits nicely, and has a lid.  My dealer gave me one FoC with my Gen 3 Prius, and I rescued it and it now lives in my Gen 4.
2. Voice works fine on my Excel (not that I use it much), I think you may be right about lower spec models, but not absolutely sure myself.
3. Not sure what if any changes have been made since the 2016 model, but I've got 2 stone chips in mine.  One is tiny, the other a small star of cracks that Autoglass did a repair.  It's still visible, but Autoglass say it shouldn't get any worse and if it does they will replace the screen at no further cost (not sure if that will include re-calibrating the cameras etc).  It's out of the way near the bottom of the passenger side, but I can't help wondering whether it will cause problems with the MoT when the time comes. [more thoughts below].
4. Personally, I'm very happy with the JBL system.  I don't use it a lot of the time because I love the peace and quiet of the car, but music from my USB stick sounds very good to my (admittedly unsophisticated) ears, and when I occasionally use the DAB radio it's works surprisingly well, especially considering I'm in deepest darkest East Anglia coast by the Norfolk/Suffolk border, where mobile phone coverage is still only just better than third world (we do now have mains electricity though!).

I think screens are more vulnerable than of old as:

1. being much more steeply raked for aerodynamics, they are more than twice the size of a typical screen when they were nearly vertical, so more area to hit and I suspect the bigger size increases the chance of a stone hit causing damage
2. screen and window glass has got thinner over the years to save weight, which presumably also makes it weaker
3. Laminated screens have two sheets of very thin glass with a type of plastic layer in between, again the thin outer layer is probably much more vulnerable, although the overall safety benefits of the laminated design are undeniable.  I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying the old toughened windscreens were harder the break, but made a frightening bang when they did and made a right mess with all the pea sized pieces of glass that resulted.  They could also be dangerous if the whole screen crazed but stayed in place as the driver needed to simultaneously stop the car, punch a hole to see though, and deal with the shock from the loud 'explosion' sound it made.

[RelaxedDrive]

Just a followup, I had a Aygo courtesy car recently (2018 plate) and it had 4 settings on the lights stalk: auto, dipped main, side and 0 - which I presume is off!

Why does an Aygo get the off option when the Prius does not?

It makes me wonder if you could fit that Aygo switch/stalk in a Prius?!

[PeteB]

Every other Toyota and Lexus I've seen or driven which had auto lights (including Gen 3 with Tech Pack) did have the off position.

I'll ask my dealer again if they can check whether any other stalk will fit.

Also, re your comment above about windscreens, did you see this? - 

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

As the Aygo is built by a Joint Venture set up with PSA, rather than Toyota themselves, PSA would have had input into the design and some components may well be sourced from PSA suppliers.

[RelaxedDrive]

> Also, re your comment above about windscreens, did you see this? -

Yes, many thanks for the info.

 

[RelaxedDrive]

I'm still looking for a gen4 replacement for my gen2 and a dealer mentioned he found a possibility, but I am having alarm bells because:

• the car has 17" wheels and a space saver tyre - is that something that toyota would even sell?  It's not a valid combo in the brochure I have!
• they have suggested changing the wheels to 15", but will that affect the registration document and/or the insurance?

I'm thinking I should just wait and get something with the correct original spec!

 

[kithmo]

Mine has 17" wheels and a space saver spare. The 2016 Toyota Prius car builder website had the spare as a no cost option at the time. Mine was a pre-stocked (brand new) car but had a gunge repair kit in it and as part of the deal I got the spare wheel and associated foam surrounds for it as part of the purchase deal.

[PeteB]

I think you'll find the Gen 4 Prius spec builder only allowed the choice of a spare wheel on the top two trim levels IF 15" wheels were specified.

A number of owners reported that they had purchased the spare wheel and tools separately, some on eBay or similar.  A few also reported that their dealers were not prepared to sell the space saver for owners of cars with 17" wheels because "the computer said they weren't available" for such cars.   This despite the fact that Gen 3 Prius models came with a spare wheel (except for cars with the sunroof and plug-ins, which got the gunge) whether the 15" or 17" were fitted, and the rim sizes were the same as those for the Gen 4.

Buying a car with 17" wheels and switching to 15" wouldn't be a technical problem, but you'd need to check with insurers every time you get a quote because it's a change from the original spec of the car.  You'd probably find that most wouldn't give any problems, but a few might be difficult (one insurer refused to quote for my car because it had the thin rubber side body mouldings on the doors to protect against careless door opening by others!).