Mr. Pirillo spends a great deal of his time in front of the camera making videos related to technology and pretty much anything else he  finds interesting. Today I ran across a nearly 12 minute video he made and uploaded to YouTube in early October of 2009. With tens of thousands of hours of video experience, he is a natural at this. In fact, Toyota might well have considered Chris over the Blue Man Group when they first introduced the redesigned Gen III Prius.

Chris…next time you are in Central Iowa please look me up and bring your camera man. We can make a short video of us racing - your loaded up 2010 Prius V against my more conservative 2010 Prius III. Oh, and I should mention that I’ll be in Power mode while you are watching your hybrid system indicator. It will surely be another global sensation.

Just kidding Chris – you are an expert hypermiler and thanks for the review! Lastly, if you need help turning off those annoying reverse beeps, drop me a line. While you may be the #1 Chris on Google, I own the same position for an equally as competitive phrase - 2010 Prius biggest complaint.

My kids have become experts at the Prius Punch game since we started playing it a few weeks ago, so with everyone trying to protect their arms from any more bruises, it is seldom we pass a Prius without someone spotting it. Even so, here in central Iowa I rarely see a Gen III Toyota Prius (or a Gen I, for that matter). And even though the 2nd Generation and 3rd Generation models look totally different to me, I sometimes think I’m seeing a new model only to find out it’s a Generation 2 version when I get close enough to tell.

For this reason, I thought it might be helpful to compare the second and third gen Prius’ to point out a few of the most visible exterior differences using side-by-side photos (or top/bottom in this case).

Front View

One of the first things you will notice when comparing the Gen II (above) and Gen III (below) is the length of the grill. Also, the Toyota emblem is more pronounced (with a blue background) on the new model. Lastly, the fog lights/covers on the Gen III model are rectangular and have been incorporated into the outer edges of the front bumper area.

Side View

From the side, the main thing I look for is the fuel door. It has changed from being square (Gen II) to round (Gen III). Also, the ‘04-’09 models have the indentation across the bottom of the doors.

Rear View

Once again, the Toyota emblem is easier to see on the Gen III with its blue fill. Even better, the Prius lettering and Hybrid Synergy Drive logo are in line with the emblem, and all three are above the license plate on the Gen III.

There are lots of differences between the exterior of the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, and the 2010 model. When these hybrids are parked and you can get up close, it becomes easy to distinguish one from the other. When they are zooming by you, coming at you, or have already passed you at a more than 30 miles per hour, it’s not quite so easy.

To spot a Gen III that is on the move, try to look for rectangular fog lights in the front, a round fuel door from the side, and badges/logos above the license plate from the back. Again, if you can only see the passenger side, the Generation III doesn’t have the indentation in the lower area of the doors (the Gen II does).

So, how do you tell these two cars apart when they aren’t sitting still?

1.  There is a small LED light mounted in the overhead console and it shines down on the shift lever. Besides adding light to the lever when it is dark, I don’t know what it does.

2.  When you approach the Prius and open the driver’s side door, you hear an strange sound that lasts just a few seconds. This is the brake boost pump being activated to make sure you have sufficient pressure when you first take off. If you wait more than a couple of minutes to start the Prius, the pressure is reduced and you have a hard time braking properly until the car has been driven a block or two. I especially notice this when backing out of the driveway. The brakes can be really touchy and they grab a lot if I wait too long.

3.  There are no belts on the Prius engine. Instead, the water pump and air conditioner compressor run on electricity.

4.  The Prius has alloy rims. You just can’t see them very well, because they are covered by plastic wheel covers.

5.  All four windows are equipped with the auto up and auto down feature, not just the driver’s window like most cars.

6.  The 2010 Toyota Prius requires synthetic oil.

7.  On the left side of the driver’s seat, there is a small storage area on the floor. I’ve never seen one in that location on another car before.

8.  There is a vent in the backseat, just to the right of the right rear passenger seatback. This is an intake vent to keep the hybrid battery cooler, so you shouldn’t block it with anything. See the picture above.

9.  The 3rd generation Prius is more than a full second faster the the previous model in accelerating from 0 to 60 miles per hour. Now it only takes 9.8 seconds!

10. The plastic and foam materials used in the interior (seats, dash, trim, etc.) are not made from petroleum (like most vehicles) but instead are derived from plants. The ecological plastic emits less CO2 during manufacturing and throughout the life cycle of the car when compared to oil based plastics.

I’m sure there are lots of other interesting facts and near useless tidbits of information about this most incredible hybrid, so feel free to add more to the comments section below and I’ll update this post with more in the future.

Prior to buying it, I owned several small to mid-sized sport utility vehicles (Honda CR-V, Lexus RX, Mercedes ML, and Toyota Highlander) and I always felt that sitting up a little higher gave me greater visibility, and because SUVs were larger and heavier than average sized vehicles, they would provide me with more protection in an accident. Even with the increased rollover risk, right or wrong, I figured that sticking with a 20 MPG SUV was safer than buying a smaller car, like the Gen II or Gen III Prius.

One crash test video I’d seen when doing my research is below, and it shows a Generation 2 Prius going head to head with a much larger sport utility vehicle. In my opinion, the SUV faired better than the Prius, but I’m no expert so I’ll let you be the judge as to how well or poorly either vehicle performed.

If you are interested, here is a link to several more Prius crash test videos – but he main reason I’m writing this article is because the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (iihs) just announced that the 3rd Generation, 2010 Toyota Prius earned their Top Safety Pick award. When I read the news I wanted to know more.

First of all, in order for a vehicle to become a Top Safety Pick, it must have electronic stability control and it must earn a “good” rating on all three crash tests (front, side, and rear). While good doesn’t sound great, it is in fact the best rating given. The other ratings are acceptable, marginal and poor.

The IIHS side impact crash test simulates an SUV or pickup truck hitting the tested vehicle at 31 mph. The frontal trials mimic a 40 mph offset crash with another vehicle in the same weight as the test car. The rear sled test simulates the stationary test vehicle being rear-ended by one going 20 mph.

Earlier this year Forbes had an article that highlighted the most dangerous vehicles, based on these same crash tests and others from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Chevy Trailblazer and Jeep Libery (SUVs), Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent (small sedans), and Ford Ranger (small pickup) all made Forbes’ list, not one you want to be on by the way. My point in mention the article is that contrary to what some believe, not every car gets a good rating…it is earned. From what I’ve read, only about 1 in 3 small cars earn a Good rating.

According to an article in the New York Times, the IIHS didn’t actually do their own front and side crash tests on the 2010 Prius, but instead relied on prior crash test data from Toyota on the Gen II model. I couldn’t find this mention on the IIHS website, but with the Gen III Prius being totally redesigned – I don’t think we should rely on old data, even if this is now the standard.

Earning the IIHS Top Safety award is the best any vehicle can do, so in that regard I’m glad to hear the news. At the same time, the laws of physics don’t change because of it. Now we wait for the NHTSA report and hopefully some video to back it up.

1. Split Rear Windows – The first thing I noticed when test driving the 3rd generation Prius was how poor the visibility was when looking in my rear view mirror. As part of the hatchback design, the back window area has two separate glass sections, with a fairly wide strip that is not glass running horizontally between them. For me, this creates an unwanted blind spot and it took some getting used to. Some owners like the split window, stating that when a higher profile vehicle (such as a truck or SUV) pulls up behind them at night, in blocks the glare for their headlights.
2. EV Mode Button – I tried using EV about a dozen times during the first month I owned my Prius. Even when the hybrid battery was well charged and all the electric sucking devices were turned off or disconnected, I could only travel a 2-3 blocks at less than 15 mph before the engine kicked in. Essentially, it is useless. I know a plug-in Prius is coming, but on this model I’d get rid of the EV button.
3. Coin Holder Compartment – When you lift the center armrest to access anything you might have in that storage area (for me, my Trident) there is a small black tray that could be used as a coin holder. Unfortunately, if you want to plug in your iPod or put something under that so-called coin tray, all the coins get spilled. This car could use another area to put your spare change. For now, I’m tossing in the cubby area below the shift lever on my center console. Putting stuff down there is very easy for others to see, even from outside the car…so it can become kind of messy if you’re not careful.
4. Ground Clearance – Three days after I purchased my Prius I pulled into a parking lot and scraped the front edge of my new Prius on the curb/sidewalk. I was just sick as I backed up a few inches, scraping all the way, and proceeded to the front of the car to access the damage. Fortunately, none of the scratches were visible. You would think that would have been the last time that happened, but over the past 7 weeks it has occured 2-3 more times. Never have I owned a car that had such low clearance. I’m guessing it was all part of the design, to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. To me, it’s still a drag. When we get 8 inches of snow this Winter, I’ll be plowing my way to the main road, hoping it has been plowed.
5. Sunglasses Holder Compartment – Have you seen the sunglass holder on the 3rd Gen Prius? I own 4 pair of sunglasses, all of which I would consider normal size for a man. None will fit in the holder, or I should say, all will fit but I can’t close the hatch. Is this really for sunglasses, or am I supposed to put my false teeth in there? Come on Toyata, make that area a little bit larger please!
6. Retracting/Sliding Arm Rest Lid Cover – I liked this at first, now…not so much. Basically, to access the storage area beneath the center console arm rest you first have to push a lever and slide the armrest back. This also gives you access to the 2nd cupholder. The bad news is that your armrest gets pushed into the leg area of the backseat. If someone is sitting back there (passenger #5), it ends up right between their knees. Even with only two kids in the back, it’s easy for someone to kick or bump this when moving around or getting out.
7. Lumbar Support – I’m over 6 feet tall and there is plenty of headroom for me when driving. I’m not a big fan of the front seats, as they aren’t terribly comfortable after more than about an hour of driving. One thing that would really help would be a little lumbar support. Several of my previous rides had this, and even the manual ones with only a three lumbar settings where helpful. I imagine you can buy some kind of device that provides a little lumbar support, but it would be nice if Toyota added this to the next revision.
8. Fog Lights – Search for a picture of the front of a 2010 model (or open this picture of my Prius). Do you see that gray, rectangular shaped piece of gray plastic (with a circle shape inside) where the fog lights should be? They are directly below the front turn signals. Let me tell you, these are not attractive fog lamp covers. I guess if you buy the Prius V package, there are integrated fog lamps rather than these cheap looking covers. I have a package III, so I need to either buy lamps, paint my covers black to look like the rest of the car, or learn to live with them.
9. Storage Spaces – Most cars I’ve owned had more storage spaces that could be reached while in the front or back seat, compared to what this Prius has. Not a lot of places to put your CD cases (if you are old school and still listen to them) and the center compartment below the armrest doesn’t hold much, especially if you have your ipod and cell phone adaptors plugged in there. I have a couple of packs of gum and a pen, and it seems crowded.
10. Improved Navigation Screen – I didn’t spend the extra money to get a navigation screen (I am really happy with the portable one I already own) but I hear that a lot of new owners are unhappy with the colors, functionality, software and resolution.

Even with these ten things I wish Toyota would change about the new, 3rd generation Toyota Prius…I still really like this car. Did I tell you it’s getting 50 miles per gallon? So, if you own one…what would you change?

I’m guessing the engineers had good intentions when they made this bleeping beeping noise the default setting from the factory. Probably the easiest way to imagine what it sounds like is to compare it to the noise you hear when a garbage disposal truck (or similarly equipped large vehicle) backs up. The difference is, nobody outside of the vehicle hears the noise. It’s not like it is there to tell everyone…”Hey you, look out now, I’m backing up my Prius here!”. What it tells you (the driver, passengers, and other occupants) is, “Hurry up and back this hybrid up…nobody can stand this noise any longer!”.

The good news is that it is possible to turn off this annoying beep…well, sort of. If you take your ‘10 Prius back to a Toyota dealer (preferably the one you purchased it from), some of them have the necessary laptop, software, and knowledge to change it from a constant beeping sound to just one (uno) reminder beep. That would solve a lot of headaches and complaints. Better yet, if you’ve ordered a Gen III and you are waiting for the boat (from Japan) to arrive, ask you salesperson or manager to program this before you take delivery. That way you might not get charged for the change, and you’ll avoid the issue all together.

In addition to getting this changed, there are several other settings and customization options. Most of them have to be changed by your dealer (including how the fob unlocks the doors, time elapsed before automatic door lock, buzzer volume, how doors lock when you shift out of park, light sensor sensitivity, time for headlights to automatically turn off, etc.). In case you want to read about them all, here are the six pages of the 2010 Prius Owner’s Manual Customizations in pdf.

From what I’ve read, there is no other way to turn off the beeping noise you hear when backing up. Don’t waste your time…call your dealer and make an appointment (unless you actually like it…and then, enjoy!).

Update 8/26/2009: Just wanted to let everyone know that I got my backup beep issue resolved today. I was due for my first oil change at 5,000 miles (all synthetic by the way, and $55) so I emailed the service department and salesperson in advance, telling both that I wanted to have the beeps switched from constant to just one beep. Not much of a reply from them except that it shouldn’t be an issue. When I arrived for the appointment, I let the assigned technician know that I wanted this changed. He said he’d take care of it.

45 minutes later, the tech met me in the waiting area with bad news. He said the options were to leave the beeps as they were, or change them to one constant, nonstop beeping noise. I told him that I’d researched this and emailed everything I could find about how to fix it. The tech agreed to print my email and try again. 5 minutes later he returned with good news. The issue was resolved.

Bottom line…this can be done and it appears to be quite easy, but you’d be wise to send the above link or printed version of the .pdf to your service tech in advance. In the end, mine didn’t charge me for the work, and even though I know it took less than five minutes, you might not be so lucky. Good luck…my beeping nightmare has ended!

Black:

Barcelona Red Metallic:

Sandy Beach Metallic:

Blue Ribbon Metallic:

Winter Gray Metallic:

Classic Silver Metallic:

Blizzard Pearl:

Those of you who either own last year’s 2009 Generation II Prius (Gen 2) or have seen one you liked might be surprised to learn that some color options are no longer available. These include Spectra Mica Blue, Seaside Pearl, Silver Pine Mica, Driftwood Pearl, Magnetic Gray Metallic, and Super White. Guess we’ll have to wait to see if some of these colors return in the 2011 Prius as quite a few popular choices were dropped or replaced.

Here is a chart of the colors you can get on the 2010 version:

Interior fabric color options include:

Dark Gray
Bisque
Misty Gray

Bisque cloth, leather	Dark Gray cloth, leather
Misty Gray cloth, leather

I’ve spent some time on the official Toyota Prius website and although they have some photos and images in a few of these color options, they don’t seem to have them all. I will try to reach someone from Toyota to see if they will point me to them, or send them to me. Then I will add them here. I’d also like to provide you with more information about which exterior colors can be ordered/combined with which interior fabric colors.

7/29/09 update: Bill Kwong (Product Communication Specialist at Toyota) directed me to the information I was looking for, so the images have now been added. Thanks again Bill!

* color chart and swatches (above) are courtesy of Edmunds.com where you can get even more details.

1. EV (sometimes referred to as Stealth Mode): Choosing this mode helps to keep the vehicle in all electric mode longer than the others. Under perfect conditions, EV will allow you to reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour for 1/2 to 1 mile.

2. ECO Mode (Economy Mode): This mode maximizes fuel savings across all driving conditions. It smooths out (modifies) the electronic throttle control program, thus reducing throttle response. It also changes air conditioning operation in an effort to reduce fuel consumption. Just how much will ECOmode save you in gas? Some report 10-20% improvements by driving in Eco all the time.

3. PWR Mode (Power Mode): Want to accelerate a little faster? Power mode provides an immediate response when you step on the gas. This is probably the least efficient mode, but it helps when you need to keep up with traffic and/or merge onto a busy interstate. (Note – I use this mode most often, and currently average about 51 MPG.)

4. Normal Mode: We asked Bill Kwong, Toyota Product Communications Specialist, to clear up the confusion about this 4th driving mode – since unlike the others, it can’t be selected by pushing one of the handy buttons. According to Mr. Kwong, “Iif you do not select a drive mode, then you are in normal hybrid mode”. Since there aren’t any special circumstances here, it is probably easiest to define this mode based on how it differs from the other three.

So, is there a default driving mode? Yes and no. If you have the Prius in Normal or Eco mode when you turn it off, this is the mode you are in the next time you start the vehicle. At the same time, if your were in Power or EV mode when you last drove, you will start in Normal mode next time.

Bottom line is, the mode you select will likely depend on your driving conditions and what kind of driver you are. With the exception of EV mode, I like to think of it this way. If you want to get a quick start from a dead stop, it’s easiest to do with Power mode. You don’t need to slam the pedal to the floor, as pushing it down just a little does the trick. If you are trying to eeck a few more miles out of each gallon, ECO mode helps you do so without even thinking. You actually have to press the pedal down much further to accelerate. Normal mode is somewhere in between.

Purely from a “save at the pump” perspective, closely monitoring your driving mode in an effort to improve from 50 mpg to 55 mpg may not be worth the effort. In my quick analysis, if you drive 15,000 miles per year and gas averages $2.50/gal – you might save $70 a year. I prefer to keep up with traffic, which seems safer for several reasons.