Comments on: 2010 Toyota Prius Review: Kids and Safety

By: 2011 Honda Odyssey Review Part I: Kids, Family and Safety

2011 Honda Odyssey Review Part I: Kids, Family and Safety — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:33:13 +0000

[...] on the new Odyssey, even though they are already appearing in some non-luxury vehicles like the 2010 Prius I reviewed a year [...]

By: Safety of the Prius - Page 2 - PriusChat Forums

Safety of the Prius - Page 2 - PriusChat Forums — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:48:34 +0000

[...] the difference in rear impacts to be the least meaningful. This may be of interest to you- 2010 Toyota Prius Review: Kids and Safety [...]

By: CPSDarren

CPSDarren — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:44:20 +0000

Fuel economy has been slowly rising as temperatures have increased. Some tanks were well below 40mpg actual mileage. I suspect that the overall fuel economy will still be about 50mpg after a year, but the very poor winter performance will keep it from the great numbers we saw in the summer and fall. I also have a safety concern to mention. This is not one due to the ongoing Toyota recalls or related issues. This is a real design issue. If you accidentally run out of fuel, it may not be as simple as getting a gallon of gas to make it to the gas station for a fill. You may find it very difficult to start the Prius or put it in gear. It happened to my wife, and Toyota service told her you needed a tow if you ran out of fuel to reset everything. We managed to get it started after a 30 minute ordeal, but it is definitely not like what happens in a conventional gasoline car. In fact, Toyota says in their Prius FAQ that, “though Prius can operate in electric-only mode when gasoline is in the tank, it is not designed to run without gasoline. Doing so could cause severe damage to the hybrid system, so drivers should be sure to keep gas in the tank at all times.” Of course you never want to run out of gas, but it can happen. If you drive a Prius, it may not just be a minor inconvenience. It could be a real safety issue if you are stranded for an extended period and require a tow instead of a gallon of gas. Not to mention the cost for the tow and any potential repairs to the severe damage to the hybrid system!

By: bigteamug

bigteamug — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:42:04 +0000

There is one thing to be said for the reverse beep, though – somebody backed into me and tried to way that I backed into them (I was stationary and had the car in drive) – when I explained that my car beeps and I would KNOW that I was in reverse without question, they were held accountable. Whew!

By: Buying a Safe Car

Buying a Safe Car — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:45:48 +0000

[...] Comments CPSDarren on 2010 Toyota Prius Review: Kids and SafetyBabyKaykes on Wishful ThinkingCPSDarren on Graco My Ride 65 Review FollowupDan on Graco My Ride 65 [...]

By: CPSDarren

CPSDarren — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:16:17 +0000

With colder temperatures and the winter gas blend you get in big cities like Chicago, our mileage as steadly dropped over the last few tanks. It’s now in the mid 40s. Apparently, hybrids suffer more in cold weather as the engine runs less and doesn’t stay warm. The batteries and electronics tend to be less efficient, too. According to our dealer and reports on PriusChat, a 10mpg drop isn’t unusual. A bit of a bummer, but still double the mileage of the car it replaced. Winter has made another issue worse, too. The salt and grime on the rear glass make the lower section useless and the small area covered by the wiper look even worse than before. I’ve also noticed the very slanted rake of the A-pillars tend to block the view to the right side sometimes, too. Overall, I’d say the visibility in the Prius is just acceptable. Not bad, but not particularly good, either. On the plus side, the dealer turned off the annoying reverse beeping at our first oil change!

By: CPSDarren

CPSDarren — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:01:33 +0000

Priuschat is great. For 2010, apparently it requires the dealer to disable it and some dealers are trying to charge an arm and a leg for the service:/

By: Pamela

Pamela — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:42:09 +0000

You can turn off the annoying back up beeping – google it and you’ll find tutorials. priuschat.com is a great website for lots of prius stuff. we love love love ours and it’s GREEN (2008 model).

By: CPSDarren

CPSDarren — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:13:08 +0000

Three more tanks of gas, all above 500 miles and above 50 miles per gallon. Fuel economy is holding steady in the low 50s. No issues with the car at all so far. Of the dislikes, the only one that really stands out for me after a couple months is the really feeble rear window wiper.

By: Jeanum

Jeanum — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:56:39 +0000

Belated thanks for your informative, thorough review, Darren. DH tagged along to the Toyota dealer with me today while our Scion was due for some routine service. I couldn’t resist having him get behind the wheel of the ‘10 Prius demo there out of curiosity to see how he fit in it. I’ve ranted before about DH’s difficulties in finding cars that have adequate headroom for him to safely and comfortably drive, and the previous generation Prius was a no go in that regard. The redesign for 2010, on the other hand, which moved the roof’s apex farther back and upped the front headroom, and also included a height adjustable driver’s seat, now has enough front headroom so that DH does fit. That puts the Prius back on the list of realistic and practical possibilities for us if and when we ever replace either of our current vehicles.