Is the New Toyota Prius Roofline a Mistake?
Tom Martin
2010 Prius
The old roofline was sloped so that headroom was compromised (5'10" and lower only in the rear). The new one looks the same to me. Is this a mistake?
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Ducati Minor
No. Depending on what I'm taking, I'm usually under 5'10". The one benefit of that I cherish is that I can fit into anything.
Mena
That's beautiful. Slobber.
Tom Martin
So, you're saying Toyota was smart to design the new Prius so that no SOB taller than you would fit in the back?
Mena
I think it was a mistake. They just alienated families with taller children.
Anonymous
No I don't think so. the Prius is all about MPG. Aero dynamic design give you MPG. So short guys get better milage.
Anonymous
I drive a 05 Prius and I am 6'-3",headroom is not a problem. I have also sat in the back seat with no problem with headroom.
Anonymous
When you were in the back, you were lying down, right?
Anonymous
LOL. The back of the Prius is not comfortable at all. I'm 5'11" and find myself slouching/ducking when sitting in the back seat. It doesn't help that the seats have no support whatsoever. By the time I leave the car (1 hour drive to and from work), my back is killing me.
beeper
I am also 6-3. When we bought our 2005 Prius I was concerned about the rear seat headroom. We have two boys, at the time a 13 year old who was about 5-10 and now a 11 year old about 5-6 and that 12 year old is now 17and 6-2. It is not a happy place for him to be anymore. I've attempted to sit in back and I wouldn't last back there more than a couple of minutes. Having said that we do love the car and in fact may well be in the market for another one in late 2009.
Anonymous
Doesn't look that much different..........
Etdweasel
As the owner of a current Prius, that roof line's just fine by me. Every curve & angle in that body is there by design to reduce drag and, thereby, fuel consumption. You don't fit in this car? Buy a Camry Hybrid. Frankly, I'm hoping for a smaller car when Prius becomes a whole family of cars. A two seat, Yaris hatch-sized car would be good. And when, oh when will we finally get the Sienna Hybrid? Toyota could blow Chrysler outta the water with that one...
SHO Continental
I've driven a Prius. At 6'5" I had no problem fitting in the drivers seat. Can't say about the rear though.
Anonymous
Ya, right... Toyota really screwed up. But GM has the answer--the Tahoe Hybrid. So we can all agree that GM's future is brighter than Toyota's, right?
quattro guy
I love it, and they expect our
reprentatives to trust them with our money??? LOLManoj
Dear Anonymous
R U some kinda Birdbrain.
JF
Seriously, how much mpg would it really cost to make the back of the roof about an inch or so higher for taller people. It might take away 1-2 mpg on the highway, but it would be worth it if people taller than average height were able to actually sit in the back seat.
ALH
I think that the percentage of Prius-miles (kilometers here in Canada!) where this might be an issue is probably a small fraction of 1%. Meanwhile, that lost 1 - 2 mpg would be affecting 100% of the Prius-miles. That equals a lot of wasted fuel!
AudiQuattroNut
I just read in some car magazine that Toyota considers the roof line iconic in the manner of a 911 body being iconic. I seem to see a similar shape to the Volt body style that will someday go into production. Did the Volt also have that extra rear window?
My feeling as a mechanical engineer and former Ford engine designer is that the Prius is the best overall efficiency / interior room/ weight vehicle yet made by humans.
I'm impressed.
Anonymous
Well, that's it. I am simply not going to take my twin giraffes with me for any more outings.
Anonymous
........It really doesn't make any difference to the American car buyer. As long as it's made in Japan we'll make all kinds of excuses for buying it. It can be cramped, looks like "hell", anything out of the ordinary---safety be damned,etc. We are so hood-winked when it comes to buying Japanese,etc. Oh, and I almost forgot.....remember what all the car simples said about the Prius look-a-like the Pontiac Aztek?
brian mcnally
WHO CARES, back to Smugville, people are short and slow there.
i6
They need to turn the rear seats around 180 deg if they want to retain that roofline while providing more head room.
But no it's not a mistake, the sloping roof retains the uniquely identifiable shape that communicates "this is a hybrid". That's an important component of the the Prius' success over other hybrids
BillS
Which is why the new Honda Insight has the Prius roofline.
Rayel
It's not new, it's a minor update of the same care. The body structure sets the capability for chaning the roofline and since they wanted to keept the body side ring panels, to save money, there cannot be a change in the roofline. Very few cars are truly new, due to the hundreds of millions of dollars it takes to make new dies and body structures. Looks nicer, but much of the hype is just that.
PriusConvert
The roof arch in the new prius is slightly taller at the back to allow extra headroom
Seyth Miersma
PriusConvert is right, the new car has considerably more room in the rear seats, including headroom. If you look at the new and current cars side-by-side, you can clearly see that the peak of the roof has been moved towards the back, allowing for much taller folks back there. Check out our review right here.
Seyth Miersma
Managing Editor
Winding Road//NextAutos
trandy
Now I am not the biggest fan of the Prius business model, but I can certainly appreciate its design and aim. The fact of the matter is, rear headroom numbers aren't nearly as impressive as ratcheting up the miles per gallon. That is, after all, the main reason people go out to buy this car. If you are willing to sacrifice miles per gallon for head room, you have plenty of other options. (ALH). Until the greater populous can give up the "one person, one car" ideal, headroom just isn't going to be a big deal.
PS I think the Prius roofline is distinct and highly recognizable, not exactly a thing of beauty but nowhere near the tragedy that was the Aztek. It is a functional shape and that's what I like about it most.