Prius c troubleshooting tip

For the Prius c and probably all other upper package 2012 Prii.

My 2012 Prius c recently started giving me problems when connecting my iPhone to it. It would just load either, for a very long time or non-stop. Sometimes, afterwards, the entertainment system would crash and be useless until the car was powered off and back on.

Turns out, the problem was somehow linked to recently upgrading iOS6.

A simple and quick hard reset on the phone and now it connects via USB in seconds and plays just fine.

My problems with the Prius c

I just finished my seventh as second driver to the new Prius c. It’s a package IV in black metallic pearl with a sunroof.

But that’s not my problem.

It’s not Priusy enough. For me.

My wife, who is first driver, loves it. I don’t. I don’t dislike it. I enjoy driving it. The MPG we’ve pulled out of the car without really trying is fine. Consumer Reports just rated it as one of the most reliable cars you can buy right now.

My problems are mostly my own. I hate the floor mounted shifter. I the computer system in it is slow and the touchscreen is more of a push hard screen. The telematics are better, in many ways, than other previous Prii but also worse. The nav is slow, clunky and neutered by a “Confirm” screen as well as being disabled while the vehicle is moving (as it is with all other Prii).

For me, it’s the conscious decisions Toyota made to make this vehicle more “mainstream” that frustrate me. The stuff other Prii have that this one doesn’t. Some of the little technological flourishes like the ceiling mounted LED spotlight in my Gen2.

That said, I don’t hesitate to recommend the c to new, potential Prius buyers. I’m fairly sure they would not see the things that annoy me as annoying having no history with Prius.

I’m working finishing several video reviews one of which will detail my ownership experience with the c, coming soon. Then you can hear and see all my little gripes and see all the good things about the Prius c. As usual, you can then make your own judgment.

Familia Prii

So, the live event is over. The streaming walk-through is done. What do we know? And, almost always importantly, what do not know yet?

Prius V, what we know:
-Set for delivery in “late summer”
-42 city, 38 hwy, combined 40MPG
-30 cubic feet of storage space, more cargo space than the Escape
-Sliding second row of seats
-optional resin “moonroof” with electric covers but which doesn’t open to the outside
-Entune system
-Will “connect” to 95-98% of cell phones for calling
-new generation of Nav, most of which will still be disabled during driving
-No video in the vehicle, no second row video screens
-11.9 gallon gas tank
-0-60 in 11.5 seconds
-The same 1.8 liter engine in the current Prius
-New reheating system to increase efficiency
-No Touch-Tracer
-Backup cameras are now standard
-Pitch and bounce control for a smoother ride
-NihM batteries. same as current Prius
-300 lbs. heavier than Prius
-Designed to carry more cargo/passenger weight than Prius

Full specs here via Prius Chat

Prius V, what we do not know:
-Pricing
-What it’s like to actually drive it
-Upper end options details, such as what size is the larger screen

Prius PHV
Mostly nothing we didn’t already know.

Prius C, What they said:
-Smaller Prius, four doors and hatch, looks very “Sciony”
-”Hybrid hybrid MPG that isn’t a plugin”
-Nothing about pricing
-Set for delivery in “the first of half 2012″

What do you think?