First off, the LEAF is not ugly, it is homely...asimba2 wrote:My Leaf is about as ugly as I can go. The new Prius looks flat hideous...
I'll agree with your assessment of 'homely' vs ugly on the Leaf. I've grown to think it's okay, but it's far from being a beautiful car. I'm 40 years young and my 31-year old wife hates the Prius redesign more than I do, haha. But all of Toyota's redesigns have gone to the shark-mouth treatment, everything from the 4Runner (I own a 4Runner and am digusted by the new one), the GX460/LX570 SUVs and new NX to nearly every Toyota and Lexus line of cars. Only the new Camry was spared from this treatment.edatoakrun wrote:First off, the LEAF is not ugly, it is homely...asimba2 wrote:My Leaf is about as ugly as I can go. The new Prius looks flat hideous...
As to the Prius, I've noticed a generational difference in the reaction to its...styling?
It certainly violates every historic standard of automotive design, and to me (56 years old) it looks quite hideous also.
But the fact that at least some younger viewers seem to like it more, may be emblematic of Toyota's effort to appeal to a more contemporary ironic perception of beauty.
Generational preference, or unwavering fanboi devotion? The latter will fawn over anything made by Toyota even if it is quite literally a turd.edatoakrun wrote:First off, the LEAF is not ugly, it is homely...asimba2 wrote:My Leaf is about as ugly as I can go. The new Prius looks flat hideous...
As to the Prius, I've noticed a generational difference in the reaction to its...styling?
It certainly violates every historic standard of automotive design, and to me (56 years old) it looks quite hideous also.
But the fact that at least some younger viewers seem to like it more, may be emblematic of Toyota's effort to appeal to a more contemporary ironic perception of beauty.
Sort of like PBR's recent (successful) approach to selling beer...
There should be no noticeable engine vibration. There is an issue with all of the Gen III cars, though: condensation can form in the engine if it's run right before shutoff but not warmed up, and freeze into ice. Then, when you start the car, the ice shatters, causing a brief but severe knocking. The way to avoid it is to not shut the engine off cold in Winter. This applies to all the Priuses, not just the PIP, although the longer EV range of the latter can make the occurrence more likely.gsleaf wrote:My biggest issue with the 1st gen PiP (other than terrible EV range) was the engine vibration was awful. Does anyone know if the 2nd gen will improve this?
OWW!!!! MY EYES!! MY EYES!!!asimba2 wrote:
I think the main thing it shows is that they didn't get the Transformers they wanted as childrencwerdna wrote:<snip>
I'm a Prius fan and I also don't like bizarre rear styling. I don't like the speedometer in the center either. So far, w/o seeing the Gen 4 in person, it seems like it's a significant step backwards in styling from Gen 3.
BTW, if you want to read press releases, http://priuschat.com/threads/all-worldw ... es.157653/ has some. Here's some marketing speak about the styling...
Stunning styling that subverts the conventional hybrid car image
From the bold design to the quality interior, the Prius has never had such a powerful presence. Toyota's designers were given free rein to realize their vision, and it shows.
Let me be the first to answer your question. The Volt easily outsells PIP right now and will continue to outsell it. Toyota has to sell comparatively fewer hydrogen vehicles to stay in compliance in California. Fast 15 minute refueling and 300 mile range is the key point. 8kWh will not generate a credit. Nor should it.edatoakrun wrote:Click the link for photos.
Updating a PHEV's exterior design from boring to ugly (I.E. Mitsu Outlander) seems to be a trend lately.
Appearance notwithstanding, if the E range rumors are correct, it looks like ~eight kWh of the battery pack will be available, and the Prius brand could mean significant sales, particularly if Toyota decides it wants to generate its own CARB credits, rather than buying them from Tesla.
You think it will outsell the Volt gen 2?