Today I took my Prius PHV for its 10k mile service. The service consisted of a multi-point inspection, oil change and tire rotation. I have to admit that after 10k miles, I have not felt the need for a level 2 charger at the house. The charging time for the car is short enough to make the purchase of a level 2 charger unnecessary. Aside from the problems with the Entune/HDD system, the car is running like new. We are currently planning our next road trip, the North West seems like the most likely destination. We are trying to escape the heat that has blanketed the North Texas area. Things that I have discovered and liked about the PHV: 1) They changed the emergency shutdown procedure from the one used in my Gen II. 2) LED headlights can be turned on using the key fob as you approach the car at night. Just leave the lights on the "on" setting (not AUTO) when you park the car. When approaching the car press and hold the A/C button to engage the remote climate control system. The headlights will turn on along with the climate control system. 3) Soft-Tex is surprisingly cool on hot days. Things I do not care for: 1) Remote climate shutting down when you open the door. 2) When you get in the car and press the climate control "AUTO" button, it takes a long time for the fan to reach its highest setting. This is an issue when the outside temperature is 110 degrees like it is today. 3) The location of the lock button on the rear hatch. I prefer the location they used on the Gen II. 4) The Sound of the doors as they close. They have a hollow sound to them that is not very pleasing. It sounds worse when you are inside the car and someone else closes one of the doors. 5) No tire pressure display- how could they omit this in a car with no spare tire. 6) The auto headlights are not linked to the windshield wipers. Things I love: 1) LED headlights- bright, look cool and consume less power 2) LED DRL- this is by far one of my favorite exterior features of the car. 3) New LED taillight design- I was not a big fan of the 2010-11 taillights. 4) PHV wheels- They make the car seem a bit more upscale than the blacked out wheels with 5 spoke wheel cover. 5) Silver accents- They add an upmarket look to the car. I saw a regular Winter Gray metallic Prius and it looked bland to me without the silver accents. I hope that in the next 10k miles I get to discover a few more things to love about the car. I am looking forward to reaching 100,000 by 2014. Just in time to make a reservation for the 2015 Prius PHV.
