I'm in the process of upgrading my Prius from NHW10 to either NHW20 or ZVW30. The possibility to make a comfortable bed for one or two persons in the back is important, so as to make my long commute much shorter at times. I'm wondering if there are any significant differences between the two models in this regard. For example, do the passenger seats lie down flat to the same degree? Any chance to run the cabin fans for ventilation while the car is off, to keep condensation down and mozzies out? Any advice regarding this would be much appreciated! Mik
For me you need to translate the engine codes...Gen2 Prius was pretty good for this...I am thinking Gen3 should be about the same based on the specs. You can buy a little tent that fits the back. Not sure about the wagon v.
Thanks! Yeah, I wonder how long off a fully automated Prius is, so that you can sleep while it is doing the driving. I think most folks call the NHW20 "Gen2" and the ZVW30 "Gen3". Another important question I have about comparing these two models is regarding driving noise at high speed (100-110km/h, 62-70mph). Is the road noise any different at such speeds any different between the two models? Thanks again, Mik
Would you consider the Prius v? It's a bit longer and the rear seats fold flat (but you may need a foam padding as the seatbacks are fabric or SofTex with hard plastic insets compared to the Liftback with cloth-backed seatbacks. They both have folding front passenger seats that allow for lounge mode so you should be fine in that regard. I haven't measured the angles so I can't say with absolute certainty that they're identical but I couldn't tell the difference in lounge mode. The SPVS requires incoming solar radiation so it won't work at night even if it's warm outside. You'll have to run an auxiliary fan. They're both noisy but my ear says the the ZVW is quieter. Again, I haven't taken a decibel meter to get the exact numbers but it's comparing factory spec to factory spec (so it may differ depending on what tyres the previous owner bought. In North America, the NHW-20 got Goodyear Integrity for the 185/65R15 wheels. The ZVW got a variety - Bridgestone Ecopia EP20, Yokohama Avid S33 and a handful had Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max. This is for the 195/65R15 wheels)
There are some links and other information you might want to check out in this thread that show how to make a bed, etc.
Great links, thanks. It opened Pandoras box, and I have ordered a Habitent. The project is ongoing....
