Gen 4 Plug-in

[YarisHybrid2016]

Hi,

After much trying to forget the idea, I'm looking again at the Gen 4 Plug-in.

I have had one test-drive already (I borrowed the car for the day about a month ago), and I have just requested a second test-drive.

Things I noticed on the first test drive:

* Battery SoC indicator was only solid; it did not show the 8 bars for hybrid-only driving. I have seen the US models switch the display. How to change it?

* The rear-view mirror appeared to be slightly convex???? The image in the mirror needed my eyes to re-focus, unlike just about any other rear-view mirror ever. Strange.

* The HUD is not focused at infinity and appeared verrrry slightly doubled when watching the road. On the downside, because of the way the road moves underneath it, it made me motion sick very quickly so I ended up switching it off anyway (if I had the option, I would not have it).

* I wish the instrument cluster was in my field of view - while I got used to it, it was annoying at first having to look to the side to see things like the hybrid indicator and speedometer. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so quiet!! 😄 😄  I found it can accelerate without realizing, though after a couple of hours I could hold the speed I wanted nearly as easily as I can in the Yaris.

Other than the above, I could not fault it at all.

Is there anything I should look for/be aware of? I have a Yaris Hybrid so I'm familiar with that side of things, and I know the differences between the regular hybrid and the plug-in.

I'm basically trying to decide if I should get one. I very much enjoyed it last time, and found it very pleasant to drive.

[PeteB]

9 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

...* Battery SoC indicator was only solid; it did not show the 8 bars for hybrid-only driving. I have seen the US models switch the display. How to change it?

... * The HUD is not focused at infinity and appeared verrrry slightly doubled when watching the road. On the downside, because of the way the road moves underneath it, it made me motion sick very quickly so I ended up switching it off anyway (if I had the option, I would not have it).

* I wish the instrument cluster was in my field of view - while I got used to it, it was annoying at first having to look to the side to see things like the hybrid indicator and speedometer. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so quiet!! 😄 😄  I found it can accelerate without realizing, though after a couple of hours I could hold the speed I wanted nearly as easily as I can in the Yaris.

Assuming it's the same as the original PiP (which I only drove for a day), the HV Battery gauge stays like that while it has enough charge to work as a 'proper' EV.  Once it gets to the point it can only work as a Hybrid, that Battery changes to the 8 bars we're used to (unless you'd only drive Gen 1 Prius, which had 4 bars).

Although the PiP only has one (larger) HV Battery, the software treats it as if there is one for HV operation and another for EV.  I believe (from what some owners have written) if you go down a long hill just after the level drops below the threshold, enough regen can put it back into the EV range and the gauge briefly switches back to the solid display.

I'm surprised by your comments on the HUD, as all the Gen 3 & 4 Prius I've driven with HUD have been perfectly clear, and I think a major safety aid.  Maybe that one had a poorly positioned windscreen.

My original (2000) Yaris had digital instruments in the centre of the dash, as has every Prius (all 4 Gens) I've driven since, and personally I like it.  The rationale is that the closer the instruments the more eye muscle needed to refocus between distant and dash.  It is said to reduce fatigue on longer journeys and I believe it based on the 300,000+ miles in such cars over the last 18 years.  Apparently, as your focus gets closer the extra work the eye has to do increases more significantly, so moving the focus from about ½ metre to 1 metre reduces the eye effort more than you might think.

I find the radar cruise control helps no end keeping within speed limits, and for 20 zones I switch to the speed limiter, which quickly becomes instinctive and is very effective.

[YarisHybrid2016]

Hi,

Interesting regarding the eye-strain! I hadn't thought about it in that way. I've got used to it now, and like it a lot.

I have another vehicle for another test drive, and my wallet is crying. LOL.

The HUD on this one is the same as the other one, so I guess that out-rules the installation. It is clear, but it is not focused at infinity, so again looking at the road results in a very slightly double image unless focusing on it (the other vehicle was the same).

I've borrowed this one overnight, and I have had a chance to try the auto high beam - amazing! Works very well (once you understand the system hehehe). I wondered at first why it wasn't working, but you need to accelerate > 40 MPH for it to bring on the high beam (and a few other conditions must be met). It got itself confused a few times with bright white road signs, thinking itself was a car coming the other way. Otherwise, it worked very well indeed.

The headlights overall are far better than I'd ever imagined they would be.

As for the rest of it - it's just incredible. I'm very tempted to see what kind of deal I can get on the demonstrator. 😍

[QuantumFireball]

I think the HUD is great in the 3rd gen Prius. I don't think it's particularly clear either but I don't find it hard to look at (eye strain is often a big problem for me with my astigmatism, though I wear glasses), and not having to move my eyes off the road is a great advantage.

I haven't seen the new HUD myself yet, but I believe it's an LCD projector rather than the vacuum fluorescent display in the 3rd gen so results could differ significantly. I've heard it's difficult to see in sunlight with polarizing sunglasses, but the old one wasn't great in that respect either.

[PeteB]

7 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

...I have had a chance to try the auto high beam - amazing! Works very well (once you understand the system hehehe). I wondered at first why it wasn't working, but you need to accelerate > 40 MPH for it to bring on the high beam (and a few other conditions must be met). 

The headlights overall are far better than I'd ever imagined they would be.

As for the rest of it - it's just incredible. I'm very tempted to see what kind of deal I can get on the demonstrator. 😍

My auto dip works from 27 mph and higher, but I've stopped using it.  In my experience, it only works well on fairly straight single carriageways.  Maybe they've updated it since my early 2016 model.

Some of the country back roads I use at night are very dark and twisty, with lots of trees, bushes and embankments.  Having no high beam below even 27 is quite a disadvantage and the location of the switch near the right knee to enable/disable the feature is too hard to safely operate in such conditions.  On roads with more bends or dual carriageways, I get flashed by almost every oncoming vehicle if I don't manually cancel it quickly.  It's also too keen to show high-beams to cars in front which I'd prefer not to do.

I agree the headlights are the best I've ever experienced.  I just wish I could turn off the auto activation.

The first three Prius (2 Gen 1s and a Gen 3) I bought with my own money were demonstrators and I found no downsides at all from buying them.  With the Gen 4, it had so many features I really, really wanted I couldn't wait and paid for my impatience accordingly, but certainly no regrets.

I took delivery 2 years ago last Sunday, and the almost 4 month wait for it was agony.

[danowat]

I have the HUD on my gen3 and its fantastic, driving my wifes Yaris hybrid makes me miss it, as i can see the HSI and speed in my immediate view. 

Have you tried adjusting it up and down, along with the seat? Or making it brighter / dimmer and seeing if that helps? 

Mine is crystal clear, and as its the same for you in different cars maybe its something you just need to become accustomed too? 

[thecaretaker]

I wish the HUD on the Gen4 also had a left/right control as well as up/down. Mine isn't perfectly central, it has a slight bias to the right and it goes out of sight in one eye. If I sit slightly off central to the left side, it is perfect. I manage with it. 

[Catlover]

I thought mine was off centre in Gen3, but I realise it was me sitting slightly off centre - more the top of the body then waist down.

[Ten Ninety]

I took a Plug-In out for a few hours yesterday, as a possible candidate for replacing my wife's Auris HSD. I had no issues with clarity of the HUD - to me, it was the same as the one in my GS, which I find to be even clearer than the one in my old Gen3. I do remember disliking the HUD in the Gen3 when I first tried one, so maybe it's just something to get used to. The rear view mirror was also fine, although the curved tailgate screen does distort the view in certain areas.

Overall, I liked the drive. Sadly the dealership hadn't bothered to charge it up despite me pre-booking, so I didn't experience much electric power. I charged it myself for 30 minutes and got 8 miles of range, which seemed reasonable.

Things I loved:

• Ride quality. This did a great job of smoothing out our terrible road surfaces - better than my GS. Genuinely impressive.
• Interior fit and finish. A big step up from where Toyota has been in the past. No rattles!
• Engine noise suppression. Most of the time I had no idea whether the ICE was running or not. Switching from EV to HEV mode was imperceptible at 60mph. Wind and road noise were less impressive but still better than the Auris.

Things I think should be better:

• Seat comfort. Not awful, and certainly not as bad as the terrible Hyundai Ioniq, but still too firm and too lacking in adjustment to be really comfortable. Excel spec should also have electric memory function in my view.
• Interface ergonomics. No worse than my Lexus, but still a terrible hodgepodge of outdated graphics and unintuitive controls. I'm sure you get used to it, but it doesn't give a great first impression.
• Adaptive cruise. The brains behind this operation decided to slow the car down on the A14 when a vehicle in front went down a slip road and braked. This should be a solved problem by now - it isn't first-gen cutting edge technology. Also kept flashing up and taking over the MFD each time it decided to 'intervene', which was unnecessary and distracting.
• Lane Keep Assist. Allowed me to stray well over the lines before beeping at me, by which time I would have already sideswiped someone if the lane wasn't empty. Again, this should be a solved problem. Its only redeeming feature was the ease with which it could be switched off.

Things I really hated:

• Road Sign Assist. I was expecting this to be garbage and it was, missing loads of signs over a 60-mile journey. However, I hadn't realised it would also infect the HUD. I found this infuriating because it kept removing the power meter just when I wanted to look at it, when accelerating into a new speed limit. 
• Using the indicators. The turn signal stalk undermined the general feel of quality - it made a horrible hollow clunk every time I moved it. However, that was nothing compared to the excruciating, nails-down-blackboard squeaky click of the actual turn signal 'click'. Truly horrid. Is this modelled on the sound German cars make? It would certainly explain why drivers of said cars never seem to indicate.

Questions:

• Is it possible to disable Road Sign Assist? I found it in the settings and thought I'd turned it off, but it didn't go away. Just getting it off the HUD would be enough for me.
• I sat in the car fiddling with settings, whilst it was plugged in and charging. Every 3 minutes or so, everything switched off and I had to push the Power button again. Is this normal?
• There is no roll-out luggage cover. I presume this is because the boot is so shallow, but I'd still want one. I saw that the mouldings were present - can a cover from a standard Gen4 be retro-fitted?
• Is there a way to get an instant mpg readout on the MFD alongside the 1-minute graph like you could on the Gen3? Was it there somewhere and I just missed it?

 

 

[PeteB]

3 hours ago, Ten Ninety said:

...Questions:

• Is it possible to disable Road Sign Assist? I found it in the settings and thought I'd turned it off, but it didn't go away. Just getting it off the HUD would be enough for me.
• I sat in the car fiddling with settings, whilst it was plugged in and charging. Every 3 minutes or so, everything switched off and I had to push the Power button again. Is this normal?
• There is no roll-out luggage cover. I presume this is because the boot is so shallow, but I'd still want one. I saw that the mouldings were present - can a cover from a standard Gen4 be retro-fitted?
• Is there a way to get an instant mpg readout on the MFD alongside the 1-minute graph like you could on the Gen3? Was it there somewhere and I just missed it?

Assuming the menus are mostly the same as my non-plugin Gen 4 Prius:

• yes, you can disable the Road Sign Assist.  That takes it off the HUD and off the screen nest to the speedo.  In its place, you get a real-time mpg meter (0-100 on the non-PiP), or HB Battery gauge or ECO meter.  This extra gauge only disappear when the speed limiter is active, as it uses the space to display the limiter settings.  I disabled it because it's inaccurate at least 25% of the time, meaning you often get a red warning in the HUD because it thinks the limit is lower than it is.
• no idea, must be a PiP thing
• the YouTube reviews I've seen of the PiP show it having the tonneau cover (but tiny boot space underneath)
• see first answer

You can also disable the info messages popping up about the cruise control and other features, one-by-one in the menus.

I agree re the front seats should have electric memory, at least as an option - electric operation is available in some markets, but I don't think they include memories.   Personally, I find the front seats very comfortable in my Excel, but a have a fair bit of personal padding too!  I find the Gen 4 Prius to be the most comfortable version since the Gen 1 (especially on 15" wheels), which was the best for both seats and suspension IMHO.  The Gen 2 was the least comfortable, with (for me) over firm seats and suspension - it came as a shock (pun intended) for some owners who upgraded from Gen 1.

I love the adaptive cruise and have learned to live with the limitations, dabbing the throttle if something is turning off in front (or when approaching a slower vehicle I'm about to overtake) and flicking the lever to cancel it when wanting gentle engine braking before a junction, queue or whatever, then using resume.

The lane keep assist can be adjusted between 3 sensitivities in the menus, although on mine the standard setting has worked just fine.

[Ten Ninety]

Thanks Pete. Replacing Road Sign Assist with a real-time mpg meter would be a double win. It's good to know that's possible.

I imagine I could get used to the adaptive cruise even with its foibles. I did find the shortest distance setting took me a little closer than I would like to the car in front, whilst the other two settings didn't get close enough, but I could live with it. 

Not sure about those indicators though! I tried an early Yaris hybrid years ago and that had the same terrible squeaky noise when signalling, which was enough to put me off at the time. Not sure it would be deal breaker this time, as the rest of the car is so good, but still... what happened to the good old-fashioned relay click?

[PeteB]

1 minute ago, Ten Ninety said:

...Not sure about those indicators though! I tried an early Yaris hybrid years ago and that had the same terrible squeaky noise when signalling, which was enough to put me off at the time. Not sure it would be deal breaker this time, as the rest of the car is so good, but still... what happened to the good old-fashioned relay click?

Yes, I was surprised by your comment.  I've mentioned before that the horrible, cheap, tinny noise I've experienced on soem loan cars, including Aygo and Yaris would drive me nuts, or at least make me stop giving signals!  It reminded me of a toy clicker that was in some cheap 1960s Christmas crackers.

When I test drove the Gen 4 Prius in March 2016 I reported on this forum that I was mightily relieved it had a more normal clicker (not too loud either) and even more relived when my car came with the same acceptable sound.

From what you say it sounds like it's now found it's way into the latest cars unless your and my ears are somewhat different!

[Ten Ninety]

15 minutes ago, PeteB said:

Yes, I was surprised by your comment.  I've mentioned before that the horrible, cheap, tinny noise I've experienced on soem loan cars, including Aygo and Yaris would drive me nuts, or at least make me stop giving signals!  It reminded me of a toy clicker that was in some cheap 1960s Christmas crackers.

When I test drove the Gen 4 Prius in March 2016 I reported on this forum that I was mightily relieved it had a more normal clicker (not too loud either) and even more relived when my car came with the same acceptable sound.

From what you say it sounds like it's now found it's way into the latest cars unless your and my ears are somewhat different!

I am very sensitive to particular noises (thanks, tinnitus) but it's definitely not the same as the Gen3 or Auris.

If the non-plug-in Gen 4 has a normal click, that would be a selling point. I'd like to try one anyway - we're only looking at the plug-in because the prices of normal Excels with 15" wheels are just insane. I'd be interested to see if it rode as smoothly as the plug-in as well, or maybe even better without all that extra Battery weight.

4 hours ago, PeteB said:

• the YouTube reviews I've seen of the PiP show it having the tonneau cover (but tiny boot space underneath)

Having looked at pictures on a few other adverts, they all seem to have one. I think the dealership must have just taken it out on the one I tried.

[QuantumFireball]

On 6/17/2018 at 8:34 AM, Ten Ninety said:

• I sat in the car fiddling with settings, whilst it was plugged in and charging. Every 3 minutes or so, everything switched off and I had to push the Power button again. Is this normal?

If it's like the 1st gen Plug-in, I think so. You can't really turn on the car properly when it's charging, certainly not "Ready" mode anyway. I forget how long it stays on for, not something I do very often.

[kithmo]

1 hour ago, QuantumFireball said:

If it's like the 1st gen Plug-in, I think so. You can't really turn on the car properly when it's charging, certainly not "Ready" mode anyway. I forget how long it stays on for, not something I do very often.

It's to prevent you driving off with the plug connected.

[QuantumFireball]

It's a bit over the top though - all they need to do for that is disable being able to take it out of P. It's a nuisance if you want to wait in the car while charging, e.g. using the radio or aircon.

[PeteB]

I agree.  On the PiP, whilst plugged in surely there's no chance of flattening the 12V Battery (I understand it's charged at the same time when plugged in).

I can sort of understand not allowing READY mode, but surely unlimited ACCessory mode would be fine.

The standard Gen 4 Prius cancels ACCessory mode after 20 minutes, with a message on the top left MFD that's it's saving the Battery.

[Ten Ninety]

Cheers folks. All questions answered.

Next up to try is a C-HR (overpriced and overstyled?) and a Lexus CT Premier if I can find one on small wheels. I doubt either will come close to the Plug-In for ride quality, and I suspect that most of the things l disliked about the Prius will also be present in the C-HR, so who knows. Maybe in a few months there will be another Prius in our garage.

[PeteB]

My dealer lent me a CH-R when my car was in for a winter/summer tyre swap in March last year.

The drive system and most controls are identical to the Gen 4 Prius, except it has an electric parking brake with auto & hold functions.  Also, more conventional instruments like other non-Prius hybrids.  It felt fine to drive, just like a Gen 4 Prius.  It has all the wizardry just the same.

I don't think it will quite equal the Prius for mpg, and we both felt it was slightly less comfortable than the Prius.  There was almost no legroom in the back.  We were going to try out the back seats to see if the headroom was better than the Prius, but when we saw the tiny space for legs we didn't bother even trying to get in.

I don't remember the indicator sound being the tinny version but I'm sure it would have stuck in my mind if it was that horrible.  That said, I don't think it had a HUD (something I really miss after over 85,000 miles with one) but I might be wrong.

[Harters]

You will certainly find the ride different in the CT, for the worse.

I really wanted a CT and test drove several, including the latest (at the time of buying my Prius) and I found the ride hard and brittle on each occasion.  Also the leg room in the rear is very tight as is headroom and boot space.  I sat in one again when I had my first service in March and I was shocked at how small and narrow is seemed after the Prius which is so spacious and airy.  All the CT's I drove were on 17's as I much prefer the look over anything less. When you stand next to a CT it is a small car.  Obviously there are a lot of people who don’t care about the ride as there are plenty on the roads though ☺️

I want a car to ride well and look good, so if I can't have one without the other I will not buy it.

The CH-R I found just left me a bit cold with its boring instruments and normal shifter, whereas the Prius is full of character.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

The CT is based on the first generation Auris, shares the 2600mm wheelbase, and will have less legroom than the Prius, which has a 2700mm wheelbase.

[Ten Ninety]

We took a C-HR out yesterday. It is no longer on the shortlist.

Predictably, engine noise, road noise, wind noise and fuel economy were all inferior to the Prius. None of those aspects were awful, just not as good as the Plug-In. The dealbreaker, however, was the ride quality. Surprisingly, this wasn't overly firm or harsh as I had expected it might be. Instead, it suffered from a weirdly disconnected, floaty quality that actually brought on feelings of queasiness after several miles. I'm guessing it was tuned to take the edge off what would otherwise have been a jiggly ride on 18" wheels, which it did quite well. However, it introduced a disconcerting sense that there was always some slight lateral movement even on a smooth surface, which I think is what led to the carsick feeling. It actually felt quite American in how it drove. If you've ever driven a vehicle designed for the US domestic market, you will know that is not a compliment.

There were plenty of positives elsewhere, not least the most obvious one when comparing to either flavour of Gen4 Prius: the C-HR is a good-looking car. Well, good-ish, perhaps, if you squint. It's definitely not in the wilfully-ugly Prius camp, at least. That said, I actually like the design language used on the Priuses, because it sets them apart from the unending tedium of the Germanic mainstream. And I do harbour a vague sense of unease at the 'trendiness' of the C-HR in a world where small SUVs have inexplicably become fashionable.

The were other little bits that were better than the Prius, too. It was easier to get in and out of, of course. The boot is, obviously, a more usable shape than the Plug-In. The interior is styled nicely, with interesting materials and slightly more comfortable seats than the Prius. Lane keep assist actually worked as I expected it to. And - hoorah! - the indicators made a totally inoffensive clicky noise. 

However, none of those positives were enough to offset the fundamental issue that I felt ill after a few miles of driving it, as did my wife. I am very glad we took it for an extended drive, as this wasn't something that became immediately apparent. The problems with the ride also reinforced just what a superb job Toyota have managed with the Gen4 Plug-In, even carrying all that extra Battery weight. 

@YarisHybrid2016 have you taken the plunge yet?

[PeteB]

It's interesting how we see things different ways.

My dealer lent me a C-HR for a day last year, not because I was interested, but because as their highest mileage Hybrid customer (been with them since my first Gen 1 Prius in 2002, over 300,000 Hybrid miles ago) they wanted my opinion.

I wouldn't say the Prius is beautiful, but I quite like its sleek shape, and I've had quite a few people stop and say they like it's appearance, something I've only had long, long ago with a 1968 Riley Kestrel!  Many have admired the "cool grey" interior as light and airy too.  Personally, I think the C-HR looks like one of those toys that morphs between vehicle and robot that's gone wrong, but as I say, each to their own.  It's looks wouldn't stop me from buying it if I really needed a Hybrid and the Prius didn't exist , but the old fashioned instruments are a major downer for me, and I don't think it had a HUD either.

The current trend in whale mouth fronts certainly does put me off some cars, notably Audis, Lexus and the post 2013 Yaris.  I've never before thought a car so ugly I wouldn't have one if it had enough other things going for it.  A shame, as the RX is the only other car I would quite like, as it has all they toys I covet, 4 wheel drive, and lots of room for 5 passengers.  The HUD (top model only) only just makes up for the 1940s style speedo.

From the driver's seat, the C-HR felt remarkably similar to my Gen 4 Prius to drive, apart from the obvious higher position (not surprising given the identical Hybrid system).  It got better mpg than I expected, given it must be nothing like as aerodynamic as the Prius (which had one of the 5 best drag coefficient figures of any production car when launched just over 2 years ago - that's on 15" wheels - CD 0.24).  Not sure what the C-HR's figure is though.

Both I and a friend thought the ride and seats were slightly less comfortable than the Prius, but not bad enough to rule it out if it were on a short list.  The very slight electric whine heard in the Prius as it moves away from rest wasn't at all audible in the C-HR however.  I particularly liked the electric parking brake, with it's auto and hold features, which worked very smoothly on this car as they did on some Lexus RX and NX I've driven.

The real show stopper for me, had I been considering one, was the dreadful rear legroom.  When we parked during the day, we were going to try the rear seats for comfort (no sniggering in the back!), but with the front seats in a comfortable position, there was only about 3 inches gap and we elected not to bother trying to get in.  A shame, as it probably doesn't suffer from the poor rear headroom the latest Prius has.

[Ten Ninety]

The rear of the C-HR definitely looked claustrophobic with the small, high windows and dark headlining. I didn't get in, as nobody ever sits in the back of our cars, but it certainly didn't look spacious. I could well imagine how it would be off-putting if adults were going to be travelling in the back. 

I agree about the instruments - I much prefer a digital dash, and the lack of HUD was annoying. However, I did manage to configure a nice large digital speedo in the section between the dials that made up for that a little. 

It's interesting that you got better mpg than you expected, as it was much worse than I thought it would be at 51mpg. Granted, that was mainly dual carriageway at 70mph but given that it's summer time, I thought that was surprisingly poor really. I can do better than that on the same journey in my GS, and my wife manages high 50s from our 8-year old Auris HSD at this time of year thrashing up and down the A11 to Norwich. Given that she is to hypermiling what Bernard Manning was to race relations, I doubt she'd crack 50mpg in the C-HR.

Also interesting that you mention the lack of whine whilst pulling away. I didn't notice that, but I did think that it made a much more pronounced whine when on re-gen!

Something else I didn't mention, but which is another off-putting aspect of the C-HR, is Toyota's bizarre approach to specification. Excel spec has pleasantly quilted leather seats and the 'Nanoe' climate control (which I have on the GS and which makes a real difference in avoiding dry-eye) but for some reason it's saddled with crap halogen headlights and can't be spec'd with a black roof. The Dynamic has LED lights (and the attractive black roof) but has a terrible blue and purple cloth interior unless you pay more for the leather option, and even then it's inferior to the Excel version. Worse, you can't get the Nanoe climate, even as a paid option on the Dynamic. Who dreams up this nonsense? I want top-of-the-range to be exactly that - every available feature on one spec!

[PeteB]

1 hour ago, Ten Ninety said:

...I did manage to configure a nice large digital speedo in the section between the dials that made up for that a little. 

It's interesting that you got better mpg than you expected, as it was much worse than I thought it would be at 51mpg...

I found the speedo on the centre display too, but I wanted it showing other things most of the time so it didn't really sort the issue for me (a HUD would have helped).

Mine reported 61.6 mpg (58.52 allowing for usual average optimism which all Toyotas I've logged seem to display).  I wouldn't expect the average to be quite as high in regular use, as it got a fairly easy ride around the countryside near Norwich on a mild, dry March day with 12°C showing on the thermometer.