Prius Newbie - Very Excited

[JerseyPriusOwner]

Hey everyone,

I'm a prius newbie. I picked up a silver/dark grey IV w/nav yesterday after trading in my old clunker right at the deadline. I travel a lot and had orchastrated the whole deal from San Franciso while on business. I never stepped foot into the dealership (yet), never met the sales agent but managed to aquire the car at MSRP. My wife took delivery of the vehicle yesterday.

I'm still traveling and can't wait to get back to NJ to take my baby for a spin. I'm new to hybrids and was wondering if anyone has advice for how to drive the vehicle. Is it any different from a "regular" car? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Russ

[Richard_Simmons]

So excited you had to make two thread?? ...

[JerseyPriusOwner]

That's right Richard. So excited I had to make two threads!

[Salsawonder]

Just do searches on specific titles like pulse and glide, mpg, MP3 players and whatever else you might want to look at specifically!

[PeteJE]

Originally Posted by JerseyPriusOwner

That's right Richard. So excited I had to make two threads!

I know the feeling. It is a totally different vehicle experience for me. It is somehow very relaxing to slow down a bit, not race stop light to stop light, and enjoy moments of almost nothing but tire on ground noise. It is not about horsepower, but it is the most fun I have experienced from a car in a long time.

[donkitchen]

Originally Posted by JerseyPriusOwner

Hey everyone,

I'm a prius newbie. I picked up a silver/dark grey IV w/nav yesterday after trading in my old clunker right at the deadline. I travel a lot and had orchastrated the whole deal from San Franciso while on business. I never stepped foot into the dealership (yet), never met the sales agent but managed to aquire the car at MSRP. My wife took delivery of the vehicle yesterday.

I'm still traveling and can't wait to get back to NJ to take my baby for a spin. I'm new to hybrids and was wondering if anyone has advice for how to drive the vehicle. Is it any different from a "regular" car? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Russ

I just took delivery of my Gen III Package V on Monday night. It's definitely different driving the Prius and I find myself obsessing over the ECO meter. I'd suggest spending 30 mins and watching the DVD. They give a few good tips about driving smart.

As other stated, you can also find more detailed instructions here. I am still just babying it as it breaks in for the first thousand or so miles. I've been keeping it in ECO mode via the button near the shifter. That mode helps you drive better by limiting the A/C, acceleration, etc.

I also think the car takes a little while to get to it's optimal MPG. I've got less than 300 miles total and am getting about 47 MPG now. I'm sure as it breaks in that will improve.

[capek]

Originally Posted by PeteJE

I know the feeling. It is a totally different vehicle experience for me. It is somehow very relaxing to slow down a bit, not race stop light to stop light, and enjoy moments of almost nothing but tire on ground noise. It is not about horsepower, but it is the most fun I have experienced from a car in a long time.

That's a great observation! Having only had my car for a little over a week, I haven't had time to really reflect on what it is that I enjoy so much about driving it. Part of it is the competitive quality of the experience, competing with myself to stay within the parameters that I know while get the MPG up there. But ya, I think you're right. The Prius frees you to slow down, and focus on something other than driving as fast as the speed limit and your state of mind allows. It is a totally different driving experience.

[RickFlashman]

Originally Posted by PeteJE

I know the feeling. It is a totally different vehicle experience for me. It is somehow very relaxing to slow down a bit, not race stop light to stop light, and enjoy moments of almost nothing but tire on ground noise. It is not about horsepower, but it is the most fun I have experienced from a car in a long time.

I agree, it is almost like an airplane pilot, where you are trying to maximize the efficiency of every possible decision resulting in the cleanest smoothest ride. As a car enthusiast, I'm finding the Prius a true fun car to drive in a total innovative way that I never expected before.