Presentation

[sergio]

hi guys

Let me introduce myself.
My name is Sergio and I'm writing from Italy where we have a similar forum for Prius owners or only estimators.
I think that PC is the best site where to find more and more useful infos regarding my car and I'd like to enter your community as an official member.
I have a lot to learn so please be patient with me if I'll annoy you with questions or issues you have already discussed in other threads !

a warm "ciao" (hello) from Italy
Sergio

[freshmtt]

Cia Sergio and welcome to the Forum, I am new on the site and it is cool to see we have someone from Europe on here, do you have the same Prius in Italy that we have here in the U.S???

[Bill Merchant]

Hello Sergio, welcome to PriusChat! You have a very good Prius forum there in Italy. Since PriusChat has so many US members, you will have to remember that bias. There's also an International Owners' forum you may find interesting.

[sergio]

Originally Posted by freshmtt

Cia Sergio and welcome to the Forum, I am new on the site and it is cool to see we have someone from Europe on here, do you have the same Prius in Italy that we have here in the U.S???

hi freshmtt
many thanks for your welcome.
I think we have same car but with less "packages" available. Basically we can buy two models standard and Nav.
The first is well equipped car with all typical gadgets : CD/Mp3 player, alloy wheels,and so on. The Nav offer more : Nav/BT/Park assist/smart key/back camera.
My car is a MY07 Nav and I like it very much : my fuel average consuption after 13.000 Km is 5,2 l/100km the best I'd ever seen with my all previous car.
When I bought it many friend of mine were skeptic abt this "strange" car (at the moment there are only 5000/6000 hybrids circulating in Italy) but after a short trip with me all of them have changed their mind and now are seriously considering it as an option for the next car to buy.
High fuel cost (abt 3,5 $ x gallon) and strict pollution limit make the Prius
highly interesting for more and more car owners.
I've foud many useful suggestion in PC forums and now I'd like to apply some mod to improve my car. I think to start with the speed sensor defeat but I've to check if the wiring of EU cars is identical to US models.
McGiver

[sergio]

Originally Posted by Bill Merchant

Hello Sergio, welcome to PriusChat! You have a very good Prius forum there in Italy. Since PriusChat has so many US members, you will have to remember that bias. There's also an International Owners' forum you may find interesting.

hi Bill
I know very well the Prius forum in Italy (I'm a member) but is a very young and small one with some 400 members and only a few of them use it periodically. Treated topics are quite "basic" and when you look for more technical issues you always need to link to other sites like PC.
Your forum is definitely more intersting for me than mine.
McGiver

[freshmtt]

Sergio,
When you have time please post some pics of your Prius against some nice scenery in Italy. I am dying to visit Italy one day.. I am half Italian,, great grandfather immigrated to Chicago when he was 2yrs old in 1885.

So my Italian side is dying to see some gorgeous scenery of Italy, take your Prius out for a photo shoot and show us some of your beautiful country!!!!!

Ciao
Michelle
Chicagoland 08 Prius owner

[nomad]

Originally Posted by sergio

hi Bill
I know very well the Prius forum in Italy (I'm a member) but is a very young and small one with some 400 members and only a few of them use it periodically. Treated topics are quite "basic" and when you look for more technical issues you always need to link to other sites like PC.
Your forum is definitely more intersting for me than mine.
McGiver

Well Sergio, you make a great point. Welcome aboard. I am a newbie, so I am learning along side you. Living in England for 12 year and Germany for 6, I also had opportunities to visit Italy on several occasions, particularly Vicenza. Italy is a beautiful country. I miss living in Europe.

[sergio]

Originally Posted by freshmtt

Sergio,
When you have time please post some pics of your Prius against some nice scenery in Italy. I am dying to visit Italy one day.. I am half Italian,, great grandfather immigrated to Chicago when he was 2yrs old in 1885.

So my Italian side is dying to see some gorgeous scenery of Italy, take your Prius out for a photo shoot and show us some of your beautiful country!!!!!

Ciao
Michelle
Chicagoland 08 Prius owner

hi Michelle

I'll do it asap! At the moment the weather here is really bad.

ciao
Sergio (McGiver)

[patsparks]

G'day Sergio, good to have another non yank on PriusChat. We need to keep the yanks in their place mate, they tend to get a bit cocky. Every now and then we need to remind them that the world is bigger than the USA.

Sounds like you have the model known here as iTech although I think you have 16 inch wheels while we get 15 inch wheels.

I hope you are enjoying your Prius, looking forward to seeing the photos.