Newbie introducing herself

[scrambledeg]

Hi! Bought my 2008 Prius after a 10 week wait in late July. First car I ever bought for myself! Negotiations were a nightmare - I love this car but I feel after this one I will never buy a sought-after car again!

I drive about 150 miles a day for work, so fuel economy was obviously a big draw. But I love this car anyway. I don't have pictures, but she's super white and i've named her Elle Fantasma (ghost girl).

Funny things i've done so far: assumed the gas gauge was linear and ran out of gas AND drained the battery going uphill over a bridge with one lane closed for construction - the dealer tags still on - i looked like an idiot. (yeah, i've searched and read the gas gauge posts! )

used the backup camera to back into a green trash can cleverly concealed by the trees behind it in the camera but SO obvious when looking in the rearview.

averaging 45 to 50 mpg at an average speed of 60 mph. looking forward to learning as much as i can on here. please be nice if you are going to say hi, i've noticed some people on here are quite mean.

heather

[JamesWyatt]

You think some people here are mean? Compared to some of the forums I've been on, this place is a regular love fest!

Congrats on your Prius, by the way.

[Erin Rothchild ~ RE/MAX]

Hi Heather,
Congratulations on your Prius...Thanks for sharing your experiences. Im trying to glean everything possible while waiting...and waiting. Have fun ~ Erin

[KandyRedCoi]

congrats and welcome

[dwreed3rd]

[scrambledeg]

aw, i take it back! you guys are so nice and welcoming!

hang in there, erin!

heather

[rwhoyle]

A big HELLO and Welcome to PC !!! You'll find most folks helpful and a wealth of info here. You are correct the gas gauge is not linear. Just think of the pips as 1 gallon each and make it a habit to fill-up when two pips are left. Air your tires up for better mileage. Many here on PC recommend 42 front and 40 rear. I find that a little too hard on my kidneys and suspension componets. I prefer 40 front and 38 rear as a good compromise between good MPG and ride comfort. Has the reverse beep driven you crazy yet? If so, use the search feature here and learn the procedure for turning it off. Good luck and enjoy driving your new Prii !!!

[Freedom]

Hello Heather and welcome!

There is so much great information on the forum. Just surf around a bit, use search now and again. I started here when I placed my deposit, so I had a basic understanding when my car FINALLY arrived, just last Thursday.

I love your sense of humor, and the "funny things I've done so far" would be a great thread for all of us!

Enjoy Elle Fantasma, great name!

[orracle]

Welcome!!!

Since you have run out of gas once, I'm sure you will be careful in the future. I never fill up unless the last pip is blinking and every time I wish I had waited, but that's just me. There's a lot of discussion on that topic.

[scrambledeg]

Hi again. So, I don't know if this should be in another thread. I guess i'll judge that based on the response i get.

Like I said, this is the first car i ever bought and negotiations were a nightmare. Long story short, the dealer put 17X7 Enkei rs-5 wheels and Nitto Neogen 205/40 ZR 17 84w tires on the car ( i think, i had to figure it out for myself) and told me i either take the car with that setup or i walk away and wait. I'm sure I paid too much for them. My logic was that they would continue to put crap in and on the cars they put out and only increase the msrp if i waited. (They also put lojack in the car which imo is redundant on a prius).

Anyway, I now have these tires that i know nothing about, so I came on here to learn how they will effect my car. I tried very hard to use the search function and read the posts, but many were above my head. I have the opportunity to go to a "new car orientation" next week and i want to be prepared with the right questions. Questions i have so far:

1. Is this setup the same diameter as the OEM wheels/tires?
2. Is this setup effecting my brakes adversely?
3. Is this setup effecting my speedometer, odometer, etc?
4. Is this setup impacting my mpg? (i am currently averaging between 45 and 50 mpg on an average 100 mile day at about avg 60 mph)
5. Is this setup dangerous?
6. Can I box your f*%^ing ears, you jerk?

So, i'd like to pose these questions to you guys first (all but #6, anyway) and get your take on it before i go into this class. They might not even be able to answer those questions, and i might not trust their answers, so your help is appreciated. And please have mercy on my soul if i have not searched properly or understood the big words.

thanks in advance for your help.
heather