Just how quiet is that Prius?

JackDodge · 03-28-2006, 03:34 PM

One of the guys in a neighboring office building has a Prius that is practically my Prius's twin and he drove by me earlier today. I heard it coming since my back was to it as I walked along the street (no sidewalks) and I didn't know that it was a Prius until he passed by. He was probably going 20 mph and wasn't in any hurry; probably slowly enough to be in HV mode and I didn't notice hearing a gas engine. It was quiet but it wasn't that quiet. It was pretty easy to tell that a car was coming from behind. This was the first time that I was in a position to see (or hear) for myself whether the complaints about Priuses being too quiet to hear coming were true or not and it seems that they're not true. If I ever hear someone complain about how quiet a Prius is, I'll have the ammo to dispute them heh heh heh

benighted · 03-28-2006, 03:52 PM

At speeds over 20mph in EV mode the tires make enough road noise that the car is deffinately not silent.

Mystery Squid · 03-28-2006, 03:59 PM

It's all relative to the situation. For example, in a busy grocery store (or WAL-MART!) parking lot, where people are walking around everywhere, talking, kids are putting shopping carts away, etc., it's very easy for the Prius not to be heard. Go to the other extreme, an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere with no real significant ambient sound, you sure will hear the road and wind noise it generates.

JackDodge · 03-28-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mystery Squid@Mar 28 2006, 03:59 PM
It's all relative to the situation. For example, in a busy grocery store (or WAL-MART!) parking lot, where people are walking around everywhere, talking, kids are putting shopping carts away, etc., it's very easy for the Prius not to be heard. Go to the other extreme, an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere with no real significant ambient sound, you sure will hear the road and wind noise it generates.

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Well, yeah, but this is a fairly industrial area with lots of truck and big jet noise. It's a pretty noisy area. Besides, in noisy areas, even a well maintained, gas-only car driving 20 mph would be difficult to hear. At the time, though, it was pretty quiet, relative to usual and gas-only cars have driven past me many times before when the engine was quiet enough that air displacement seemed to be the only noise being generated. The Prius wasn't much quieter than that.

AlphaTeam · 03-28-2006, 04:41 PM

I almost got hit by one about a week before I got mine. It was late, I was in a hurry, I didn't hear it and I crossed right in front of it as it was turning on to the street I was crossing.

paco-shalom · 03-28-2006, 04:52 PM

I agree that it depends a lot on the situation.

Yesterday I was backing into my carport while my wife was getting the kids into the minivan. Neither she, nor the kids heard me coming. She nearly walked out into my path, and my daughter (3yo) was quite surprised when she saw me standing right in front of her.

Stealth is cool, but the driver better be watching carefully!

DaveinOlyWA · 03-28-2006, 05:00 PM

i have found that the surface of the parking lot plays a role as well. some surfaces makes more noise. then again, it could be the tires too. havent had enough stealth experiences with another Prius to have noticed. do know that on a few occasions, i did not hear a Prius coming and there was no other noise but birds in the distance chirping...

mikepaul · 03-28-2006, 05:04 PM

I've started to notice tire slippage lately so maybe the new tires aren't gripping like they used to, but they still seem to make noise while I'm rolling along unpowered.

Maybe well-worn OEMs make for stealthier stealth...

Bill Lumbergh · 03-28-2006, 05:04 PM

I am still waiting for the guards at the base gate to notice my car is never running when I pull up to show my ID. Unfortunately, the other lane always seems to have some diesel pickup rattling away to break the silence.

At my old base, the guards would chitchat with you for a few minutes if the traffic was light.....which was all the time. I'm sure they'd have noticed.

Mystery Squid · 03-28-2006, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DaveinOlyWA@Mar 28 2006, 06:00 PM
i have found that the surface of the parking lot plays a role as well. some surfaces makes more noise. then again, it could be the tires too. havent had enough stealth experiences with another Prius to have noticed. do know that on a few occasions, i did not hear a Prius coming and there was no other noise but birds in the distance chirping...

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Oooh, good point... Smooth concrete roads (or well done freshly paved traditional "tar" roads) at low speeds tend to be far more quiet than "rough grit" paved roads... From the outside anyway...

03-28-2006, 03:34 PM	#1
JackDodge Independent voter Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI Posts: 2,300 My Car: Other Hybrid Package: N/A Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	One of the guys in a neighboring office building has a Prius that is practically my Prius's twin and he drove by me earlier today. I heard it coming since my back was to it as I walked along the street (no sidewalks) and I didn't know that it was a Prius until he passed by. He was probably going 20 mph and wasn't in any hurry; probably slowly enough to be in HV mode and I didn't notice hearing a gas engine. It was quiet but it wasn't that quiet. It was pretty easy to tell that a car was coming from behind. This was the first time that I was in a position to see (or hear) for myself whether the complaints about Priuses being too quiet to hear coming were true or not and it seems that they're not true. If I ever hear someone complain about how quiet a Prius is, I'll have the ammo to dispute them heh heh heh __________________ "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard."- H.L. Mencken

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03-28-2006, 03:52 PM	#2
benighted Chief thread hijacker Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Westport, WA Posts: 530 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	At speeds over 20mph in EV mode the tires make enough road noise that the car is deffinately not silent.

03-28-2006, 03:59 PM	#3
Mystery Squid Junior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 3 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	It's all relative to the situation. For example, in a busy grocery store (or WAL-MART!) parking lot, where people are walking around everywhere, talking, kids are putting shopping carts away, etc., it's very easy for the Prius not to be heard. Go to the other extreme, an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere with no real significant ambient sound, you sure will hear the road and wind noise it generates.

03-28-2006, 04:41 PM	#5
AlphaTeam Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 631 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I almost got hit by one about a week before I got mine. It was late, I was in a hurry, I didn't hear it and I crossed right in front of it as it was turning on to the street I was crossing.

03-28-2006, 04:52 PM	#6
paco-shalom Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Phoenix Posts: 46 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I agree that it depends a lot on the situation. Yesterday I was backing into my carport while my wife was getting the kids into the minivan. Neither she, nor the kids heard me coming. She nearly walked out into my path, and my daughter (3yo) was quite surprised when she saw me standing right in front of her. Stealth is cool, but the driver better be watching carefully!

03-28-2006, 05:00 PM	#7
DaveinOlyWA Opps !! I Did it Again!! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Puget Sound, WA Posts: 9,633 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 5	i have found that the surface of the parking lot plays a role as well. some surfaces makes more noise. then again, it could be the tires too. havent had enough stealth experiences with another Prius to have noticed. do know that on a few occasions, i did not hear a Prius coming and there was no other noise but birds in the distance chirping...

03-28-2006, 05:04 PM	#8
mikepaul Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 1,675 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I've started to notice tire slippage lately so maybe the new tires aren't gripping like they used to, but they still seem to make noise while I'm rolling along unpowered. Maybe well-worn OEMs make for stealthier stealth...

03-28-2006, 05:04 PM	#9
Bill Lumbergh USAF Aircraft Maintainer Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Marysville, CA Posts: 516 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #1 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	I am still waiting for the guards at the base gate to notice my car is never running when I pull up to show my ID. Unfortunately, the other lane always seems to have some diesel pickup rattling away to break the silence. At my old base, the guards would chitchat with you for a few minutes if the traffic was light.....which was all the time. I'm sure they'd have noticed.