Hi!

[hisshers]

Hi gang,

Let me start by saying that I just found this site today and am just now starting the navigation of it and apologize if I am in the wrong place. I drive a Honda Element and my wife drives a Subaru Forester. She and I were out one day and saw this neat little space ship like car and thought it would be fun to test drive since my car gets an average of 20-22 mpg.

We got into it and it was a completely different world. I must admit that I was really attracted to many of the gadgets and blown AWAY with the mpg!

My question for you is, can you refer me to a pros/cons list to help me decide. I am 6'5 so space is always an issue but in test driving there seemed no issue. I live about 15 miles from work and run quite a bit in town so is this the car for me?

Again I am sorry about all this but I am completely floored by this neat little machine and just don't know where to turn. I've checked reading reviews on Epinions and Edmunds and other sites but they are very limited!

-hh

[efusco]

You won't find many people here giving you a lot of minuses, but lots of pluses!

At 6'5" you should take at least one more test drive, maybe even see if you can borrow or rent one overnight to be sure you're comfortable. I'm only 5'11" and find the Prius fairly uncomfortable on longer drives and have a wedge shaped cushion that I use for added thigh support. Other tall drivers have had complaints but I think a lot depends upon how long your legs are.

Other than that there are few 'minuses'...it's not a race car and won't win you any drag races, but it's quite adequate for any reasonable driving under any conditions. As you noted it's full of gadgets and that's quite fun. It's very reliable and satisfying to drive.

If you've got specific questions or concerns please let us know b/c it's easier to pick those off one by one than to elaborate ad nauseum about how much we love the car.

[hisshers]

Fairly stated and thanks for your comments! I have heard that the car does not really get the mileage that is listed on the window but even if it isn't the numbers they tell me are still better than what I am getting.

I don't know that I have specific questions really because this car is so out of my range of understanding BUT:

Is the mileage all that?
Good for the mileage I am driving daily or is it better to get a better mpg regular car?
Any problems with the 2007, mechanical or otherwise?

I have also heard about a lot of modifications one can make to the vehicle to "improve performance"...shed any light on that for me?

Thanks again,

-hh

[efusco]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hisshers @ Mar 14 2007, 08:54 AM) [snapback]405342[/snapback]</div>

Is the mileage all that?[/b]

For some yes, for others no. Realize also that the EPA has changed its means of determining a vehicles MPG ratings to make them more realistic and the Prius should easily meet or exceed those numbers for almost all drivers. Take a look at greenhybrid.com and their log of Prius mpg....It's a pretty good bell curve that should give you some idea of what 'real world' drivers get as well as high and low.

Good for the mileage I am driving daily or is it better to get a better mpg regular car?[/b]

A 15 mile commute is about what I have (14 to be specific) and that's pretty ideal to allow for full warm up and such. You don't say if it's freeway, rural, city or what % mix of each so it's a bit hard to say exactly what you'll get and a lot depends upon how you choose to drive the car....if you race to stop signs/lights and brake hard and late and jack-rabbit start when it changes. If you speed and pass and are and aggressive driver you'll be at the lower end of reported MPG (maybe 45mpg). If you're a cautious, speed limit obeying driver who anticipates and coasts to stops and doesn't follow other cars too closely and moderately accelerates from stops you could be in the 55mpg range.

Any problems with the 2007, mechanical or otherwise?[/b]

Individual cars, of course, have had problems, but many of the 'kinks' of the '04/'05 MY Prii have been worked out.

I have also heard about a lot of modifications one can make to the vehicle to "improve performance"...shed any light on that for me?[/b]

There aren't really many mods to improve performance. Some of us have engine block heaters (EBH) to pre-warm the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) on cooler days to shorten the warm-up period and improve fuel economy (FE) during the initial few minutes of the morning drive. Some of us have used foam pipe insulation to block off the grill to reduce air flow through the engine compartment to assist in heat retention in the winter. There is an EV mode modification that can be done, but I don't really consider it a mod to improve performance...I use it to do so, but in a very limited fashion.
There are also lots of driving techniques that can help...but you really don't need to worry about those...esp. since you don't even have a Prius yet....and even after you get one I say just drive it for 15k miles or so before you worry about getting fancy.

[hisshers]

Well much to my wife's chagrin, I never go over the speed limit. I am a grampa driver and proud of it! :P

I have also read that these cars can get far more miles in the life of the car than most. Also, and this seems really stupid, but I see pics online of some major darkened glass. Is this an option Toyota offers?

[efusco]

No tinting is all after market...your dealer might offer it as an option but having it done yourself is probably cheaper.

[richard schumacher]

In my experience, with outdoor temps between 40F and 90F city (short trips) fuel economy is >45 MPG, hwy MPG > 50. Colder and hotter weather reduces economy.

If you buy you must remember:
0. Read the owner's manual and heed it carefully.
1. When the last pip on the gas gauge flashes it means "buy gas now, dammit". You *cannot* reliably estimate how much gas is left in the tank based on your last fill amount and the distance travelled since. Many tales of woe are posted here by those who did not know or chose to ignore this basic fact of Prius life.
2. The main ("traction"/drive system) battery is cooled using cabin air. Do not shut off the A/C in hot weather in a mistaken attempt to improve fuel economy; it can actually hurt fuel economy because a hot battery performs less well.

[hisshers]

OOOh that is good to know. I don't tolerate heat real well and always have AC on. Must also say that rarely does my gas light even come on so that should not be a problem!


Great comments, all!

-hh

[Ichabod]

Short trips do tend to reduce fuel efficiency, but FE should still be well above almost any other car you could buy.

No mods are necessary to get a good experience from a Prius. I've considered the EV button mod, and will probably do it eventually, but only use it for very limited things like moving in a parking lot, or cruising the last few hundred meters to my house when I take the uphill approach.

I'm 6' tall and don't find the car uncomfortable. I did add a simple over-the-fabric lumbar support to the driver's seat, but I would do that in almost any car. For comparison, I feel just a little cramped for headroom in my Camry.

Pros:
Low emissions
CVT Transmission
Smart Key (one of my favorites!)
Good fuel economy (I still wish for better though)
Lots of fun gadgets, mostly well integrated and non-distracting to the driver... for example, the A/C system is more advanced and easier to operate than any other car I've seen, right from the steering wheel.

Cons:
umm....
ummm.....
I know there are one or two things that have bothered me momentarily, but no more little quirks than any other car I've driven.
Oh yeah, and one person mentioned the funny old-school clock in the dash, rather than integrated into the display screen. I guess that's a con

[JimboK]

I'm 6'4" and have a 34" inseam, so leg room is a potential issue for me. But the Prius' is adequate. My only complaint about seating comfort is the same as Evan's: suboptimal thigh support. I haven't gone as far as using an extra cushion like he does because it doesn't cause a problem in daily driving. It's more an issue on long trips, but breaks every hour or two help. I just wish the car had a vertical adjustment for the seat bottom, even if it's a simple mechanical one like my fiancee's Corolla has.

You've gotten good information from Evan and others on fuel economy. Also like Evan, I have an engine block heater and I've blocked my front grill. The grill has been blocked throughout the winter, but the heater was just installed 10 days ago. I've maintained FE in the mid-50s and higher through the winter mainly by modifying my driving technique to take full advantage of the Prius hybrid system.