Mountain Passes

bredekamp · 10-21-2007, 04:01 PM

I want to take a drive that involves two long mountain passes. I'll be carrying two passengers. How will the Prius handle long uphill roads? Should I rather take a car with a bigger engine?

Any experienced people who can give insight?

bfuller78 · 10-21-2007, 04:25 PM

I took a trip over the mountains in Colorado and got 55.5 mpg (the best so far). Long uphills mean long downhills

F8L · 10-21-2007, 04:41 PM

Climbing up the west and east sides of the Sierra Nevada last Halloween was no problem. Your battery will essentially be drained and the milage up will be terrible but like stated above, the downhill slope will fix that.

bredekamp · 10-21-2007, 04:47 PM

I guess I have this silly idea in my head that the car is gonna stall or not be able to get to the top without a lot of spluttering and high revving.

hyo silver · 10-21-2007, 04:52 PM

I've driven up and down several long, steep passes between the Pacific coast and the Rockies, with no trouble. Most trips were fully laden with camping gear and people, and the overall mileage was surprisingly good. As long as you don't expect to break the sound barrier on the way up, Albertus, your car should be fine.

tagnew · 10-21-2007, 06:41 PM

I always like to see what a vehicle new to me will do going up the Bozeman Pass- not real long or steep but enough to communicate what cajones are involved. Prius went up it at 95, never seemed to labor.

PA Prius · 10-21-2007, 07:47 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Oct 21 2007, 04:52 PM) [snapback]528536[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I've driven up and down several long, steep passes between the Pacific coast and the Rockies, with no trouble. Most trips were fully laden with camping gear and people, and the overall mileage was surprisingly good. As long as you don't expect to break the sound barrier on the way up, Albertus, your car should be fine.
[/b]

We also crossed the Rockies this summer-- two adults, two teens, roof rack, all the camping gear. Ditto on hyo silver's response. We chose to not use cruise control on the longer steeper climbs because it tended to send the engine screaming. If you are interested in the details of our trip you can go to--

http://www.priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=11065

PA P

hyo silver · 10-21-2007, 08:04 PM

That's a nice account, PA, I don't think I'd read that before. We kept all of our stuff inside, with no roof rack, though 'stuff' was the operative word. I didn't use cruise control much at all, but I came to regard air conditioning as a safety feature on long, hot days behind the wheel. I kept to the speed limit as much as I could, at least up the big hills, but down the mountains and on the Prairies was a different story.

I think the Prius is a great family car, and makes a quiet and comfortable cross-country cruiser.

daveleeprius · 10-21-2007, 08:10 PM

I've driven up multiple mountain passes with no worries. Left it in cruise control. People think the car is always using the battery, it doesn't always use it for propulsion. Often times the engine will charge the battery even while going up a hill!

Don't think you're going to go 95mph up a mountain pass. That's just stupid. Set your cruise control to 68-70mph and enjoy the view

I drove 257 miles up and down three mountain passes last weekend and got 51.9mpg.

-Dave

paulccullen · 10-21-2007, 08:35 PM

I heard a few years ago (I don't remember where, and I don't have any reference to back it up, sorry

) that the first-generation Prius would gradually lose power on mountain passes. Long uphills would drain the traction battery, then ICE would spend more of it's energy charging the battery and less on the wheels. And that this problem was fixed in the current generation Prius.

Does this ring a bell with any of our resident experts (Galaxee, Hobbit etc...)

10-21-2007, 08:04 PM	#8
hyo silver awaaay Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 7,382 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: Base Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 32	That's a nice account, PA, I don't think I'd read that before. We kept all of our stuff inside, with no roof rack, though 'stuff' was the operative word. I didn't use cruise control much at all, but I came to regard air conditioning as a safety feature on long, hot days behind the wheel. I kept to the speed limit as much as I could, at least up the big hills, but down the mountains and on the Prairies was a different story. I think the Prius is a great family car, and makes a quiet and comfortable cross-country cruiser. __________________ My other high mileage, low emission vehicles are my bicycles and my shoes.

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10-21-2007, 04:01 PM	#1
bredekamp Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Somerset West, South Africa Posts: 345 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #6 Touring Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I want to take a drive that involves two long mountain passes. I'll be carrying two passengers. How will the Prius handle long uphill roads? Should I rather take a car with a bigger engine? Any experienced people who can give insight?

10-21-2007, 04:25 PM	#2
bfuller78 Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I took a trip over the mountains in Colorado and got 55.5 mpg (the best so far). Long uphills mean long downhills

10-21-2007, 04:41 PM	#3
F8L Collecting Data on Nature Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento, CA. Posts: 3,989 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 1 Time in 1 Post TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 15	Climbing up the west and east sides of the Sierra Nevada last Halloween was no problem. Your battery will essentially be drained and the milage up will be terrible but like stated above, the downhill slope will fix that.

10-21-2007, 04:47 PM	#4
bredekamp Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Somerset West, South Africa Posts: 345 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #6 Touring Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I guess I have this silly idea in my head that the car is gonna stall or not be able to get to the top without a lot of spluttering and high revving.

10-21-2007, 04:52 PM	#5
hyo silver awaaay Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 7,382 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: Base Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 32	I've driven up and down several long, steep passes between the Pacific coast and the Rockies, with no trouble. Most trips were fully laden with camping gear and people, and the overall mileage was surprisingly good. As long as you don't expect to break the sound barrier on the way up, Albertus, your car should be fine.

10-21-2007, 06:41 PM	#6
tagnew Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 13 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I always like to see what a vehicle new to me will do going up the Bozeman Pass- not real long or steep but enough to communicate what cajones are involved. Prius went up it at 95, never seemed to labor.

10-21-2007, 08:10 PM	#9
daveleeprius Heh heh heh you think so? Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 414 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: Base Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I've driven up multiple mountain passes with no worries. Left it in cruise control. People think the car is always using the battery, it doesn't always use it for propulsion. Often times the engine will charge the battery even while going up a hill! Don't think you're going to go 95mph up a mountain pass. That's just stupid. Set your cruise control to 68-70mph and enjoy the view I drove 257 miles up and down three mountain passes last weekend and got 51.9mpg. -Dave

10-21-2007, 08:35 PM	#10
paulccullen Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 259 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I heard a few years ago (I don't remember where, and I don't have any reference to back it up, sorry ) that the first-generation Prius would gradually lose power on mountain passes. Long uphills would drain the traction battery, then ICE would spend more of it's energy charging the battery and less on the wheels. And that this problem was fixed in the current generation Prius. Does this ring a bell with any of our resident experts (Galaxee, Hobbit etc...)