Driving Style Changes

[cjoshuav]

I'm used to driving a fairly sporty car (Subaru Legacy GT) that's overall wasted in-town but a lot of fun on curvy mountain roads and even just cruising on the interstate.

I'm not typically an aggressive driver, but living in a big city (Atlanta) I'm used to having to accelerate quickly sometimes to grab a spot in a lane and such.

I'm committed to buying a Prius once I get the right deal, and I've been happy with my test driving experiences. I realize, however, that a test drive is not the same thing as a road trip or a week of commuting.

Any thoughts on how my driving experience is going to change once I'm in a Prius and trying to be sensible about my MPG? How will the Prius handle my usually road-trip average cruising speed of 78 MPH?

Thanks for your thoughts.

-Joshua

[pmanza]

Don't cruise at 78, you will feel the hit in the mpg. Stick to 65. You can rent one for a few days from a Toyota dealer to make sure you like it first. A bit of money to spend, but if it saves you $20,000 if you don't like the car, it is money well spent. If you want more oompf but still good (just not stellar) mileage, try the Camry Hybrid.
Fernsmom

[cjoshuav]

Eep! I fear 65 on a road trip would drive me insane. How much of a hit will I take in MPG? I might be better off just renting a car when I'm going out-of-state.

While I was doing my Ph.D. coursework I had to commute from Atlanta to Nashville and back, sometimes in the same day. That's why I had a nice, sturdy Subaru. The Prius looks appealing because most of my driving is in-town now, so it's not as big of a concern.

Joshua

[donee]

Hi Cjoshuav,

While the Prius is not a sporty car, and does not have the HP specification of many cars. But these cars have old fashioned technology transmissions which do not allow the engine to reach the HP specification at low vehicles speeds. It takes 6 or more gears to get the engine match to the car that the Prius transmission provides. Then the problem is shift time with that many gears. The solution is then DSG transmissions. Right now there are very few cars on the road with 6 or 7 speed DSG transmissions, so in traffic, you will have no problem with the Prius.

The Prius should double your 78 mph mileage you are getting in the Legacy in the summertime. I am guessing that the Legacy gets about 18 mpg (as the old EPA on these cars was about 22 mpg if memory serves) at 78 mpg. The Prius will be around the 40 mpg at these speeds. Better downwind, downhill, and worse uphill, upwind. It will have no problem cruising at this speed.

[qbee42]

The Prius will cruise just fine at your accustomed 78 mph. We find we have a hard time keeping the speed down, since the Prius cruises with so little fuss and bother. At any speed you will do much better than any other car you have every driven. What the other posters are hinting at is that the Prius tends to get into the very core of your soul and brings about a change in driving behaviour. It's not that you need to slow down, but you get so engrossed in mileage that you want to slow down. I drive the speed limit, unless the weather is bad. I could drive faster, but I don't feel the need.

Tom

[ny biker]

I think the question is why are you committed to buying the Prius? If you want to maximize mpg no matter what, then you would want to alter your driving style and slow down on the highway. If you want better mpg than you'd get with pretty much any other vehicle that uses gasoline, get a Prius and drive it 78 mph on the highway. It's perfectly capable of going that speed, even though it's not ideal for gas mileage.

When I drive between DC and Long Island my speed varies from 65 - 75 mph, depending on which highway I'm on, what the speed limit is and what mood I'm in. Over the summer I was averaging a bit over 50 mpg on these trips. Since winter temps kicked in I am driving a little slower (65 - 68 mph) to offset the effect of colder weather and am getting around 49-50 mpg.

As for acceleration, I haven't had any problems with city driving. The Prius isn't the fastest 0-60 car on the market, for but 0-25 or 30 it's fine.

p.s. For some folks, getting the Prius makes them want to slow down a bit on the highway because maximizing gas mileage becomes something of a game, with the car giving you real-time feedback on how you're doing. So you might decide that driving 65 (or maybe 70) doesn't make you crazy after all.

[redrockprius]

When I travel between St. George, Utah in the southwest corner of the state to Salt Lake City -- just over 300 miles on I-15, I usually set the cruise control to 78 mph most of the way and let the car do its thing. Under those conditions, I usually average around 47 mpg. When I travel between St. George and Santa Fe, New Mexico, I travel mostly two-lane state highways and have the cruise control set around 68 mph for most of that 600-mile trip. Under those conditions, I average around 52 mpg.

I find the Prius comfortable and I like the handling both on hilly interstates and on the winding mountainous roads in the area. But then, some folks have complaints so I guess its pretty subjective.

[Steamboatsig]

I just traded in my 2004 Volvo S60R, 300hp, AWD for a 2008 Touring Prius. My driving habits have changed tremendously. Mostly, I find myself staring at the energy & consumption screen. It is almost like a video game trying to keep the ICE from turning on. Needless to say, I drive a lot slower now.

I will admit that it is a far cry from the S60R in acceleration, but when needed to get up and go, I haven't had an experience where I couldn't do what I needed Prius to do.

The one thing you need to becareful with is cornering. I had 235/40 18" Michelin Pilot Sport 2's on the R, so I had to make a mental adjustment before I got myself in trouble with the Prius. Even with the touring suspension, it tends to lean a little more than I am used to. Especially when going from a left hander to a right hander.

[artie]

I've always been an overly fast, aggressive driver just cuz i like to go fast and first. I know, sorry. Anyway, as mentioned above, after buying the Prius 4 years ago I now get the same fun, honest, in maximizing mpg. The car has totally changed my driving behavior. And when I care to, I also will cruise at 80, getting around 44 to 46 mpg, sometimes a bit less, and that's just fine.

I took the car in for service, the store lent me a BMW, last month. Got a speeding ticket, 93. Luckily I was able to do the school, and I'm glad to be back in the Prius.

[Steamboatsig]

It has been a whole new experience driving on the right side of L.A. freeways, now that I have been driving closer to the speed limit. It's like a different world!