Record Straight on Prius Convertible

[amm0bob]

Now that is a fine modification there Bra...

I am envious... I have always been a vertman myself... and it is heartening to see there are fellow members with that same need for sunshine on my shoulders.

[exproducer]

Rapenzulrides,

Yes, I'm your neighbor with the Golden Retriever puppy. (6 months old) I think you live 3 or 4 doors up from me and we had a conversation when you stopped on your bike a week back or so about film?

I only had the hardtop for about 100 miles before it went in for the convertible conversion so can't give much of an evaluation what I was getting hardtop but in 45 mpg range around Los Angeles; no freeways.

Your mileage is excellent. Appears also I have a lot of detractors who hate the conversion but I love it. I put the puppy in the back seat latched into his seat belt; he scopes out the neighborhood.

Edmunds posted a road test on Prius Chat, the other day, they did a week ago on the convertible and seems pretty fair evaluation.

Best,

exproducer

[rapunzelrides]

Well isn't that ironic? We seem to have quite a few Prius owners on this street. We could probably form our own little club.

I think it's kind of funny how some people really hate the look of the Prius. I'm usually pretty picky about style, and I have loved it since I first laid eyes on it! Ah, personal taste. And it's only one of the myriad reasons I bought one.

Enjoy yourself in that spiffy ride. The weather has been just perfect for taking the puppy to the beach, lucky dog! I will check out the reviews while waiting for another glimpse!

[NOX 3.2]

Originally Posted by exproducer

For the Glory,

On the mileage figures, Los Angeles is a bit different than many cities MPG driving stats. I'd be interested in hearing from other hardtop hybrid LA Drivers mpg but here is what I have found in about 5 years hybrid driving. (1000 miles convertible)

It is near impossible, now almost at any time of the day, particularly work time mornings commute and evenings from work traffic flow, to drive with any consistent pace for the Prius to get mpg in the 47.5 mpg range, even with a very light foot on the gas. Someone will probably write and say they do, but I've found it's impossible in normal driving conditions around Los Angeles.

The vacillation of stop and go traffic, on the freeway, from 60 mph to 10 mph back and forth constantly has the graph inside the Prius bouncing from 50 mpg to 30 mpg into average mpg zones that end up at 40 mpg averaging freeway and street.

To give you an idea, from the downtown Los Angeles area the distance is approximately 25 miles to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. The main route, across the 10 freeway, is directly West from these points, to the beach. This is the route most people would take to get to the beach and back. A Google map check will give you 30 minutes (impossible) and 1 1/2 hours in traffic (more likely in rush hour now which extends for hours). From 3 PM on heading back, from the ocean, you are in rush hour traffic stop and go. You could also take Wilshire Boulevard or other direct side streets the entire length of the same route and make the trip in approximately 1 hour hitting traffic lights every few blocks.

No matter which way you drive it, generally, you are looking at a 1 hour minimum, to go 25 miles, at the speed limit, to achieve 40 mpg. I don't believe in a hardtop you could ever get the 47.5 mpg. This plays havoc with getting maximum potential mpg hardtop or convertible from the vehicle.

There are other freeways in Los Angeles obviously that flow, at various times, at the speed limit which could let the convertible possibly get the higher range at 47.5 mpg in course of open freeway driving but not short hop street traffic/ short freeway commutes anywhere in Los Angeles.

I previously owned another hard top Prius (2003) and although a different hybrid system averaged around Los Angeles 38 - 40 mpg. Some freeways 45 mpg. Understand though, this vehicle was equipped with special diamond lane stickers, issued in small quantities by the state of California, which gave the vehicle the right to use special highway lanes, on some roads, basically only reserved for hybrids etc.), in which traffic flowed quickly to get maximum mpg while the rest of the freeway was at a painful stop and go flow. Those stickers could only be issued for one specific hybrid car, not moved to a new hybrid and were limited to believe somewhere to the first 50,000 or so of the first hybrids who applied for them. They are no longer available for anyone with a new hybrid so without these stickers you are in normal (watching paint dry) traffic most days in Los Angeles. If you go in the diamond lanes without the stickers it is a date for traffic court and a big fine.

My wife owns a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid (with the CA State stickers) and makes similar trips daily via diamond lane freeway and also on side streets getting 42.5 - 45 mpg hardtop. Back East or Midwest open highway assume both cars, convertible or hardtop average your figures realisticly at the 47.5 mpg or better.

I'm sure there will always be questions concerning loss of mpg in the convertible but all I can tell you is, it sure is nice, to at least have the top down, when you still get 40 mpg and are stuck getting to the beach.

exproducer

Remember that contrary to normal cars, the Prius is supposed to Excel in gas mileage in stop-&-Go traffic, and not on Highways (where the gas engine is used more)
since the electric engine is more powerful than the Honda's counterparts (Insight, Civics, etc)
Converting it to a full EV-Plug in yields over 100 MPG by adding more batteries and some controlling electronics, all due to the wonderful electrical motor in the Prius.
I'm waiting for a plug-in so I can buy my Prius, and hook it to solar powered-batteries at home.

Great mod, I'm glad it all went well for you. Love convertibles + hybrids.

[Patrick Wong]

I had a chance to take a good look at this convertible and meet exproducer at a recent OC Prius club meeting. I was very impressed by the quality of the conversion work done, suitable for concours exhibition or an auto museum.

The top is fully lined and very luxurious in appearance, both inside and out. The plumbing behind the hydraulic lift mechanism was fascinating to see.

This is a one-of-a-kind collector's item.

[Garmy]

The perfect name for this car just poped into my head....FrankenPrius!

I like the idea but not the finished product.

[a priori]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

I had a chance to take a good look at this convertible and meet exproducer at a recent OC Prius club meeting. I was very impressed by the quality of the conversion work done, suitable for concours exhibition or an auto museum.

The top is fully lined and very luxurious in appearance, both inside and out. The plumbing behind the hydraulic lift mechanism was fascinating to see.

This is a one-of-a-kind collector's item.

Thank you for sharing this observation and noting the high quality of the work.

I had not read this thread until today, and I am a bit bothered by the response many PCers have given exproducer. I notice that the OP has not posted for about 12 weeks, and I would not doubt but that he has decided to go elsewhere, given his reception on PriusChat. Remember, this thread was his first post. What an entry!!

If you don't like the look of the conversion, that's fine, but there is no reason to post harsh comments about it. Exproducer is not someone who just came to the show -- he has been a Prius owner three times over, and he obviously likes the car and what it can offer. He has gone out and done up a convertible Prius at the highest quality, and it will only help to get the word out about the car and its capabilities. More than that, he didn't do this just to have a show car, but to make his car a more pleasurable ride for himself. Kudos, I say!

I might not spend my money this way (but, then again, I don't have it to spend it . . .). Still, I do spend money on things that many PCers may find different.

I hope we hear back from exproducer to find out more about the car and how he is enjoying it.

[JamesWyatt]

Originally Posted by NOX 3.2

Remember that contrary to normal cars, the Prius is supposed to Excel in gas mileage in stop-&-Go traffic, and not on Highways (where the gas engine is used more)
since the electric engine is more powerful than the Honda's counterparts (Insight, Civics, etc)
Converting it to a full EV-Plug in yields over 100 MPG by adding more batteries and some controlling electronics, all due to the wonderful electrical motor in the Prius.
I'm waiting for a plug-in so I can buy my Prius, and hook it to solar powered-batteries at home.

Great mod, I'm glad it all went well for you. Love convertibles + hybrids.

It's almost like you're talking to him backwards through time.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by a priori

Thank you for sharing this observation and noting the high quality of the work...

You're welcome! Three more thoughts:

• Regarding the $18K conversion cost, note that the price of a Ford Mustang convertible is ~$5K more than the comparable coupe; while the price of a Chrysler Sebring convertible is ~$7K more than the comparable sedan (an exact comparison is difficult given 2 doors vs. 4 doors, option content differences, etc.) Therefore, an $11K to $13K premium was paid to cover design and engineering costs not amortized over a large production base and the creation of a unique vehicle utilizing relatively expensive CA labor. This seems reasonable, although I recognize the final pricing is too high to be attractive to more than a niche market.
• The rear seat backs are fixed in place and moved back an inch or so. The traction battery vent on the passenger-side rear seat no longer exists; hence a custom vent was devised to cool the battery. I could not see how the vent works since the trunk lining covered that up.
• The trunk lid constitutes the rear portion of the former hatch. The hinging looks like a factory job, and the trunk lining contains the switched courtesy light that came from the former hatch trim.

[a priori]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

You're welcome! Three more thoughts: . . .

Thanks! I like the attention to detail and the compliments you offer on a job well done.