Questions from potential future newbie

[drmugavero]

Hi,

1) I live in the Boston area where we have quite drastic weather changes including 95 degrees and humid all the way down to 0 degrees and snowing. In the past I have been unimpressed with Toyota's HVAC systems and have had to drive around with fogged up windows, mostly in the winter. How does the Prius's HVAC system do?

2) I'm 6'2" (34" inseam) and I've heard there is enough room. True?

3) My daily commute to work is 1 mile! I have no need to travel more than 25-30 mph while I'm on the main road briefly. Other than that I probably cruise at 20 mph on the back roads. It would seem to me I could go nearly forever on a tank of gas because I would mostly be in electric mode. Is this accurate?

Thanks for your input!

Ram

[jdenenberg]

Originally Posted by drmugavero

Hi,

1) I live in the Boston area where we have quite drastic weather changes including 95 degrees and humid all the way down to 0 degrees and snowing. In the past I have been unimpressed with Toyota's HVAC systems and have had to drive around with fogged up windows, mostly in the winter. How does the Prius's HVAC system do?

It warms up quickly and the AC is good. Fogging is no problem if you let the AC dehumidify as required.

2) I'm 6'2" (34" inseam) and I've heard there is enough room. True?

Do a test drive.

3) My daily commute to work is 1 mile! I have no need to travel more than 25-30 mph while I'm on the main road briefly. Other than that I probably cruise at 20 mph on the back roads. It would seem to me I could go nearly forever on a tank of gas because I would mostly be in electric mode. Is this accurate?

NO! all of the energy comes from the gasoline so running electric requires that the engine runs to keep it charged up. Besides since the engine and catalytic needs to warm up at first, you will NOT get good gas mileage (expect about 30 MPG) in a short commute. You should try to find an electric vehicle for this short commute.

Thanks for your input!

Ram

JeffD

[patrickindallas]

+1 to everything the previous poster said.

[qbee42]

All agreement from here too. I live in Northern Michigan, which is the poster child for extreme weather changes. Just leave the A/C on auto and it will do a good job.

A one mile commute is too short for any gasoline powered car. If it was me, I would do it on foot. As for driving, buy an electric car, as Segway, or both.

Tom

[brad_rules_man]

You could try a prius with the EV button installed, but in all honesty.. it will be tricky. You would also need a normal commute in between each EV run, but it will still come out of gasoline and won't be as efficient as it seems. You might get a small runner car, or stick with what you have until 2010. They might put something into the new prius, or the Chevy Volt might be right for you. (Given that it comes to be as it is supposed to.) It will have a full electric drivetrain and can go at least 30-50 miles before the "generator" on board kicks in. Hope I helped a bit, good luck.

[richard schumacher]

If that 1 mile commute is the majority of your driving you might as well spend thousands less and get a Honda Civic. All cars get relatively crappy MPGs on such short trips, and the absolute amount of gas you use (and thus your carbon footprint) will be small in any case.

[nick88]

If all I had to drive was 1 mile per day, 5 miles a week, I would pick up a nice M3 and use jet fuel in it all the time. There is no need to worry about fuel economy.

[tumbleweed]

Some people have no problem whatever with the Prius driving position, some of us do. I strongly recommend renting a Prius and taking it for long drive and see how it feels to you after several hours.

I'm only 5' 11" and the uncomfortable driving position on long trips was one of the main reasons I sold my Prius.

A search of some of the old posts here may reveal some interesting comments.

[Ichabod]

Originally Posted by brad_rules_man

You could try a prius with the EV button...

Trying to drive on EV only would result in a net loss in fuel economy. Unless it's all downhill one way. Then you could EV downhill and discharge relatively little.

As for the OP's commute though, if you're in decent shape (or would like to be in better shape), seriously consider walking or biking. I live in the Boston area and I bike-commute year-round in almost any weather. I'm in pretty good shape because of it. My commute is 2.5 miles each way, 10-15 minutes on bike, which is usually faster than driving. That's hardly enough to get myself warmed up on a cold winter day!

If you don't have a need for driving much beyond your commute time, maybe consider Zipcar...? I don't know the pricing structure, but I do have some friends who drive only on special occasions, so they do Zipcar. I've even seen Prius Zipcars!

As for comfort in a Prius, I'm 6 ft. tall and I put the seat 1 click forward from the farthest back position, and lean the seat back a little. I have a lumbar support added for extra comfort. Sometimes my legs get a little cramped on longer drives, especially if I'm not using cruise-control, but it's better to get out and stretch your legs a little no matter what car you're driving.

And fogging: The Prius does the best of defogging the windows quickly out of all the cars I've driven. I just hit the A/C Auto button and it's clears right up and stays clear.

[Devil's Advocate]

1 mile, buy a bicycle. sheesh, or walk. I have an 18 mile commute and am considering the bike. Mostly to get my fat ass in shape. I can make the commute in about an hour and a half (which includes a stop at the gym that is 1 mile from the office for a shower). Plus when I drive, the walk from the parking garage to the office is about a 1/4 mile.

If you have a LOT of disposable cash you could always buy a Segway.