New to Pre-School

For the last couple decades I’ve owned a Ford Ranger pickup with camper shell (it came that way), a Chevy Lumina APV van, and another Ford Ranger pickup. No cars. Main reason is I needed to carry a lot of photo and video equipment.

This is a heavier load:



Well, my GF, in a stroke of genius, said that a decent sized car would hold my usual gear and, when I need to take the kitchen sink, I could rent a van/truck for the day. Doh! No idea why that never crossed my mind. So the search for a used car started. Requirements were: 1. Something that got better mileage than my truck (18mph year ‘round. AC or no AC. Uphill or downhill with the wind at my back. 18mph, period.), 2. Something that looked good and didn't change looks every model year. and, 3. Something dependable that didn't need a lot of maintenance.

So I started looking at cars. Quite a few aren’t getting that much more mileage than the truck, surprising considering how other things have changed over the years. Some stated some nice highway mileage but 20-24 in the city which is where I drive the most. Then I looked at Prius — no idea why but I was attracted to them right away. Saw some pictures of some with the hatch opened, back seats folded down, front seat folded back and a lot of stuff inside them. That sealed the deal for me.

A lighter load that should easily fit in my Prius:



Found exactly what I wanted, too. A 2010 Barcelona red Prius IV, with sun/moon roof and a chunk of miles (102k). Miles don't scare me, my van had over 200K on it and was still strong and dependable. This Prius was well maintained with all service records from Toyota dealers.

So, now I'm in pre-school (Prius school) looking through the ream of manuals. Weird having been driving for so long but needing to relearn.

Did my first road trip in it yesterday. 300-miles of learning to drive while sitting lower than the truck, no shifting - no clutch (manual tranny), no keys, the cruise control (love it in the mountains we were on), backup camera (looking forward while backing up...hmm), Nav, etc. Service adviser at a Toyota dealer said that most Prius accidents are in the front of the car, with all the things on the dash, I think I see why.

No questions, just wanted to say hello and see if someone will teach me the secret handshake.

 

Already liking it a lot. The road trip was a blast! Granted, I felt like an idiot when a car wash attendant pounded on the hood and told me to put it in neutral. Thought I had until I saw the "D" on the display. Whoops.

Just bought a black Toyota hat with chrome Toyota logo on it and am already looking for a red model to put on my desk.

 

I was af

I'm good at visualizing. Found some interesting pictures of loaded Pruii online, one looked like someone bought out a home warehouse, that convinced me. One of my setups fits behind the seats in my truck (4-door model) -- sold in 1/2 day.

Yes, will look for tips on oven temps and the HV battery. Found several "reconditioning/rebuilding" places locally. One recommended that I bring it in so they can run a series of trouble prevention tests on it. Never heard of that before and the price was pretty step, especially since it's just the tests, no cell replacements, etc.

I think I will make good use from the solar venting, too.

Still very new to me but I'm liking it and looking for excuses to go for long drives in it.

Thanks Retired4999 and bisco. The Electric Me, I already order the sacred Prius emblem robe and hat. I’ll be ready for the ceremony once I find the model I want.

Thanks for the tip. Played with Neutral for a bit later, key for me is to look at the display to see where it is. This auto centering joystick-like shifter is new to me.

The car wash thing was a fluke. I was looking for a $1 coin wash where I could zip in, power wash off the bugs and dust, and get back on the freeway to air dry it as I drove. Never used a $3 wash before -- pickups run better dirty. With exception of the momentary stupidity on my part, it was a good experience and really cleaned the car without my help. Will be my new way of PDQ cleaning.

 

Thanks. I've already planned on most of that. Not sure I understand the battery bars yet, will read up on that. I don't think the Gen III's have the same battery fan setup as the Gen II's as I was planning to make sure that fan was kept clean. One of the features of the solar fan is to keep the outside and inside temps close and I like that idea. Still cracking a window here is the norm.

When I first moved here I was walking in a parking lot on one the hot days ("but it's a dry heat" -- like an oven you don't stick you head in) and heard a POOF! I turned and saw the back window of a car turn into a glass jigsaw puzzle. I asked someone what happened and was told the person didn't crack open a window to let the hot air pressure escape. That was enough for me.

I'll find out. The big load is quite heavy and bulky, filled the bed of the pickup with some on the passenger seat and behind. Don't usually carry that much so I'm sure I'll be fine. Will test flipping down the front seat soon in case I need it.

 

Nice mileage! I may try to see what I can get in there for kicks. One of the most convincing pictures I saw of a loaded Prius was from Much More Better on this site:



Another from d2mini:



One of my favorites was from 2010blizzard, love the picture, made me miss my buddy:

 

For me it's a matter of real need/desire. If I'm moving furniture, I'll rent a moving van or truck but I don't want to drive it everyday, which is what I was doing with the pickup. The Prius will do what I need 95% of the time and when I need more I'll rent the appropriate vehicle. Fuel economy is a side benefit for me. I don't drive a lot (may with the Prius though), averaged just over 6k/year with the truck.

Had my GF not mentioned her observation and idea, I'd still be driving the truck and carrying little in it.