shouldnt we watch traffic instead of our screens?

I do want an instant-off for noise makers such as the radio, which doesn't go instantly off during boot-up.

But I have no problems with the display screens. My eyes can quickly and easily put the screens out of view.

 

i dont find that im looking at it anymore than a regular odometer. maybe when i first got the car, i was looking at it more but now, its just plain jane to me.

 

i have difficulty watching the screen and texting at the same time. anyway to bluetooth my iPhone texting to the mfd split screen style? i don't want to lose any mpg's iykwim.

 

Yes, we should watch the road.


Tech babies will tech...

 

If a previous driver left the radio on too loud, I could hit its power button on my older cars and the radio was instantly silenced. But on this Prius, there is a period during or shortly after the car's boot-up where this button-push doesn't take. The radio still seems to be booting up, and isn't yet listening to its own controls. This usually coincides with me starting to back out of a parking space, and I don't want other distractions.

Most people don't multitask as well as they think they do. And I acknowledge that my multitasking skills are below average, and declining with age. So you'll never catch me phoning and texting at the wheel, because I know I can't do it as well (or poorly) as others.

 

Since I only look at the screen when I am not busy, I always think the car is doing better than it is. When I am busy is when it gets its lowest MPG.

 

My number one bug is changing the ventilation mode, typically when the windshield's starting to fog up, and I want to try heat/defog. First I've gotta look look down, find that little, smooth/flush tile, recognize the icon, then press it how many times are needed 'till the lcd display above shows a tiny defog and heat symbol. Don't like it much.

 

Or when in auto mode you can push the front defog button. One push and windshield clears up.

 

Yeah, I'm trying to avoid triggering the AC, keep it off.

 

It amazes me that people won't use A/C. The batteries are in the passenger compartment specifically to get A/C when it is hot. A/C makes defrost wildly more effective. Unlike 'normal' cars, the Prius A/C compressor is very efficient.

 

I don't need a button.

There's nobody "forcing" you to look at any screen.

You want to keep your eyes on the road? Just keep your eyes on the road. No button necessary.

 

Not everyone lives in the south.

 

I use A/C to clear the windows in the New York winter.

 

same here. i never did it in my older cars, but with the new cars and automatic systems, i let the AC and system do what it wants.

 

The entire trip though?

 

we should be stronger than the screen that wants to enslave us

 

What screen?

I'm usually too busy doing the stick and rudder thing to notice a screen....and besides, Priuses have no gauges not a even tachometer.
There's a longish BEEEEEEP that goes off about 50 miles before you run out of gas, and if you have the NAV screen then it's already 2 years out of date when you bought the car.

I'll keep looking OUT.

 

Jimbo, I'm not a total luddite; I do use AC on occasion, lol. Still:

In monitoring the middle battery temp sensor, I've seen at most a 1 degree centigrade drop in temp, 15 minute run without AC, then switching AC on and running for further 15 minutes. This was after a "hot soak", car had a good run in hot weather, parked, then restarted. My take is the primary cooling is by air movement, that air being a few degrees higher/lower has negligible effect. I doubt Toyota's system is so fragile that a minor cabin temp change is going to bring the battery to it's knees.

Getting a little closer to topic: I will hit AC to dispense humidity, if the window's bound and determined to fog up. If possible I'll run AC just 'till it clears, then switch off, see how it goes.

As to the Prius AC efficiency: running the same route, with/without AC, I'm guestimating a 5~10% drop in fuel economy with AC, just from what ScanGuage shows me for the trip. I'll sometimes use AC on the highways where (I suspect) it's impact is minimal. As often as not I'll just shut everything down and crack the windows.