I've got Questions!

1. Figure 8 - 12 years, 150 - 300k miles
2. Mountains and severe heat will put your battery on the lower end of expected longevity
5. 5% optimistic
6. Ignore
7. Safe
8. As well as others ? No effect on battery life
10. Few to none
11. Quite

 

12. Yes

 

3. Feels like pleather to me.

4. Toyota seems to use three brands of LRR tires Yokohama, Goodyear and most recently and most likely what you will find today is Bridgestone Ecopia.

12. Yes.


iPhone ?

 

13. a) $3000 b)$1800

 

Side note: Are the hybrid batteries supplied to Toyota and the ones to Honda, do they fall from the same tree .
Thinking not?

 

Heated seat at high uses about 50w, about headlight bulb.

Electric AC can do full blast when engine is not running since the coldness has nothing to do with the rpm of the engine.

 

Looks like the heavy hitters went home.

 

Different suppliers. Panasonic (PEVE) supplies Prius. Sanyo supplies Honda.

Hybrid tech differs in how battery pack was babied. HSD has two motor/generators but IMA had one. HSD is less restrictive to charge the battery.

 

Very different. According to the current Consumers Reports, Honda batteries are failing at a far higher rate than those used in the Prius:
Honda Civic Hybrid — Shocking Battery Failure Rates | PriusChat
"In the latest 2013 Annual Auto Survey by Consumer Reports, the battery replacement rate for 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid are at 30% and the 2010 model at 32%. In contrast, the battery replacement rate for Toyota Prius are at less than 0.3% for the 2009 model and 0.1% for the 2010 model."

 

Good to know , understand Consumer Reports give the Prius Battery more longevity than the Honda Battery.

(Whoops , looks like we posted at same time) great minds

 

Yeah, Honda batteries are outfailing Prius at a rate of a hundred to one or worse

 

If I recall, the electric AC can draw 1-2 kW. Battery pack is rated 28kW (including propulsion). Yes, engine will come on if the pack state of charge approaches 40% (min). Max it allows is 80%. That narrow range is used to prolong battery life.

 

Just bought my 06 with 144k recently, previous owner replace original battery at128k.
I know there is all sorts of reasons the battery can fail. But seems like if most of the miles were put on the car from NC to Fla and back on flat roads, battery might have lasted longer. Maybe one reason was the southern heat, especially Fla. Yea, I know there are many other reasons.
This part of state where car originated is slight rolling hills.

 

so "fed up" with GM's lack of 'customer service response' ... that we're seriously considering dumping it and moving on to a...Toyota Prius...

I can't guarantee that your local Toyota dealers are any better. How do they rate with the better business bureau?


1) What is the typical battery-pack life?

Reliably 200k. You might look at it in terms of how long the warranty is vs. how long you keep your cars.


2) Is battery life driven more by usage (miles), temperature (hot/cold), or what?

Temperature, in particular overheating. It doesn't seem to care about cold. Don't let the battery vents get blocked up. It doesn't like that.


5) How accurate are the dash gauge MPG readings?

Accurate enough that I haven't really questioned them.


6) How accurate are the dash gauge BATTERY readings (%-left, range, etc.)?

Sorry, I just ignore those, so I don't know. I consider them useless visual clutter. I don't drive according to the battery, I drive according to my needs. I paid for a gas engine and I'm not afraid to use it.


7) How safe is their Smart Key System: "...may interfere with some pacemakers or cardiac defibrillators"? (I have one)

Talk to your cardiologist, not random strangers on the net. That being said, you can turn it off at the car. It is nice to have if your doctor approves though. He may be able to lend you a field strength meter so you can walk around and check.


8) How well do the 'heated front seats work? What effect on battery life?

Good & I don't know. It's the equivalent of sitting and idling the car with your headlights on. Some of us disdain the wimpy stock battery and switch over to optimas.


9) How visible/useful is the Heads-Up Display (HUD)...especially in sunlight?

I can see it fine but don't seem to actually use it. It is actually too bright for my taste.


Addendum: Forgot to mention my location: Tucson, Arid-(hotter than the hubs-of-Hades)-zona.

So you'll mount a pair of longhorns on the front? Given how different this is than your last car, I would suggest you look into renting one for a couple weeks, maybe a month or so, just to be sure you can be happy with something so different than what you're used to.