What are your thoughts on the Gen. 4 Prius?

That's a shame they did that then claim the mpg figures on the window dossier! Verge

I agree completely. Pickup drivers are the absolute worst...in my defensive driving course (which we can take for insurance premium reductions every three years) this is discussed every time and most everyone agrees (except the pickup truck drivers) that these 'trucks' are the worst. One or two women will usually bring up the fact that perhaps there's an underlying physiological issue that leads to this aggressive driving by truck drivers. That always evokes a big laugh (from everyone except the pickup truck drivers). I bring up that I drive a Prius and everyone moans. Prius drivers have a bad reputation as drivers--little old men and women who are too timid to drive and think that they're saving the world by motoring along passively in a Prius. And you're right, Prius drivers do commit the illegal act on the Thruway of 'parking' in the passing lane with their cars set on cruise control. I asked a state trooper in the course using the following scenario. Someone is driving in the passing lane but they're going the posted speed limit. Someone not in an emergency vehicle or cop car comes up behind them and flashes their lights for the passing lane vehicle to get over. The right lane is full of traffic, mostly all going the speed limit or faster but there are available 'insertion spaces'. Is that OK? He told me that the law says the passing lane is for passing only! It is not a lane that one is permitted to continually drive in. He further elaborated that both drivers are doing something illegal--the one 'parked in the passing lane' and the driver who came up behind, first for speeding, second for too fast for conditions and third for flashing headlights...all against the law. The lesson here is, driving is NOT about you...it's about allowing others the complete and total courtesy of the road while operating your own vehicle in a legal, safe, consistent manner taking road and weather and driver conditions into consideration. MPG is the FIRST thing you should forsake in such a situation! Your safety and that of others depends on it. I see far too many drivers who are oblivious to that with the attitude: "I pay taxes...I have a right to be on this road...to take my time...to drive my car the way I want to." That's so typical of the lousy attitude of most, yes MOST Americans today--"I'm gonna get me mine!" Pathetic.

 

i think the law needs to be changed. rarely is the traffic in the lane to the right of the passing lane going below the speed limit. which means anyone in the passing lane should be getting a ticket.

 

Speeding and too fast for conditions are valid, though. But, flashing high beams has legal precedent as not being treated as dazzling light, it seems. (Cops aren't lawyers and aren't actually required to know the law.)

 

Now there's a scary thought! If so, then what are they enforcing, "what they think you should not be doing"? Is there no such thing as false arrest?

 

Getting off topic, but there is such a thing as false arrest, but there's often not a penalty against the cop for it. And, pulling someone over isn't an arrest. (A traffic stop can be ruled illegal, but that only means that evidence gathered during it is thrown out.)

 

Flashing headlights in NY, is considered Aggressive Driving. There is currently an enforcement effort by state and local police at the direction of the Governor to pull people over and warn that aggressive driving behavior is not tolerated. Aggressive Driving is one step below Road Rage and if an accident or traffic violation occurs accompanied and/or caused by aggressive behavior (light flashing among others) a violation will be charged against the driver. There are a host of 'catchall' charges that police officers have at their disposal including operating a vehicle in an unsafe or wreckless manner. The police are not bashful about using these and then letting the judge and lawyers sort it all out. I know I do not want to spend my time and money on such things, so I just drive like a normal person without "Prius affectations" and with as much courtesy toward others on the road as I can safely demonstrate. With highly aggressive pickup drivers, I will usually turn into a public place or onto a busy intersecting road just to get away from them. Three years ago when one driver followed me home and into my subdivision, I stopped on a cross street about three blocks from my house and got out of my car and visibly called the police. With wheels squealing and the pickup violently zigzagging as it sped away, this road-bully left the scene. I did nothing to aggravate him other than perhaps being in a Prius...something that obviously was a trigger for his wild-eyed aggression.

Hello bisco, and you're correct: rarely is the right lane traffic going at or below the speed limit. But the law doesn't need to be changed...it already says driving in excess of the posted limit is speeding and that's clearly illegal. I think what needs to be done is more enforcement. Here in NYS last fall, there was a stepped up effort to enforce the speeding laws. Police with radar were everywhere it seemed. I never worried, because I simply drove the limit. One time I was passing on the Thruway and a police car suddenly appeared in my rear view mirror...startled me at how fast he came up on me...his lights were not on. I looked at my speedometer and I was going about 70--the limit is 65. I continued past the semi-trailer--a double trailer and pulled into the right lane. That's when the cop sped past me and about a 1/4 mile up ahead he turned on his lights. He was after someone else, but I felt 'caught' with my speedometer at 70. I knew at that point, they were strictly enforcing the speed limits. I guess I was just lucky...there was a 'bigger fish' for him to fry.

 

Hi all. Regarding the fuel mileage displays/computer, is there something I should "reset" after fueling up? I zero out the Trip A and Trip B buttons... that's it.

Excuse my being unfamiliar or ignorant, but I'm not aware of what else to reset. I scrolled through all the various fuel display screens but I didn't see anything.
Thanks.

 

Reminds me of a joke.

A guy gets pulled over for speeding.

The guy complains that he was going just over, that there were many people going much faster than him.

The cops asks "Ever been fishing ?"

The guys was caught off guard, but answers, "...yes.."

Cop says "Did you always catch the biggest fish ?"

 

I reset just Trip A and use that for mpg for that "tank" of gas. I use Trip B for messing around.

 

That brings up a question I can't seem to figure out.

What is the MPG average on the ODO screen? It surely can't be lifetime average mpg can it?

 

It is until the computer is reset.

 

Picking up a rental Prius 4 tomorrow for a week evaluation, planning to try highway and city. Do either A or B reset automatically when you fill up? I'd like to zero out A for the duration of the rental and use B for some highway, then zero out for suburban driving, then zero out again for driving to work. Does this sound feasible, or will one or both reset themselves? My current car has a segment recorder that resets after about 3 hours of car not being on.

 

We almost have the same mileage. Ain't that special ;-)

LG-H901 ?

 

Yes, I believe that is the "lifetime" fuel mileage. I seem to recall seeing it in the owners manual... I'd have to go back and read it for the 8th time.

On my Three model, I have to zero out the A & B manually. No auto reset.

Good job Frederick. Mine never seems to drop below 60... (Which in reality, is probably closer to 56-58.)

 

I'm assuming this is your fourth full tank of gas since new, this is our fourth full gas tank. Range states another 139 or so miles available.Wife's gonna be heading out in the morning and most probably will balls out and fill the Prius up. She has an 80 mile return journey tomorrow which I'm sure the vehicle will manage without the need to be filled up.
Mathematically rough figures..
Approx 9.5 gals per fill up X 4 visits to gas station = 38 gallons

2331 miles ( Inc 100 miles til current tank empties) / 38 = 61.34 MPG.?

LG-H901 ?

 

Yes, I'm on my 4th tank of gas. Your figures are correct, sir. Great fuel mileage.

I drive 100% in the "Normal" mode now. There was no difference between the first month in Eco, and the second month in Normal. And my car seems to perform better in Normal.

 

It is the MPG for the miles driven since you last set the trip odometer on the Eco screen on the large head unit display.

When you reset the odometer on the large Eco screen (like for each fill up) it will chart the MPGs for your last 5 or 6 intervals on a bar graph. It will also keep track of our highest MPG for the intervals you enter here.

The MPG for your latest trip/interval on the big Eco screen will also show on the regular odometer up top.

One caution: Take care and use the update button and not the clear button on the Eco screen -- especially if you are using one of the A/B trip odometers to keep track of your lifetime MPG.

You really have three driver changeable odometers and one that resets each time you start the car.

1) The trip odometer on the large Nav unit display -- hit apps, then Eco to find it. I use this each time I fill the tank. The MPG for this odometer will show both on this large screen and on the traditional odometer spot.

2) Trip A on the steering wheel and small display only

3) Trip B on the steering wheel and small display only

4). The odometer that resets on start up on the steering wheel and small display only

You access the MPGs, average speed, percent EV, elapsed tame for the last three options listed above by scrolling to the small screen up top that has all that-- then select the trip odometer you want to read all the related data.

Let me correct that -- Just three odometers.

The Eco Screen on the large Nav screen does not show miles driven. It will show the date when you last updated this, and it will show your MPG since that last update. It will show your last 5 or 6 dates and the associated MPGs for the period between them in a bar graph.

The MPG on this screen for the most recent period (the period since you last hit update) will also show on the small screen odometer next to he total miles driven since the care was made.

 

Ours has been in Normal mode since new.

LG-H901 ?

 

Eco provides a gain for temperatures on both ends, not in the middle as you have been experiencing.

In the north, during true winter driving (daily highs under freezing), there's a noticeable improvement. Eco alters the coolant threshold, directly affecting when the engine runs for the sake of providing occupant warming heat. Eco also has an influence over the A/C system for occupant cooling.

Keep in mind with a new vehicle, there's an efficiency influence caused by break-in. You're observation of Eco first, then Normal, could have had a cancel-out effect.

In other words, anecdotal observations present challenges. If you want to learn detail about how the hybrid system operates, purchase an aftermarket device. There's a wealth of information available through the ODB-II port. You can watch a wide variety of quantitative data using your smart-phone or a dedicated reader. Simple things like RPM and temperature of the coolant can tell you quite a bit about how Prius achieves such great efficiency while also maintaining an impressive level of emission-reduction.

 

Well I just found out how to zero out the odometer MPG's. Just hold the steering wheel trip button in for one second.

And when I start driving, it jumps all over the map. It goes up to 199 MPG, then down to 50, then back up to 70, and it levels out somewhere around 60 again.

And I went through the big ECO screen, and I press the clear button. There is no reset button. So now everything is back to zero.

ANYWAY, I'M MORE CONFUSED THAN EVER. I think I will just drive the car.