1st big trip in the Prime

Be safe Jerry! There have been some pretty nasty storms and tornadoes out in the midwest.

 

Glad you guys are safe.
You may not like mpg in the 40s but I expect most around you at that time would be happy with the 20s.

 

Did you find that your Prime is sensitive to those cross-winds? Mine is - it tends to dart around in the lane. My first day on my trip was 750 miles with a good crosswind all across Iowa and it was two hands on the wheel.

 

I would never be eager for a 650 drive in a single day. I've done it, I'm too old to suffer like that anymore.

 

Last "big" road trip we did, soon after we got our 2010, was around 700 kilometers (to destination), wouldn't consider doing much more than that in a day. What's that, around 450 miles?

 

We routinely drive from OKC to Ouray, CO in one day. 776 miles (1248.85 KM). Nonstop is 13 h 4 min, but it normally takes close to 15 hours with gas an bladder stops. Not as easy as it used to be, but we still "git er done." I like to drive and that destination is worth an extra day there.

 

I may be old school - 1000 miles solo in 18 hours from Pennsyvlania to Nebraska, in a 1985 VW Golf Diesel with the windows down since the A/C didn't work. Or, team driving with my son in a 2001 Honda Accord, 1550 miles Los Angeles to Omaha Nebraska in about 25 hours.

 

I am in awe of how far people drive in one day! I too am curious to hear about Mr.Mildred's impression on Prime in cross-wind. I have never experienced any difficulty in our two Primes unlike jb in NE. The wind in the central valley of CA must not be as severe, perhaps.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

When our kids were young, I often drove from the east coast to midwest, ~900 miles in a single day with just gas stops in a minivan full of kids and a dog and a cat. I was young too. I still do ~600 miles round trip in a single day often now, but getting too old for this.

 

I just returned from a trip to the east coast of NC. and back and put about 2,200 miles on and drove over 600 miles on the way home in one day. I don't like to go over 400. Ran in the high 50,s for gas mileage. Did a lot of mountain driving going through the Smoky Mountains.

 

600 miles is about my limit. Our yearly trip to Garrison, North Dakota is just about 600 miles...and it gets tougher to do every year!

 

I hear you. Same here. I am at age now I try to avoid night time and winter season long drive if I can.

 

I typically avoid night time because there is nothing to see, and part of the travel experience is the scenery. With the Prime I've had to push a few nights to get somewhere, and found that the LED lights were great. 4 hours across the Nevada desert, not so bad.

Winter drives have some advantages - less traffic in general, don't have to run the A/C to keep my wife cool, no bugs on the windshield. Downside is more rock chips from road treatments getting kicked up.

 

Can you lock your steering wheel straight and take a nap? LOL When I was younger I pulled off all night drive without sleep many times, but no more of that. My eye sights are no longer good enough for that vast darkness.

I bet you have different winter season to contend than most of NE have to offer.

 

Mine doesn't. Are your tire cold inflation pressures set according to the sticker on the door jam? Weights evenly distributed in the car? Windows up? No roof rack or rear carrier?

 

It snows quite a bit here in Nebraska and the states north of here where I tend to drive in the winter. If the weather prediction on the drive is for a lot of snow, we take the Outback with four snows on it.

Tires inflated properly. Weights even in the car, and loaded low where possible. Windows up. No roof rack or rear carrier. Did it with a passenger in the car, and also with just me in the car on the return trip.

If others aren't seeing this, it is likely an alignment issue on my car. At the 10K service, I'll have the dealer check and align under the warranty (12 months, 12K miles).