1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Prius an auto with purpose

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Toyota2, Nov 4, 2022.

  1. Toyota2

    Toyota2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2022
    81
    16
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
    With the Prius I discover a new world . If you ever had your car run out of fuel . You catch on as you walk for fuel & cars wisk by , now your a walker , not a driver your One with the street ,
    With a twist the Prius causes the driver to be , One of purpose . The reason to have such an auto , simply put
    You Become One Of Them . who is THEM ? A driver who wants to save money in a car that will deliver MPG
    Like going home I have a 12 mile state RT road up hill . my truck IC motor offerd no technique
    50 MPH = 12 MPG - 25 MPG = 13 MPG - completely not practicable
    yet the Prius if I settle down at 41 / 42 MPH the Hybrid system chugs up the road doing its thing IC motor & Electric motor back and forth to deliver high mileage that is real . Go 60 MPH , MPG still good enough but now the electric motor stays more dormant . It pays to just relax , slow it to the sweet speed spot for really good MPG .With other results
    First ) If I drive for MPG people want to run you off the road .
    Second ) If I drive normal people want to drive you off the road
    Third ) If I drive strong people still want to run you off the road
    I've never seen with such consistency how people Love to run up your Butt in a Prius
    had a tractor trailer get so close till he shifted lanes. Its kinda unnerving
    What's the deal of the Prius why are we such targets ?
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  2. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,669
    6,485
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Not sure about the G2's but the G3 (turd gen) is shaped sorta like a door stop.
    Unlike some other cab-forward cars, it's a hatchback which means that (a) you get to count all of the interior volume and call your compact car a "mid sized" car, and (2) there's not two feet worth of trunk and rear bumper behind the rear glass.

    What this means is that, despite what it says on the copilot's rear-view mirror, objects are not as close as they appear to be.

    That....and Priuses have a reputation as traffic plugs, so sometimes people think that they're driving more slowly than they appear to be.

    YMMV
     
    Toyota2 likes this.
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    7,797
    1,349
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Still In Good shape getting rear ended is good payout for replacement
     
  4. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    6,155
    4,146
    1
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    I never experienced anyone trying to run me off the road when driving my Prius.
    I suspect you are drawing conclusions from coincidence.
    Friends of mine have experienced being run off the road while driving cars other than a Prius.

    It happens, which is a sad state of affairs. The world has also gotten more enraged. More people have shorter fuses and it has become more acceptable to lash out.
     
    Montgomery and douglasjre like this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    after 18 years of prius, i have a pretty good feel for how close cars are to me. they do tend to stay right on the bumper if you're going the speed limit in the right lane.
    if they're really enraged, they swerve back and for to let you know. and of course, they sometimes pass over a double yellow line.
    in my dakota, they tend to stay well back.

    why? because prius represents everything that's wrong with the world to them
     
  6. Toyota2

    Toyota2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2022
    81
    16
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
    Run off road is a matter of a statement ( i'd rather say On My A.... ) But tonight just driving along & like clock work on my bumper
    tonight going 40 MPH in 45 on 2 lane road so no need be on my bumper & i'm in the right lane
    & i'm watchin a honda accord guy getting close & closer about 4 ft to bumper
    for the first time in my life and I'm not a proponent of it But I break checked him
    Never once in my chevy pickup experience this car discrimination
     
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,058
    5,783
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Nothing personal, but a lifetime of experience says doing 40 in a 45 will get your bumper ridden every day of the week, no matter what you're driving. That's just reality.
     
    Zythryn and douglasjre like this.
  8. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Not everywhere.
     
  9. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2008
    1,743
    613
    0
    Location:
    Orlando, FL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Somebody brake checked me one time. I rear-ended her. The cop cited her with a summons and she got named in box one. My car was totaled and her insurance company paid me for my car
     
  10. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,382
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Happens all the time. Around here you can be doing the same twenty over the limit as everyone else and some fool in a superduty is going to lose his mind trying to pass you on a double yellow in front of the daycare.
     
    Montgomery likes this.
  11. Toyota2

    Toyota2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2022
    81
    16
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
    Just for clarity my Break check was a fake break check I was steady at speed & with left foot lit up lights just made the other driver Think .
    Here's a fact .when driving - three seconds of space between a driver and all other surrounding vehicles..
    I am not in favor of messed up driving road rage type . If a fool driver tail gates like really on the bumper . 3 seconds of space` is not followed ,in my time it was one car length per 10 MPH about 85 feet in a 45 MPH zone .
    A cat runs across a road . Oh my !! gut reaction slow down , The tailgater driver can not prove otherwise .
    My life long rule , Always leave distance , no matter what direction going I want distance .
    Going 10-mph under is legal BTW
     
  12. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I would call that flashing the brake light (something I do infrequently), not brake checking (something I don't).

    Well, I actually do real brake checks to test winter traction in dicey conditions, but not when other vehicles are anywhere close, following or oncoming.

    That rule of one car length (defined as 20 feet in my state, nevermind most cars being closer to 15 feet) per 10 mph, translates to just 1.36 seconds of space, not 3 seconds.

    Your 85 feet at 45 mph translates to 1.29 seconds. If you want 3 seconds at that speed, you need 198 feet.

    I was taught a defensive driving minimum of 2 seconds, in daylight on dry pavement, which means 176 feet at 60 mph. When more is reasonably available, use it. But busy highways are commonly packed much more densely, which is how we get 50+ car pileups.

    Just be sure to take turnouts when too many vehicles are stuck behind without adequate safe passing opportunities.
     
    Zythryn, Mendel Leisk and bisco like this.
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    if anyone in government cared, we wouldn't be having nearly as much of this and other driving problems
     
  14. Toyota2

    Toyota2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2022
    81
    16
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
    _____________________
    your info is verbatim from you , mine is the Net , I trust yours as golden rule 3 seconds is a long time id say i see people do that like ....I Can't even remember ....... like when see it .......... its Like look at that , they be far !!
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,480
    38,108
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Greater following distance is good for mpg, allows you to coast through more slow downs with need to touch the brakes (which robs you of momentum). It's a doubly good tact when you've got a tailgater, for a couple of reasons:

    1. Less chance you'll need to hit your brakes abruptly.
    2. The big gap in front of you might tempt them to pass.

    I find when I've got a tailgater, for my peace of mind I need to at least partially "put them out of my mind". Even though I know it's dangerous having them there, you're better off if you can manage to keep your cool. And use the tactics @fuzzy1 suggests, using pull-outs and whatever opportunities, to get them on their way, out of your life.
     
    #15 Mendel Leisk, Nov 6, 2022
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2022
    fuzzy1 likes this.
  16. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Translating from miles-per-hour to feet-per-second is a very simple units conversion. From there, it is very easy to compute distance covered in a given time. No need to trust "the Net" or any person.

    1 mph = (5280 ft/hour) / (3600 sec/hour) = 1.4666... ft/sec.
     
  17. Toyota2

    Toyota2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2022
    81
    16
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
    ------------------------
    True Said I will adjust attitude as this car type adds a new demission.
    Like today took out the 2011 silverado (work erends) The Big Black truck with rust & dents
    no tailgating with that truck - & well yeah go-ahead . There is this vulnerable feeling in a Prius
    haven't even bothered to look up crash ratings but I'm wondering
     
  18. Toyota2

    Toyota2 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2022
    81
    16
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Limited
  19. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
  20. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2008
    1,743
    613
    0
    Location:
    Orlando, FL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    You back paddled very nicely in this conversation however it's pretty clear that you brake-checked somebody.