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My Experience (new owner @ 500 miles) & some Qs

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010.

  1. head_honcho

    head_honcho Junior Member

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    Hi Everyone,

    New 2010 Prius owner here. I just wanted to talk about my experience of leasing a Prius from the beginning to right now (@ 500 miles on the ODO). First of all here’s my Prius spec:

    2010 Winter Gray Metallic Prius II
    No Package
    Came with Bluetooth (for the phone)
    Floor Mats
    Wheel Locks
    2 year free maintenance from Toyota
    (from my memory, I think it was assembled in New Jersey... and the car was a swap from Manhattan Toyota dealer... had about 30 miles on it when we picked it up).

    Before I go further, I love our Prius. My gf and I leased it together. She needs it most for her commute to work and I just drive it for leisure. (We are splitting all the cost 50/50.)

    This week we just hit out 500 miles on the ODO and our MPG is about 43! (Hopefully, we can bring it up higher!) :D

    We signed the lease agreement in June 28, 2010 (3 year lease, 12,000 miles/yr).
    We paid:
    $500.00 (cash deposit)
    $817.50 (cash due on delivery)
    Total: $1,317.50 <-- this includes first month's payment, DMV fees (including registration and new license plates), and GAP insurance
    Monthly payment (including tax): $225
    Total 3 year cost: $9,192.50 (does not include: GEICO insurance, gas, accessories, etc.)
    Monthly cost per individual: $127.67 (as I mentioned earlier, my gf and I are splitting the cost 50/50.)

    Random Note: We had full tank of gas when we picked up the car from the dealer. The ODO had about 460 miles on it with 2 bars of gas left. I went to Exxon Mobile and pumped a full tank at $25.26 (8.714 gallons, $2.899 per gallon). With this in mind, I think I can safely say that our monthly gas cost will probably be about $30 a month. SUPER HAPPY :D

    Our goal was to be as frugal as we can. Luckily, I had a friend from junior high school working at a Toyota dealership and leased it through him. I think we got a great deal (Obviously, I am sure people will tell me otherwise, but everyone at the Toyota dealer was telling me I got a great deal because I am buying "below invoice".).

    Both my gf and I agree driving experience is superb with the Prius. We really love the design and the fact that OUR MONTHLY GAS COST IS $30 BUCKS. It's a really great car. Okay... enough gushing about something all of you guys know already... :cheer2:

    So far, we had no problems, but I do have some questions that I hope all of you wise Prius owners can help me out with:

    1) When I start the car, few seconds later, the gas engine starts up and always charges the battery even if the battery is full... what is this for? I am just curious... is it conditioning the battery? warming up the battery? :confused:

    2) Any other small/easy tips on how to bring the MPG up? We're at 43 MPG right now... my gf and I did a lot of research and try to follow those... but any other small/easy ones? (we know pulse and glide, try to use it on EV mode most of the time, turn the AC off - this one's been hard because NYC weather these days have been mid 90s, close windows when driving on highway)

    3) We've seen so many different recommendations for the oil change... it's really hard to umm pick? haha. I would love to do the oil change myself, but I don't have the equipment/time to do it myself. I am going to take it to the service center, but when should I take it? Would 2,000 miles be okay? Please don't kill me for asking this. :( - besides I want to take advantage of my 2 year free maintenance program! I hope they use the right oil... I don't want to be a douche bag and tell the mechanic to do what he already knows how to do...

    4) I bought some accessories: LifeHammer, Bumper Protector and flashlight. Is there anything essential I need? (Also, have an old gas pressure reader).

    5) What would be the optimal tire pressure levels? and how often should I check? I know that the front and rear tires have different pressure levels (front being higher than the rear) and that keeping the tire pressure levels optimal is essential for good MPG... also that the tire expands after driving because of temperature increase... with all this in mind? What would be the optimal tire pressure level be?

    Those are my questions for now. Thank you guys so much for reading! Thank you PriusChat!
     

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    #1 head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010
  2. eglmainz

    eglmainz New Member

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    1.) This is normal, the car is just 'pre-heating', so to speak. While it may seem as though it always does that, you will notice that it does not seem to do that when the engine is warm.

    2.) The advice that you mentioned regarding how to try to maximize your mileage seems to be a bit off. I run the A/C all the time, and still maintain an average of between 53-58 mpg, even after more than 36k miles on my 2010 Prius V. Putting the car into EV mode will nothelp reduce your gas comsumption, as ultimately, all the power of the car comes from fuel, so allow it to decide which is more efficeint. My suggestion would be to try to keep the acceleration below 75% of the throttle, as seen in the HIS display. Then, when not trying to accelerate, then you should be trying to use 0-15% of the bar to maintain your speed, which is the gliding part..

    3.) The official Oil Change interval for the 2010 Prius is 10,000 miles. I suspect that they will not allow you to get more 'free' oil changes than what is recommended by the manufacturer.

    4.) None of those are essential, and I cannot 'define' what you may call essential, so I will not try.

    5.) While there are many opinions on tire pressure here, I try to maintain mine at 43 front and 42 rear. This is about 10 pounds higher than 'recommened', but I find it to be a great blend of comfort and response. I have the 17' wheels, where you have the 15 inch ones, so please doublecheck that my figures will not be too high for you car.
     
    #2 eglmainz, Jul 20, 2010
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  3. ksstathead

    ksstathead Active Member

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    1) Warming up the engine to optimize emissions reduction. See the Gen3 Warming up stages thread, but don't worry about except for understanding and really tweaking fuel economy techniques.

    2 & 5) I prefer tires at max sidewall, say 44 front/42 rear depending on the tire. Higher pressure reduces rolling resistance. The toyota recommendation on the door placard is absolute minimum (designed for a soft ride), and will result in premature tire wear at the edges.

    Don't use EV mode except to move around a parking area. Use ECO mode for fine throttle control and less aggressive climate control. Be sure you are truly gliding, not coasting in your pulse & glide. In other words, on the HSI screen, keep enough throttle to remove regen (hide the bar completely). Preserve momentum by anticipating lights (drive as if you have no brakes).

    3) I just did 1st change at 9200 miles. The oil was dark, but far from the worst looking oil I've drained at lesser intervals on my other cars. I'd be comfortable at 10000 miles. Some like the first change earlier. Some test the oil (blackstone, et al) and find even longer intervals are ok. Don't exceed 10K without such testing.

    Anyway, welcome!
     
    #3 ksstathead, Jul 20, 2010
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  4. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    Welcome to Prius Chat first of all. Actually your car was made in Japan. The port of entry is Newar,NJ., it wasn't assembled there.
    1. The ICE starts up to warm up the various components and I also believe it runs some kind of checks on the different systems. However unlike the Gen.2 if the engine is already at operating temp. it doesn't always start up.
    2. 43 isn't bad if you take a lot of short trips, eventually you'll do better. My car is 3 months old and it's lifetime avg. is 49mpg.
    3. I use 42 psi in front and 40 psi in back, I know some people even go higher but this seems good for me.

    Good luck with your new Prius and enjoy it.
     
    #4 paprius4030, Jul 20, 2010
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  5. ksstathead

    ksstathead Active Member

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    Measure psi cold (before driving in the morning). All quoted pressures are cold. Slight elevation of that pressure upon driving is expected, and well within huge safety margins of the tires. Tire temps are less at higher pressure, since there is less flex in the sidewall to create heat.

    I'd suggest a good digital pressure gauge, and check regularly at least monthly.
     
    #5 ksstathead, Jul 20, 2010
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  6. head_honcho

    head_honcho Junior Member

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    Thank you eglmainz! :D
    This is really helpful.

    Just a quick question in regards to this: "My suggestion would be to try to keep the acceleration below 75% of the throttle, as seen in the HID display. Then, when not trying to accelerate, then you should be trying to use 0-15% of the bar to maintain your speed, which is the gliding part.."

    1) keep the acceleration below 75% of the throttle, as seen in the HID display = Does 75% of throttle on the HID display mean the dark green bar? Is 50% of throttle basically the middle of the bar? Would CHG mean negative numbers (meaning... -10% of throttle?) Sorry this is confusing for me...
    2) when not trying to accelerate, then you should be trying to use 0-15% of the bar to maintain your speed, which is the gliding part = The 0-15% would be the light green color on the HID display right? Below the middle of the bar, but above the CHG?

    Thanks again!!!!!!!!! :p
     
    #6 head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010
  7. ksstathead

    ksstathead Active Member

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    Glide is no bar, i.e., just on the line between chg and eco on the hsi. See the tao of hsi by hobbit here: HSI
     
    #7 ksstathead, Jul 20, 2010
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  8. head_honcho

    head_honcho Junior Member

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    Thank you ksstathead!!!

    Again, this is very helpful!!!

    "The toyota recommendation on the door placard is absolute minimum (designed for a soft ride), and will result in premature tire wear at the edges." = Good to know! I didn't know those numbers on the door were MINIMUM numbers. I will definitely raise the pressure a little bit!

    Also, I will not exceed 10k miles before changing the oil!!! :D

    Question on this though... "Be sure you are truly gliding, not coasting in your pulse & glide. In other words, on the HSI screen, keep enough throttle to remove regen (hide the bar completely)."

    I'm guessing coasting is not the same as gliding... When you say keep enough throttle, does that mean put my feet on the accelerator pedal? I am also not sure what you mean by "remove regen"? Does this mean... don't get the bar to highlight in the CHG area? Sorry! :(:confused:

    Thank you ksstathead!
     
    #8 head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010
  9. head_honcho

    head_honcho Junior Member

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    Ah!!!!!! Got it!

    Glide is the light green color that sits between CHG and ECO middle line... right?

    Thanks!... brain was about to explode.

    P.S. That guide is genius. Thanks! Would've never found it.
     
    #9 head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010
  10. head_honcho

    head_honcho Junior Member

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    Thank you paprius4030!!! :)

    We definitely use it a lot for short trips as we live in NYC area.
     
    #10 head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010
  11. head_honcho

    head_honcho Junior Member

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    Thanks ksstathead! Super helpful! Many thanks... :D
     
    #11 head_honcho, Jul 20, 2010
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