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Long-Term Test: 2004 Toyota Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Rancid13, Nov 3, 2005.

  1. Rancid13

    Rancid13 Cool Chick with a Black Prius

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    I didn't see this 'article' posted anywhere on here, unless it got wiped out by the server problem last month. It's all pretty positive, from the POV of someone driving a Prius long term and learning all the quirks and tricks to acheiving high mpgs.

    Long-Term Test: 2004 Toyota Prius
    October 2005

    What do you learn after two years and 30,000 miles with a long-term 2004 Toyota Prius? Actually, not much more than we knew after one year and 15,000 miles.

    Like most hybrids, it's still using much less fuel than the majority of cars on the road, but more fuel than the EPA estimates (in this case 60 city/51 highway). However, one of our editors read a document called "The Toyota Prius User-Guide" that he found online (it's available at multiple Web sites and easily located through Google). This guide is written by Toyota Prius owners and is not affiliated or sanctioned by Toyota in any way. It offers numerous suggestions about how to maximize your ownership experience, and one involved pumping the tires up to between 44 and 50 psi to improve fuel mileage.

    Article....
     
    #1 Rancid13, Nov 3, 2005
  2. dipper

    dipper Senior Member

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    uh... 50 psi?

    Not enough danger on the road already? Trying to make a Prius a time bomb?
     
    #2 dipper, Nov 3, 2005
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    ehh... 44 psi is the max most, if not all owners will put. I'm not even in the 40s (I'm at 37/35).

    I guess a 4mpg improvement with tyre pressure is a good thing. I just wish they could drive a bit more conservatively and get that 50. It's probably unlikely given CA traffic.
     
    #3 Tideland Prius, Nov 3, 2005
  4. jamarimutt

    jamarimutt New Member

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    Best Fuel Economy: 44.4 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 44.1 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 40.8 mpg

    I wonder how are they driving the car. I drive my Prius normally every day for a 40 mile round trip to work, plus errands during the wekends, and my numbers are closer to

    Best Fuel Economy: 54 mpg
    Worst Fuel Economy: 45 mpg
    Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 50 mpg
     
    #4 jamarimutt, Nov 4, 2005
  5. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    What the heck is the writer talking about? When you do that search, only one owner written guide for the HSD is returned, available from a single location. There's only one for the Classic too.

    Then he continues on and states "the tires have a maximum rating of 50 psi". Ahh, no they don't. The OEMs are only rated at 44 max. Of course, his test of 40 all around wasn't exactly a sign of great intelligence. Not having a bias on the front tires, which he pointed out as the standard, will affect the way the car handles.

    But I'm still baffled anyway by their 40.8 MPG average. That's not typical. And their 44.4 MPG for best tank is really sad. How are they driving it to get the efficiency that low? He made no mention of any other guide suggestion, like checking the oil level.
     
    #5 john1701a, Nov 4, 2005
  6. Seaside Harry

    Seaside Harry Junior Member

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    This could just be an honest mistake. Perhaps the writer possesses note-taking skills on the same level as Judith Miller, so when it came time to write the actual article, the MPG and suggested tire pressure figures got garbled and transposed. :rolleyes:
     
    #6 Seaside Harry, Nov 4, 2005
  7. HeyKB

    HeyKB Not so new member

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    I wish there were a way to give them some feedback. What kind of a driver has their long-term Prius? The guy (it's gotta be a guy) is one lousy driver if he was consistently getting only 40 mpg. I wonder what kind of mileage he got in his previous car.

    We routinely get 45+ mpg and I know we could do better.

    Their Prius guy is clearly broken.

    Karl
     
    #7 HeyKB, Nov 4, 2005
  8. Mystery Squid

    Mystery Squid Junior Member

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    I agree, all these retards road testing the Prius don't know how to use the gas pedal. Then again, I suppose that's more indicative of the "average" driver isn't it?
     
    #8 Mystery Squid, Nov 4, 2005
  9. Over Achiever

    Over Achiever New Member

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    I think they're talking about the user guide by John found here
     
    #9 Over Achiever, Nov 4, 2005
  10. Tempus

    Tempus Senior Member

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    Weren't the Classic Prius Tires rated at 50 psi max?

    That's likely the source of the confusion. Still bad reporting skillzz though :)
     
    #10 Tempus, Nov 4, 2005
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Over Achiever, john1701 IS the same John that wrote the User Guide lol
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Nov 4, 2005
  12. keeponrunning

    keeponrunning New Member

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    OK, I read all of their posts from the car and at the beginning they got as low as 28 MPG and one guy who drove it across country got a tad over 50. There's like 7 posts, one every 3 months of their ownership of the car.

    It was MANY different drivers in the EDMUNDS.COM offices driving the car, all different styles of driving and I dont believe they changed their normal driving habits at all.

    If you reall all of the posts they really did use it like any normal car and really wrote glowing reviews of the car all around. At one point they actually had to find stuff to complain about because they said reviewing the car was turning into a love fest :p

    Great long term review, but I would LOVE to drive with them for 1 day. Thats all it would take to get the mileage up over 50. My first 2 tanks were 55.1 and this tank I am at 58.8. No reason for getting under 40 like they did consistently.... other than driving it like a teenager out with the folks car.
     
    #12 keeponrunning, Nov 4, 2005
  13. Rancid13

    Rancid13 Cool Chick with a Black Prius

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    Originally I had only read the most recent article post, from October 2005; but later spent the rest of the afternoon reading the articles from the beginning and it sounded to me like the editors gave the Prius rave reviews all around, even after the fuel gauge problem. Sounds like maintenance isn't too costly either, something a lot of people may worry about when purchasing a vehicle like a hybrid that hasn't been around for a loooong time and may contain 'unproven' technology (IMO it has been proven-I'm just saying for the non-PCers out there that don't know as much info/data about the Prius as the wonder folk here do)...
     
    #13 Rancid13, Nov 4, 2005
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