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New 2011 Prius Owner

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by kcgirl, May 1, 2011.

  1. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    Hi!
    So glad to have found this website! My husband and I just bought a 2011 Prius II about eight weeks ago and we love it! We had a 1997 Toyota Camry with 240,000 miles on it and for its age, it was in good condition. Fuel efficiency and better gas mileage has become more important to us, especially since all of our family is out of state and our in town driving has increased a little bit now that our daughter is involved in more activities.
    I am a newbie and am still trying to figure out how best to get the best gas mileage. Right now, my screen shows 41.6 MPG as I drive around town. Do you have any suggestions on how to maximize my gas mileage? I always have it on Eco Mode and rarely use the Power option. Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated and welcome!
    So glad you are here! Thanks so much! :)
    Chris
     
    #1 kcgirl, May 1, 2011
  2. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Welcome aboard Chris glad to have you. There are many threads on here about fuel economy and even some videos. There is a questionnaire in the Fuel Economy sub forum that you can submit some information to and others can give more accurate suggestions.

    I would highly suggest creating an account on places like fuelly.com to track your actual fuel economy.

    Peter
     
    #2 spiderman, May 1, 2011
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  3. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    Thanks so much! :) We are looking forward to our new Prius for many years! I am new to forums, threads, etc. so bear with me. I am learning how to navigate through all of this. Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions are always welcome! :) My entire family all own Toyotas and I am the very first one to get the Prius so they cant wait to ride in it! I just bought the Prius All-Weather Cargo Mat and Cargo Space Saver from our dealership with an extra 10% offer via online. These are two accessories that I wanted to purchase and they are a perfect fit. Thanks for your warm welcome!
    Chris
     
    #3 kcgirl, May 1, 2011
  4. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    Chris, welcome to the forum. Spidey's advice above is gold.
     
    #4 Mark57, May 1, 2011
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  5. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    Thanks so much! How do you like your Prius? Chris :)
     
    #5 kcgirl, May 1, 2011
  6. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    I love it. My original intent was for it to be a tool to get me around cheaply and efficiently but I grew to love it after the first day.. Driving it keeps me interested. It's fun.
     
    #6 Mark57, May 1, 2011
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  7. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    We love ours enough to drive 40k miles in 2 years.
     
    #7 billnchristy, May 1, 2011
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  8. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    As suggested above, fill in the questionnaire given in this post: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...e-questions-esp-if-youre-new.html#post1074320

    The questionnaire contains the common questions to ask when people complain of poor mileage so help people help you by saving time.

    But to start off you'll want to reset the trip computer to ensure you have a good reading. If that wasn't done when you first bought the car it could be low because it includes any mileage done at the dealer.
     
    #8 ItsNotAboutTheMoney, May 1, 2011
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  9. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    We bought our Prius right off the lot with no miles on it. My husband test drove it since he was initially ready to buy a new Camry but really loved it once he began driving it on the highway and back to the dealership. He was so used to our 1997 Camry in terms of body style, interior space, etc. He couldn't believe how smooth the ride was. I was trying to convince him to just give the Prius a chance but for the past few months, he wasn't fond of the "look" of the Prius in comparison to the Camry. I guess the test drive, the amazing folks we worked with at the dealer and small subtle suggestions from me over the past few months made him finally say "Yes!" And we have no regrets....we LOVE it! :)
     
    #9 kcgirl, May 1, 2011
  10. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    It can get hot, humid and sunny here in Kansas City. We are thinking about having the front and rear passenger windows on our Prius II slightly tinted. The rear window is tinted slightly right from Toyota (lke a pinkish color?). I am wondering if the rear window should be tinted to match the other windows and if so, would this hinder my visibility? Or if I should I leave the rear window alone? Has anyone done this or considering this? I saw a Prius the other day here in Kansas City with DARK windows and it was done aftermarket of course. That's completely too dark for me and states may have different laws about tinted windows. Thank you for all your suggestions!
    Chris
     
    #10 kcgirl, May 1, 2011
  11. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    Are most of your miles highway or city? :)
     
    #11 kcgirl, May 1, 2011
  12. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    We have taken a lot of trips but probably 50/50 or close to it.
     
    #12 billnchristy, May 2, 2011
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  13. twittel

    twittel Senior Member

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    #13 twittel, May 2, 2011
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  14. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    It gets even hotter here in OKC. My dealer put a minimum tint on all the Prii they sold including mine. I really like it and it does make a difference when it's hot. The A/C works very well in ECO mode even in 100°+ temps. The light tint does not interfere with night visibility and it's not so dark that other drivers can't see you wave at them to proceed, etc. Only the 4 side windows were tinted.
     
    #14 Mark57, May 2, 2011
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  15. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    Thank you! It's nearly impossible to find a gas station here in KC that doesn't have ethanol in it. Do you have any suggestions? It seems like all of the ones here now have it. Will this affect my gas mileage? I saw a few threads that differed on opinion. Thoughts? Thank you. Chris
     
    #15 kcgirl, May 3, 2011
  16. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Fortunately we don't have to deal with ethanol up here. They tried MTBE but that was a failure.

    But from what others mention, you will notice a hit in your FE since the engine does not run as efficient.
     
    #16 spiderman, May 3, 2011
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  17. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    #17 cwerdna, May 3, 2011
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  18. kcgirl

    kcgirl New Member

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    Would you recommend getting the rear hatchback window tinted? I found out that 35% tint is legal here in Kansas. I was going to stop by the tinting company to see what their options where and see if they had any cars that had the rear window tinted at that level. Since the rear window is divided (unlike our 2000 4-Runner and the rear window is tinted on it), perhaps it would be more challenging on the Prius since it's at a slope and divided. ??? :confused: Maybe it would diminish my visibility? I am not planning on getting anything done for the next week or two but would love to hear what other Prius owners have or haven't done. I saw a few threads but I have the Blizzard Pearl color, which I LOVE! So I'm not sure how it would look. Thoughts? It does get pretty warm here in KC so I'd love to keep it as cool as possible. Thnx! Chris :)
     
    #18 kcgirl, May 3, 2011
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