p/u Prius tomorrow and drive 400 mls home....scared

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hollybeanbag @ Oct 4 2006, 02:38 PM) [snapback]328113[/snapback]</div>

Same color as mine. Don't worry, as soon as you get used to that crazy shift lever, it drives just like any other car.

 

I've had mine about a month and start out scared everytime I think about driving ... then I get in and can't stop grinning. <G> I think most of us feel this way when we get a new car of any type because all you can think about is the horror of the first scratch or dent or imagine that you'll be caught in a sudden downpour before you've figured out how to work the windshield wipers. The fact that the Prius can be (emphasis on the "can" -- you *could* drive it any old way) driven somewhat differently than any other car vis a vis coasting to boost your mileage, etc makes it seem a bit more intimidating at first. Personally, I was also scared by the thought that I wouldn't be able to keep myself from going over 65 in the first 300 miles and would "ruin it" but somehow I managed -- and I used to drive like a "speed demon" on the highway. Just enjoy your beautiful new ride and practice finding the wipers, lights, shifter in the parking lot before you leave.

 

Hey, you will be smiling like the rest of us. Don't know what you have been used to driving but please make sure you have the rear and side view mirrors all adjusted before you get on the highway. The mirror visibility is way different from what I was used to in my SUV.

 

Review the Prius pick-up checklist: http://www.vfaq.net/docs/pickup_checklist.html
(It says "2004" but the 2007 is almost identical.)

Sit in it on the dealer's lot for 30 minutes or an hour, however long it takes for you to skim the owner's manual and read the most relevant sections. Experiment with the controls. Adjust the mirrors.

Avoid stomping on the gas or the brake on your way home (unless you have to, obviously).

Buy gas when the gauge gets down to two pips!

 

We drove from NC to CT (750 + miles) immediately after picking up our new car. The scariest thing was trying to program in a NAV address and following her directions (which by the way took us to the wrong place)

We had a run in with a several hour traffic jam while my tank was on the last pip. Talk about nervous. . .

Other than that, we had a blast on the drive home finding every Dunkin Donuts along the way.

Congratulations and have fun!

 

Take a moment or two to familiarize yourself with the controls and such immediately AFTER leaving the dealer's...then just drive it and enjoy.

And try not to smile too much; after 400 miles of that your jaw could get pretty sore.

It's definitely, in my opinion, a car with a personality...and a voice that has nothing to do with the NAV system.

 

By the time you drive 400 miles, your Prius will have a name.

Lola'05

 

I bought mine on a thursday afternoon and left on a 1800Km trip home. Oh and dont' worry about the ICE just drive it and the normal hills and dips will take care of the limited break-in required. If it's brand new and your going to track the life time mileage the first stop I recommend is a gas station and a complete fill, and while your there fill the tires to the PC recommended pressure of 42 Front and 40 Rear. That will give you a proper baseline as most dealers only fill to the first click. As they will claim it's full as per their agreement with Toyota that a full tank is included. But that's not full as a lot of first tanks mileage complaints are about only being able to go 325 miles before the last bar started blinking. Other than that enjoy your trip. There is nothing to worry about.

 

I would tell you to play with all the buttons on the MFD first but since I just read your post, you probably already have the car and have become one of us.