advice please

You're at the right site - start reading!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freeflymicron @ Nov 7 2006, 12:37 PM) [snapback]345157[/snapback]</div>

First make sure you vote today for the people and the party that promotes alternative energy.

Secondly, read this board. There is a ton of information here that will help out.

Ask questions.

Do your homework.

My 2007 - Touring - Barcelona Red has been on order for 34 days now.

Be patient. Love the Earth. Sell you Jeep.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freeflymicron @ Nov 7 2006, 03:37 PM) [snapback]345157[/snapback]</div>

I bought my 2007 Prius Touring a couple days ago.. so far so good. I test drove a Base Prius and couldn't tell much of a difference as far as suspension. But then again.. I didn't drive it long. I am currently getting about 38 mpg, but from what I hear, that is expected for a new Prius and after a couple thousand miles it will start getting closer to EPA.

 

Nothing extraordinary to know. It works just like a regular car. There are very few complaints about the vehicle. If you're thinking of the Prius for fuel savings and for the environment, there's really no better car on the market since electric vehicles are not easily accessible (or are absurdly expensive). I have had my Prius for 8 months and the efficiency continues to increase. I was initially getting around 37 mpg and I'm now consistently in the 50's. Cold weather will render the car less efficient and you'll witness drops to the mpg during that time. This is my first winter with the car so I can't comment on winter averages but it's been cold here in Chicago and I'm still in getting anywhere from 48 - 50.5 mpg.
Y
ou may want to know that the Prius has a maximum weight bearing capacity of a little over 800 pounds. That's been the only limiting feature for me. Other than that, it's a great car to drive, has ample interior room and cargo capacity, is quiet and efficient and handles well.

 

I bought my '06 Prius last May, trading out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Going from 16 MPG for my commute driving to 45+ has made me VERY happy.

I don't think you'll regret this move...

 

I swapped a Ford Escape for my new 2007 Prius as my every day driver. So far only 2000 miles of drving experience with the Prius, but I'm loving it every day--especially the part about getting 3x the mpg (54 vs 18 mpg). The Pruis has a surprising amount of space in it. It easily seats four adults, and I can carry the same amount of gear in the cargo area as I could in the Escape. The Prius has also made me a much safer/saner driver, since I now so focused on maximizing the instanteous and average mpg readouts, my driving is much more "relaxed". I'm happy with the Prius. The Escape mainly sits in the driveway--used only when I need to run down rutted dirt roads to a trail head or the like. Note: the Prius doesn't have a lot of ground clearance relative to an SUV.

 

Bah, just get a Corolla. 41mpg highway, no $488 12V batteries to worry about, it's cheaper initially and likely cheaper in the long haul, less complex so if something goes wrong it won't take the Toyota dealer four days to realize a plug was loose...

Plus, you won't get sneered at by people who think you're trying to make a "holier-than-thou" statement.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Chrome @ Nov 7 2006, 07:09 PM) [snapback]345200[/snapback]</div>

I've been listening to that weak argument for years. And since both my mom and sister have one, comparisons to Prius have been very easy. There's no contest. Prius is a higher grade of vehicle, in addition to being more efficient and cleaner. The hatchback design is obviously more practical too.

 

Read this site.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Chrome @ Nov 7 2006, 08:09 PM) [snapback]345200[/snapback]</div>

The dealer gave me a Corolla to drive for about two weeks until my Prius came in. Absolutely no comparing the two.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freeflymicron @ Nov 7 2006, 01:37 PM) [snapback]345157[/snapback]</div>

freeflymicron,

Welcome and enjoy the PRIUSCHAT site. I did a lot of searching on this site before I decided to buy my PRIUS over the Civic hybrid. Tons of information.

For one, I love all the technology packed into these little cars. The Prius owners here a PC like to maximize this little car and have figured out solutions and "hacks". Did not find this sense of community with the Civic hybrid groups. The integrated back-up camera is great since I live in a new neighborhood with a lot of kids. Keeping from running over these kids is priceless. You cannot get this in Corolla straight from the factory.

Secondly, the tax credit worked out great (Federal and state). It brought the price down to what I consider a comparable new car in its class. As for Tennessee here is a site that I found worth reading. http://go.ucsusa.org/hybridcenter/incentives.cfm#TN

Thirdly, even though it has a 0 - 60 acceleration is not the best, I cannot feel this when I drive. The acceleration between 10 - 40 MPH is awesome. I can zip pass cars and get around hazards that I would not try in my 2.4L Kia (traded it in at kelly blue book top dollar). I get power when I want it without turbo lag. I have had no problem passing on the highway. I got stuck in "pack driving" conditions driving at 65 MPH and I got out of this potentially bad situation quickly once the speed limit increased to 75 MPH. Did this with ease given only 1 person in the car.

Fourth, the sound system rocks! The Civic Hybrid stereo was terrible. Since I am in the car 3+ hours a day, I want to relax and enjoy my drive. The seats could be a little more comfortable, but I am able to survive ok.

Finally, and most important, the Prius reduces the use of gasoline. With all the information, with some attention, you will learn to be a more fuel efficient driver. These new driving habits will benefit you when you are not driving a hybrid car.

Good luck on your decision!

 

<_< Quoted: "I love all the technology packed into these little cars."

There's more usable room in my Prius than in my wife's Camry. I suppose the Prius COULD be classed "little" compared to the huge SUVs that some drive.

All in good humor... :lol:

 

You will NEVER "save money" on any new car. If your priority is low-cost tansportation, buy a recent-model used car, such as a Corolla or a Civic. The cost penalty on any new car is greater than the gas savings compard to a used economy car.

HOWEVER, the Prius is the coolest car in the universe, and is well worth the price. As John says, the Prius is much more car than the Corolla. If you are looking for a safe, reliable, fun car that is kinder to the environment and contains mind-boggling technology, then buy a Prius. You will love it.

But it will cost you more over the life of the car than a used Civic.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Chrome @ Nov 7 2006, 08:09 PM) [snapback]345200[/snapback]</div>

if you really feel that way, what's attracting you to the Camry Hybrid or Acura Greenline?

 

Most people get lower mileage when they first drive a Prius, mostly because they don't realize how often they're feed gas to the car when they don't really need to. I've always been one of those people who slows down as soon as I can tell that the light up ahead is about to turn red, or when there's already traffic backed up ahead of me - there's no sense in stepping on the gas so that I can stomp on the brakes.

But, by having my MFD on the 'consumption' screen most of the time, I have 'instant feedback' from the yellow bar at the right side of the screen that represents my instantaneous MPG. And I found that often, while I'd backed my foot off the accellerator so that I thought I wasn't pressing on it, there were times I actually need to lift my foot off the accellerator a little more. My first tank, around 400 miles, averaged around 43 MPH, and the second tank I was up around 48 or 49, with no difference in my daily drives (all short trips) or the weather conditions.

Once in a while, a driver who was behind me will pull out to speed up to pass me, but probably more than half the time, they're slamming on their brakes almost immediately. Sometimes idiots have passed me by crossing a double line in the middle of a curving, hilly road when I'm going somewhere between 38 and 40 in a 40 MPH zone, and fortunately they didn't cause an accident!

Some people also say that there's an increase in MPG somewhere around 5000 miles partly because the tires are getting 'broken in'. I've just passed that 5000 mile mark, but we've had a lot of mornings when the temps were in the 20s or low 30s, so I've seen a decrease in my MPG on my short trips, since it's taking longer for the car to get 'warmed up'. During the mild or hot weather, my first '5 minute bar' on the consumption screen would be around 25 MPG and the next one around 50; on the coldest mornings, my first '5 minute bar' may be 20 MPG or less, the second one 30-40 MPG and the third one around 50 - so that really hurts on my usual trips to and from work that take 15 to 20 minutes. So my last tank was around 44 MPG, and this tank is looking about the same.

I've never gotten in to trying to maximize my mileage by becoming an 'expert' at 'pulse and glide' - personally, I find the 'energy' screen 'too busy' for me to work on getting to be better at 'pulse and glide'. So, basically, what I learned from the first couple of weeks of driving the Prius has been good enough for me, given my usual driving. Your mileage may vary, as the saying goes!

Oh, btw, I really love my Prius - the roominess of the car compared to something like a Corolla and the other 'luxury touches' made it my top choice, even though I'd always loved smallish cars in the past, as long as they had enough power. The Corolla, even the 'sport' model, just didn't feel peppy enough for me after a Chevy Cavalier convertible with a Z24 engine, but the Prius is fine for me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freeflymicron @ Nov 7 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]345157[/snapback]</div>

Watch out for dealers. There are a few good reasonably honest ones and a lot of bad ones. Don't buy an extended warranty from a dealer, if you decide you want one (and you have 3 years to decide) you can get the Toyota one right here on this site for less than your dealer will sell it, most likely a lot less. Don't buy any kind of maintenance contract. If the salesman tells you anything about the car, such as how it works or how to drive it, take everything he says with a grain of salt. They are wrong more often than they are right.

Enjoy your new car! Let us know when you get it.

 

There are several things affecting mileage, but a new car will have to wear in many parts (including the tires) and that takes a little extra energy. Also, it may take a few weeks for the car to "learn" how to operate most efficiently.

Then there is the mileage when you start out "cold". Probably expect around 10 MPG lower than "warm mileage" because the ICE will be run more to warm it up and to warm up the cat. for the first 5 mi. or so.

As far as the carrying load limit, don't be surprized by this. It's the maximum loaded weight minus the curb weight. 800+ lbs is not that bad for a car. My anti-Prius has a curb weight of 4325 lbs and max load of 5300 lbs (GVWR) so can carry only 975 lbs. A much heavier vehicle but not much more load carrying capacity!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Nov 8 2006, 04:21 PM) [snapback]345790[/snapback]</div>

It's Aura, not Acura. It's going on sale in a few months, made by Saturn.

My main attraction is an engine that shuts off at lights. That's where most of my fuel-savings would come from, as I need highway passing power and the Prius just doesn't have enough.