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Possible Prius owner in near future

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by brpn, May 20, 2007.

  1. brpn

    brpn New Member

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    Hi everyone.. been browsing different Prius websites for a few weeks now. My wife and I are thinking about getting a 2007 Prius in the near future. I have been doing some research but we still have some questions. We live in Western North Carolina near Asheville. My wife commutes daily about 160miles/day.. she gets paid mileage but with our Jeep it usually takes $20/day with todays prices.. :( so a Prius would help in that department. I wondered if anyone else lives in the mountains and could tell us how the Prius does with the constant up/down of the roads in the area as well as curves.. I can take the Blue Ridge Parkway 40 miles to take my wife to work so usually thats 45mph the whole way no stops.. how would the Prius like that? also.. we have been spotting more and more Prius' now that we are thinking of getting one. Dont get me wrong I saw them before but now it seems they stick out more.. constantly making us want one :) In fact saw 3 this afternoon when we went on a picnic. We live very close the the Black Mountain Campground located near the Mt. Mitchell Golf Course. I took this pic of a Blue one we saw this afternoon parked at some trails right near the campground.

    [​IMG]

    Maybe whoever owns this is a member and went hiking this weekend :) Also saw a Red one drive by when we were at the picnic near the South Toe River.

    Anyways.. I haven't decided yet but I think I want a Touring one because of the larger wheels..tires.. etc.. I saw some of the posts of custom wheels and they look great. Any advice on the pro/cons of the Touring over the Regular Prius? What kind of mileage with a Prius in the mountains?

    Any and all replies are greatly appreciated..

    Dave
     
    #1 brpn, May 20, 2007
  2. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    Hi BlueRidge,

    Welcome to PriusChat.

    Yes, Prii love mountain roads. I have no problem getting the same or better mileage overall while in the hills or mountains.

    Compared to your Jeep, the Prius probably gets better mileage going uphill than the Jeep does on flat ground. Going downhill, depending on slope, speeds, battery state of charge, etc. the Prius is either using very little gas, no gas, or is recovering energy by recharging the battery.

    The distances you are talking about, a Prius would make an excellent commute car. Prii get their best gas mileage when they have had time to warm up . . . usually within two or three miles, depending on outside temperatures.

    Having visited your neck of the woods in winter (skiing at Sugar and Beach), I can not stress strong enough that you should absolutely make sure you get a Prius model with VSC (Vehicle Stability Control is Toyota's name for Electronic Stability Control).
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Stability_Control
     
    #2 Sufferin' Prius Envy, May 21, 2007
  3. brpn

    brpn New Member

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    thanks for the info.. we were just at Beech mountain last fall.. we went to Autumn in Oz.. i remember going there when I was in elementary school in the 70s.. :) Follow the yellow brick road.

    Any real difference between the Touring and the regular Prius?
     
    #3 brpn, May 21, 2007
  4. KD6HDX

    KD6HDX New Member

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    I would suggest a rental first. The Prius is a good car, but it's not all things for all people. Prius are not regular cars, they are different in a lot of ways. I know one person who sold his 05 Prius to go back to a Jetta TDI Diesel. His reason was specifically based on Driving in the mountains of colorado. He hated it. My commute on the other hand is 90% California freeway and carpool lanes. Perhaps this is the most efficient arena that I could use for a commuter work vehicle. We average 45-50 MPH all the time. AC use and faster driving will reduce your efficiency. Slower driving will make the car start to shine. Once you realize the cars strengths and weaknesses, you can drive it better when you need to.

    Colorados mountains are beautiful, and somewhat challenging for the Prius.

    Good luck making a decision.
     
    #4 KD6HDX, May 21, 2007
  5. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BlueRidge @ May 21 2007, 04:57 PM) [snapback]447022[/snapback]</div>
    No personal experience with touring models. I, and many others here suggest taking test drives. Many Toyota dealers also rent Prii . . . taking one for several days would give you the best idea of what you like.
     
    #5 Sufferin' Prius Envy, May 21, 2007
  6. gamiller

    gamiller New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BlueRidge @ May 21 2007, 07:57 PM) [snapback]447022[/snapback]</div>
    I have the regular Prius But I think the touring has a better feel for the road.
     
    #6 gamiller, May 21, 2007
  7. brpn

    brpn New Member

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    I will have to check and see if any dealers in my area actually rent them so i can check it out..

    Thanks
     
    #7 brpn, May 21, 2007
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