Just completed a 2800 mile vacation trip in new Prius

Thanks for your report! I've never owned a Toyota but am about to place an order for my Prius. I love to take road trips, so I'm glad to hear that you had a great trip.

 

Tbirdtony, we've been to all the places you mentioned, so we're aware of the hills on your route. How did your Prius handle those?

 

Hey, congratulations and thanks for the report.

In August, my wife and I are planning a 2+ week trip and I have been wondering about the Prius on the trip. I did buy a small foam lumbar support form the drugstore for about $15. Homedics brand.

We will go from south Florida to Michigan then over to Delaware and back to south Florida. Of course there are stops along the way: GA, TN, OH, MI, OH(again), WV and DE before heading down I-95 back to Florida. Friends and family all along the way.

I am looking forward to this more and more....

Bob

 

What kind of milage did you get? Were you just "driving" or were you working on getting the best milage out of the Prius?

 

I just completed a trip from Sarasota Florida to Rhinelander WI (1623 miles). The Prius Touring had 150 miles total on it when we left. A couple observations. First, the Pruis was comfortable to drive and no problems with seat discomfort. Second, WIND has a major factor on MPG and handling and third, the fact that you don't have to stop as frequently for fuel can make the driver "road" tired and not realize it. Don't forgot to stop and stretch your legs and get something to eat on long trips.

 

We've taken our Prius on several long trips through the mountians of North Caroloine and Virginia, up to Massachusetts. We usually average 48 MPG but the speed limits top out at 65 -- so we go 75.

The Prius is great in the mountains BTW. Gets 25-35MPG up the mountains... 99.99 going down! You do have to slow down when you get behind the pickup trucks and Suburbans. They don't seem to fit very well on the narrow mountain switch-backs.

 

You definitley have to stop before the car needs to stop I just did a trip a couple weeks ago - 3000 KM through the mountains, the car did excellent in the mountains, I had no complaints. I found it handled very well in the turns, and had no trouble passing anyone. I avg'd 44 MPG for the entire trip (through the Rocky Mountains) I was just doing normal driving - probably not speeding as a much as I would because I'm more consious of how much gas I'm using.

 

Thanks for the information. My husband and I are picking up my 2008 Barcelona Red tomorrow and wanting to go on a 3300 mile trip to Salt Lake, Yellowstone, Banff, etc. around June 1st. Wasn't sure about starting on such a trip with only a few miles on the odometer.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm thinking about taking my first trip soon, but having trouble getting up the enthusiasm for a long, long drive.

My spaceship will "hit" 2000 miles today (since it's digital, it doesn't "roll over" ).

I'm hoping to take advantage of all the features, especially the navigation system. Of course I want to see what kind of fuel economy I can manage.

Any inspiration from other Prius drivers might help me start planning this.

 

So glad to hear about your trip! The one reason my hubby is hesitant about getting a Prius is that someone told him that they are terrible on long trips. I'll make sure he reads your comments. One step closer to owning my own Prius!

 

Tell him not to listen to people who don't own a Prius.

 

MPGs fall off fast with speed and mountains. One might easily get 50+ MPG at 65 MPH on not-very-hilly ground.

One thing about mountain driving: don't be afraid to stomp on the gas when needed. The engine may roar but that's normal as it provides necessary power. The computers won't allow it to damage itself.

 

I am taking a 12 hour trip and want to know how long I can let the car idle with the air running. I have a dog and am planning on stopping and eating lunch with someone about half way. I don't want to run the battery down.

 

Hsvprius, I can't speak to the technical issues, but we own a pet-sitting service and know a thing or two about that issue. Please don't leave the dog in the car if at all possible. If you are at a friend's house, is there a fenced yard he can roam in? If at a restaurant, can you park so you can see your pet? I mention that because at least he should have plenty of ventilation, in shade, with water. We came across an SUV (no disrespect intended) once on the Gulf Coast with a small dog inside during hot weather, no ventilation. I found the owner having lunch with friends in a restaurant, told him -- insisted -- he get air into the car. At the least, interrupt your lunch a couple of times and let the dog outside for a breath of air. Your friends deserve your attention, but your pet deserves it more, because they can't go off and window shop.

 

You should be fine. Just don't race the engine. Drive normal and enjoy your vacation.

 

I plan to take my Prius to Cape Cod this summer. I hope to get 48 mpg or better for the trip.

 

It really depends on how hot it is outside and how sunny it is where you park. I've got a full set of CanvasWorks HeatShields for the windows and have found that at noon on a 90 degree F day with the car parked in full sun, no people in the car, and the A/C set to 76 degrees F, my Prius uses a bit less than 0.1 gallons of gasoline every 30 minutes.

So if you fill your tank before stopping and set the air to a nice chilly 68 degrees F to keep the canine pal comfy in his fur coat, I'd expect that you should be able to get at least 48 hours and probably twice that.

Keep in mind that you need to leave the car on in "Ready", otherwise you'll drain your battery quickly. As long as the "Ready" light is lit on the dash, the car will fire up the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and spin the generator to keep the battery charged whenever needed.

If you'd like to lock/unlock the doors from the outside of the car while it is in "Ready" mode, you'll need to use the small metal key hidden in the fob.

In addition to making sure the your fur covered buddy has access to water while he's alone in the car, an idea I've thought about is to remove the floor and cargo tray in the cargo area leaving it open and toss a bag of ice or two in with the spare tire. If the engine, A/C compressor, or fans should break down most dogs would be smart enough to lie down in the back with the ice to keep cool. I haven't looked yet, but I suspect there are probably drain holes under the spare tire where the water from the melting ice could exit the car.

I highly recommend the full set of CanvasWorks Heatshields if your dog won't be tempted to knock them down, chew them, or scratch at them. They do a great job of keeping the sun out of the car. If the dog doesn't bark, they also keep people passing by from knowing that anyone or anything is in the car. Additionally, the reduced light in the interior encourages the dog to consider taking a nap and the lack of visual stimulation prevents him from being aware of anyone passing by unless they are noisy.

Either way a note in the window letting concerned canine advocates know that since this is a Prius hybrid even if they can't hear an engine running, the A/C is on and keeping the vehicle cool might help prevent unnecessary drama.