2012 Prius v Stealth Multi-Role Petrol Warfighter

Gathered Prius Borgs & Borg Queens - “Now, Now, NOW!... Torpedo Los!” We hit the Pickle Switch, and took delivery of a new, loaded 2012 Prius v―Five Station Wagon. Do you not love the smell of napalm…er-r-r-r…I mean…the out-gassing of new, factory-fresh SofTex upholstery in the morning?

Five Christmas Holiday Toyotathons ago, on 12/26/2006, we drove our Super White 2007 Prius Sedan Hatchback “fuel sipper” home off the dealer’s lot. Well, on third day of the 12-Days of Christmas 2011, my true love gave to me a brand spanking new, Prius v, which just hit showrooms for Model Year 2012. Her Nibs’ “Personal Chauffeur” is very pleased. You see, it pays to be a “good boy” all year long.

If If one takes delivery of the Prius v, in what I consider to be its “Signature Color Scheme,” the “stealthy” Magnetic Gray Metallic w/Gray Leather & Max-Legal Window Tint, as I did, the 2012 Prius v―Level Five becomes a veritable Stealth Multi-Role Petrol Warfighter. It is equipped to Hide In Plain Sight on highways and byways as it does its terrain-following fly-bys past gas station after gas station for multiple hundreds of miles at a time, silently and stealthily in the Electric Vehicle (EV) Mode.

Our lightly used and well cared for 2007 Prius Sedan with 58,000-miles on the clock and boasting EPA 48/46/45 MPGs, was traded in on our new, larger, roomier, more comfortable fuel-sipping 2012 Prius v capable of transporting more cargo and volumetric passengers while burning miserly, fuel-sipping quantities of fuel.

We took a slight hit on the EPA MPG specs (44/42/40 MPG) because of the Prius v’s increased size, weight, and the aerodynamic-cross-section driven slight increase in Coefficient of Drag (from 0.26 Cd to 0.29 Cd), but, in the process, gained added horsepower, a hybrid-optimized 1.8-Liter engine, Entune “Bells & Whistles,” premium interior appointments, more driver and passenger seating space and comfort, and a 50% increase in cargo-hauling volume.

Hum-m-m…lets see…Prius v…”v” for more “v”ersatility. Roger that…but also…“v”ery good Driver Road Perspective “V”iew “v”isibility and “V”elly good fuel economy. Driving my Generation II Prius Sedan “Hybrid $mart,” I was typically running 55-58 MPG Per Tank-Full Fuel Economy Averages (about 120-125%± of EPA), which saved us ~$15,000 over the 5-years we owned-operated it because of fuel purchases we did not have to make.

Once I “Git Da Hang Of ‘Er,” I expect to bump the Official EPA 44/42/40 MPG numbers of our new Prius “vee” (“v” for victory in the War Against Petrol Terrori$m) up to the same rarified 120-125% of EPA MPG level, which would end up delivering Per Tank-Full MPGs to me in the range of 51-54± (hopefully, a skoshi mor-r-r-re).

We can live with the slight down draft hiccup in fuel economy for the comparative (as compared to the GEN II & III hatchback sedans) quieter and more solid ride, oodles of extra interior volume, superior Driver Eyeball View Height versus the surrounding, scurrying roadway traffic herd, extra personal Driver-Passenger surround-space, improved seating ergonomics and comfort benefits, which the 2012 Prius v―Five delivers in spades.

I am a lifelong car aficionado, and I am loving this new 2012 Prius v. Toyota bolted on the best features of the 2nd Generation Prius, deep-sixed the shortcomings of the 3rd Generation Prius, and what resulted is a fuel-sipping winner --- the Euber-Prius v.

The Mad Flat Hatter, “Catgic,” says, “Clean cup, clean cup. Move down.” My mad girl wife who loves this mad man says, “New car, new car. Drive on.”

 

Since2002 – Greetings and Thanks…I gots ta have me coffee. :typing:

I see you have some fine, Mighty White GEN I (?2002?) and GEN II Prius fuel-sippers in your motor pool. They indicate you are a fully-assimilated Prius Borg.

I have started to do some refining update tweaking to my 10 Tips article. Since the Hybrid Synergy Drive innards and operating parameters of the Vee are essentially the same as GEN III Hatchback, there is really not much new as regards to how to Git ‘R Done fuel economy wise. There is that one new fuel economy display on the left side of the MID, which might make a good, new graphics insert into the article.

FWIW FYI: My new Prius v far exceeded my expectations. I thought I would like it, but found I really love it. As I wrote above, “Toyota bolted on the best features of the 2nd Generation Prius, deep-sixed the shortcomings of the 3rd Generation Prius, and what resulted is a fuel-sipping winner --- the Euber-Prius v.†What I told GuamKelly is true, the Prius v is a "Caddy in a Kimono.â€

When you are ready to roll your GEN I in for a new one, I can highly recommend a new Prius v.