Aussie

Hi All

Another Aussie - ours is a Gen 3 black i-tech with solar, navi package which we pick up on Thursday. BLACKCAT is actually the name of our other monster "truck" - a black Series 2 Mitsubishi Delica - 4" lift with just about the lot in terms of mods and accessories (Topping out at about 2.3 Metres) - Useful for getting into the middle of absolutely nowhere but not great for short trips and supermarket parking - hence the need for a city car.

We have 4 boys so we need something big when we are all travelling (Which is often) but for short trips when we are not all in the car something light and economical

Cheers

Sam

 

Thanks - No - our monster is dear to our hearts - the seats in the 2 back rows can fold down flat and turn into a very comfy bed (and a full length opening roof above) so have been away with just the 2 of us enjoying it. Once I can post pics will drop them in here...

 

G'day spiderman,

Withe kids many of the trips are just short ones about town without the need for everyone including both parents in the car - school drops, supermarket, sports, scouts etc. So we were finding that there are many short trips that don't justify a 2.2 tonne truck with a small number of passengers - even though it is a 7 seat 4 cylinder 2.8 Litre Turbo Diesel.

So for those trips the Prius will do nicely and offset some of the lifestyle we have and improve the planet.

We have seen a lot of the outback - currently planning doing the Simpson Desert Track which is a path through 1200 sandhills over about 500kms in the middle of Australia - very remote and the Prius would not get over the first of them There is probably at least 1000 kms of dirt "road" on either end - some of that is regularly flooded. The Delica will get us there in great comfort - and get us back.

Cheers

Sam

 

Here is our current monster and some of the places we have been
[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/29042011118a.jpg[/IMGLINK]
[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/555.jpg[/IMGLINK]
[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/P1000655.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Muloorina Waterhole

[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/arkeyrestrz092.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Lake Eyre

[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/arkeyrestrz099.jpg[/IMGLINK]
[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/P1000804.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Lake Harry

[IMGLINK]http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss146/sammowbray/P1000864.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Cheers

Sam

 

Here are some pics

 

There are 6 of us with 3 of us over 6 foot tall - so not too many vehicles can cope with that. The Delica is a 4 cylinder 2.8 litre turbo Diesel - so nothing like a Hummer. It will get us into the places we want to go in comfort and safety. I ride a bicycle to and from work and have done for many years (and I often work from home) so I think I am doing a bit better than many who drive everyday to work. Dividing the 12 litres per 100 kms (worst case) down by 6 we get 2 litres per 100 kms travelled per person which is better than your precious Prius running with a single person in it on your daily ride with 3.9 litres per 100 kms so perhaps don't try to pull a holier than thou trip on us :cheer2:

 

Personally about 80cm deep but others at about 1.2metres. I won't go any deeper than that since quite aware of potential to be washed away.

A lot of the roads are unpaved in our neck of the woods when you get away from the city (peace and solitude).

 

Yes the middle seats swivel and face backwards (or completely fold up against the front row seats or lie flat to become a giant bed). We were looking at the Chrysler Grand Voyager with the stow n' go seats before we found this one.

The pic sent previously on the salt lake is Lake Eyre (world land Speed record set in the 1960s by Donald Campbell from this point) 100+ km across and baked by 50C in Summer - rarely fills with water (it is full at the moment) and is up to 12m below sea level.