First time Prius owner and new to the forums

Congrats--enjoy.

 

explore the many threads in Fuel economy section. I'm a new owner myself, and I've learned alot about mpg readings and driving techniques.

 

You're in luck. I have the o8/09 brochure and found your post ..

There was a basic Prius with 15" wheels and Touring w/ 16" wheels back then.

basic pkg 2 was very common back then it had -
cc, heated mirrors, CD w aux port, Smart key, backup camera

pkg 3 less common, but gained anti-theft system, auto dimming rearview mirror w/ Homelink, JBL 6 disc CD w/ 9 speakers, satellite radio capable, bluetooth handsfree phone

pkg 4 same as 3 except gained HID headlights and foglamps

Pkg 5 gained voice activated DVD nav system

Pkg 6 gained leather seats and steering wheel

Touring was pkg'ed the same, but they are pretty rare and I think were usually loaded, package 6's.

If you reset the MPG gage, it should settle into an accurate reading after you drive for a while. No need to go thru a few tankfuls. I recall my 2009 mpg running gage was fairly accurate to the mpgs at the pump. More accurate than our 3rd gens which are pretty darn optimistic (over 5%)

Most of the time i could fill the bladdered tank ok. Couple times the pump shut off early and didn't want to keep going. Just used another pump. Forgot how much I used to put in but it wasn't much more than 8 gallons.

 

I live in MS which is much warmer than NorCal, so I could get over 10 gallons in the tank in summer, closer to 8 in winter. No idea where you live but you will need to judge our advice by your location.

 

I would expect to have a small tank in Winter. Oddly it will be larger most afternoons than most mornings.

 

Here is a nice short 'user manual' John's Stuff - Toyota Prius User-Guide (Iconic)

 

Thanks for posting this. Haven't picked up my new Prius yet, but it is on its way from Louisiana. This guide is AWESOME.

 

nice guide

"Step on the Brake, New owners sometimes fall victim to this, not being able to figure out why the car won’t start."

That happened to me, I didn't step on the brakes hard enough the first time I pressed START and got the "Please depress the brakes and push start" Over thinking a simple word and got confused with the "de" prefix, I thought I should not press the brakes so I let go. It took me 3 minutes to get out of the dealer's parking lot That was my retard moment of the day.