I just don't get it?

Hopefully no hammer.. B)
I think people are really proud of thier cars.... others like myself also turn it into a hobby where its fun to tinker and improve and make it unique.
Toyota has already done a pretty good job at the unique part, but many like to really personalize it!

 

Me too! I love my car. Gutless- my arss! Why just today, I was trying to pull out onto the highway and I had a subtle opening, so I gunned it (contrary to my original ideas of slow and steady acceleration) and the tires spun on dry pavement! The "don't spin the tires" control kicked in (for my first time) soI feathered the gas a bit and peeled out onto the road and kicked the car behind me's arss. Good stuff!

My blue baby; baby!

 

Different strokes for different folks.

I didn't actually hate the stereo when I bought mine, but I knew it could be improved, so I upgraded it.

For those who bought it and find the power insufficient, what did you expect? If you need more power, consider an Accord hybrid.

 

Yes, agreed. My 05 will try to peel out and chirps the tires until the traction control kicks in and squelches it. I think my prius has great power!

 

You're right.. You just don't get it.



Someone had to say that..

For the most part, I'm with you. I'll take my 06 in January Package 5, and drive it until it needs something. My 99 pickup has 102k miles now and I can't think of a modification I've made to it. Factory audio systems are plenty for my un-keen ears, and I wont' know if the tires are super or poor since I won't have much to compare them to. I know my pickup would spin out and slide when I cross a certain set of rail road tracks on my way to work, so when I cross them, I am off the accellerator, and I know I need to control the aggression of my turning.. I didn't go decide that the tires would hold on that surface if I were to spend $1000 and get something crazy wide or whatever. The suspension is going to be what it is when I get the car. I"m not sensitive enough to even realize a different set of shocks/struts will make a difference.. and why do I care anyhow because it drives just fine the way it is.

When it's time for new tires on the Prius, I'll keep my ear to the ground and see what the kids all think are the good ones because I won't know and the tire shop won't give me a straight answer. Then, I"ll price things out because you're not saving much on gas if you're paying $400 per tire.

 

My Prius is everything I hoped for too. It's just about the best car I ever owned. It's probably (except for sentimental reasons) better than my first new car, a bight orange Road Runner. If only I could put the beep-beep horn on my Prius LOL

 

My wife and I are enjoying our Prius immensely (when I get to drive it <_< ), as was mentioned above some people just like to tweak their vehicles for themselves. We didn't purchase a Viper, nor do we intend to turn it into one. Adapting the car to the way we drive will add to our enjoyment. If the car was perfect for you out of the box, I'm jealous.

My wife read the statements on this thread about the stereo being not so hot (we got and '05 with #6) and now is on me to change out the speakers!

I will end up changing the wheels so I can put on some high-end tires (Bridgestone Pole Position SO-3), but that's just my preference. Yeah, when I change the wheels I will get very light ones that my wife approves the looks of (it is her car after all).

We will also be bracing up the chassis as parts become available. You would be amazed at how much quieter a 200,000 mile car is that is braced vs not.

That's it, nothing crazy. No naaaawwws. Actually, no power requests have been handed out by either one of us. Others feel differently (that is why companies like Blitz! exist . . ..) Glad you are enjoying yours, we are too.

 

Hello Everyone!

I too love my Prius. I find that it has plenty of power whenever I need it. I am 47 and have a history of lead footed speeding tickets. I am never left without enough power. I have found that my attitude has changed with this car. I now approach every tank as a new opportunity to achieve even better mileage. Much to the boredom of my passengers.

I have no truck with the tires, and I keep them hard. 45/45 psi. I have noticed a lean in corners that makes me back off on the gas. Though, that is an opportunity to get better mileages, I think that the chassis could be stiffer. The replacement stiffener plate could be a good choice, I donno.

I think I'll just drive slower.

As for audio... I believe that the 9 speaker system is better than many stock audio systems. I like to be able to make cd's and keep them in rotation. Everyone in my four person family gets one cd for the changer, they get to pick. I I get to load the changer with what I want. I like the random play function. I doubt I will get an iPod because I already have all this music in MP3 format, and I can do anything I want to with it. the 6 cd changer opens a lot of options. May be even more than a dvd audio system. Does the 06 Prius have a changer for dvd audio?

My attitude has adapted to my current choice of vehicles. If I could choose a bumper sticker to personalize my ride, it would be "Save a soldier - drive a hybrid." I wish I had thought if that - Kudos to the one that did!

 

"Bob's"? Are you talking about the <a href=\'http://www.priuschat.com/shop/product_info.php/cPath/6/products_id/21\' target=\'_blank\'>"BT Tech Chassis Stiffening Plate available here!"?</a>

 

Maybe the OP was referring to my post at http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1...533;entry152946 and my follow up... but if you think the Prius has "great power", I've got a bridge to sell you... It's perfectly adequate for <40 mph around town IMHO from my test drive, but it's rather lacking in my book at highway speeds just like most current econoboxes w/base engines and some larger cars w/weak engines.

If there were a drag strip nearby and we were closer to each other, I'd be happy to challenge your Prius in a drag race vs. my Nissan 350Z.

 

I accept the Prius for what it is: an econobox with a very expensive and very high tech drivetrain, and some nice electronic gadgets. That's why I haven't and probably will never make any performance modifications to the car.

On the other hand, there's no excuse for the crappy OEM stereo. I couldn't tolerate it so I did spend some money there to improve things.

 

I could not agree more with the original post. The performance, handling, tires, stereo, etc. are just fine. I like you just the way you are...

 

That is part of the point. Why do you need a dragstrip? Everyone knows there are plenty of cars that can "outdrag" the Prius. Who needs that? I need enough power to get out into traffic, and the Prius has never let me down. That is part of what is keep MPG down on cars, particularly in the US. When a more efficient engine is found, every maker wants more HP, not more economy. HP (horsepower) is advertised. (inset redneck w/ accent here) "I don't know what a horse's power is, but I know I want a lot of 'em" (redneck off)

A lot of people out there are more like that than they want to think.

 

Come to Southern California! Every time we get a little rain it's like bumper cars on the freeways. By the way, it's when jerks are _in_ their right minds that you have to worry about them most.

As for the rest of your post, I'm with you 100%. I don't drive the car hard, but I do drive it on the same roads I've heard others here complain about (the I-15 through San Diego, in particular), and I've noticed no handling problems with the Prius. Of course, that doesn't mean others have not had handling problems, but my little bit of experience causes me to suspect that any problems others have experienced are limited to certain individual cars and that it's not a design issue.

 

so, you think Prius is inadequate for highways? Did it cross your mind that perhaps your Nissan 350Z is inadequte for the highways instead? After all a highway is NOT a dragstrip so why would you even want to have a car that can win a drag race? Why would you make a comparison like that at all?????????
My reasoning is as stupid as yours, and you can argue it either way, but I think mine is more realistic, because truly how many Prius owners or any econo box drivers take their cars to drag races?
Should we all drive cars with more horse power, since most econo boxes are too weak??
Perhaps we should all drive econo boxes and we would all be "even"???

 

:huh:

That's not the point. I think this type of chest-beating about horsepower is really the wrong way to look at things, and is part of the reason why most of the cars out there are such gas guzzlers.

The Prius isn't the fastest, most quick to accelerate car out there... but that's by design.

I mean c'mon. The thing has a 76 HP engine. The fact that it can even do 0 to 60 in 10 seconds is a testament to the virtues of the hybrid synergy drive.

The Prius is designed for efficiency, not performance, and that's refreshing in my book.

Talking about the Prius in the same context as a sports car is really silly.

The Prius is a lot of things, and is an engineering triumph, but it is not a speed demon. It doesn't pretend to be in any way, and it aims to meet and exceed the average power needed, instead of the PEAK.

That being said, drag racing your Prius makes no sense... go on an 1000 mile endurance marathon run instead. See how your 350Z does in terms of fuel compared to the Prius.