My first Prius drive.... :)

Hah, you did what I did several years ago! I rented a Prius for a 3 day trip to Oregon because I figured it'd be the best way to fully test one out. I was sold.

Re: seat comfort... I'm super short, so the seat's length under my butt isn't a problem, so can't help you there. Sorry. Maybe one of the taller posters here can help you.

Re: off the line acceleration.... i just floor it hard if I need to be super-quick about turning left and crossing lanes. I know how long it will take to cross traffic, so I judge my target and hit the pedal accordingly. Having gone from a manual tranny sports car with instant throttle response to the Prius, it's acceleration feels like many automatic SUVs do to me. Some "automatic lag", but not bad. You get used to it.

I hope this was somewhat helpful to you! Enjoy your Prius and welcome to PriusChat!

 

Not much you can do about the lag. You just get used to it.

As for the seats, some people have done some modifications. You can do a search to find the posts. I have my seat moved back, tilt the back a bit and use a lumbar support and it's fine for me. Everyone has to find what works for them. (Others have taken the seats completely apart and added foam, padding, heaters, leather etc.)

For me, for the mileage I'm getting I can deal with the seats.

 

I'm a tallish AND biggish kind of guy, but I've found the seats to be immensely comfortable, even on long trips. Sorry I can't help.

There are some posts here that describe some serious surgery--adding length to the seat rails and the like--as well as simple things like extra foam in the cushions at strategic points. I'm thinking DarrellD did something like this, but can't remember offhand.

Definitely do a search on this topic. It's been covered very well.

 

Dee67, welcome to the forum!

The seats in the Touring might be different... the leather seats might also be different... I do find the leather seats in our '06 more comforatble for long drives than the cloth seats in the '05. Maybe it's because the leather is a little more slidey than cloth. I realized on various long trips in all sorts of vehicles (planes trains & automobiles) that every few minutes I tend to scootch around in any vehicle's seat unawares. In a cloth car seat I don't get that easily, particularly with microfiber cloth like the Prius uses.

You might get a little more instant power with an aftermarket filter like a K&N. I've found there are generally 3 ways to improve this: (1) manual shift, which transfers the lag to my brain, where I won't notice it; (2) excess power, such as driving a car with 3x the HP it needs instead of just 1.5-2x; (3) increased flow, such as reduced-resistance air filters, oversized injector jets, etc. With the Prius, I haven't done any of these things, but I've done various combinations of these in the past on other cars.

Mostly, those of us who like to "push" our Prii into and through traffic have gotten good at anticipating when we will want the power boost and automatically building it into our driving behavior. When I feel like "playing with the dodgers" in 58-78mph heavy highway traffic, I find there are few times where I pass up an opening based on my car's throttle; more often, if I take a conservative tack it's due to the handling. This can be improved in an '07 by getting the Touring model, which has a stiffer suspension, bigger wheels, and wider tires.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dee67 @ Jul 14 2007, 01:58 PM) [snapback]478750[/snapback]</div>

Is it possible that you've activated the traction control or the stability control? Either or both of these systems will reduce engine power during abrubt maneuvers.

 

The lag occurs because the transmission does not downshift. In a regular car, it downshifts, the ICE immediately increases rpms, and the car shoots forward with the engine screaming. Under the same circumstances, in the Prius there's hesitation for a second or so and then gradual acceleration.

 

Hi Dee67,

Standard cars have a thing called "enrichment" when the pedal is pushed quickly. An extra squirt of gas goes into the engine to get it to accellerate quickly. Ever been behind a Beemer when it takes off? That puff of smoke is a result of the enrichment action.

The Prius starts off on electric, and ramps up the engine rpm more slowly. This avoids needing to put that extra squirt of gas into the engine. The car is quiet during the initial movement which is propelled by only with the torque of the motor (MG2 to be precise) using electricity from the battery. Which is good, but not as good with the electricty generated by the engine, as well as the battery. The battery only has 28 hp to drive the motor. The pause you are experiencing is the time it takes the engine to come up to speed, without a big puff of smoke, and wasted fuel out the tailpipe.

 

You can get ergonomic seat cushions such as the Obus Forme ones (www.obusforme.com/). Dr Scholles also makes some.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jul 14 2007, 06:46 PM) [snapback]478876[/snapback]</div>

OMG, are you saying that it's possible to take off in a "racing" type of manner (i.e. w/normal cars you rev rpms to ~2k w/clutch in, release and go chirp-ZOOM!)? LOL, I never thought you could do that (although Prius-style) in our cars.... I'll have to try that just to see what happens (chirping tires? Instant zoom?).

 

If you chirp the tires on a fast start, you will often feel the traction control kick in. It will reduce engine power to keep you from over-revving the electric motor.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Jul 14 2007, 09:08 PM) [snapback]478942[/snapback]</div>

Aww, dang... LOL! :lol:

I guess they must have disabled the traction control in that Bonneville racing Prius, eh? Or maybe you don't take off in the normal racing style when you're at Bonneville (seeing as you have ALL that room to get up to speed)?

 

If you are tall, the easy way to fix the seat is to unbolt the front of the seat, put some shims and a longer bolt in, and you will be in business.
Another option is to put an aftermarket seat in.

 

To minimize chirp and apparent accelerator lag: mash the pedal to the floor in a smooth motion over a period of about one second, and then just hold it there. This keeps the huge starting torque of the electric motor under control until the car has a chance to start moving. It also allows the engine to start and rev up. After that first second results should be satisfactory.

Keep in mind that on gravel, wet or other slippery pavement the antislip feature is likely to kick in and limit acceleration no matter what you do; therefore you must *avoid* situations that require high acceleration on imperfect surfaces.

 

I, on the other hand, am on the "short" side...so I did a quick and easy modification, since I was used to electric seats that adjusted quite well to my height. Bough a 2" cushion, cut it to fit and put it underneath my cozy, comfy lamb seatcover.
As far as acceleration, after driving a diesel...Prius is very peppy.