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New Prius owner. First hybrid.

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Silvertn350, Sep 21, 2015.

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  1. Silvertn350

    Silvertn350 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2015
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    Location:
    Tennessee
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Good evening fellow hybrid owners. My name is Chris and I am located in Franklin TN. I am an automotive enthusiast that recently made the decision of purchasing my family's first prius (2013 prius 2). Little bit about me, I basically love anything car related , knowledgeable in the automotive field (performance and detail, not much on electrical) and avid diy'er. Past cars include 350z, m5, m3, 2jzgte gs300 & 2jzgte swapped s13 just to name a few. About a year ago we decided to become a 1 car family and sold my wife's 2006 Mini Cooper ( junk) and was left solely with my 2002 Infiniti q45. The Q was a great car and was traded in with 234k miles but our daily commute is roughly 60 miles round trip and the 4.5 v8 was getting pricey. I have been looking at a prius for several weeks to replace as our sole family car. The Toyota was picked for its reliability, mpg and affordability. We purchased our prius last Thursday and have no regrets , including the price . So there is my little intro now I have a follow up question. After watching a few hybrid driving tip videos today I averaged 76.5 mpg on a 14.6 mile trip that took 31 mins. Is that typical? Seems like a good jump above most 50mpg posts I've been reading . I will admit before today it's typical in the 56-65 range when I remember to pay attention.

    What I've done to the car so far:
    -Paint correction to fix scratches and bring out the amazing blue color again.
    -install kid's dvd setup kinda

    Future plans:
    - Hide wiring for kid's dvd setup
    - Window tint
    - Wife wants the accessory tray for the bottom of center console

    Sorry I can't post pics yet since this is my first post.
     
    #1 Silvertn350, Sep 21, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2015
    Aaron Vitolins likes this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome and congrats!(y) that would be fabulous, but no, you'll come back to earth after you fill up and calculate your mpg's.:p all the best.
     
    #2 bisco, Sep 21, 2015
    Priusguy78213 likes this.
  3. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Congrats on your purchase and Welcome to Prius Chat! :cool:

    Believe it or not, after a while the MPG thing will just be the norm. FWIW, the real big picture that tells all is what it looks when you have averaged several tanks together. The Prius computer is over rated and tends to be a little higher in MPG than what it calculates at the pump. At the end of the day, you will still find a respectable number in most cases. Remember YMMV.

    Enjoy your Prius and best of luck to you and yours! (y)
     
    #3 dorunron, Sep 21, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2015
  4. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2014
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    Location:
    Franklin TN
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Welcome, and congrats on your new ride! also a fellow middle Tennesseean (how ever you spell that.. haha)
     
    #4 Aaron Vitolins, Sep 21, 2015
  5. Silvertn350

    Silvertn350 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2015
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    Location:
    Tennessee
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Thanks guys. Excited to be here and learn more about the car. After some reading I believe I have decided to drain and fill the trans during the next oil change. Our mini started having transmission issues before we sold it so anything I can do to avoid a costly repair down the road.
     
    #5 Silvertn350, Sep 21, 2015
  6. 3prongpaul

    3prongpaul Hybrid Shop Owner, worked on 100's of Prius's

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2010
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    Location:
    Boulder Hybids, Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    No need to change tranny fluid until around 90k miles.
    The prius transaxle is incredibily simple and reliable. (it has less moving parts than a manual tranny in a "normal" car).
     
    #6 3prongpaul, Sep 21, 2015
  7. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
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    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
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    welcome, silver - and hold on before you go doing too many DIY Prius projects. Here's a nice link from a former Prius tech that will give some good insight on what you should and don't need to do - as far as diy projects;
    What services you need and what you don't | PriusChat
    We have our 2nd home not too far from y'all - just to the east of Franklin - in Nolensville. The Franklin folk, they got some mighty pricey & huge properties all around there ... too steep for our budget .... must be nice!
    ;)
    Don't worry that the link above is under the Gen II forum, as the maintenance procedures an& schedules parallel the newer models significantly ... especially true as it relates to fluids.. Let me know what you think after you check it out - and most of all, enjoy your new ride!
    .
     
    #7 hill, Sep 22, 2015
  8. Silvertn350

    Silvertn350 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2015
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    Location:
    Tennessee
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    @hill
    After reading the above link I think I will add PCV valve replacement to my list. I once read (will have to find it) where the guy had performed a drain and fill at roughly 112k miles (memory alone don't quote me) and he said the fluid looked pretty rough. Further I have read where most perform their first drain and fill at 30k miles. Without knowing and assuming that hasn't been done . I think it's worth doing a drain and fill on my new investment even for peace of mind alone. Currently at 59k miles so will be 64kish when the service is performed.

    On a side note, I use to work at the Advance auto parts in nollensville right by the fish restaurant. small world.
     
    #8 Silvertn350, Sep 22, 2015
  9. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
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    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Welcome!! I would read the "maintenance" forum as a heads up info section. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The durability of the Prius is off the hook. Just try to remember that there is less moving parts in this car that others. Especially the AC unit. Make sure you read about that before you panic over any "funny buzzing noises" you may hear when the outside temp in your area stays at 100 degrees. This car is so smart, it knows how to protect itself!! Enjoy!!
     
    #9 Montgomery, Sep 22, 2015
  10. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    for us - nothing beats Puckett's Boathouse in Franklin for fish .... but our new favorite in Nolensville is a little Greek place - the Blue fig. SO good. When we retire in a few years - if you're in town & see a red Model X - be sure to wave ... "she-who-must-be-obeyed" has her reservation in - & in a one horse town like Nolensville, there certainly won't be two X's - but in Franklin? Teslas are a dime a dozen
    ;)
    .
     
    #10 hill, Sep 22, 2015
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