Prius in mountains?

Perfectly well, but be prepared for the engine to roar going up *and* down. Shift into "B" for long downhill runs. Remember to shift back to "D" for uphills and flats.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jennjay @ Oct 13 2006, 09:59 PM) [snapback]332562[/snapback]</div>

The Prius does great in the mountains. I know because I was just driving through them on Wed and Thurs. My lowest mileage was 46 MPG and my highest was 51 MPG. However, after driving through the mountains in thunderstorms and fog, thank god I live in Florida and don't have to deal with that all the time.

 

Depends on how much load (lbs) you have in the car. The *fastest* I could get up to was 50mph while climbing 9945ft (Tioga Pass, CA). I was alone with a few bags.

 

I have been in the Rockies and the Cascades and never a problem. A few folks with really steep climbs in the Rockies have used up the battery back up and had to climb with just the ICE with some slow down. I have not seen that as yet and have been over some fairly steep long passes out west.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jennjay @ Oct 15 2006, 02:17 PM) [snapback]333085[/snapback]</div>

Here in Colorado I'm only minutes from the Rocky Mt National Park. I have had the car up to Trail Ridge Road which has a peak elevation of just under 12,200 feet and it drives no different than any other car up there. I have seen other Prius up there with no problems as well. As others on PC have mentioned, you should use the "B" mode to preserve the brakes on the steeper descents and your battery level will be full green from all the regenerative braking. Your consumption screen will be solid yellow showing 100+ miles/gallon except some of the bars may be blank with lots of regenerative green cars on it for those 5 minute segments where your ICE does not run!!!

Tom KN6VV

 

I get up Parleys Canyon (a 3500 ft climb in 16 miles) faster in my Prius then in My Subaru Outback. No problems at all.

 

DR Jay
I see that you did the leather upgrade.
Where & how much ?
I also sent you a pm on this.
Thanks Bill in FL

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jennjay @ Oct 13 2006, 09:59 PM) [snapback]332562[/snapback]</div>

I was in those mountains today, and also last weekend. My Pri went up, and it went down, both happily. Got about 46 mpg both weekends. Glad you enjoyed N Georgia.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Oct 13 2006, 09:11 PM) [snapback]332567[/snapback]</div>

I'm grateful this question was asked. I have summers off and go fly fishing in Colorado, New Mexico and Idaho, and plan to retire near the Rockies. Why shift back to "D" going uphill? I had a transmission in another car crater after spending two weeks running around Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, just want to make sure I understand.

Thanks.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(obtuseangler @ Oct 15 2006, 09:24 PM) [snapback]333300[/snapback]</div>

Two reasons: 1. Regenerative braking doesn't work the same way in the B mode, it gets regenerative braking just from being in B but there is no additional regeneration when you push the brake pedal so you only have friction brakes from the brake pedal while in B. 2. The cruise control doesn't work in B.

If you forget and leave it in B it will shift back to D after a period of time, I don't know how long.

I also have driven in high steep mountain country with my Prius and have found the only time I needed (or wanted) the B mode was coming down long steep mountains when I needed to go fairly slow and the battery was already in the green. As far as reliability is concerned the Prius PSD shouldn't have problems like an automatic transmission might. It has no clutches and no torque converter and it doesn't shift from one gear to another, there is only one gear. BTW don't worry if the battery gets in the "pink" going up hills, it will protect itself and charge up again when you come down.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silentak1 @ Oct 13 2006, 07:46 PM) [snapback]332585[/snapback]</div>

Same here, except that my husband was riding as a passenger. But other cars going up the pass didn't fare much better (such as my dad's Honda Pilot, which was following us). By the time we reached the top of the pass, I only had 1 purple bar remaining on the battery, but never once did I feel like the car was underpowered. Man was that pass steep and long!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Oct 16 2006, 10:07 AM) [snapback]333408[/snapback]</div>

Thank you very much for the information. Makes sense to me.

 

I love my Prius and it has performed amazingly well up here in the mountains. We regularly transverse an altitude change from around 3500 feet up to about 5900 feet. Since we live in the mountains the only time we encounter a great change in elevation is crossing the easten continental divide about 2 miles from here and going down the mountain towards Winston-Salem and Greensboro. Even with the elevation change I have never switched into "B"..... granted the Prius will run about 6-7 miles on batttery only when I reach the bottom, but it doesn't seem to hurt it at all, yet increases my mileage.

As far as horsepower going uphill, the ICE does rev high coming up on steep inclines, but the car handles extremely well and thus far has handled everything I've thrown at it..

BTW, we still do have a four wheel drive (truck) for the winter time. Here, four wheel is a must, or else plan on at least a week or two each winter not being able to get to town...

Also, we're averaging 48.7 miles per gallon in the last three months. Awsome, Just awsome!!! B)