Took the plunge...

Last Friday, August 17, 2012, we rented a 2012 Prius from Enterprise Car Rental in Newport Beach just to make sure we liked the car before we bought one. I've read many of the postings on here about the weird brakes, no input electric power steering, the car swaying around on the freeway, SUV hating on you, etc. I decided it would be best to take one out for the weekend before commiting to one for years to come.

The decision to consider a Prius was made because we needed a 3rd car as our daily driver that seats 4 and does well on fuel. My wife's car is a 2 seater sports car and I have an SUV for towing purposes that really should only be driven when we actually need an SUV.

It was 102 degrees that day when I drove the rental Prius back to inland Orange County. I was told by someone (who I don't remember) that the Prius air conditioning was worthless. With the A/C set on 60, recirculating, and 3-4 bars on the fan setting I about froze to death in the car (which is where I like it). So much for free advice.

Being a techno nut, understanding how the brakes work (or don't work) makes you really appreciate what you are "feeling" in the brake pedal when you step on the brakes. The braking actually reverses the polarity on the electric motor and turns it into a generator to recharge the battery, which creates the drag that stops the car. It's not using conventional braking (disc brake pads and rotors) unless you really step on the brakes. The brake feel I get from the pedal matches what I know about how the electrical system in the car works. I like it. And I think it's a neat idea.

Other observations: The power steering feels light, but matches what I would expect from a small car. I'm 6'4" at 295 pounds. If I adjust the electric seat all the way back and all the way down it's too low and to far back for me. In other words, I have to move the seat forward and raise it up to be comfortable. My guess is that someone 6'6" and much heavier than me would still be comfortable in the car. I did a couple "stomp the throttle" tests from a dead stop just to see if the car would get out of it's own way because I've read how lethargic the Prius is. On one test it actually tried to spin the front tires. So yes...it gets with the program a lot more than I thought it would. I guess the slow accelleration I was expecting because I have been stuck behind slow Priuses before was the driver, not the car. After driving it all over the place, enjoying the driving experience of something different than the much more powerful cars that I'm used too, and not getting the feeling that I'm vulnerable in a car that won't get out of it's own way I was able to picture myself owning one guilt free. The clincher for us was, after driving it all over the place followed by my wife driving it all over the place, it only used 2 bars of fuel on the gas gauge. Now were talking!

On Saturday, August 18, 2012, (note that the weekend wasn't even over yet) we drove to Longo Toyota in El Monte and picked up a brand new silver 2012 level 5. While we were waiting for the paperwork I walked over to the parts department and bought a set of form fitted rubber floor mats, saving the carpeted floor mats from my dirty shoes. Next comes the rear tray, illuminated sill plates and window tinting.

Bottom line is, we were amazed at the way the Prius amazed us. My wife and I have always been more performance minded car enthusiasts and not so much into the match box high gas mileage cars. Tonight I sat in it for a couple hours looking over the owner's manual, setting up the garage door opener to work with the buttons on the rear view mirror, and setting up all the stations on the satellite radio. I had the A/C on while doing it and it's kinda nice keeping cool while the engine was off for 80% of the time. Outside it looks like a small car. Inside it's as big and comfortable as I'll ever need. Can't wait to take a trip in it.

If you are on the fence about getting one, do it now while they are discounting the 2012's. You won't be sorry.

Randy

 

I see you are from Murrieta and the window tint looks great. I'm looking to get ours done, too. Would you recommend the shop that did it for you?