What I Miss by Having a Gen III Prius

Rory: You're one "sick puppy" (just kidding, of course) But, That is kind of a dangerous maneuver - if an emergency were to occur, I can see bad things happening.... just sayin'

 

I used to coast a '67 Chrysler Newport for the first downhill 1/2 mile into our neighborhood when I was 17 years old.

I don't do that kind of stuff anymore though.

 

I used to kill the engine of my TR7 and coast the last 1/4 mile to the house when I was in college so my parents wouldn't hear me come home at 5am..
Ahhhh, the good old days....

 

Pardon the non-PC expression but we used to call that "Mexican Overdrive".

 

We miss the acceleration of the turbo Saabs we had before the Prius.

 

Sometimes I miss the rumble from the headers and glass packs on my '68 Malibu convertible but back then gas was $0.20 per gallon...lol.

 

I'm not a big fan of the Prius dash: speedo location, various buttons, etc.

 

Ah but 'twas not always thus.
Before SAAB had 4 cylinders and turbocharging, the 93B model (1959 or 60?) had a 3-cylinder, 2-stroke engine of 750cc displacement that was slightly larger than, and only marginally more powerful than, a Singer sewing machine. You would not have missed the acceleration on that old three-banger.
It had a freewheel in the driveline so that you could not over-rev the engine with a lean mixture and thus seize it. The freewheel combined with really excellent aerodynamics for that time (teardrop-shaped), and I found in the downgrades in the hills of Missouri I could coast up to 70-75 mph. Since the engine was throttled back to an idle due to the freewheel, I could fly past cars and trucks silently on the downgrades---until the next uphill, of course! Very Prius-like in that sense.
At least with the Prius I don't have to mix 2-stroke oil with the gas whenever I fill it up, so I'll stick to the Good New Days!

 

I miss heated seats as well. It's a shame that Toyota doesn't offer them on lower trim levels. They really help reduce HVAC use and thus increase gas mileage.

 

I'm debating looking into getting them put in. I wanted them when I bought it, but didn't care about the other stuff I'd get on a IV. And it would be welcome with these cold temperatures. I get a reminder when I drive the wife's car.