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What's the deal with KPH?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by penpendisarapen, Feb 5, 2004.

  1. penpendisarapen

    penpendisarapen New Member

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    After getting on the freeway, I glanced at the speedometer and was alarmed when it read 110. My first instinct was to slow down, but I didn't seem to be going that fast, and other cars were passing me. I didn't seem to be going more than 65. I figured that maybe the speedometer was busted. After a few minutes of driving, and getting paranoid about my actual speed, I looked at the speedometer again, and was slightly embarassed :oops: to see that it was 110 KPH. Somehow I must have accidentaly hit the MPH/KPH button earlier.

    Why the heck do we need that button anyway? I know that most other countries use the metric system, but were in America, dammit! :guns:
     
    #1 penpendisarapen, Feb 5, 2004
  2. PriusDreamer

    PriusDreamer Member

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    You being a californian should know that it's just a hop , skip and about 500 miles ( :lol: ) to our neighbors to the North. This feature would be very handy if traveling in Canada. Once got a ticket in Sask. for going 138 KPH. Might have helped if I had that on my digital readout.... or maybe NOT.
     
    #2 PriusDreamer, Feb 5, 2004
  3. rockluvr

    rockluvr New Member

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    It's nice that you can switch to KPH if you go to Canada, but I would have prefered that it be a choice on the computer screen - like choosing the language - English or French. I don't see the need to have a button for that. Then Toyota could have used the button for something else.
     
    #3 rockluvr, Feb 5, 2004
  4. Wolfman

    Wolfman New Member

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    If you look at an analog speedometer, you'll find the KPH in smaller text around the inner diameter of the guage. It likely has to do with regulations made back when the US was supposed to move over to the metric system. Since it's a requirement to have the KPH on the speedometer, and we have digital guages, we get a button to switch between the two. As rockluver said, it's nice to be able to switch between the two for travel north of the US. I'll be utilizing that very feature in less than two weeks.
     
    #4 Wolfman, Feb 5, 2004
  5. penpendisarapen

    penpendisarapen New Member

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    I've never driven to Canada, but that makes sense. Still, I think the button would be better off elsewhere. Somewhere where my fumbling fingers won't give me a surprise.
     
    #5 penpendisarapen, Feb 5, 2004
  6. DaveG

    DaveG Member

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    Perhaps they left it there so you have an easy excuse to try and get yourself out of a speeding ticket?

    "But officer, I didn't know it was in KM/H" :)

    Dave
     
    #6 DaveG, Feb 6, 2004
  7. Atoyot

    Atoyot New Member

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    French!!???!?!?! :pukeright: I wonder why it wasn't Spanish? More American's speak Spanish than French.

    Atoyot
     
    #7 Atoyot, Feb 7, 2004
  8. rockluvr

    rockluvr New Member

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    Actually I was wondering that myself, but maybe they are thinking more of the European or Canadian market than the U.S. for this choice. Anybody know what is up with this language choice?
     
    #8 rockluvr, Feb 7, 2004
  9. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    North American cars are generally targeted for the US or Canada. Canada has one province where the official language is French, hence the choice.

    If the US ever establishes Spanish as an official language, I'm sure we'll see Spanish as an offering as well. Somehow I doubt that will happen anytime soon with society's current stigma on illegal immigrants from our southern borders.
     
    #9 HTMLSpinnr, Feb 7, 2004
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