Wife doesn't like pri on the interstste

All this hill information is great - where I live it is flat and the largest hill is the turnpike overpass. I did drive to Pittsburgh and get hills there and have no problems. The real fun will be when I visit my dad in Miss... and go through KY.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sonny @ Oct 19 2006, 07:32 AM) [snapback]335019[/snapback]</div>

If I had to choose between a PRIUS and a WIFE, I’d ditch the wife. :lol:
By the way what is the speed limit on those hills; How many tickets she got up to now; Any number above zero and she should not be allowed to drive the Prius.

 

The problems I experienced with the way the Prius handled were very similar - my solution was an alignment to +.05 toe in each front wheel, and a better, slightly wider set of tires.

The alignment made a remarkable difference - it's still within spec, but not toed to 0. At 0, my Prius wandered all over the place. The set of Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S 205/60/15 made the car feel even more stable now.

Before doing those two things, interstate driving would have made me nervous. Now, no problem.

 

I just recently purchased my Touring edition and was wondering if the BT plate is helpful to the TE's new suspension?

Waldo

 

I kept the original tires and suspension. After a few weeks the road feel seemed completely normal and the blow-around-the-road sensation abated.

Per the break-in advice in the owner's manual, don't drive it like a maniac in the first 600 miles. After that, just keep the gas pedal floored and ignore the engine roar; that's normal, and the computers will not allow it to redline.

 

I have driven my Prius over the Sierra between Sacramento and Reno a few times now. It has no trouble holding 70 on any of the grades on that trip in either direction. I set the cruise and off she goes. It really sounds like it is winding up and it needs battery power to assist on grades at that speed, but the engine control will not allow the car to over-rev.

On a prolonged grade, once the batteries have discharged you are left with a 76 hp gas engine (at altitude even less) and will suffer the effects of that low power. But if you start the climb with full batteries, you can climb several miles at 70mph up hill before you need a downgrade to recharge.

Tell your wife to set the cruise control and let it maintain the speed on its own. Don't worry about the sound of the engine - I don't recall what the max RPM is, but that little 1500cc engine can wind up toward 5000 all day without a problem.

As for being blown all over the road... Well... it is not the greatest car at handling stiff crosswinds. It's height to width ratio seems a little high, and it is a pretty lighweight machine. High winds will require you to slow down just a bit to avoid fatigue. This happens with many light weight economy cars, and the Prius is one of those.