Hello all,
Got to drive my first Prius on Saturday at the local Toyota house..Very nice car! But of course had the salesman so didn't want to thrash it!
Seemed to be all I need and want in a car but something I forgot to try..
If the car is on, and in neutral, if you press the gas pedal does the gas engine start and rev like a normal car? Does it do anything at all? I know this is unimportant to the operation of the car, just wondering how that differs from a standard type car...There were so many things I was trying to check out and try...I have to say it's the coolest car I have driven in a long time..Definitely a technogeeks dream! The one I drove seemed heavily optioned so I think we are going to order a Barcelona red touring model package six with leather..
John

I think, and I have not done any testing to verify this, that when you are in nuetral and rev the engine, if you reach the requirements for turning on the gas engine it will do so. I may be wrong, but it seems logical to me. It would probably follow the same requirements for turning on normally, e.g. heavy acceleration or an RPM threshold around 42mph etc.

As for the touring model, some members have suggested that fuel economy won't be as good in that model because it has larger tires. However, if fuel economy isn't your thing, by all means enjoy! It's all about what makes you happy in the long run.

Hi,

When in "neutral," the power electronics for MG1 and MG2 are 'off.' This means if the ICE is running, it keeps running. If the ICE is off, it stays off. As for the accelerator, it is just inputs to a control computer and it won't do anything when in "N" to speed up or slow down the ICE.

When in "D", you can force-charge the battery by holding the brake and flooring the accelerator. The engine will strain but basicly throw a charge onto the battery until it reaches 80% and then the engine will shutdown. Instrumentation indicates this is perfectly safe and does no harm . . . unless you are about to enter a mileage driving contest. With a fully charged battery, you'll have a slight advantage. <GRINS>

I've also done some maximum acceleration tests using standing start in 'forced charge' mode versus just 'stomp accelerator' mode. Both are a lot of fun but 'stomp the accelerator' seems to have a slight advantage. That extra charge on the battery is also a good thing! <GRINS>

Did I mention it was FUN!!!!

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

My TCH will start the ICE if you press the gas in Neutral. I don't recall the gas having any effect on ICE speed in Neutral. Oddly, my FEH not only will start the ICE in Neutral when you press the gas, but will also "fast idle" if you goose the gas.

Ooooh! That's good to know. I hadn't even thought of that.

I wonder just how much the touring loses in economy? Toyota doesn't give it a different rating but I see how it might..But might be worth it..We drive a windy two lane road every day so the added suspension would be nice plus the wheels are nicer IMO..

but nothing written in stone yet..Thanks for the quick reply!
John

Thanks Bob!
I bet that would be an odd situation but good to know you can do it if you need to quick charge the batteries..
John

It boils down to what makes you most comfortable. I would do some poking around this forum, and some of the other Prius owner forums, and see what their experiences are with the touring model.

The last instance that I recall reading, the owner suggested he was getting about 3-5mpg less than the average for the regular model. That being said, I believe he only had it for a few tanks, so I don't know how much stock you want to hold in that.

Let us know what you end up doing!

Wow!
3-5 mpg? That's a lot! Thanks for the tip, I better do some pokin around..Being my commute is mostly highway, I need all the upper numbers I can keep...
John

In the hot-rod community, they learned the importance of low weight tires. It takes energy to spin the tires and they've realized that smaller diameter, lighter weight tires gives them an advantage accelerating and a slight reduction in braking load. In fact, a local speed shop tried to sell me some low inertial weight tires . . .

For fun, I've speculated about getting three donut spares and putting four of them on my Prius for mileage testing. It would also lower the body for less drag and speed limitations would not be a problem in a contest. <grins>

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.