Greetings
#1
09-09-2005, 11:24 AM
Greetings
Hi all!
New to the forum but not new to Hybrids.
I am a gadget guy, so when I first heard about the Prius I was very interested in the ultimate gadget mobile.
Of course, Toyota does not allow dealers to sell a Prius until they are equipped and trained to service one. It took a while for my local Montana dealer to catch up. I purchased my 2002 in early 2003, the last 2002 in the area so I got a discount on the price which was a nice bonus.
I used to live 35 miles from work, a commute mostly on Interstate with a couple of major hills, about 80 miles per day of driving. At that time I was getting a lifetime average of 43 MPG, including the extremes of weather we get. Winter usually gives us a week of -20 weather and summer a week of 100+.
A little over a year ago I moved within 2 miles of work and the streets are all 25 mph with a 4-way stop and a couple of lights. As a result, my overall mileage is down a bit. Since I am just barely in the car long enough for everything to begin to run efficiently, I am not seeing the EPA estimates which show city driving as more fuel efficient than highway driving. If I have a commute tank, I get closer to 38 MPG but if I take a couple trips to the mall or even a short highway trip, I am back to the 43 MPG range.
What amazes me most is the mountain performance. My Prius wanders over the Western Montana mountains as if they were not there. Up hill you get a bit of engine noise, but comparable to what the average car will give you. It is so easy to get used to the quiet ride that I often forget that other cars would be racing at high RPM on every highway trip. Sure, going up the mountain takes a lot of energy, drains down the battery, uses gas. But then going down the other side more than makes up. The first 1/4 mile generally recharges the battery and then I can coast most of the way down. I sometimes use the "B" mode on some of the steeper roades to keep from gaining speed without having to use the breaks all the time. One particular trip gave me 58 MPG over two significant mountains and 300 miles of travel.
I know someone who has an '05 and the redesign can run circles around my '02. By the time I am ready to replace my car, I am sure there will be another huge advance. Hybrids are the car of the future!
New to the forum but not new to Hybrids.
I am a gadget guy, so when I first heard about the Prius I was very interested in the ultimate gadget mobile.
Of course, Toyota does not allow dealers to sell a Prius until they are equipped and trained to service one. It took a while for my local Montana dealer to catch up. I purchased my 2002 in early 2003, the last 2002 in the area so I got a discount on the price which was a nice bonus.
I used to live 35 miles from work, a commute mostly on Interstate with a couple of major hills, about 80 miles per day of driving. At that time I was getting a lifetime average of 43 MPG, including the extremes of weather we get. Winter usually gives us a week of -20 weather and summer a week of 100+.
A little over a year ago I moved within 2 miles of work and the streets are all 25 mph with a 4-way stop and a couple of lights. As a result, my overall mileage is down a bit. Since I am just barely in the car long enough for everything to begin to run efficiently, I am not seeing the EPA estimates which show city driving as more fuel efficient than highway driving. If I have a commute tank, I get closer to 38 MPG but if I take a couple trips to the mall or even a short highway trip, I am back to the 43 MPG range.
What amazes me most is the mountain performance. My Prius wanders over the Western Montana mountains as if they were not there. Up hill you get a bit of engine noise, but comparable to what the average car will give you. It is so easy to get used to the quiet ride that I often forget that other cars would be racing at high RPM on every highway trip. Sure, going up the mountain takes a lot of energy, drains down the battery, uses gas. But then going down the other side more than makes up. The first 1/4 mile generally recharges the battery and then I can coast most of the way down. I sometimes use the "B" mode on some of the steeper roades to keep from gaining speed without having to use the breaks all the time. One particular trip gave me 58 MPG over two significant mountains and 300 miles of travel.
I know someone who has an '05 and the redesign can run circles around my '02. By the time I am ready to replace my car, I am sure there will be another huge advance. Hybrids are the car of the future!
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