Total newbie!
 

Hi everyone,

My husband and I just bought a 99 Japanese import Prius yesterday, and so far we really love it. I was looking at the wikipedia entry for the Prius a minute ago and noticed a mention of hypermiling, which led me here! This is the first hybrid I've ever owned or driven, and I would love some general tips and advice, specifically about hypermiling, I would love to know if that's something I could easily do. Oh and I live in England, in case that has any relevance!

Re: Total newbie!
 

Welcome to the forum! And congratulations on the new car. A classic Prius- that's so cool! I'm not sure we have many people from England on the forum, so you're particularly welcome. We love hearing from different points of view.

There is a great deal of information here about the things you mention. You might want to start with the Prius FAQ for some hypermiling tips, and certainly search through the threads, because this is a question that someone asks and answers about once a day. Give yourself a pat on the back for the brilliant car purchase, while you're at it. :)

Best wishes and good luck!

Re: Total newbie!
 

Is 'classic' just a nice way of saying 'you're so poor you had to buy an old one'? lol either way, thanks! Are the 99s more lacking in features than newer ones? Also, one thing we noticed is that it didn't come with a user's manual! Either the dealership still has it, or it's in Japan somewhere lol. Don't suppose there's an online version? Oh and where can I find the Prius FAQ? That sounds like it would be really helpful. Considering that I understand essentially nothing about cars, the technology still has me a tiny bit baffled. Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome! :D

Re: Total newbie!
 

No, 'classic' was a reference that other people here with an older Prius seem to use to self-identify their cars. I guess I was thinking of Bob Wilson (one of our top guys) who has a 'Prius Classic 03' and is proud of it. If you can get a response from him, he'll tell you everything you need to know- he's a great resource on the Prius. Here's the link to the articles section, the Prius page. Though you can find a lot more just by poking around the site, of course. :)

https://www.greenhybrid.com/wiki/index.php/Toyota_Prius

Re: Total newbie!
 

Welcome!,
The 1999 Prius was a model NHW10 and fairly rare. Do you have Japanese displays? I knew of one imported to Australia too.

You can check the model number by looking under a small plastic flap on the vehicle right hand side behind the engine:
http://home.hiwaay.net/%7Ebzwilson/prius/pri_tt_10.jpg
In this photo, I've taken off the cover plate under the windshield wipers. You can see where I wiped the road dust off of the vehicle model number and identification number on the upper right, under the windshield. The first Prius was a model NHW10, the next version NHW11 and then came the current model, NHW20, with the different body style.

We have one poster in the "Prius I" mileage database, who lives in Japan, and has an NHW10. He is currently leading the mileage. I am interested about how your car got to the UK.

BTW, there is an active Yahoo Group of European Prius owners.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your experiences. By all means, you may want to record your mileage in our database. I'm not sure how metric vs. imperial friendly it is but this is a great way to learn what works with your vehicle.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

Re: Total newbie!
 

Hi guys, thanks for your replies. I've had a look through the faq, which should prove to be very helpful, I'm still just a bit confused on how to do some of the things mentioned....like coasting to a traffic light, etc. I've been driving for 6 years, but I still don't know much car lingo! I'll definately have a look at the yahoo group, and the priuschat site you mentioned on my other post. Oh, and how my car got to the UK....there seems to be a bit of a market for Japanese import Priuses here, basically some of the dealerships have contacts in Japan, pick a few good ones, and get them shipped over on a boat. Apparently they're supposed to be better to own, because the mileage is typically lower. Mine's got 22,500 which for a 99 seems good! It really is a lovely car, considering it's age. Oh and yes, my displays are mostly in Japanese, which I'm hoping there might be some way to change.

Re: Total newbie!
 

Oh, and about recording mileage, do you know on the 99s if there is a display that shows that? Currently the only bit I know how to change on the screen is to bring up the radio stations, because that button's actually in English lol...other than that, it just stays on the energy meter thingy. Oh, and I'm actually American, so I'd record my mileage in gallons!