Traded my Lexus...

I thought it was bad too, but I wonder how bad it really is if Lexus allowed for the car to flicker the xenon lights with the panic alarm. I don't intend to set off my panic alarm with my hid lights. It's just something I wonder about...


I decided to go with the Vais Tech SL2i-UP instead of a nav for the time being. I'm used to working on cars, so installation was a piece of cake--took maybe 20 minutes. Before starting, I used Spiderman's nav install PDF for info on how to get the radio out, thanks! I ran the cable to the lower glovebox. It sounds excellent, and it even works with my iPhone 4. The only little quirk I've come across is that the track name isn't always accurate -- such as it will show the track name of the song you listened to 3 tracks ago instead of the actual track you are currently listening to. As far as I can tell, the SL2i-UP only works off of play lists, so I'll have to do some reorganizing of my music as well. I ordered an iPod nano that will be specifically for car duty, so we'll see if the track name quirk is specific to the iPhone 4 or the iPod nano too. I paid $189 shipped for the Vais Tech unit. I'm very satisfied.

And thank god for this forum too. Vais tells you to test the unit before you reinstall of the trim. I did this without the EV/Eco/Power buttons installed, and it set of the orange triangle of death with the Check Hybrid System error. Oh jeez what did I do. The car went in to ready mode and drove fine. A quick search on here told me that I just needed to cycle the car on and off 3 times. Problem solved! Whew!!!

One month in (yesterday), I finally made it to my second fill up. 52.5mpg on the screen and 51mpg calculated. That's so close to the computer reading I'm going to side with it due to my margin of error in filling the tank. I take it down until the fuel range shows 40 or 50 miles. I've done it with both of my fill ups, and it equates to a few tenths under 9.5 gallons to fill 'er up. I just love it!

 

Yesterday I had my iPhone plugged into the Vais Tech, and when it rang, I thought my ears were going to explode. I ordered a 5th gen Nano (reburb) from Apple that will stay in the car, so I'm going to stick to CDs until the Nano comes in so that I don't go deaf the next time I get a call. lol

Hey there Coach! Where are you posting from in LA? Things are great here in Metairie! I don't know where you live, but the weather here in the NOLA area has been unreal. I ran down to Houma yesterday to visit my grandparents; the Prius is such a fine highway car.

I don't envy your predicament; I was in the same boat. After much painful deliberation, I decided to go for the Prius, and I'm thrilled that I did. :rockon:

 

Haha, small world! My grandparents live off of the Hwy 316 exit. Other than that, I really don't know many of the areas over there. My other grandparents used to live near the Mulberry school, but they've passed away several years ago, but I passed by there a while back, and it has changed so much. On the ride down to Houma, there are some sections of 310 where you can go fast. My Prius prefers to be driven fast, so I really enjoy the ride!

I don't really follow sports. Plus, I graduated from a much better school than LSU (hehe)...LA Tech, go dawgs! But in a way I do follow LSU and the Saints a little since we bet on it at work, and everyone is always talking about it.

Thanks!

 

My pleasure; as of today, I'm about 4,500 miles in.

The Good:
-I'm 4500 miles in, and my average mpg is 50.5mpg. I'm very happy with that
-It's extremely comfortable, and I'm 6'4" and 290lbs
-The ride is smooth, quiet, and stable at high speeds
-Smart key
-Extensive aftermarket support
-Auto AC
-Blizzard Pearl is a superb color
-The hatchback is great. I bought my dad a new bbq grill for Christmas, and the Prius swallowed up the box with no problem.
-The back headrests pop up and fold forward, so you can easily fold the seats flat without having to remove the headrests (and remember where you've put them).
-The interior and exterior styling.
-Very light maintenance schedule
-The Bridgestone Ecopia tires are a bit noisy, but they are so very, very smooth.
-I like the steering feel
-No more shifting through gears...the CVT rocks!
-The lack of power (going from a 290hp Lexus to 134hp Prius) has not bothered me at all

The Bad:
-If I put the smart key in the same pocket as my iPhone 4, the iPhone blocks the smart key's signal.
-I'm not comfortable parking the car in tight spaces just yet due to the hood being invisible from the driver's seat. I don't like parking near anyone anyway.
-The sunvisors are almost useless in blocking sunlight that comes from the side windows. They really ought to extend out.
-A couple minor initial quality bugs (2 rattles and a suspension noise), that should be easily ironed out at the upcoming 5k service.
-I really wish the stereo readout would scroll text instead of cutting off a song title midway.
-It borders on impossible to get my dog's fur out of the microfiber, suede like cloth upholstery. It takes a lot of time with a lint roller and Rigid vac to remove my Cattle Dog's fur from the seats.

The Unexpected:
-My proportions would lead you to believe I could be left tackle on your football team, so this looks like the car you'd least expect to see me driving. However, everyone (all of my truck and SUV driving friends, family, coworkers) I've come across really likes my car. Mind you, I'm not smug and annoying about my decision to choose the Prius. I like the car, technology, and gas savings. My Prius is not a political or environmental statement in any way for me, and as such, people are very receptive to this different kind of car. The only concern people have voiced to me is they think the car is unsafe. I let them know that this car has a ton of airbags, and it is extremely safe, and I have the utmost faith in its ability to protect me in a crash.

-You read a lot about people getting bullied on the road and "Prius Hate." This is just not the case for me. Keep up with traffic and remember that the left lane is a passing lane, and you will have no issues with other drivers. Linger in the left lane and creep along slow enough to get 60mpg, and I can see how other drivers will get irritated with you.

-A couple weekends back on a trip to BR, I shut off the HSI, charts, arrows, etc. screen and just drove the car. It was great! My mpg didn't plummet either. It was nice to just sit back and drive without the information overload.


I'm extremely pleased with my decision to choose the Prius. I'd do it again in a heart beat. :rockon: Do post pictures when you buy yours tomorrow night! We should have a LA Prius Owners Club meeting. I think I've remembered almost all of my thoughts regarding my Prius ownership experience. If I think of anything else, I'll edit or repost.