Considering a Used Gen 2, What Do I Need to Know?

Quite a few do remove the trim rings, others don't. Everyone has their own opinion on the trim rings. FWIW the price on the last one seems reasonable. But as usual the dealer has no idea what they have. It is definitely NON touring.

 

As I said in an previous post the touring has 16 inch wheels (the same as all models in Europe) so the easy way to tell is look at the tyre size "195/55/16". The wheels look the same.

John (Britprius)

 

Keep in mind that the touring models get poorer fuel economy than the standard model. I personally wouldnt get a touring model.

 

Trust me, once you get it, you will want every mpg you can get and your driving habits will change as well. Oh, and the wife will lose the car to you. Thats my prediction and im sticking to it!!!!

 

Gen 2 was not as interesting as my v is. All the power any adult could need, just not all the power a boy could want. KYB shocks and some springs and you have all the suspension changes of the touring. The were no powertrain changes. (It sounds like a baritone sewing machine when pushed, you hear a lot of valve train, not much intake or exhaust)

I enjoy driving vastly underpowered cars at the limit more than I like driving vastly overpowered cars so as to not attract the police. But that is me. It certainly explains owning 3 cars with under 70 HP each. No one outside the car could tell I was racing like mad. My last Toyota before the Prius was AWD and had 25 HP per tire, you could not spin the tires on ice.


There is quite a bit of suspension upgrades available for Gen 2, and it needs some.
G7 Performance Stiffening Plate 04-09 Toyota Prius P/N 9000 on eBay! (I recommend this)

Prius Accessories, 2010 , 2011, 2012 Toyota Prius Accessories & Hybrid Car Parts, 2012 Prius Accessories: JuicedHybrid.com

 

Are you buying the Prius for your wife or just shopping for her? Either way, you're a good husband.

 

When you need to drive it, try to perfect your hypermileing, it will be a rare change of pace from 'your' car and keep you entertained n a different way than driving solo. You will be engaged in driving, but not the same old same old. (my advice would be NOT to tell the wife when you get better MPG than she does, but you may know best)

 

Let say you are a 'car' guy and you have to drive a Prius now and again.

I recommend a Scangauge II PriusChat Shop : ScanGauge II Scan Tool + Digital Gauges + Trip Computers [ScanGaugeII] - $159.95

It adds 4 gauges (out of over a hundred available) so you can see more traditional 'car' guy stuff, mine shows RPM, water temp, air temp, and voltage. (I had the theory than my Gen 2 got hot air over 95 degrees, this showed 115 degrees under the hood even after 50 miles of travel) There are other ODB II gauges sold and some use a Android phone and an ODB to Bluetooth adapter, but I like the Scangauge.

Study this page: Toyota Prius - Power Split Device

The Prius has a single speed transmission with no clutches or torque converters, it is always in gear. Motor/Generator 2 is linearity connected to the wheels. It is going 0 RPMs when the car is at rest and when it hits it's red line, that is top speed. Want reverse? Spin M/G2 backwards. Want to simulate Neutral? Do not allow any electricity to M/G2 and M/G1. With no way to push or slow the car, we can call that Neutral even though everything still spins. M/G1 acts as the starter, is often the Generator, and when you use it as a Motor, it acts like overdrive. (One whale of a lot of software makes such a simple piece of hardware work)

Since it only has one gear, it simulates Low by using the engine as a Jake Brake, someone at Toyota was too honest to call this Low so the shifter has a B. You only want to use it when descending long hills.

The engine can be rotating at 0 RPM up to 42 MPH (varies by Generation and model, but is often in the low 40s, this simulation is of Gen 1) and then anywhere from 992 RPM to 5200 RPM at higher speeds. (playing with the simulator you will convince yourself than the Gen 1 could only get to the engine's red line above 63 MPH, Gen 3 is closer to 45 MPH)


The engine has radically different compression ratio than expansion ratio, which is 13:1. This is due to late intake valve closing that lets about 30% of the fuel/air mixture escape back into the intake manifold. This offers wonderful 37% efficiency, but kills torque and horsepower. The electric motors are there to provide the torque (M/G2) and horsepower (M/G1) that the engine lacks, in short bursts. Variable valve timing allows the engine to become closer to the traditional Otto cycle when needed, but it is fundamentally simulating the Atkinson cycle.

 

I do agree that if you get a Prius, eventually you will want to strive to get the best MPG possible. It seems just about all of us at one time or another fall into that. When I first started driving ours, I simply drove it. After a while I began to study the tips and tricks that abound here on PC and elsewhere. With minor modifications to the car itself and changing my driving styles I have found that I can easily get excellent mileage well over the EPA estimates.

What I tell a lot of folks who are interested in a Prius or shopping around is to simply go and rent one for a week or two. Then drive it to get the experience of it. If you rent one today, more than likely it will be a Gen III as Gen II last model year was the '09. Also if you know anyone who has a Gen II, get them to show you around it and fill you in on what they have learned.

It truly is unlike any other car on the planet in my book.

Best of luck to you!

 

I stand corrected. As we do not get 15 inch wheels here (aprt f

I'll go with Usnavystgc.

John (Britprius)

 

It happens to the best of us.

I bought my first Prius for my wife (a gen 1). Less than a year later, she couldnt get it away from me. Then I found Prius chat and it was really all over. lol

 

Try taking one for a test drive and see if you like driving what feels to be a futuristic space ship that has more power than you expected.

 

Strangely The Tspirit version in the UK is listed as giving poorer economy even though it shares the same wheel and tyre sizes to all the other UK models. The only way I can explain this must be the extra weight of the accessories. It still must be lighter than the US version because it does not have the bladder in the tank or equipment that goes with it or the thermos, pumps, valves and extra fluid, PTC heaters wiring and relays.

John (Britprus)