After 1 week of ownership, and driving way too slow, I have decided to just drive at normal speeds in traffic, its just plain annoying and dangerous when driving too slowly when other cars are speeding around you. More than 1 driver has honked twice, they see my car still has the dealer plates, and they know exactly what I am trying to do; trying to drive in EV mode to get 1000+ mpg. I know how they feel, I came out of a high HP beast, I was ALWAYs the first to finish, and other cars would become tiny in my rear view mirror with little effort. Now the tables have turned. I have become a bottle neck, I am holding other people back. I read somewhere ordinary drivers should be able to benefit without having to slow down too much. Coming to my senses!
Yes, please keep up with traffic. A lot of bad driving behavior towards the Prius is due to other driver's past experiences and perceptions of slow Prius drivers trying to eke out every last bit of mpgs. It seems some drivers will do anything to get around us because they don't want to get "stuck" behind a Prius.
I don't have the c, I drive a regular liftback... But I learned pretty quickly that if I just drive it like a normal car, and keep up with traffic, it still gets very good gas mileage and I don't cause people to tailgate me. I love it when people will change lanes and pull up beside me at a stoplight, rather than being "stuck" behind a Prius. And then I blow them off the line… It's fine to want to get good gas mileage, but some Prius owners make it a weird obsession. Have a little fun! Feel the PWR!
I believe there's a balanced approach between our pre-hybrid driving habits and the annoying Prius slowpoke, where we can still increase gas mileage efficiency. 1. Starting from a Stop: Forget about EV mode when starting from a stop. You should certainly start out slower than you used to, but be reasonable, and try to stay out of the red zone on the ECO score meter. Once up to speed just keep up with the flow. 2. Coming to a Stop: When you are approaching a sure stop (red light, back up traffic, stop sign, etc.) take full advantage of the LLR tires. Take your foot off the gas and begin coasting a lot sooner than you used to. In my experience, this is probably the least annoying habit of Prius drivers looking to maximize gas mileage, and it makes a difference. 3. Highway Driving: Just get in the proper lane for the speed you want to drive, which is where others are driving in the speed range you like. Most of us have probably lowered the top speed we used to go. I try to keep it under 70 most of the time as that seems to be where the mileage slips from the 50s into the 40s. So my time spent in the passing lane is less frequent now, but I still drive there. I do not tail gate. I broke myself of that habit before buying the Prius. And that will annoy tailgaiters behind you no matter what kind of car you drive. As long as I am keeping up with the flow I don't worry about them. Most eventually get the hint and drop back themselves. The hardcore will go around you first chance they get just to gain a spot in the line. When the traffic in the left lane gets to 70, I pull over and find the lane that is driving the speed I want to drive. BTW - for those who want to be in EV mode all the time, the new Sonata hybrid allows that at speeds up to 70 mph. If I was in the market for a hybrid today, that's probably what I would buy. The downside is the spare.
it's sad that so many of us feel that we have to run with the sheep, instead of taking a leadership role. yes, it's always dangerous to walk a different path...
It'll be interesting, when the self-driving cars come in. I remember with our first car I had a driving to work stint: I seriously though there was something wrong with my speedometer for a few days.
funny you mention that, someone posted the same thing a few days ago. couldn't understand how he was doing the speed limit in the right lane, and everyone was passing him.
I really wish there was a safe option for us, we want maximum fuel economy which happens at lower speeds. We should be able to drive in the slow lane at 55 or 60. There needs to be additional laws passed to protect us.
The latest autopilot rollout by Tesla, which will now only follow the speed limits on non-highway roads, was met with a lot of protests. Highways still have a 90 mph limit.
Both our kids that are driving speed, it's kinda sad. Also, around here NOBODY does a legal stop at stop signs, or even understands the concept, why it's in place. Here's one US proponent of the Pace Car program. I've got one of the decals, but likely won't put it on. But I try to follow the pledge: City of Rochester | Pace Car Program
This is a great idea! I'll put it on the decal, right next to my NRA sticker, NO ONE will mess with me. And some drivers will figure out that "something is wrong with this picture", esp. here in So Cal
In my very busy part of southern California, people really get irritated when you are "gliding" up to a red light or stop sign. So I just drive normally, and brake normally. I don't believe my Prius tires are any different than my Camry tires were. I don't believe in that "LRR" -- Low rolling resistance. Horsefeathers! My Toyo tires are just tires. I'm not familiar with the c, but In the GEN4 Prius I find that the gas mileage stays pretty much the same... regardless of how I drive that Disneyland car. So I don't do the typical Prius driving habits, such as "pulse and glide." I accelerate briskly and it doesn't harm the gas mileage at all. And as you all know, I also turned OFF all the hybrid indicator display screens. Once I started driving this thing like a normal car, it was much more relaxing. Not having to monitor anything. No distractions. Hot dog in hand. Snarky!
No decal here, I've got it hanging on my workstation pin board. Kinda of reminder. Anyway, what I do: Drive like an old guy that doesn't know better, just abides by the laws and rules of the road. I stay in the right lane, keep my cool (real easy with "low T"), try to be considerate and patient, leave in good time.
