Going to buy a Gen 2. What should I know?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Isaac Zachary, Jul 15, 2018.

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  1. DLC82SV

    DLC82SV Member

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    My gen 2 climbs like a boss and still gets great fuel economy. I push cars up 8 mile. Like Prius coming through, please move. 16% grade in 8 miles. AC on full blast headlights on high beams rear defrost and wipers going in the pouring rain. Cher doesn't miss a beat!
    The trip back down fills my battery full green and I run around on ev mode for the first 3 to 5 miles I'm in town before the ICE needs to engage. Of course unless I need to accelerate aggressively, then the ICE jumps right in!
     
    #61 DLC82SV, Jul 29, 2018
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  2. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    Well, call me crazy. But I finally settled on purchasing a used 2013 Avalon Hybrid. The car did perfectly fine going up Monarch Pass. Compared to my Golf, this thing feels like a Formula One race car. I got 41.0mpg average for the past 1,500 miles that I have driven. And nearly all of that was going 75mph with the A/C on. The down side is that it uses midgrade.
     
    #62 Isaac Zachary, Aug 6, 2018
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats! all the best.(y)
     
    #63 bisco, Aug 6, 2018
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  4. GTW

    GTW Junior Member

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    Since both batteries are inside the body of the car, should not be as much an issue.
     
    #64 GTW, Aug 9, 2018
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  5. GTW

    GTW Junior Member

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    Engine block heater? Both batteries are inside the body of the car. Hybrid is under the passenger seat, the 12 v is inside by the right rear light cluster
     
    #65 GTW, Aug 9, 2018
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  6. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Actually, the hybrid battery on the Gen 2 is under the deck behind the rear seat.

    A block heat would be a good idea for you. Lots of folks up in MN and Canada use them and I know Gunnison often has the lowest morning lows in the lower 48. That won't do much for the batteries, but will help keep your oil limber.
     
    #66 jerrymildred, Aug 10, 2018
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  7. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    After driving a Nissan Leaf through the winter I know that the cold can really hurt the performance. One day I drove with the heater off and still got only 30 miles on an 85 mile battery before I had to call a tow truck. Good thing my Toyota isn't all electric. And of course NiMH might react differently to the cold than Li ION.
     
    #67 Isaac Zachary, Aug 23, 2018
  8. Naurill

    Naurill Junior Member

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    A newer diesel golf? (In the UK/EU I would suggest a Skoda Octavia, as some have legendary longevity). N
     
    #68 Naurill, Aug 23, 2018
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  9. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    It just feels wrong to buy a car that is known to have been the center of a worldwide emissions scandal. Plus the newer Diesel VW's aren't known for their longevity and reliability like they used to. If I were to get a diesel car here in the USA I'd get a Chevy Cruze. But I got a Toyota Avalon Hybrid instead. 40mpg, isn't as impressive as 60mpg, but the Avalon should outlast and be more reliable than the Cruze.
     
    #69 Isaac Zachary, Aug 23, 2018
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  10. Rph74

    Rph74 Active Member

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    Agreed would feel weird to buy a diesel VW knowing the shenanigans they pulled. I would actually love to have a Cruze diesel with 6 speed manual. I drove one last year in Ireland (there it was an Opel Astra) and the motor was really smooth and quiet. And the manual trans was silky smooth. I imagine that once the Cruze diesels hit the used market they’ll be easy to buy cheaply-fewer people want diesels cars, and even fewer want a manual.
     
    #70 Rph74, Aug 24, 2018
  11. Naurill

    Naurill Junior Member

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    I agree. So, it is probably best not to live in a mountainous area, if you really care. As a US citizen, you have a lot of options -- there is lots of flat land area and the USA is truly huge. I suspect that there is no current hybrid or electric vehicle that suits your particular needs well... an optimised solution (a balance between meeting regulations, performance in the mountains and fuel efficiency) will not be the best for the environment when compared with other ways of optimising your carbon/environmental footprint. (I am not claiming to be any better; I make bad choices too). Good luck with your research.
     
    #71 Naurill, Aug 26, 2018
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  12. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    Hey! I'm getting better fuel mileage, as much as 5 mpg better or 44mpg, in the Avalon than it's EPA rating! I wonder if the mountains create a kind of forced "pulse and glide" driving habit. I used to get 60mpg in the mountains no problem in my Golf diesel too.

    The one thing that bugs me about the mountains and gasoline is that when you use a gasoline engine near it's peak power it goes rich which makes the catalytic converter useless. (Try going up a highway mountain pass behind any gasoline car with your windows rolled down!... Cough! Cough!). Someday something like water injection may be used instead of fuel enrichment to lower combustion temperatures and provide more power under high load conditions.

    What I do try to do is to take it easy up and down the mountains. I don't ever speed and I keep my foot out of the pedal as much as possible. The Avalon has tons of power compared to my ol' Golf diesel so keeping the power meter and RPMs down isn't that hard. If possible, some day I'd like to get an air/fuel ratio gauge (had one on my Beetle) so I can see when the engine is about to go into high load enrichment. That way I can make sure I'm not only getting the intended emissions, but also keep from harming the cylinders and rings from enrichment washing.
     
    #72 Isaac Zachary, Aug 26, 2018
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  13. GTW

    GTW Junior Member

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    Yes, but still inside the compartment.
     
    #73 GTW, Sep 6, 2018
  14. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    True. But if you look under the seat for it, you won't find it there.
     
    #74 jerrymildred, Sep 6, 2018
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