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Biggest adjustments as new Prius driver/owner...

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Twelve12, Feb 15, 2019.

  1. Twelve12

    Twelve12 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2019
    5
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    Location:
    North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    The one thing I am not used to yet is how the Prius shuts off at stop and parked, etc. I suspect this is the result of all of the crappy cars I have owned over the years. Two weeks of owning, my heart still does this little skip when the Prius shuts off because I think my car has died.

    My Prius is not a quiet ride and there are weird sounds at time (whining stuff). It's ok as long as I have radio on.

    I have had to turn off the eco display because I was focussing way too much on that to the point of distraction. I now turn it on at times. I understand how/why Prius drivers get a bad rap. I don't want to accelerate too fast. I want it to stay in the green. I propose all cars have some sort of MPG monitor. Even if it's using gas, there are ways to drive more efficiently.

    Surprisingly, the dash in the center is a complete non issue for me. It wasn't difficult to get used to at all and I appreciate more visibility on driver's side.
     
    #1 Twelve12, Feb 15, 2019
    Burna J, Jdh2425 and bisco like this.
  2. noonm

    noonm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    575
    595
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    My biggest adjustment? Forgetting to keep an eye on the fuel gauge level and filling up before the "low gas" light comes on.
     
    #2 noonm, Feb 18, 2019
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,144
    50,053
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    congrats, all the best!(y)
     
    #3 bisco, Feb 18, 2019
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,686
    39,222
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Were you looking at this:

    upload_2019-2-18_19-15-15.png

    Or this:

    upload_2019-2-18_19-16-5.png

    The latter gives good feedback, with just a glance. The former, yeah: very distracting, and not that useful really.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Feb 18, 2019
  5. Jdh2425

    Jdh2425 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2019
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Baltimore
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    I agree with the "distracted driving" situation being a prime reason why, up until I bought mine, I used to hate Prius drivers! Now I know why they all seemed like they had no clue how to drive and were afraid to touch the gas pedal haha.
    I found myself falling into that trap of trying to keep the engine off as much as possible , and had to remind myself I wasn't the only person on the road. I've since learned to only glance at it at certain times I'm curious, and just drive the car normally as I would any other car.
    I hope you like yours. I like mine, even though I have some qualms about some of the design shortcomings.
     
    #5 Jdh2425, Apr 6, 2019
    Burna J likes this.
  6. Ronald Doles

    Ronald Doles Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2019
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    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    It was an easy transition for my wife. I plugged in a flashdrive with all her favorite music, paired up her phone and off she went.

    For me the car is a science project. I like learning all the details of how the car works. I installed a ScanGauge.

    The first parameter that I selected was RPM. I discovered that the little green EV light indicates when the ICE is not running. Taking off from a standing start, the RPM seems to increase as the speed of the vehicle increases unless you start backing off on the throttle. The throttle is not linear with the engine starting or changing RPM and the electrical current level changing. It does take some getting used to.

    The second parameter was water temperature and I agree that the engine shutdown on coasting only occurs after the coolant exceeds some temperature greater than 130 F.

    The third parameter was battery amps. I was a little surprised that coasting down charges at about 12 amps and braking amps are proportional to brake pedal pressure and can exceed 100 amps. From a standing start, the amps jump up pretty high but just for a second or two. It seems like it is just a push to get the car moving or possibly move the car till the ICE gets started and then they drop off to nothing.

    The fourth parameter was SOC and it seems that "mission control" likes to keep the battery between 60 and 70 percent no matter how the car is driven.

    I am very pleased with ours. I hope that it turns out to be a reliable vehicle for years to come.
     
    #6 Ronald Doles, May 2, 2019
    bisco likes this.
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