Am I the only one flying past other cars on the highway?

mine does not do that, is your regen working properly?

 

I might have seen you, or one of your kin, lol.

 

Is the OP perhaps driving with a foot lightly on the gas going down that hill? That would disable the regen, at least in some speed ranges.

Conventional cars generally have engine braking when aimed downhill in "drive" and foot off the gas. Not so the Prius. This is why the transmission has the "b" position, which is supposed to convert some of that kinetic energy into heat and flush it out through the radiator. If the transmission is in the normal drive position it will fully charge the battery on a long downhill run and then the only thing left to slow the car are the brakes. Well, I suppose one could turn on the A/C, the radio, and the headlights too in normal drive mode, but I doubt it would shift enough energy away from the battery to make a difference.

 

I’m imagining this coming down the beartooth for some reason

 

is because you're actually looking at where you are going, instead of falling asleep in the left lane, or following the herd like the other drivers

 

I fond that my 2002 Prius was able to hold a constant speed uphill and down on toll route 73 in the orange county area IF I engage the cruise control.

My wife's 2010 Camry Hybrid, on the other hand, will hit over 80 MPH coasting down those steep straight hills even with CC engaged.

My Prime does not have that problem. It happily goes into recharge and sucks up that extra energy to store for later.

 

This sounds pretty typical for a Chicago driver.......no matter what the car IS.


That comment was only partly a joke.
No I've never noticed that.......especially not in Illinois where substantial hills are few and far between.

 

Uh that sound's like it is you! Driving a Prius does not mean I won't/can't get speeding ticket's?? It just mean's cop's aren't looking for them as a general rule?? But on a straight road they can hit 80+ mph, without much effort?? It freaked me out when we first got ours because it sounded like a giant vacuum cleaner, when I hammered it???

And down a really steep down hill of about half a mile?? I have seen 101 mph before I had to hit "B" and the freaking brakes! Driving a "Prius," does not mean you are immune from speeding ticket's?? It just mean's you are the "least likely suspect!"

 

101 seems mighty fast for a Gen 2 Prius. I would be worried about the back wheels losing traction and the car spinning, like that Insight in the video above. Admittedly the Insight was going much faster, but it was on the flat. Going down a hill the car's weight should shift forward more onto the front wheels, making it easier for the back end to break free.

 

LOL, well under the right condition's apparently not?? And it got 99.99 mpg while doing it! And it had a fully charged battery pack if needed for extra speed. But I was running out of hill and sharpish turn ahead.
You gotta stay safe out there ... no civilian involvement.

Uh no, on a straight dry, downhill section of asphalt?? In a "Prius," the situation you describe is virtually impossible. The air flow's over the car and the air presses the back end down. The only way to get the car out of sort's is by sudden violet steering input's, that would get the car "slideway's." to the wind, aka that Honda Insight!

Now I wasn't driving but I am pretty sure that in "Post Discussion," analysis the Insight driver messed up?? Everybody knows that the salt flat's are notoriously slippery?? But if the back end starts to move around, you have two choices. Either let off or drive thru it and hope for the best?? And it seems the Honda driver made the wrong call apparently?? But I don't what that Honda Insight, actually was?? Was a crazily modded, fwd or a rear drive with an insight body??

It makes a difference, FWD car's don't drift. The front moves the back follow's. That's it, nothing required. To get a FWD car's rear end to step out you have to work at. Flick the wheel away from where you want to go, flick it back and hammer the throttle ... the car goes where you want as the rear steps out.

AKA my 92 Toyota Tercel! 78 whp, but in the Canyon's it was a monster! If I got to the corner first ...catch me if you can??

Back in the day we got some bigger dog's to move over! But sight it did come at a price, it was pretty miserable as a daily driver?? It went from 13 inch wheel's stock to 17 with low profile tires, bigger and added rear sway bar and extremely stiff spring's and shocks! But you there is price to pay it was a pretty crappy riding car. It rode like a Dump Truck. Punishing would be an understatement.

I luv that car we bought it new in 92 and yeah when get back up again it will be on it's forth engine! But when it comes back ... this time, it will be packing a 400 hp, 5efte (Turbo 1.5) just because.

But the "Prius," is all stock, my better half won't let me get near that car with lowering spring's and stuff. The 101 terminal velocity was because some tool in a SUV pissed me off before we got to the downhill!! I blew by him and just keep it hammered until I was less pissed. I glanced at the speedometer and I was stunned?? I guess that's why I was at near the bottom of the hill and he was just getting to the top?? But for the most part I try not to "Drive Angry," even in a Prius.

But hey for "Prius," owner's with Deep Pocket's ... here you go.:

With some serious muffler's on it at night, they'd probably give you ten car length's, till word got out! If your into that kind of thing. But downhill under ideal condition's it was pretty boring. But just because I did it, does not mean that other's should ... just saying.

 

If you use the cruse control, it not only keeps your minimum speed up, it keeps your maximum speed down.

 

"So, I've observed my 2007 prius in many ways throughout the years, and I am always baffled how fast this vehicle goes down a hill or slope. ESPECIALLY on a highway. I mean, I find myself darting past vehicles left and right, or even having to force the brakes when going down a hill to prevent rear ending a car. I know the Prius has some record shattering drag coefficient but I never actually thought it would be a noticeable thing. NOW, on the other hand, going up a hill, it can be slower than molasses!"

 

I owned a 1989 Toyota Corolla All-trac wagon with 103 HP and AWD. (you can't spin the tires even on ice) My daughter laughed that she only once saw me pass another vehicle going up hill. It was a Toyota Corolla All-trac wagon with 103 HP and AWD and an automatic transmission

https://glenshelly.com/sales/sold-full/1991-toyota-corolla.

 

Agreed it's a steep hill but if you set the CC to 60mph, it will hold it. But under the given conditions, it still get's 99.9 mpg down that hill.

 

LOL, is it really that slow or does it make you think it is??? If you press the throttle down hard on a uphill grade the charge goes to nothing in a blink the SOC show's 10 to 20 percent in a blink and mpg show's 9 mpg or less??? But if your keep your foot in it, crappy SOC or not it does not slow down.

It's pretty much just like any other (stock) 4 cylinder eco car up hill. No better, no worst. And where I am Hwy 341 every year they hold an Open Road race on that grade to Va City. It's about 6 miles with High Speed Sweeper's! My back yard, it's a climb from 4300 ft to 5000 ft to Va City. On the truck route.

We have friend's in Va City so we go up there but I don't take the truck route. From Hwy 50 the curve's are big and wide and if you go over the side ... they will not find you for year's! Just saying, but the main way up from 50 is just a tight narrow constant climb. And the car will go at sane speed's (10 over the 45 mph limit) up hill for about six mile's without effort 20 percent SOC or not??? But the mpg will suck! On the other hand for the trip home, point it down hill and 99.999 mpg here we come! And that is at sane speed's, you'll need "B," and the brakes, if your better half is onboard! Passenger's are always a buzzkill for me.

But "downhill," in a "Prius," nope that is not your imagination! They can be that fast! Gravity is your friend! But a more sane version of an affordable Racing Prius?? Is here. :

Sigh I luv, that monster and I could build one but our 2005 is our only running car and if my wife saw me running out there with any suspension mods ... it would be divorce court! She is not really a fan of my work??

 

Aww gezz we had one! It was pretty cool but it was done at 203000 miles?? And the 4A-FE engine did not have the potential of a 4A GFE so we let it go to Pick and Pull!

It was a fun little car but my wife's tolerance for broken car's appears to be about four??

 

It would seem that it was an Insight in shell only. I'm pretty sure I heard more gear shifts than were ever built into any Insight at the factory.

 

Yeah not stock but I do think it was still FWD?? If you look at the front wheel's they seem to throwing off a lot of salt??

I tried to find more info on it and I think this is the car. :
Fastest Insight

And for the engine ,"The engine is highly modified Acura GSR with Garret Turbo, makes 600hp at 22 lbs boost." And it weighted 1600 lbs at some point?? But the back end "clearly steeped out on him. And he made "I would say the wrong call," for a FWD as crazy fast as that was.

The back end steeped out and got sideways to the wind. Most likely more power did not work because the surface was slippery?? No grip no traction he can't pull the rear end back in?? FWD 101, the back end does nothing, unless you make it step out with steering input! The Salt Flat's is not the place for that!

High powered rear wheel drive car's you can dance the rear with throttle input, slip or grip depending on throttle input?? I believe that is what he was thinking?? Rear engine, rear wheel drive car's in the canyon's at the limit (AKA Porsche 911 or for those that remember them 65 or later Corvair's) Those car's will punish you hard if you screw up and over cook it into a hair pen curve!!

The back will start to come around and you have second's to make the right call?? And the right call is counter intuitive?? You have to nail the throttle! You transfer weight from front to rear, the rear end squat's and you rocket forward in the direction you wanted to go! LOL .good times, good time's. I think all the Porsche 911 or 996's or whatever, are all wheel drive these day's?? Crazy fast car's but Porsche got tired of killing there customer's?? So all wheel drive now??

And lastly there are the Mid engine or front engine rear wheel drivemcar's! And those car's do not bare fool's well! The 2nd gen Toyota MR2 with the 3GSTE engine. Mid engine and if you messed up with it in the corner's ... it will kill you! And the 3sgte is the 4 cylinder for Toyota back in the day, and If you want 400 to 600 power hp with a Toyota Four, now you know!

But for me the "mid engine car's??" I find to be a bit "tricky??" I have two both modded Porsche's 944. The first is stock engine but heavily modded suspension and 150 HP, now that car is fun! In the canyon's. The other is my ",modded," 951 Turbo S, Full coil over spring's sway bars etc. And about 380 hp and 400 ft of torques.

And in the Canyon's it is a freaking Monster!! That one in the canyon's scare's the crap out of me??? If you let it loose in short blast. You have to ask yourself if this tight corner is really a 100 mph +,corner?? because with that one 100 mph is nothing, Respect is the key to survival!

But Toyota did bring bring the new Supra/BMW back. And the Subaru/Toyota F86 is new but the Mid Engine MR2 ... no sigh's of a return for that one, that l that I have seen??