Disappointing '10 III test drive in Florida

Try it again in POWER mode. It actually skips the tires...

 

I was under the impression EV mode worked until something like 19MPH then turned off.

And yes, PWR mode is the way to go if you want to see what the new HSD powerplant will do. I think your impressions of the car would be much different if you had tried PWR mode.

 

Neither car will stay in EV when you "stand on the accelerator".
The -first- limitation is battery current. If it gets too high the battery will overheat, so they limit it mainly because of that, though high currents out of the battery will also shorten its' life, so that's also a factor.
The -second- limitation is the MG2. GII puts out "up to" 40 HP. GIII is higher, but still not near what the engine puts out. This can limit top speed in EV, though battery current usually gets too high before that speed is reached or charge level gets too low.
Finally, the battery is 6.5 A-Hr in both cars, about 200V. It won't last long at any usable power level. Usable being what -other- drivers on the street would not get mad at.

 

Correction: All modes provide the same power output at the higher demand levels. You can get the same 'rocket like' acceleration after you select the EV mode, too. It will kick off the EV the instant your foot goes all the way down.

Remeber folks, all 4 modes (Standard, EV, Eco, and PWR), will all provide the same range of power, depending on how much power you call for (Based on your foot pressure on the accelerator pedal). The other modes just control the ration of acceleration at the lower 1/2 of the range.

 

Also: Did you check the SOC on the battery of the 2010? In new cars, the SOC often is low. This greatly affects performance in short runs.

There is no doubt my 2010 could blow the pants off of my 2007, but if the 2010 had only one or two pips left on the battery SOC, its short-term peformance would be greatly limited.

The center console thing is not a favorite of mine, but I've been able to overlook it and deal with the other positives: Better MPGs (no doubt); better highway performance; quieter interior performance; more room (particularly in the cargo area); many more new Tech features available; better handling (particularly in the Prius V that I have).

 

Hello Rick:

My guess as to why Toyota reasoned that the MFD had to go was to "mainstream" the Prius, removing some of the "geek" factor, thus making it more accessible to the general public. Probably other factors contributed, also.

From what I know, 42 mph is the actual limit fo "EV mode" in the G2s. My 2009 will stay in EV mode until I get to 43 mph, at which point the ICE will usually kick in.

Frank

 

Yes, "SOC" is State of Charge of the HV (high voltage) or traction battery. With a low state of charge the Prius will be accelerating only on the ICE (internal combustion engine). At the same time, a certain amount of the ICE's output will be directed toward battery charge. This combination greatly diminishes performance.

Do you measure your fuel economy? If you are doing starts like that on a regular basis, my guess is that you are not getting many tanks of gas with an FE exceeding 50MPG. I know you are doing what you described for fun, but if you do it regularly, you are robbing the Prius of its opportunity to give you high mileage.

The screen is available, but only with the Nav system. I suspect it had a bit to do with the cost of the LCD.

 

Hey Rick, question, where do i find the FLorida Prius chat thing ? I'm in Miami Beach and waiting for my IV. I want in in the FL Prius chat ;D

 

Am I correct in thinking that the Prius II only has Power, Eco and Standard modes? thanks for your help. I recently test-drove the car and liked it, but I'll be posting some questions about the Prius II in the next several days. Hope this isn't a problem.

 

I don't think you are allowed to use the term "quickly" in the same sentence as "EV mode".

 

No reason to feel that way! We all learn something new every day on this forum, and I've felt the part of the fool for valid reasons. Here, you've been doing something that all of us have felt was correct: using the battery and not the gasoline engine. The thing we fail to think through is how much energy it really takes to charge the battery. If regen from braking were enough, then we'd have purchased one of those perpetual motion machines!

Your commute is short enough to make regular 55 or 60MPG tanks next to impossible, even in Florida. The A/C can really do you in. I suggest you run it not on Auto but at a lower fan setting.

If you try to drive the Prius as you would a normal car, you are likely to see the SOC stay fairly high. That, in and of itself, should not be a goal, but it does allow you to have all the power of the HSD when you might need it. What will increase your mileage is to learn to glide (not coast) and to anticipate lights and stopped traffic. You can learn how to stop using the ICE (internal combustion engine) and coast along once you've reached a good speed or once you've spotted stopped or slowed traffic ahead. Probably the single easiest thing to remember: to save on gas, minimize braking.

To learn more about valuable driving techniques for your Prius, take a look at the "Sticky" threads in the Newbie forum and the GenII Fuel Economy forum. A few good examples:

1. New owner? Want MPG help? Read this first.
2. What every newb should know
3. Most efficient A/C mode?
4. The Biggest Tool in the Newbie Arsenal

Hope this helps!

 

I'll echo a priori by noting that almost all my driving since I got my car has been short trip commuting in extremely hot weather. It is very hard to get a Model V (with 17" wheels) above 45 MPG for the full tank under these conditions, with my particular commute and other typical in town driving. Maybe someone smarter than me, or willing to make sacrifices I'm not willing to make (like turning off the A/C or running tires at 50 PSI), could do better, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it or kill myself trying. I have managed to nudge it up 2 to 3 MPGs by inflating the tires a bit (though not as high as a priori!), being more careful in my driving habits, and running the A/C a little higher (except when my wife is in the car!). I have little opportunity to practice pulse and glide, and have no interest in doing extreme forms of it in any case. I'm willing to do the simple, common sense things advocated in the threads a priori linked to, but really, I just want to drive the car. This lack of patience might explain why I never got much into computer or video games!

 

Remember too that if you're only getting 40 to 45 in your Prius then your "previous" car was probably getting much less than the EPA rating as well. We all have different driving situations and really what you are looking for is a significant improvement in your FE over your past vehicle based on your same driving experience. It's all relative to your specific situation. I can see where people in flat land will beat me by 10 mpg easily. But what I'm getting now is proportionately better than what I was doing before.

 

Does anyone know, whether the gen III CCs now have "memory", such that when it trips off from braking or going under 25mph, once you get back above 24MPH (even from a stop), a Reset will automatically get you back up to the pre-tripoff speed?