I picked up my new 2010 Prius on Friday and I absolutely am in love with it. It's a V with the Advanced Technology Package in Blizzard Pearl with Misty Grey interior. I've only driven it twice since I got it because I've been babysitting all weekend and didn't want to put the kids seats in it... But so far it's awesome! Any tips or advice is welcome! Both times I drove it I kept it in Eco mode and didn't have any problems with that, but I guess I need to experiment with normal and power mode too! Is there a big mpg difference in the 3? Obviously I'd love to maximize my mpg as best I can, but my previous car was an Acura MDX and I was lucky to get 22 mpg on the highway. So far i'm already getting an average of at least double that! I'm soooo excited about it! I have my first road trip on Monday (3 hrs) and I can't wait to see how it does!
Congratulations!!!! I fell in love with mine last Sept. and am hoping for a long, long love affair. Enjoy your road trip!
Thanks! Everytime I see it, I keep thinking, "ahh, that pretty car is mine!!" I can't wait to drive it some more and play with all the features! I know some people have issues with the Bluetooth for the phone and the iPod USB interface, but having neither in my old car, I love them! I can't wait until I fill up for the first time and it doesn't cost me $40 or $50! I just might cry!
Welcome to PrisuChat, MelissaBee and welcome to Priusdom. :welcome: There is definitely a great feeling when you pull up to a pump (once every two weeks) and put only 8 - 10 gallons in.
:welcome:, and enjoy the ride. Really, just sit back and don't worry about maximizing just get use to the way it feels, handles and talks to you. I spent too much time trying to figure it out up front and it just caused me to stress out.
Thanks!! I'm not stressing about it... I'm pretty sure that on a bad day my prius is still going to get double what my old car did and that is fine with me! I'm so excited about not having to fill up every week, it's going to be great! Do you put gas in yours before it gets low? (like blinking low) or do you wait and fill up when it blinks? I've read where some people say they fill up at half a tank, but that just seems to kind of defeat the purpose to me! Just wondering!
You have EXCELLENT taste in the Model Prius you selected! You will TRULY love all the technology on the V with ATP. On your upcoming 3 hour trip, don't forget to read on, and use, the DRCC (Dynamic Radar Cruise Control). EVERYONE on the Forum whose V is so equipped, ABSOLUTELY LOVES it! Also, while driving with the DRCC activated, you may want to experiment with the LKA (Lane Keep Assist), this is also another advanced feature of the V with ATP. You're gonna LOVE your Prius! Happy Priusing David (aka Blind Guy)
Melissa, Had to tell you we just got a 2010 Level V with ATP (Blue Ribbon Metallic) and we ALSO have an Acura MDX which WE LOVE. The cars are made for different uses and even though the Prius is my wife's daily drive and we use it almost exclusively on the weekends, when we need to haul a lot of "stuff" or people, the MDX is the way to go. It's also MUCH more comfortable then the Prius on long trips (I'm 6' 2" and my wife is 5" 9"). You CAN have the best of both worlds! Congrats on your new car.
Congrats on your new car Melissa! I too have the V w/ATP. I just love getting into it and enjoying it all the time. I can become bored with cars in time, but this one keeps me smiling not in just the drive but at the pump as well. Winter has caused it to drop off in Mileage because of the warmups with the extreme cold we have been having but dropping off to 44/45 mpg is nothing...I typically have seen 53-55 in warmer weather. Most cars don't hit 44/45 ever! So just enjoy it, take your time and learn all the features. It will take a little time, but that's what make's it fun!
It's probably safest not to wait for the blinking, unless you're in town and there's a station every few blocks anyway. Congratulations on your new car, and welcome to PriusChat.
Thanks everybody!! I was really torn between the IV with the solar/moonroof or the V with the ATP. I went back and forth on it for a little while. But then I decided to go with the ATP because the solar panels only cool the car off, they don't warm it up. Which I personally would rather have. Because I have more of an issue with getting into a cold car than I do a hot one. So i figured I might as well get an auto start put on if I want to be able to cool my car off (since the solar doesn't just do it automatically and I'd have to go push the button anyway) and then my car can be warm for me too! I'm super excited about using the DRCC on my trip tomorrow. That was the main component that made me want the ATP. I've used it a little, but not for very long, ao I can't wait. Does the LKA only warn you and auto correct or whatever when the DRCC is on? Or does it do it all the time when it's on? I loved my Acura, don't get me wrong. But I usually am the only person in my car (and I'm 5'3), so it's a big car just to haul me around. Every now and then I'll have another person or two or the kids I babysit, but it's mainly just me. I have hauled some pretty big stuff around in it, but only because I could, not because I really needed to. So I figure most of what I need to haul around will fit fine in the Prius! And, if gas goes back up like it did last year or whenever it was... I won't miss paying $70-$80 to fill up my car!
I wasn't planning to try and run it on empty, but I was just wondering! There are enough gas stations around here that I think I'd be fine to get to one in plenty of time if it starts blinking. I looked in the book and it says that when it blinks you have roughly 1.6 gallons left. Which I figure is like the gas light in my old car. It came on when I had around 40 miles left I could drive (so prob 2+ gallons) and I would always get gas as soon as I was able to. So, if I'm getting in the 40+mpg range in my Prius and I have roughly 1.6 gallons left, then I should be fine to go down the street to the next gas station! Or to make it to the next exit on the highway! I'm paranoid about running out of gas, so I may not even make it to the blinking one... But I doubt I'll be one of those that fills up at a half a tank! I just wanted to check! Thanks!!
I wait till it is blinking and well beyond that. I know that there is nearly 2 gallons left after it start blinking. You don't want to run it out of gas for sure but there is no need to fill it up before it starts blinking. If your getting around 50 mpg, you will have nearly 100 miles after it starts blinking.
My 2 cents: Eco mode is just TOO sluggish, and apt to irritate drivers behind you, and takes too long to get up to a "glide" speed wher the engine can work less. Give NORMAL mode a try and you will see it is a comfortable acceleration without having to press the gas too hard. As far as fillups, I started with filling up at 1 pip left, and only was able to put in about 9 gallons max. Then I started waiting until blinking, and even a couple of times when distance to empty was "0" and then some. I have yet to break the 10 gallon refill. So I base my refill on when I expect to be passing my favorite station and how much is left, and how is the weather in case I run out and have to walk. With an 11.9 gallon tank, I have never filled up and thought "Whew, that was close". Instead, every time I fill up I think "WOW, what a cool car".
Thanks so much for the advice about the modes. I know that I test drove one in normal and the 2 times I've driven mine it was in Eco. I'll have to try power too! I didn't have a problem with Eco. I notice it accelerated slowly, but I figured part of that was just because I'm used to a v6/v8, so I was expecting it to be a little slower anyway. But I did have to hit it once to get through some traffic and I had no problem at all! I'll try them all and see if the mpg varies at all for me! And thanks for letting me know about the gas... I figured it was basically like my old gas light. Which meant - hey... Get gas sometime in the near future! I was driving a loaner Prius until mine came in for a day or two and that one started blinking at me and I was like ahh, what does that mean? I had just passed a gas station so I turned around and went back because I was afraid it meant GET GAS RIGHT NOW! haha. It was exciting because I only put $6 in that one and that put it almost up to a half a tank!
MelissaBee, the 1st thing I did was inflate the tires to 45psi. The 2nd thing I did was to take the car to Amortech so Reno could wrap the front end in VentureShield film. I keep mine in Eco but should try the others (and none) to see the difference. LKA is not part of the cruise control. Pressing the LKA button on the steering wheel replaces the display with what looks like the backside of an envelope. If the car drifts too far off center there will be a beep then gentle steering to correct. The LKA doesn't work in wide lanes, poorly marked lanes, low speed (40mph?), or if the area behind the mirror is obstructed. RCC is great for formation flying. Coming home from Monmouth Beach on I-195 I tucked in behind a slow car in the right lane. Speed was constantly adjusted to maintain distance. After a few minutes she put on her flashers & I passed. If you are going to use these features regularly then buy a ScanGauge so you can get part of the normally displayed info back. Good luck & enjoy.
You people really need professional help and are very confused. You are not "In Love" with your car. You are suffering from Lust, not Love. Keith
