This is my first post on PriusChat, although I have been reading the site for about 6 months. First - some info about myself. Driving for 49 years - at least 1.2 million miles. Have owned about 20 cars starting with MGs, Alfa-Romeos and (since 1980) 10 Honda Civics and a Mazda Miata - all manual transmission. Fuel economy has always been a priority with me. Still working in industry as an aeronautical engineer. Formerly a CFI (3000 hours flight time) and engineering professor. I rented a Prius about 6 months ago and was highly impressed. After that, no other car would do. I did hesitate to purchase until now because of the rough engine starts that I've been reading about, but I went ahead today because the selection of new cars in my area has become limited and the prices are going up. I plan to pick up the car this week.
Congrats on your new Prius and welcome to PriusChat. Enjoy the technologyy, high MPGs and low-emissions. Plus is just a really cool car.:welcome:
Hi Aeroengineer, Welcome to Prius Chat! Do you have access to Aerodynamic CFD ? The reason I ask, is I had a 2006 Prius, which was totalled by a 45 mph SUV. Nobody was hurt, but the car was beyond repair. So, now I am in a 2010 Prius. And I find the 2010 Prius is just not the same car aerodynamically, as the 2006 was. Its noiser on the highway, and in the shallow hills around here, it just not increase in speed downhill like the 2006 did. I have to think that is aerodynamic. The front ends of the two cars are very much different. The front slope of the 2010 is shallower than the 2006 , and the rear slope is less. So, its like they fell into the age ol automotive styling trap of making the car better aerodymically going backwards than forwards, with the 3rd Generation Prius. Whereas the 2nd Generation cars were aerodynamically neutral. I am wondering if there is a way to improve that? Some of the things we did to the 2006 they seem to have addressed in 2010, for example upper 1/3 A pillar flow is well tuned (maybe too much for drag?) in the 2010. Where it was not in the 2006, but a simple turbulator mod made it somewhat better. Anyway, I hope this gets you thinking, and over the years some mod might spring from it that gets the 3rd Gen Prius equivalent to the 2nd Gen Prius aerodynamically.... It could just be the tire size difference to, as its said that tires and openings for tires are 25 % or car aero drag.
I think you will be more than happy with this car and if your not you should have no problem selling it when gas is $7 bucks a gallon lol! I have an old MG in the barn waiting for some of my time,Maybe a great retirement project! Good times.
As you know, Toyota quotes a Cd (drag coefficient) of 0.25 for the Gen3, the lowest of any current production car. Although I haven't seen a number for the Gen2, I expect Toyota would say it's higher. But the Gen2 body shape looks like a better aerodynamic design to me - rounded corners, fewer edges, and even a "double-bubble" roofline (when viewed from the rear) to minimize frontal area. I suspect that any improvement in the Gen3 Cd may be due to a better underbody fairing and the wheels and wheelwells - which may make up for a less efficient upper body shape. I believe the Gen3 has a larger frontal area, so even if it has a lower Cd, the aero drag at any given speed may be larger. In my opinion, the Gen2 body shape is the best aerodynamic design I have ever seen on a 4 (or 5) door sedan, while the Gen3 looks like interior room was the first consideration.
Hi Aero, and USB, Yep agree with all of that except the interior room. The center console eats into that badly, and the rear seat leg room is dramatically less in the 3rd Gen because the A pillar rake pushes everything backwards. When I get into the Gen III, I knock my head on the low rake of the A-pillar all the time. And I am not tall. I think they messed up the interior room they had with the Gen II, besides the aero, to satisfy the marketing department. If they make the car bigger, they need to match the difference with the Cd. But, they did not. So, the CdA is worse. USB, suprisingly, the rolling resistance of the AVID tires, even with the bigger tires, is great. Slow speed glides in the 3 rd Gen gone on like forever compared to my 2nd Gen with Hydroedge tires. If you look in the hood from one car to the others, you will see lots of extra room in the Gen III compared to the II. That is using up allot of the passenger compartment, comparitively , too. What they have with the Gen III is a traditional car layout, with a long raked hood and windsheild to cover it all up. Very much unlike the Gen II, where the engine comparment was layed out tightly, maximising passenger room, and giving a more upright front, good-for-aero shape. Can we fix it ?
Picked up my 2011 black Prius 2 and drove it home on April 21st. It is outstanding. Also, this dealer seems to be receiving new Prii daily.
Picked up my new 2011 black Prius 2 at the dealer on Thursday 04-21-11. Drove it straight home, admired it in the garage and read the owner's manual until today - then took my wife out for a ride. Both of us are greatly impressed with the car. First trip was 21.9 miles at 25 mph with an indicated 64.3 mpg. I have never been so enthusiastic about a car.
:welcome: Good to have an aero engineer on here to answer all our drag questions. Enjoy your new Prius!!!
