I can't go more than 3 days without my Prius. I become agitated when I don't get my daily high miles per gallon while driving a non hybrid vehicle. Anyone ever feel the same way?
I do. When I rent a non-hybrid car for work purposes I cannot wait to get back to my Prius. When the engine continues to run when stopped I notice how noisy the car is. Also, I do not have all of the displays to monitor while driving.
I think i understand you lol. I have only being an owner for 5 days, and i feel as if i need to go drive it, just so i can challenge myself and get more MPG out of it. I started driving it 5 days ago, and i have gone from 48MPG to 54.5 Cons MPG, so i keep learning how to drive it everyday. Its a daily challenge for me to get that higher number.
Driving our Civic AT (once a week*): - The easy power is a pleasant change from my Eco-mode Prius driving. Maybe I should treat myself to Power mode sometime, but I'm too much of a hypermiler** to give up the Eco-mode precision. - Gears: I don't miss them. It's so much the changes, it's the downshifting when I'd better happy to lose speed if it means the Civic holds torque converter lock. - Vibration and noise: I miss the Prius' EV. There's not too many stops on my route, and I turn the engine off when there's a long hold so I don't suffer much at stops, but the vibration and noise are noticeable when the Prius would be gliding or moving smoothly. * My wife has the Prius on a day she goes out and so does double miles. ** The irony is that despite my commute being longer (41.4 v 35), we'd consume less fuel if I commuted in the Civic and my wife in the Prius because my hypermiling gains more in the Civic.
Yeah for the one year I had my smart fortwo. I hated the fact that it idled at rest (why didn't MB bring over the fortwo mhd with the start/stop?). It was more entertaining to drive but the shifts were, well, noticeable. I felt immediately at home once I got my 2010. (Well minus the fact that I kept pressing the wrong steering wheel buttons because I was so used to the Gen 2's layout lol)
I had a 2011 Accord Coupe 4cyl automatic for a mere 10 months last year. I sure missed hybrid synergy drive during that time. The idling at stop lights, constant up and down shifting in the city was sort of nauseating. I have an old '88 Toyota 4WD pickup with the 22RE engine, manual transmission. I don't get bothered with that because it's so old. I just don't want a new or fairly new conventional car. I'm through with them.
We have a backup car that we use in bad weather(we trust the Prius we just don't trust other drivers) or when one of us has to leave work early(ah the joys of working together). Every time I drive it I get pissy because the engine is still idling while I am at a light.
The last time I drove a non-hybrid for any length of time was a couple of years ago when my 2009 Gen II went in to have the Combination Meter replaced (under warranty) and since there was no speedometer display, the local dealer said "Safety Ishoo!!!! " and loaned me a brand new Camry for the duration (3 weeks) at no charge! Within 15 mins of driving the Camry, which although very nice, was not as quiet as my Prius, and I started to suffer from withdrawal symptoms! I've also noticed that if I'm riding in a non-hybrid car, I'm constantly noticing just how inefficiently (i.e. non-hypermiling) the car is being driven!
We had a 2016 Corolla loaner Tuesday/Wednesday, barely over 24 hours. Ended up driving all of 1400 meters, from the auto body place, to home, and then back, lol. They'd originally predicted the repair would be 2~3 days to complete, but got on it a lot quicker, so it was really pointless getting a loaner after all. Anyway, felt heavy/clunky/crude in comparison. I'm sure partially due to being an unfamiliar car, but I couldn't wait to get back to the Prius. The gas pedal was touchy, the constantly running engine, the rough edges, all worked in negative concert, turned me off.
I miss my Prius the most when it is time for my yearly fill up of my truck. It usually takes 16 or 18 gallons. Then I look around and see just about everyone at the pump is driving a truck or a large SUV. I just can't go back to driving a gas guzzler anymore. My first Prius was dramatic. I had a 1984 Ford van with two gas tanks. The pump would shut off at $50 and then I had to use another card. So I went fro $50 to 50 mpg. I have eight cars and always drive the Prius.
