Automatic Light Control System

Well actually I started looking for on Jan 11th, got put on several Prius 'waiting list', then I got lucky got a call on Jan 12th - went for a test drive, and I brought the car home on Friday, Jan 13th - I'm still on the first tank of gas. The car had about 15 miles on the odometer when I went for the test drive.

The 2001 Matrix I traded in was getting about 30mpg - I expected better than a 10 mpg improvement for the cars advanced technology which cost 10K extra.

Interesting - I didn't know that. It may be to early to tell, but I think the Prius's digital fuel gauge shares a common fault with all Toyota gas gages - that is 1/2 your mileage happens in the first 1/4 of the tank.

 

I have an 06 with HID headlamps and the accompanying foglamps. If Toyota can't/won't make the HIDs daytime running lights, then why not use the foglamps? Perhaps someone will come up with a gadget that causes the foglamps to come on during the daytime as running lights. Is there any technical reason this wouldn't work, or wouldn't be advisable?

 

Yes, you can. In fact I did this mod myself. You can find info here.

 

the 2004 Matrix loaner I got when my Prius was in for a new front bumper was damn lucky to get 20MPG Imperial more like 15-17 US MPG and what a noisy piece of shit it was. Sorry for the language but that was the most dissapointing car I've ever driven. I told the Toyota dealer that and he was almost insulted as his wife has one and she loves it other than poor mileage but she has a bussiness gas card so doesn't care. I told him never to let her drive a Prius.

 

I was hoping for a Matrix Hybrid. It's the perfect size car for me since you can have two dogs in the back of it.

 

and not before!

 

The 2004 Matrix XR I testdrove must have been the same car! I can't comment about the fuel economy, but 25 minutes in that thing convinced me *not* to even consider it.

What "impressed" me the most was the stiff ride and noise.