Are You "Defensive" About Your Prius?

that would be knots.

 

I find that off the mark the PRIUS is quite good, particularly in PWR mode where the accelerator responds quicker. If I want to, for the first 30 metres at a GreenLight, I can usually outdo most other drivers, particularly if I'm quick with my reaction (after a quick glance for side traffic red-light runners), then back-off because I'm nearly at suburban speed anyway. Nothing worse than those who sit for 5 seconds dreaming after the light goes green.

Funny thing about saving fuel - when you're using only 4l/100, an improvement saves almost $nil relatively. I did a spreadsheet when I bought my PRIUS showing the 5 year fuel cost in $2016$ of running my last 5 cars - plus 3 PHANTOMs (not RollsRoyce!!) getting increasingly better fuel economy.

The better the economy, the less incentive there is to improve it - but I still strive for better.

 

That's a high flying Prius!

 

So what kind of plane are you flying when you are looking down? I learned in little Cessna 152's in Alaska while in college. And quickly leaned that I could not afford a large enough plane to be safe...that is not to be blown into the tower or trees by serious crosswinds, etc. But nothing stopped me from driving down the middle line of the rare paved Alaskan road and pretending I was lifting off at 60mph! The Prius is so quiet at times it reminds me of gliders high above the earth. That is a good place to be when it is quiet.

 

I'm in LA so most people "get" the Prius, so there's no need to be defensive here. 3600 miles in...

Pros
- I've cut my gas costs in half and my time at the pump in half.
- I have the peace of mind of owning a Toyota, with now proven hybrid tech.
- The car handles so well and the size is perfect for the constant stop and go and crowded city. I really think the handling is underrated and has improved dramatically since the previous gens.
- I got the black applique for the interior which cuts out the "white noise" of the interior.
- Climate control is fantastic and the entire interface is super simple to control. Set your temp, press Auto, and that's that.

Cons
- I had a minor rattle that was fixed and I have another slight rattle right now above my left shoulder. Might be the window or the seatbelt height adjuster. Will get this fixed soon.
- Pretty much the only reason I need the center screen/interface is for bluetooth audio and the radio. The rest of it I can do without. With any car I would have purchased, I'd still be using my phone to navigate, and even if the car had Carplay I wouldn't be using Apple maps.
- I needed to install Entune to update my system because the bluetooth wasn't working properly. This installed a bunch junky apps on my system. I had to uninstall the Entune app and wipe my system and re-pair the phone. Minor annoyance, but all is good now.

The pros definitely outweigh the cons.

 

5 years, 40k miles. Not one negative comment. It is just a car (or in my case, a wagon). Maybe it is me, my age, my look. I've driven other brands/models where people said they got negative comments, I only got positive ones. Granted conservative (white, silver colors and no outward 'look at me' mods.) look.