I'm considering buying an '06 Prius and have 4 qestions: 1) I see that the road clearance beneath the car is 4-1/2 inches. Has this presented any problems for users (speed bumps, uneven or steep driveways, back country or ruty roads? 2) If something were to happen to the drive batteries, would the car be fully functional on the gas engine? Would that functionality be automatic or would it take special "action?" 3) I live in San Francisco; does the Prius have sufficient power to pull up the very steepest hills San Francisco (or anywhere else) from a parked or dead-stop condition.? 4) The suspension does not seem to be what I would call "stiff." Does that present any control problem of swaying or "boating" if an emergency requires cutting the wheel sharply to the left or right (particularly at high speed)
Welcome to the board Tosh, glad to see some SF'ers are hanging out more. 1) Low Clearance: We live on Mount Davidson (near Twin Peaks) steep entry to garage from a steep street, if we pull in slow no problem, backing in no problem either. Our biggest learning curve has been the tall sidewalks you encounter all over the city. I've got a horrible scrape from parallel parking next to one, yuck, I'm still kicking myself! 2) Batteries: Don't Know 3) Steep Hills: Not a problem. I was concerned at first about wet pavement but again not an issue, watch out for those sewer temporary plates they are completely slick. Here are some roads I typically drive on: Stillings and O'Shaunessy (Oh My God), Taylor and California (Oh My II), need I go on ... I'm constantly traveling through Nob Hill and Glen Canyon/Park. 4) Suspension: Not sure about the emergency but 80 mph is not an issue, wind is noticable yes, but I'm not like out of control. Check the BT stiffener in the search engine. Emergency jerking don't know
I've drive my Prius 6 months and can offer the following 1. No clearance problems. 2. Since the engine comes on any time the batteries are low, I don't believe this would be a problem. 3. I was surprised how much pull the Prius has. It might be a problem if you were loaded down with passengers and luggage. 4. I have owned many sports cars (Lotus, Alfa, Supra TT) and while the Prius isn't one of those, it doesn't roll as bad as many cars. Test drive one and check it out yourself. The Prius is a different driving experience. I got 57 mpg last trip I took and its fun to try and get the numbers up. If you aren't interested in good mpg, there are many other choices to consider...but if mpg is your goal, look no further, you won't be dissapointed.
I'll be glad to give you an opinion, as usual. 1. Low Clearance: I haven't had any problems but I'm careful of big rocks etc. 2. Batteries: The car will not go anywhere without the H.V. battery, period. The battery is very unlikely to go out on you so it's not even worth worrying about. If the engine quits it will go a mile or so on the battery however. 3. Steep Hills: Absolutely no problem. The car loves to go up steep hills. It will do better than most non hybrids due to the massive low end torque of the electric motors. It has regenerative braking which let you recover some energy when going back down the hill. Unfortunately it only has disc brakes on the front but the regenerative braking means you don't have to rely on the friction brakes all that much. 4. Suspension: Well it's not a sports car, but it's most likely as good as most small Toyota sedans. Wind can move it around a bit, and the aerodynamics are designed for a low CD not resistance to cross winds. The car is also very sensitive to wheel alignment problems. But if you get the alignment right, and the wind isn't to strong, and you have tires with good tracking it's OK. Would I buy another one? You bet, this thing is more fun than any car I've owned since my 1960 MGA.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumbleweed @ Jul 11 2006, 08:25 PM) [snapback]284768[/snapback]</div> Hey, I had a 60 MGA too (Gray). Twin six volt batteries, directional lights on a timer. It was my first new car and I loved it. I once, while in the Air Force, had everything I owned in the world in it, including my flying helmet! I think the Prius is a bit more fun however. Probably my memory is going bad.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tosh @ Jul 11 2006, 09:01 PM) [snapback]284730[/snapback]</div> STILL! Where? That incorrect info sure has made the rounds. 5.25 is the actual clearance. That lowest spot is a bend in the exhaust system, which is one of the few components underneath that has give if bumped. Mine is still hasn't ever made contact with the ground. . <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tosh @ Jul 11 2006, 09:01 PM) [snapback]284730[/snapback]</div> This isn't how a "full" hybrid operates. Much of the electricity that is consumed when driving along with the engine comes from the engine. Often, the only activity with the battery is charging, not discharging. During days of extreme heat, the battery is sometimes not used as a protective measure to keep it cool. That is a real-world example of driving without.
1) I live in a kind of hilly area and have caught the bottom of the front bumper a couple times on steep intersections. Had to re-learn how to drive a low car like this (used to have a Z which was much worse). You just have to go at an angle to avoid the scrape. 2) Don't know. 3) I'd expect so but haven't tried anything as steep as SF! 4) I think one of the package options includes improved stability, I forget which one. Not sure if this answers your question. Here I found it on the Toyota website: "Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) is an electronic system designed to help the driver maintain vehicle control under adverse conditions." VSC is available with package 4 and above.
