Howdy everyone. New prius owner here.

Hi Sam - Congratulations!

You should check out my topic "Buying Advice" - you might be able to help me with some of my questions, as you have a brand-new Prius. Which model did you get - Touring or Regular?

 

Congrats Sam!!!

Could you keep me followed up since I am also considering taking the hybrid route

 

Good to hear you are enjoying your new Prius. I also find that I can get better mileage than the cruise control, it is excellent at maintaining speed but being able to fluctuate your speed uphill and downhill can be more efficient if done right. I like the location of the Aux jack, the center console is a great place to store your MP3 player and there is also a 12V outlet for power, but I do agree that they could have made a full center console attaching to the dash with a channel to run an audio cable for people that want to plug in an aftermarket GPS or some sort of PDA mounted on the dash. If you don't mind tearing into your car I would say pull out the center console, make a hole in the bottom and run an audio cable under the carpet up behind the dash and have it come out wherever you want it. If you don't want to do all that, I would say carefully run the cable up and out of the console and down the side, route it under the floor mat then you can put it wherever you want around the dash. There are also some pricey bluetooth solutions that may work, try searching if that interests you.

 

BTW, Welcome to PriusChat.

 

Way to go, Sam and you have a beautiful state in which to drive your new Prius. We visited that area a couple of years ago and loved it.
Gary

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(trilect @ Jan 3 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]370225[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to our forum. Your milege will go up as you learn to drive the Prius and temperature plays a roll in your MPG. One question: What is a tomtom and why does it require 12 volts?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Walker1 @ Jan 3 2007, 04:03 PM) [snapback]370314[/snapback]</div>

Tom Tom is a Global Positioning System.

 

Color, we must have color!

Welcome!

 

Welcome Sam and congrats on your new toy! I want color too!! Love my metallic grey!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(trilect @ Jan 3 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]370225[/snapback]</div>

Congrats! You will love this car. We bought one Touring model in early Nov and now own two. Gone are the small SUV and Avalon. This week we finished a trip from Richmond to New York and back in the black one. Our MPG was 42mpg. We are pleased, but wish some of the posters would share their closely guarded secret of how they achieve 55-65mpg. It just does not happen.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(onegunro @ Jan 3 2007, 04:47 PM) [snapback]370381[/snapback]</div>

I think you mean Magnetic Grey? I have one too, it's my favorite color.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PLM @ Jan 3 2007, 05:09 PM) [snapback]370390[/snapback]</div>

There really is no secret, just drive slower at consistent speeds. Here is some good information for beginners to read up on:
Better Gas Mileage
Most of that information can be found in numerous places. Notice the statement, "Longer drives (over 15-20 min.) at moderate speeds (40-45mph) will show some of your best gas mileage...often in the 60mpg range."

Also, as a new owner, be sure to read as much of the owners manual as you can to better familiarize yourself with your new car. It's a good idea to know where to find and how to use the tow ring, know where your spare tire is located and how to access it, change it, strap down a flat tire in the cargo area etc. before such an event happens (you may think of things like storing a trash bag with the spare tire to keep your cargo area clean if you should have a flat). Tire pressure is one critical factor in acheiving better gas mileage, just don't forget to check the pressure in the spare while you're at it. Enjoy your new Prius!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(trilect @ Jan 3 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]370225[/snapback]</div>

Can you plug the TomTom into the cigarette lighter on the dash (lower passenger side) or do you have something else plugged in there?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PLM @ Jan 3 2007, 06:09 PM) [snapback]370390[/snapback]</div>

Welcome. Lifetime I have 49mpg but it does vary (a lot). For better mpg search out "pulse and glide" and practice. Increasing the tire pressure to 42 front/40 rear should give a little boost. Also check out "my first day with a blocked grill" to keep the ICE (gas engine) from running as much.

For these 1st 6 months I've kept the MFD on the 5 minute average screen. Out of the corner of your eye try keeping the instantaneous bar (on the right) around 50mpg by getting up to speed then use a light touch on the pedal for small adjustments. Drive a little slower if you can. Anticipate stops and glide or coast to the light. Don't run the heater all the time or set the temp. lower.

Little things add up. Finding what works for you is part of the fun. Search through the threads here. You can't find a better education anywhere else and share your experiences.

Enjoy.

 

Welcom, Sam. Aren't you glad you didn't buy a hummer? hahahahahaha. You'd of had to read chat posts, like, wow, nothin' dummer owner of a hummer. Anywho, you will find just about every important factoid of prius ownership as well as every useless bit on non prius trivia known to man here. Prepare to get better & better mileage, as youi figure stuff out regarding your wonderful car. Ours is an '04 ... the 1st year your style was produced. 3 years later, we still love it.

Again, welcome!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sbradyny @ Jan 3 2007, 04:17 PM) [snapback]370320[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the info. You could tell that I don't have a Global system. I rarely leave the greater West Palm beach area so I don't need one.

 

Congrats on the purchase and welcome to PC. B)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(trilect @ Jan 3 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]370225[/snapback]</div>

I agree - the Aux connector may not always be the most suitable placement, but can also be convenient to keep iPods away from prying eyes... Perhaps I am just reading your wording different from your intended meaning, but is it really necessary to use the Aux with your TomTom? Doesn't it have it's own speaker? Using the Aux would mean no other music at the same time... :huh:

Also, in case you have not encountered this yet (assuming it is unchanged on 2007...?), if you connect a power source to your portable device at the same time as the Aux-in, you may get an annoying "hissing" sound that can easily be corrected by a Ground Loop Noise Filter.

Enjoy your new ride!