1. when driving on the highway, there seems to be a noticeable, but subtle 'tugging' that i would normally associate with a car in too high a gear. is this common? normal? 2. 21,500 miles for $19,900.. seems pretty good, right? I would appreciate your comments. thanks
1)Need you to be more clear what 'tugging' you're feeling. My prius is exceptionally smooth at steady speeds on the highway. 2)That price seems just a tad high for an '05, but a lot depends on the package, condition, and the market in your area. It may be good.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jgcarch @ Sep 6 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]508182[/snapback]</div> thanks. It's a tugging or slight jerking similar to what you would experience in a manual shift car if you shiftied up into too high of gear.......the best way I know to describe.
When driving on the highway the car should be smooth as silk. Are you sure your not feelingan out of round tire or wheel? If there's any doubt, keep shopping.
That does not sound like a normal sensation...could be a tire out of balance, low on pressure or an alignment issue...if it's something minor. If it's not that then I'd worry about something more serious with the hybrid drive system or something more serious. Go test drive a new one and see if you feel the same thing, but I'd be very cautious.
Are you changing pressure on the gas pedal? The prius uses an eCVT. So it will in essence supply the amount of torque dictated by your [Pb] foot. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jgcarch @ Sep 6 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]508182[/snapback]</div>
Watch the power path display to see if the pulsing coincides with changing power feed paths. You may be extra sensitive to this. Was it windy? Prius is susceptible to wind coming through trees on the side of the road.
Ditto on the "tugging" if you have a mechanic that you trust get it checked out. As far as the pricing, I got an '05 two weeks ago, pkg6 with 14,500 miles. Flawless condition, paid slightly less than that amount. mine came with 7yr extended warranty and 4 years prepaid maintenance, both transferrable. Ive seen ones like you are describing go for as little as 16,500. It all depends on how bad they want to get rid of it.
Thanks for insights. I bought it, love it, think the tugging was wind related. It was gusty in Chicago/Milwaukee area Thursday and my past car was an older heavier Audi. I also think I do feel something different through the accelerator in this car.
Most urgent advice for new owner: 1. When the last pip on the gas gauge starts flashing it means buy gas right now. The gas tank has variable capacity which makes it impossible to predict how far you can go on a given tank. Posts here indicate that the streets are littered with people who ran out of gas becaue they *just knew* they should be able to get 400 or 500 miles from a tank, or that there must be a gallon or two in reserve. Uh-uh. No. 2. Read the Owner's Manual and the Scheduled Maintenance Guide. If you did not get one or both of these with the car, buy copies on Ebay or download them (sorry, I don't know from where). Every owner needs them.
If you're in gusty Chicago you might consider a BTplate to stiffen the car up a little. Do a search and read some of the threads. Today is the last day to get it on sale.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Sep 9 2007, 12:30 PM) [snapback]509566[/snapback]</div> Don't wait that long. Once you hit two bars, head for the gas station. You can get away with going down to the last flashing bar most of the time, and you will then feel secure. However, there is a variability within each vehicle, which is affected by way too many factors to list here. I've seen this too many times...
