My new Prius is expected in within the next week or so. Something I've been meaning to ask you all on PC here is what I experienced when I test drove one in early May. I stopped at a stop sign and when I went to accelerate to jump into traffic it seemed that the car hesitated before it began to move. I mentioned it to the dealer and he stated that it's just the sensation we're all used to with a regular car that when you stomp on the gas pedal the car lurches forward in 1st gear. He said that with the CVT, instead of lurching ahead, it builds up speed in a linear fashion and that it did indeed accelerate -- the seat of the pants sensation is different. Can any of you current owners address this? Thanks
I'll just mention that an electric motor develops its maximum torque when it's stopped. So it could be dealer BS. But I don't know enough about the mototr controller algorithm to give a real opinion on the statement.
the dealer is almost correct, the ice doesnt kick in at 1st so you dont feeeeel the acceleration, but its there...get up to about 10-15mph, then floor it, you'll feel it there
I agree with lefat...once the motor is warm, the ICE often starts up for me between 14-22 MPH after a complete stop. If you press harder on the accelerator, the ICE starts up quicker. Until the ICE starts up, the car's acceleration is much slower and quieter.
OK, thanks for the info on that guys, I understand it now. But can you tell me if there really is any hesitation from a stop? I guess what I'm concerned about is accelerating hard from a stop into traffic -- is this an issue at all? What I experienced was hitting the pedal and then about 1 - 2 secs later the car started moving.
What feels like a second is actually a tiny fraction of a second. I think if you stomp on the accelerator the electric components are getting the petrol engine spinning and fired up to give you maximum acceleration. Trust me, you will be across the lights first if you floor it. The Prius excels at standing starts once you get past that sensation of hesitation. Of course the best course of action is to avoid stopping all together. Look around the economy forums to see what I mean.
Are you sure about the 1-2 seconds? That's really an eternity when it comes to car response. If it was really 1-2 seconds, then I'd be concerned something was wrong with the car that you drove; I've certainly never experienced a delay like that. However, if it's possible that it was significantly less than that (and just felt like 1-2 seconds), then I wonder if you just thought there was some delay since you didn't hear the gas engine starting up. I don't mean to imply that you weren't paying attention when you drove; just that the lack of gas engine when you're starting up can be unnerving. The only thing that I can think of that would truly cause hesitation (although usually much less than 1-2 seconds) is if you were trying to start up on ice or gravel and the traction control was keeping the wheels from rotating. For the record, I've never had any problems with merging into highway traffic with the Prius. In fact, it is much better than my previous car (a 15 year-old V6 Jeep).
As with many things, YMMV, but for my part, the answer is that there is no hesitation. It's all a matter of how hard your press the pedal: Pressing gently so that only the MGs are running and you're going to get a fairly "gentle" acceleration that doesn't have any of the sound/feeling that you're used to associated with it. Pressing moderately on the pedal will result in a more normal feeling of acceleration. Depending on the terrain and temperature you may even get some of the sound that you get in a conventional car. Pressing hard on the pedal will get you more acceleration than most cars can muster off the line, but you're still not going to get the sound or the jerking of a geared transmission. This really isn't good for FE, but the looks that you get are amusing. The truly insecure will come flying past you, engine roaring, etc; if you listen closely, you can hear the sucking sound as the gas drains from their tank. I believe that the good news is that if you get the car, find that you don't like the way it handles/drives, you'll have no problem selling it. However, I'd really encourage you to just enjoy the car when you get it.
Thanks Betelgeuse, that's the kind of clarification I was looking for. You're right, it may have only felt like 1-2 seconds. It sure seemed like a long time when you have traffic heading right at you. It's probably going to take some getting used to adjusting to the lack of sound and gear change jerks changing to the ICE and CVT.
Yep, you WILL find yourself going faster than the speed limit, at first, due to the quiet smooth acceleration.:fish2:
I've had to gun the Prius's engines a few times since getting her, and the acceleration has always been much more powerful than I expect. The gas motor kicks in much faster than that on my Civic. One other thing you may notice is a slight vibration when the gas motor kicks on or off. It's normal, but also takes some getting used to. I'm trying now to tune my sixth sense so that I can feel when the engine shuts off at normal speeds. It's a little creepy at first, though, especially when you're at low speeds or stopped.
your prius is just as fast as almost any new 4 cylinder engine. and can accelerate almost as fast as any older V6 and some V8's... ( 0 to 25mph)
Thanks to all of your for addressing this question for me. I'm glad it appears that I just need to learn the nuances of the Prius, and that the hesitation I experienced may have actually been in my mind!
