We recently gave a Prius demonstration to a long-time friend, whose two pre-teen daughters were already planning to save up for one some day. We knew this friend was very sensitive to vibrations, but could not hear (at all). She was impressed with the Prius "at rest" and could really detect what was going on in the Hybrid Synergy Drive. But she complained that a pulsing vibration in the car made her nauseous, and one test drive was enough for her. I highly doubt that very many others will have this experience. I'm posting it because I think it is very important to have a test drive in anything you plan to buy. Your vibes may vary.
Uhhhhh... I can understand the slight shudder of the ICE when the Pri comes to a full stop. Is she also saying that she finds the HSD and CVT more annoying than the shifting of an automatic? :roll: Just out of curiousity, what does she drive?
Windstar. She was hoping to consider the HiHy in the future. (Has Danny set that to be formatted like PriusChat? Apparently not.) Since she can't hear, we didn't spend a lot of time talking about sounds the car produces, like the thermos for coolant, or the other little sounds that not all of us have heard. She amazed us all by saying that the throbbing, pulsing vibrations were constant and, for her, uncomfortable. You never know...
wow, well they do say those missing a sense (hearing, sight, etc) have their others enhanced to compensate for the loss. I wonder if Toyota Engineers know about this characteristic. I have noticed some vibrations but I have to turn off the radio, be in elec mode, and concentrate to feel/hear them. Has she tried the Insight, Civic, or Escape to see if this is a normal hybrid characteristic or just a Prius thing?
Prius was the first. Gotta start somewhere. Perhaps the Escape will fill the bill, as it is based on THS that came before HSD.
High pitched whine? I haven't noticed vibrations like you describe, but I have heard a faint, very high frequency whine on a regular basis. It seems to come either from the left front speaker, or from some electronics under the dash on the left side. I haven't tried hard to locate the sound as it isn't so loud or pervasive to really bother me, but I'm curious; has anyone else heard this?
Did she drive more than one Prius? It would be interesting to know if the vibration was as noticeable to her in a different Prius.
No to the tires. Will rotate at 10K. Probably no windows open. I understand what you are referring to; thanks for the suggestion. If she were driving alone, I'd say yes, she had the windows open (and would complain about the airflow). But my wife was showing her, and she keeps windows closed. I'm sure she will ride in another hybrid one day, when they're ubiquitous. But it's good to know she may have to find an alternative alternative. In honor of her and some college applicants I know, I've updated my signature.
Re: High pitched whine? <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Greyskye\";p=\"79694)</div> Yes, I have. What we're hearing is probably the inverter. It's louder outside the car than in, I believe. Brad
"a faint, very high frequency whine" Probably the inverter or the electric motors in generate mode. I notice it when I am slowing down using regen.
hmm interesting... can she tell us anymore? i would have to assume that the feeling must have varied with the speed of the vehicle, but to have constant vibration tells me that its a suspension problem. maybe she is sensitive to the higher than normal air pressure in the tires maybe?
My prius has an incredibly quiet and smooth ride. I NEVER expected it in a car that wasn't a rediculasly priced luxury car. So - my question is this.... If this woman has problems with vibrations from the Prius - wouldn't she get absolutly SICK in a standard car???? Yoda
I know this is an old post, but my friend and I have both had problems with nausea when riding as a passenger in the Prius. Has anyone else experienced this?
holy thread revival! hehe. Well, it's nice that you searched, rather than starting a new thread every time a different person asks the same or similar question. hmm.. I haven't unless I'm reading and there's low ambient lighting then I'll get nauseous (sp?)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 26 2007, 10:42 PM) [snapback]430995[/snapback]</div> I wonder if the new car smell had anything to do with it. New Prii have a very different smell than most other cars. It made my Mom nausious and gave me a headache. Once it's aired out some, it's fine--no more side effects. Eric
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jimofdg @ Apr 8 2005, 09:10 AM) [snapback]79689[/snapback]</div> Interesting. I once took a member of my church to his house. He's blind and was fascinated by the sounds of the NAV system (among others) and the quietness of the ride. He didn't mention vibrations.
This is not a joke! For some reason my Golden Retreiver will not ride in the Prius. He seems to be deathly afraid of something in the car; my guess is that it is either some high frequency tone or vibration that I can not sense. Each time I try to get him in the car he hunches his shoulders and back slides out of his harness. His problem is only with the Prius. He loves to ride in my Chevy pickup and the Jeep and usually it is him that decides we need to go for a ride in those vehicles. But there's something he doesn't like about the Prius - has anyone else experienced dog ride refusal in a Prius?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Seagull @ Apr 28 2007, 07:15 AM) [snapback]431606[/snapback]</div> My birds will listen to something when the car is running in stealth. I cant hear what it is but they are fascinated by it. They used to jump a little when the ice turned on or had one of those ruff shutdowns.
