I am new to his forum and don't have a Prius yet, but I think it would be a great car choice for us. I live in the San Francisco bay area and one of the activities I'd like to use the Prius for is to drive my family of four to the Lake Tahoe area, in both summer and winter. This means travelling on I-80 from basically sea level to almost 7000 feet. I would like to buy a 2008 or 2009, but I'm concerned that I need the added horsepower that the 2010 offers. Any thoughts? Thank you in advance.
Certainly the current Prius is adequate as we have had several members here that have taken the Prius up to Lake Tahoe. That being said, I'm sure the extra power in the 2010 model (plus the PWR MODE) would be appreciated esp. with a full load of people.
Being from SF, you'd probably also appreciate having the hill hold feature in the 2010. Allows you to disengage the parking brake and do an extended pump on the regular brake that then holds the car in place for 3 seconds while you shift to the accelerator.
2020! Yup, go for that. The upgrade from a 50kW to 60kW electric motor, combined with more power from the battery-pack, will provide even more oophm off the line... which is handy on hills. Sustained power will benefit from the larger engine... which is handy too. That extra power isn't necessary, but you will like having it. .
Hey! Welcome Hill! No wait! . . . I'm hill . . . I'm so confused. On a serious note ... there's never been a high speed grade (from the Tejon pass, to the grapevine, to I-15 going over the continental divide) that our 2004 hasn't been able to make while maintaining 65mph or better. As for low speeds, 'frisco streets can be steep, but no steeper than some of the drives in NW Montana, or down south in the Glendale foothills. The Gen II does just fine under steep conditions, whether with just a driver, or multiple occupants. Thus, the only thing you need think about is cost, style, and/or mpg.
ok, yardman 49 and john1701a, so i had a little typo and pressed submit before previewing. i knew right after i saw my post that i'd be in for it. that's ok, i'm getting my questions answered. thank you all. i was hoping to hear that i a gen 2 would be just fine but i suspect the gen 3 is more appropriate.
I have also never had a problem climbing mountain pass' in the 2nd gen Prius (Pearl is a 2007, basically the same as the 2008 and 2009). This includes a road with -VERY- steep hills (18% grades). I have even passed large V8 powered SUVs on major highways at 7% grades and 115 km/hr speeds. That's almost 75 MPH. -THEY- were not happy to be passed by a Prius! The difference in power between the 2nd and third gen is actually small. The 3rd gen has more advanced technology of course, as expected after six years of development. It's also a bit more expensive, when the total package is considered, even though a quick comparison appears to show the same or lower prices. The third gen will probably not be offered at discount pricing for a few years, while you can get a pretty good deal on a 2009 right now. I've seen $4000 off list pricing from time to time. Either way, you would want to get proper winter capable tires if you plan to use the car in the winter in the mountains, even in California. I like the Nokian WR series, as they are -true- "all season" tires. They don't wear any faster than summer tires in the summer, and they give excellent traction in the winter. They are also good rain tires. So you don't need to change them twice a year. The 2020 would be a little expensive, as time machines go for $ several Billion. It would be nice though.
There have been times my 2004 was not able to keep up with traffic climbing steep grades, and I'd appreciate the extra power of the 2010. Or a turbo.
"provide even more oophm off the line" This is exactly where I find my 2005 weak, especially compared to my Camry. The Prius will pass ok on the highway, but it takes a long time to get up to speed from a stop. I hope the 2010 will be better. More power and softer seats, and it will be perfect.
mmhmm... Even a loaded 4 cylinder Camry XLE feels faster (and it is). This 2010 will provide that same oomph but will considerably better fuel economy.
...will probably be several billion as we'll still be struggling with inflation due to the Obama Administration's "policies". This is unless we're a third world country by then. But hey, we'll all have health care. Hey I've never trolled before. That was kinda fun. :cheer2: :focus: My '08 does excellent on the long 8-10 mile 7% grades with 4 adults during the hot AZ summers. I've never had any complaints nor wishes for more power. Mike
I thank you all for your well-considered comments. I am fortunate to benefit from your collective experience. Mingoglia, I did have a moment when I thought I had drawn a troll with my "2020" typo. But you redeemed yourself with that good bit of info. David Beale, thank you for the tire tip. I've been wondering if there's a good all-season tire for the Prius. While there may be times when I'll wish for more power, I think that I will find a lot to be happy with in the 2009. Now all I have to do is convince my husband (Please don't let the non-height-adjustable driver seat be a problem.) that this is the car for us and that the time is right for purchasing it.
Update: My husband and I finally fit all the pieces together and became happy owners of a white 2009 (non-touring; couldn't locate a touring) package #6 six days ago. We've put on about 600 miles since then, around town and including a trip to Truckee (185 miles) and back. The hills (my original concern) were not a problem. Our two kids (6 and 9) say the back seat is comfortable, our baggage fit nicely, and we fledgling Prius drivers managed 48 mpg per the trip computer. The only problem I have is that sometimes (perhaps depending on the surface of the road) at higher speeds (close to 70 mph), I have to work to keep the car in my lane (even without any noticeable cross wind), something I have not noticed with other (notably heavier) cars that I've owned recently. I've read a couple of threads that suggest a number of causes (lighter car, road grooves/tire combination, improperly inflated tires, alignment, driver) so I'll be trying to sort that out. Overall, though, we're thrilled. We got tons of useful info from prius chat so thank you, all you contributors.
I often drive in heavy cross winds with no problems. Springtime is often 25-30mph winds with 45-50mph gusts. I drive a Touring model that is still on original tires at almost 25,000 miles. Las Cruces to Sante Fe, no problems with hills at 75mph. Las Cruces to Indio, CA. and back, again no problem. There are some long hills(not the worst) on those roads and the Prius takes them all loaded with 3 or 4 with luggage for a couple of days.
Congratulations. Many new owners have trouble adapting to the electric steering and tend to overcontrol it. Just relax when driving. You'll get used to it soon enough. The only warning I like to give new owners is to watch out on long downhills. The Prius tends to pick up speed fast on downhills. On long ones try using "B" instead of "D". It helps a lot to hold the cars' speed.
I have experienced the 2009 with 3 people on board going over to Santa Cruz which has some steep (but luckily) fairly short grades. The 2009 can get over the grades, but the engine spins up quite a bit and you'll hear it, quite a bit, also. Some people talk about 'just flooring' the gas pedal on really steep hills. And the 2009 will pickup pretty well when floored (only tried it with myself in car). But, is that how one wants to treat their car? How much more wear and tear will be caused asking for max output? Also fuel economy will go far down when floored. Toyota went up to the 1.8L engine 'to improve highway FE'. And obviously improve hill climbing ability, so I'll say the 2010 is better designed for the highway and mountain climbing. 2010 is no powerhouse, but it's on HP/weight par with a 09 Matrix with 1.8L Otto gas engine.
