I just picked up a new 2010 Prius II this week from my dealer. I plan to go on a long cross country drive at the end of this month. The trip will be about 900 miles each way from Chicago to Raleigh/Durham, NC and back. I would appreciate any advice for how to break this car in without stressing it out. Like what speed I should keep it under on the Interstates, do I need to rest the car every 4 hours, etc? The trip will be 13 hours each way. Can the Prius sustain that long of a drive without resting other than refueling? Should I keep tire pressure at factory specs or adjust them? I estimate I will probably have 500 to 700 miles on the odometer before I set out for my trip at the end of the month. My dealer told me I should bring the car in for a first oil change at 2500, which should be right at the end of my trip. Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
follow the break in instructions in the manual (for 600 miles I believe, which you may have done before the trip starts) then just drive. you shouldn't have to stop en route to rest the car any more than you should be doing to rest your body and your mind. inflate the tires now, independent of the break in. your mileage may vary (YMMV!) but i pmln on inflating my prius IV SR if it ever gets here to 41/39.
I wouldn't worry about the long drive. Just set the CC and enjoy. Unlike a normal car the CVT will have the RPMs varying based on the road slope and power required even if you are at a constant speed. I went on a 2-week, 4000 mile road trip with only about 1,000 miles on the odometer when I first got my Prius and didn't have a single problem.
Congratulations on the purchase! I wouldn't hesitate to take the trip, but do check the owner's manual first for break-in precautions. They're likely pretty straightforward and shouldn't stand in the way of a trip like yours -- things like avoiding hard acceleration. Other than that, let 'er go and have fun! As for tire pressure, many here inflate to sidewall (cold) maximum rather than Toyota's recommended pressure. There are many reports of premature edge wear on the the Goodyear Integritys on the 2004-2009 with Toyota-recommended pressure. Obviously it's too early to judge tire wear experience on the 2010. Regardless, the higher pressure will improve fuel economy. The tradeoff is a stiffer ride. So it's what you prefer.
The Cruise Control prohibition is a holdover from the days of ordinary cars. With the HSD you don't have to worry about it. As previously stated, the engine RPMs will vary by load, even on CC. Tom
We picked out car up a couple of weeks ago and left from the dealership in Effingham, IL for a trip to University of Virginia. I was concerned about the grueling climbs on I64 that start in eastern KY, and continue through West Virginia, and Virginia. The car did great. I NEVER use cruise control (negative effect on mpg)so that wasn't an issue. I use RFR (right foot rigor mortis) The car did great on the drive. I did put it in power mode on a couple of the long climbs when I could feel the car lugging in eco mode and the scangauge was reading 90+ for load. I would reconsider the speed your traveling at though. 900 miles in 13 hours is almost averaging 70 mph. If you stop a few times, your effective speed will need to be closer to 80 mph. I traveled at about 65 mph and the trip average for the fcd ended at an average of 55 mph. You will have a great time exploring your new car in that distance. The HSI display is a great display to see th 2 separate power sources interact and how that relates to mpg.
Just finished a 5086.7 mile vacation in our 2008 Pkg 6. The car performed flawlessly. Had a couple of bad tanks but it looks like the choice of gas was the problem. (car didn't seem to like Sinclair gas?) Otherwise averaged 48.1 mpg for the trip. Kept up with all speed limits (75 out west) and tires at 42/40. Religiously used CC. Enjoy your trip and don't worry about the car as it will be the least of your worries.
