Been following the posts on this board the past few weeks, while waiting for the Prius color/accessory package of my choice to arrive. And I've been struck by the technological sophistication of many, if not most, of those who post here. Tossing out an endless stream of acronyms...engaging in highly cerebral discussions of automotive principles based on advanced math...and it got me wondering if this amazing car/computer called the Prius is truly a machine for the masses, or if perhaps it is too complex and challenging for the average person who's been brought up in the put-the-pedal-to-the-metal American car culture. I've never felt the need, for example, to actually read the user's manual that accompanied past vehicles, instead simply looking up specific areas that I might have had a question about. From everything I've read about the Prius, I can't imagine doing that. I'm wondering if wading through and mastering that tome will be roughly the equivalent of pouring over the text book in preparation for a college final. But enough of this negativity. With any luck, there's bound to be a "Prius for Dummies" out soon.
Ya know - I never thought I'd CARE enough about a car to read the manual but I did this time. It's quite a fascinating read. Many have probably read just a few pages and others cover to cover. If you've been reading the posts here you may not need to read anything else. But, frankly, it's easier to read the manual than to hunt up all the subjects.
It's a car. If you can drive a car, you can drive the Prius. No GED required. All you have to have is a driver's license and some common sense, as is the case with all other vehicles on the roads today. ALWAYS read the owner's manual (RTFM)! The only stupid questions here are the ones easily answered by the owner's manual. By the way, if you still feel as though you're not qualified to drive the Prius, the owner's manual can provide some great tips.
people ask me "so you drive a Prius" and I go into a speel about how it's the car of the future, now and list off all kinds of spec's and tell them how the psd works and how the inverter boosts the voltage and how the A/C is electrically driven and all the options and then they say to the wife "so you drive a Prius" and she say's "yes, I get in put my foot on the brake, push the power button, and put it in gear and drive. It's just another car. A very interesting car but a car non the less. You won't need a Phd. to do it either.
[font=Comic Sans MS:7195b6cc30]Just drive it! :crazyeyes: Beyond mastering the unique keyless ignition (push the Power button) and the electronic shifter, you need know nothing. Of course, if you like technology or are interested in how you are getting such high MPG, reading the manual or this site helps. [/font:7195b6cc30]
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(innov8v\";p=\"95915)</div> Me too. However, I gotta say that I like this car more than ANY car I've ever owned and my failure (as a result of capability issues) to do the sophisticated mods outlined here and my lack of understanding of many of the highly technical and esoteric discussions hasn't diminshed my enjoyment of the car in the least.
also you have to consider that the people who post here are geeks. No I'll qualify that, Prius Geeks.
It's like anything else, you can learn as much or as little as you like. I think most/many of us came to Prius knowing it was advanced technology. I know I pooh-pooh'd the concept of people wasting time on a forum, of all things, talking about a car when I first started looking at Prius. Now look at me!! The more you learn about the car the more you find that there is to know. Lots of people ask intriging questions and you search out the answers b/c you find that you too are intrigued. The picture becomes more complete. Lots and lots of people out there drive and enjoy the Prius and have never 'stepped foot' into a Prius forum and don't know much, at all, about Prius. Sites like this have a selection bias toward geeks...or we'd have never found the site in the first place. Don't be threatened or intimidated. The acronyms are short cuts and the concepts aren't, usually, that difficult once you cut through the techno-jargon.
Before I got a Prius, I thought planetary transmission was something they used on Mars. But there's just something about this car that makes you wanna know more. And, as far as simplicity, as long as I keep my key in my pocket I can't lock it inside the car. (which I've stupidly done with lesser cars). And, what about this? If you're turning the power off, you don't even have to put the car in Park. It does it for you. What could be simpler?
I will make a comment here as well. Yes, it is a great car, and no, you don't need to know lots to drive it. But at the same time, if you are afraid of computers or know nothing about them, and you probably won't want to get the advanced package like the Navigation system. (Unless you're willing to spend some time learning to use it.) The people buying the Prius at the same time I was were an older couple, and knew nothing about computers. As I was chatting with our salesman, he said they'd been in or called almost every day, not understanding how to work the navigation, or being confused, and having problems figuring it out.
tstreet, I also never lock my keys in my car. Of course, because I'm so used to not thinking about my keys, I locked them in my HOUSE yesterday!! My friend got a kick out of it, and gave me grief all darn day <g>
I happen to be picking up techie info because my husband makes a living knowing how cars work. And he wants to know more about our Pri. And he gets along really well with and looks up to the top Prius tech at the dealer. He asks this guy questions, hoping to understand better (and hoping this will help him with his hybrid tech training down the line) And he comes home and explains all this Prius stuff to me. Not that it all makes sense to me but I do feel I have an above average knowledge of cars in general because of him. Otherwise I'd be one of the ones saying, "Yep, I can drive it just as easily as any other car" and leaving it at that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(innov8v\";p=\"95915)</div> I also "poured over" many college textbooks, which goes a long way towards explaining my mediocre gpa. Fortunately, the Prius is only as complicated as you want it to be. If you wish, you can treat it like an ordinary car that has a slightly different startup sequence and a weirdly inaccurate gas gauge. (Don't worry, just fill up when it gets low.) You may pore, or even pour, over the manual as much or as little as you like. Like you, I'm in awe of the knowledge some Prius owners have about cars, physics, mathematics, rockets, etc., and I'm grateful that they share this knowledge so generously - but I'm proof that even with a mere piano performance degree, you can get over 52 mpg lifetime! :wink:
My wife and I are a good example of the dual nature of what makes the Prius such a great car. She loves it because it gets great gas mileage, isn't too big and yet has room to haul two dogs, a daughter and a husband, and has many great safety and convenience features. It's also a Toyota and is reasonably affordable considering what you get. I love it for all those reasons, plus all the great technology! Many people like the Prius either for the technology or the greeness or both. What sometimes gets lost is that beyond those two things it's also just a wonderfully configured car from the safety, convenience, feature and size perspective.
You don't need to be a techie when you buy a Prius, but you will become one after you drive it for a few thousand miles. After your first, "what does that do"....you're hooked. You'll know when that transformation has happened when someone in a parking lot asks you about your car and you suddenly feel like giving a more expansive answer than, " oh, it's nice and gets good mileage...". My partner's son accompanied me on my way home from Moses Lake to Seattle with our new baby. He read the manual to me as if it were a Star Trek novel. I love techie things, but having the Prius immeasurably increased my stature in his eyes. Bob
It's kind of like this planet. We can just simply live life, or we can try and figure out how it works. How do plants grow? Why does iron rust? For many of us, who cares? It just does. But then, there are features you might miss out on if you don't read the manual. Did you find all the cubby holes in the car?
Okay...I think I get it. Driving a Prius is kind of like watching a DVD. You can just sit back and watch the movie...or, if that's not enough, you can also watch the DVD extras...or, if you really want to go all the way, you can do all that, and then hunt for Easter eggs. Now if I could just get one of the dealers I'm in touch with to get me the car, I could start searching for those Easter eggs...I mean, cubby holes.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clubmedic\";p=\"95999)</div> I decided the solution there was a combination lock on the front door. Also solved the problem of the kids losing keys, and therefore me losing sleep. I tried several biometric doorlocks, but couldn't find one that offered the "just touch it" and "Works every time" features, so combination it is. Now if I could just get them to get rid of keys at work, I could ditch this throwback to caveman days of carrying around jagged pieces of medal just to identify myself.
