A car darted across the road in front of me so I had ro get on the brakes fast, for just a brief half second. The antilock didn't even have to engage because I wasn't stomping on it. But those 4 wheel disc brakes slowed down so fast that it scared me more than the cross traffic did. I always told people that my 2006 Prius could stop without decellerating (because it stopped so fast). I believe the 2010 can stop faster than instantly. If you want to understand, get on a lonely stretch of road, go 20 or 30 mph, and stomp on the brakes (be sure to wear your seat belt) and never let people ride your tail, they will never stop as fast as you.
When I picked my car up, the salesman suggested that after I got used to it I should take the car out by myself on a lonely stretch of road, making sure everything is "tied down", and slam on the breaks to get a feel for how it works. He had a gleam in his eye as he suggested this It is incredible just how fast this car can stop. Michael
When Tom is referring to Brake Assist, he's speaking of wheel and brake sensors and a computer program in the Prius that senses how quickly your foot is removed from the accelerator and then how rapidly you begin to depress the brake pedal. I say "begin to depress the accelerator pedal", because it senses the acceleration of the depression of the brake pedal and determines that you have quickly released the throttle, and are starting to rapidly depress the brake pedal, so before you have even begun to apply the brakes, the computer instantly applies FULL brakes for you. A slight correction, though the Prius will stop reasonably quickly, there are MANY other autos with much more stellar stopping abilities than the Prius. Road Tests have shown that from 60 MPH the Prius stops in the 130-135 ft. range. There are MANY cars today that will significantly better those figures. Nowadays cars that stop in the 124-129 ft. range are considered average stopping distances. There are some street cars that are capable of stopping in the 105-110 ft. range! David (aka Blind Guy)
I have noticed the brake and acceleration pedals (Is it a "gas" pedal when you're in battery only drive mode?) are extremely sensitive. I'm still getting used to the sensitivity of acceleration and pulse driving for most efficient MPG driving. --TK
Yup, my 1993 Mazda RX-7 would stop from 60 in 100 ft! Yes, it was scary. Almost as scary as pulling 1G in a corner. I sold it. I slowed down (reaction time), it didn't. I figured I'd wreck it soon if I didn't sell it! Do remember even when you are slowing down scary fast you can still steer around the nut who pulled out in front of you!
***NOTE*** Remember, ANYTIME you need to make a panic, emergency, sudden or abrupt stop, apply FULL brakes. Don't just step on them, rather stand on them HARD, this activates the ABS (Anti-Lock Brakeing System). For those unfamiliar with ABS, this system (when activated) automatically applies FULL brakes, to the point the tires lose traction (skid), at the point they lose traction, whereas they then release the brakes to allow traction to resume, then it repeats the process over and over again...10-15 times a second. this allows you to maintain steering control while the car is at maximum braking capacity. Remember, that with ABS activated, even though the tires may be squealing, you are still able to steer the car NORMALLY!! and avoid any unforseen obsticles! David (aka Blind Guy)
Just remember that a lot of Prius owners report going 100,000 miles or more without repairing anything other than brakes. And if you want your brakes to last longer, use the regenerative braking as much as possible. So what you want to do is "ride" the brakes to the point where you are not actually applying the brake pads, but instead generating energy while you coast to that stop sign.
Yes. With all the talk about defective brakes, I forgot how well the Prius stops compared to my SUV and minivan. The first time I got into the Prius, the whole family nearly went through the windshield when I applied the brake at the red light.
I was exaggerating. Thank you for pointing it out in case I send the wrong message across to others. We were all firmly strapped in and was in no danger of flying through the windshield. You are right. I don't want to send out the wrong message.
