I finally go my new 07 Prius Touring last night! Yeah! But I have one question; Driving home on the freeway (30 miles), i noticed that the car would sort of accelerate and then pull back slightly. It felt like the cars momentum would die and then rev back up. I hope I am making sense. Does this sound normal or do I call the dealership? Thanks
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pakmount @ Mar 23 2007, 10:59 AM) [snapback]411059[/snapback]</div> Does not sound normal. U are not use to the throttle? or bad gas? Not sure.
Probably what was happening was that the electric motor was kicking in to assist the ICE. Maybe. It's a guess.
Sounds a little strange to me, my acceleration is strong and smooth, there is only a little lag when you start accelerating. I would take it back to the dealership and ask questions.
On the other hand, if there are no warning lights on, you just got it and are hypersensitive to its every sound, surge, shake, rattle, and nuance. Drive it through the weekend and see how it feels. Get used to the feel of regenerative braking and when the friction brakes come on at around 7 mph. Turn off the screen (Display bezel button>Screen Off screen button) and try just driving it like any other car. It's a marvelous car, but new drivers can be almost afraid of the technology, and it doesn't behave like any other car you've ever had. So, unless you get a warning light, just relax for a while. If it still feels odd, after a few hundred miles, by all means take it back to the dealer. You just don't want to be too hasty about these things. Turn the screen back on by pressing the Info steering wheel button if you have nav, or Display bezel botton>Trip Info screen button. Enjoy your new car! And welcome to PriusChat!
The Prius is very sensitive to control inputs. Unlike some cars, there is zero dead-band in many of the controls, so you can easily over control. The acceleration and cruise should be very smooth. Try driving for the weekend and see if you can get the feel. Otherwise, it could be a problem, but I'm betting on getting used to it. Tom
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pakmount @ Mar 23 2007, 11:59 AM) [snapback]411059[/snapback]</div> Were you driving in cruise control? In my experience, the Prius's cruise doesn't hold the speed as well as my previous car did (01 Accord), though the speed excursions were generally limited to plus or minus 1mph. The engine throttle is also controlled by the onboard computer, but in my experience, it doesn't hop all over the place if I keep my foot still.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pakmount @ Mar 23 2007, 01:59 PM) [snapback]411059[/snapback]</div> I wouldn't call the dealer just yet. When I first got the Prius, I sort of got the same feeling when driving it on the freeway. It felt like it was on some giant rubber band and there was a subtle back and forth feeling like it was hunting for the right "gear." A month later I got the front wheels aligned since the steering wheel wasn't straight. After that, the car has driven very well - tracks smoothly, no funny rubber banding, is predictable. Drive it for a while and see what you think after a couple months.
