Four basic questions about new Prius

Ok, I just have to have a little more fun with this before I sign off. I am doing this to to invoke a little thought, not to pick on anyone here. I am still smiling and enjoy a friendly challenge/debate.

Re: "there is absolutely no reason to press the [P] button when powering down."

Dang, the Priuschat consensus determined that the P not needed and we forgot to tell the Toyota Engineers!

It would be important to also notity a few PI law firms so they are aware of how smart we are on this site....

 

Don't be absurd. You use Park any time you want to park the Prius without powering down. For example, waiting at the curb with everything powered up. Otherwise you would have to keep your foot on the brake or depend on the parking brake while the Prius tried to pull forward against it.

Tom

 

For those of you who refuse to engage 'Park,' do you even use the emergency parking brake then?

I have two priuses and BOTH dealers taught me to push the 'P.' If you guys think you know otherwise why don't you call the engineers and tell them to remove it and replace it with a storage compartment for your doobies.

Not putting the car in Park is the type of complacent attitude that you get from thinking that you drive a god-almighty vehicle. On that note, I hope I never see any of you park behind me.

 

Park button can also be used when stopped for prolonged stops in traffic like road road construction delays.

 

K lol.

 

Wow, talk about vitriol. It's not like we haven't had this conversation with Toyota engineers. Many of us spoke personally with the chief engineer when he was in Detroit for the 2010 reveal. We don't make this stuff up as we go along. Simply pressing the Power button does exactly the same thing as pressing Park and then Power, with the exception of the ritual.

Tom

 

Didn't know that you talked to the chief engineer. What else did he have to say about it?

Cool. Thats one advantage of living in Detroit I guess.

 

This has been a good thread...

 

Re: " I keep my doobies in the center console"

The best reason yet to use the P....LOL. That's what I love about this site.

 

Yep, although I'm careful about when I use it even then. Getting bumped from behind while in park would not be good for the CVT.

 

Earlier I posted answering the OP's original post. In my post regarding putting the car in Park, as opposed to turning it OFF and letting the Prius put it in Park for you, I gave the example of a driver who was in the habit of doing just that, there might arise a time where they have someone else in the car who wished to remain there (and wanted the heat left on) while the driver exited the car for an arrand, and that driver, being in the habit of just turning OFF the Prius and letting it select Park, might park in a parking spot, not put the car in Park (because the passenger(s) needed heat), open the door and exit the car...while it was still in gear!

Well, after ALL that typing, and feeling pretty secure I'd made a valid point, my wife informed me..."that's NOT really practicle", she explained to me, that when the Prius is in "D", and at a stop, if your foot is taken OFF the brake, the car will roll (creep) forward, so not putting the Prius in either Park or turning it OFF is NOT realistic, nor was it a good example!

I assumed (and YES I know how that word is spelled) that when the Prius was at a stop, and the brake lifted, the car wouldn't go anywhere, WRONG AGAIN!!!

I must concede to Dr. Fusco, that was a POOR example.

I, however, am still a believer in Park first, then turn it OFF! To each his own.

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

He didn't say "I'll back you up". He said "Back off, Yankee dog." It's close, but the meaning has a subtle difference.

Tom

 

lol....omg, its threads like this that makes me glad that off topics posts are ok (since the post count would drop 90% if it wasnt!!)

as far as the park, i admit i engage park at nearly all stoplights. i also hit the park button before shutoff only because i found that an extra step that insures non movement is necessary for me.

twice, i shot for the power button while getting out of the and missed. i ended up hopping down the street as the car continued on and me trying to hop back in and stop the car.

it was eventful and i am glad at neither time was the normally packed street, crowded.

 

I spoke to him in January too and I live in Adelaide South Australia!

When you next press the power button to power down watch the park button. See the green light that lights up? That indicates the car is now in park, then it goes off indicating the car has shut down.

When you park you have a choice, press power and power down automatically engaging the park pawl or press park then power down with the power button, the result is the same.

The only habit I have formed from driving a Prius which does not transfer across to my conventional work car is I keep looking for the power button on shut down in my work car and trying to apply the park brake with my left foot.

Now I'll ad my opinion to the long list of opinions.

Correct!

EV uses a program which delays the onset of ICE start-up. By doing this it allows higher EV only acceleration than would otherwise be allowed. I'm not sure how it works in the Gen III but in the Gen II if you hit the EV button (we have it in G II in Australia) within a few seconds of cold start you can stop the ICE firing to warm up, useful if you just want to move the car a little or quietly sneaking out early in the morning.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to this.

Correct. I push the power button before I undo my seatbelt so I know the car is off when I get out and I know the car is in park. I also always engage the park brake, harder on hills than in my garage but I always put it on. It is a legal requirement (in South Australia) to use the park brake when parked unless you chock the wheels. BHP, a large Australian mining company require drivers to apply the handbrake and chock the wheels when parking their vehicles. They had a 100 tonne dump truck roll into a bus in one of their mines.

 

This is fun! I'll argue that pushing park then power off is actually MORE risky than the other way around. The pawl gear will engage with the car rolling (all but slowly) when the park button is pressed resulting in quite a jolt the the CVT (HSD actually). The car will not go into park and then turn off unless your foot is firmly on the brake and the car is stopped when you use the power button. A safety feature in case that darn floor mat leaps for the gas peddle. Try it if you dare!

 

LOL, yes we've tried all different scenarios while moving - pressing P, trying to select R etc. The software is well-engineered and has some excellent safeguards in place to prevent selection of either P or R while the car is moving. But, considering the park brake is still a conventional mechanical one, at least you can still do rally-style handbrake slides!