How Peppy or Not Is The Prius?

I went from a 200 hp, 6 cy, Pontiac GP and was worried about the same thing.

The Pri won't snap your head back, but you get along fine moving in and out and around traffic.

Once you own the car for a few months, your driving style really changes for the better. It's always surprising to me when I DO stomp on the gas, something I rarely do any longer, and how well the Prius pours on the power.

 

deceptively quick. It doesn't let up (to shift) until you do...so beware of the acceleration, it's different, but in a good way!

My bro has an '02 4-cyl Honda Accord that really moves. He's driven my Prius and says it's very similar off the line. He's by far not a car guy and I'd say he would have an unbiased opinion.

For me, it's the lack of "clunkiness" that a conventional auto tranny has that set the Prius apart...and above the rest of the field.

And I keep repeating that the Prius has such a zen about it when driving...calming, easiness, smoothness...ahh, can ya feel it...

 

I liked the pickup in my 2003 4-cyl Camry that I traded for my Prius just fine. If I mash the pedal of my Prius, it's peppier. It's even zippy going from 70 to 85 mph, thought no one ever speeds like that, of course (har har). :lol:

It's easy to let your speed creep up since there is no engine strain and no kicks from the gear shift.

Welcome to PriusChat. You'll love the Prius when you get one. Look at the thread about washing it -- people get addicted! It's the smartest car on the road!

 

Off the line the car feels like it is all torque. There doesn't seem to be any significant engine strain coming from the engine compartment and I'm not sitting there in a hard acceleration maneuver saying under my breath, "shift, come on shift". I used to say that a lot with my previous daily driver.

Anyway, there is a Prius drag racing thread here.
http://www.priuschat.com/forums/my-prius-i...ing-vt8630.html
You might want to check it out.

 

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It isn't quick, but its fine. Relative to the honda, the honda would likely feel stronger at high rpm, but how often are you at 6k rpm?

 

On the rare occasion when I've had my Prius in the shop and didn't feel like waiting I'll rent a car for the day. The first time I drove a Corolla and the first thing I noticed was how the auto tranny would lurch at the shift points (especially off the line) yet the overall impression was far less useable power for normal driving in traffic. My next rental was a Camry (didn't notice if it was a v6 or v4 but probably the v4). First impression was again the jerky transmission and it felt like the only way to get a sense of acceleration once under way that might have been just a bit more than the Prius was when I mashed the accelerator to the floor; otherwise if felt less responsive. I think part of the difference in feel is due to the smooth acceleration and part to the increased torque available from the electric motor.

My Grand Prix (3.8 v6) felt decidedly peppier but the Prius is more than adequate in the get up and go department especially considering the considerably better mpg.

 

My car prior to the Prius was a '95 Acura Integra GS-R with the 170 hp VTEC engine in it. That car was very fast once you got the revs up past 5000 RPM, but at the bottom end it felt kind of lethargic until you got the revs up. The Prius is the exact opposite; it has gobs of torque (don't have the exact figure off the top of my head) from the electric motor available from a dead stop on, and in the range where I do most of my driving actually feels a lot more lively than my 'Teg did. I'm sure that in a drag race the 'Teg would beat the Prius, but where the Integra shines is not where you would need it for typical driving, which is where the Prius is just fantactic.

Best thing to do to answer the question for yourself is to take one for a test drive. Your dealer should have a demo available that you can take for a spin, and if not, see if you find somebody who would let you try theirs for a spin around the block.

 

How true.... Prius owners love to have others test drive their cars... HAHAHA.

I am doing that myself now too.

 

I'm more timid than the engine is, afraid as I am to "hurt" it somehow, since it's new and everything. When I stomp, it does respond, better though off the line. It's not going to wow anyone, but what you get out of the car makes it worth it.

 

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That is WAY cool! I didn't know there were dealers that friendly out there!

 

Heya,

I think this has already been covered in this thread - but I'll add my voice.....

The Prius will DECEPTIVELY seem to be accelerating less then it actually is. The Prius is an incredibly smooth and quiet car. Also, the transmission works COMPLETELY differently then in your Accord.

All that said - I'd say that your Accord probably has slightly better acceleration then the Prius. Remember - the Prius wasn't designed to hot-rod the 1/4 mile!

Now for my largest comment - My pre-Prius car that I traded in was a 1997 Pontiac Trans-Am. I can ASSURE you that the Trans-Am would kick the crud out of your Accord in acceleration.

Did you read that last paragraph? Good - Now listen to this. I DO NOT MISS THE POWER OF THE TRANS-AM. My Prius accelerates JUST FINE! To my surprise, I have not even ONCE thought "wow, the T/A had better acceleration" while driving my Prius!

Also - I've found that keeping the display on consumption has made me WANT to drive in a more fuel efficient manner. I no longer feel like I'm always in a hurry wherever I'm going. The Prius has made my driving life more relaxing and more FUN. YES - You read it here - I really said that - The Prius is MORE FUN than the Trans-Am was.

Hope that helps.

Yoda

 

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Yoda, the Trans-Am kicks butt. Forget the Prius. Come back to the dark side!

- The Managements of Ford, Chevrolet, Saab, BMW, Saturn, GMC, Jeep, Jag, Lincoln, Mercury, Nissan, Mercedes, Dodge, Olds, Buick, Hyundai, Suzuki, Plymouth and the rest of the Federation...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(yoda\";p=\"87667)</div>

Substitute Integra GS-R for Trans Am in the above and I feel exactly the same. Verbatim!

 

Ok my $0.02 now. I used to have an audi allroad with something called an X chip. The normal hp of this car was 250 and with the chip it made something like 330 hp and very high torque. I removed it before I sold it as the car was difficult to drive. Fun yes!!! Guess which I like more??? Yup.... I love the Prius. Hard to imagine that I've owned all the German high end cars (also a Lexus) and I love my Prius most out of all of them. What's my dream car? I'm nuts but I love the Cayenne S Turbo.

 

After many Celicas, and recently, a V6 Camry, we borrowed a Prius from a dealer for a 24-hour test drive. We were able to take it for a few hundred k's in all driving situations for a REAL test drive. 4 days later, we owned a new Gold Prius, and are very impressed with the power delivery, response etc. But it's the overall package that impresses...not just the power characteristics.
Just a GREAT car.