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Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Bobdallama, Sep 16, 2013.

  1. Bobdallama

    Bobdallama Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2013
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    Location:
    Athens, GA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Just got my new (to me) Prius. Bought it used as a trade-in for my 2010 Kia Forte. So, now I'm the proud new owner of a silver, 2007 Prius. 106k miles and aside from some dirt/stains on the interior that I'm hoping will clean up easily, looks great. Preliminary driving has resulted in ~56mpg. Still trying to master some of the techniques I've read about, and hoping to raise my mileage even more!

    A few questions:

    How long did it take you before you felt comfortable with the various techniques and styles?

    Do you still need to rely on the feedback on the MTD? Or can you develop a "feel" for how the car is operating (ie stealth mode or gliding) without monitoring the constantly shifting arrows?

    Also, for driving situations like a delivery route (somewhat house-to-house) would you recommend to leave the car on in between stops while parked in the lot? Or is it better to turn the car off and restart once finished with the delivery? Generally the stops take no longer than 2 minutes a piece if that helps.

    Thanks in advance! Already learned a ton from reading all the posts. I'm really looking forward to being a part of this community!
     

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    #1 Bobdallama, Sep 16, 2013
  2. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Herefordshire England
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Hi and welcome to PC.
    If your stops only take a couple of minutes I would turn the car off. Once warmed up and after coming to a standstill the engine will automatically turn off. Shutting the car down will not affect this and when you make the car ready again the engine will not start until needed, and if you accelerate gently it will run in electric mode for a short while.

    It is best to start with if you do not keep looking at the MFD, just drive the car. Accelerating briskly then take your foot off the accelerator and re apply enough to just hold or slowly loose some speed. Do not baby the car by gently accelerating when the engine is running, this will use more fuel. You will soon get the feel of the car with just an occasional glance at the display. Beware at the start the display can be distracting so concentrate on driving.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #2 Britprius, Sep 16, 2013
  3. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Rural mail carriers get about 35 MPG, that looks bad until you compare to what they got in a normal car. You do not list a location, but if you need A/C, I would leave it on, and if you do not need A/C, I would turn it off. Most of the MFD info is to learn to understand what is really happening under the hood. Keep focused on the road, the MFD is to avoid boredom.
     
    #3 JimboPalmer, Sep 16, 2013
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome and congrats, all the best!(y)
     
    #4 bisco, Sep 16, 2013
  5. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Welcome to Prius Chat and enjoy the ride. ;)
     
    #5 dorunron, Sep 16, 2013
  6. Kory Matthew

    Kory Matthew Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2012
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    Location:
    North Dakota
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I would leave it running. I make several stops on my route, some of which literally take 30 seconds but I am required to turn my engine off and lock my car every time I get out. It doesn't matter how warm the car is, when I go to start it again, after 30 seconds to a minute the engine starts for a short period then turns off again. Doesn't matter if I'm driving or sitting in a parking lot. Doesn't matter if the AC is on or off or the heat is on or off.
     
    #6 Kory Matthew, Sep 16, 2013
  7. Bobdallama

    Bobdallama Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2013
    10
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    Location:
    Athens, GA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----

    This is kind of what I was leaning towards. A/C doesn't seem to kick the engine on a whole lot, and defintely not more than if it had to got through that start-up process everytime. I live in the Southeastern United States (Georgia) and it is still pretty hot and muggy, therefore, as of right now, A/C is a must for me. I have found, however, that I can get by with it set to around 77-78 F and on recirculate. That is enough to keep me from sweating and also to cut through some of the humidity. Just filled up for the first time today since I bought the car. Only $26 to get to full! We'll see how the calculated mileage compares to the computers mileage.

    Side note, I have a bluetooth OBD-II interface and the torque app on my phone. I will definitely be playing around with that in the coming weeks too.

    Thanks for all the advice everybody!

    EDIT-
    forgot to add that I got the full Carfax report and apparently this car was taken to the Toyota dealership for every single oil change, tire rotation, and maintenance visit. There were 2 owners before me, and was sold as a CPO the first go around. I am pretty excited to see that it was diligently cared for. Does this seem to be fairly typical of pre-owned Prii?
     
    #7 Bobdallama, Sep 16, 2013
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