we took a 1000+ mile round trip roadtrip recently and i am loving my wife's Prius v. with all the luggage for a week, loaded cooler, and beach paraphernalia, i could still see out the rear window. i was moving with traffic on I-95 from the Baltimore area to central Connecticut and with the stop and go at the Tappen Zee and at several points of 6-8 mile stop and go in CT, the car averaged 45.7MPG. overall the car did well but there were times with the A/C blasting (it was 102 outside) the car felt underpowered. i never felt like i was being tortured by the seat, even after 6 hours. the best part of the trip in the Prius v was the kids in the back had TONS of room for their pillows and backpacks of toys and books PLUS a small cooler with drinks and snacks for all of us. 20 hours after arriving home i took my oldest to the mountains of WV in my Subaru. 2 hours into the 4 hour drive i was missing the Prius. once we got to the dirt road i was glad to have the Subaru, but i have been spoiled by the comfort and fuel sipping of the Prius v.
Da-Baron – A great trip report from your 1000+ mile family week MD-To-CT & RTN getaway excursion. Another anecdotal positive report, which further confirms that the Prius v Wagon is a “Caddy In A Kimono.” You colored in all the squares: 1. Long-haul family transportation of a husband, wife, and kids, including hauling assorted luggage, beach paraphernalia, filled refreshments cooler, food & snacks, pillows and backpacks of toys and books. 2. Traveling from Point “A”-To-Point “B” at Interstate speeds and in Bumper-To-Bumper/Stop & Go traffic with Around Town/City local driving miles wrapped around Point “A,” Home and the Point “B,” Vacation Destination. 3. Driving and operating the air-conditioning HVAC system in triple-digit, high humidity outside air temperature environments. The combined weight of your husband, wife and kids passenger load and the miscellaneous ancillary cargo hauled, must have had you flirting with the 1056 pounds Max-Burden Payload number for your Pv3 Petrol Warfighter. Add to this, running at MAX A/C COOLING @ MAX BLOWER FAN fighting 102°F O.A.T.s while hauling this ½-TON Family-Plus-Stuff payload at Interstate speeds, probably did challenge and exercise the 98 hp + 60 kW = 134hp of the 1.8-Liter 2ZR-FXE I4 & Motor-Generator Hybrid Synergy Drive “Team of Horses.” I read a lot of good things in your trip report: I am loving my wife's Prius v (Indicates $mart wife --- a positive reflection on her husband). I could still see out of the rear window (Hauling cargo and still maintaining rear window visibility is good). I was moving with traffic on I-95 (So much for those scurrilous “Prius Holding Up Traffic” stories). I never felt like I was being tortured by the seat (Driver travel comfort extraordinaire). Best part of trip in the Prius v was the kids in the back had TONS of room (Happy kids, happy parents). The car averaged 45.7 MPG (114+% of Official EPA Highway MPG is “v”onderful on an open road trip). Overall the car did well (What more is there to say?).
had we went with the Honda CR-V, we would have spent 2.5 times as much in gas. sitting in traffic with the A/C on full eats gas.
