Featured SPOTTED! *UNWRAPPED* 2016 Prius spotted this morning!

Agreed

 

If a car ticks off all your other boxes, but doesn't have spare, you would just strike it off your list without considering the options I mentioned the lack of spare flaw?

 

Correct. No spare...no car

 

There *ARE* reasons that things are put on "must have" lists when shopping for things such as clothes, TV's, computers...and automobiles! For example, a "reserve 'chute" on a sky-diving parachute wish-list. True, you MIGHT have time to call someone on your cell phone for help, but I rather DOUBT they'd be truly able to get anything TO you before it was too late.

 

Well, what I guess they should do is make a compartment for a spare tire, make it rectangular and as large as will fit, make it accessible and allow people to choose whether they want to carry one in there or not. My issue with the spare location on my g2 is that there's really nothing else I can put in there because of its shape - which is custom-tailored for a tire - and its inaccessibility. If such a thing existed, I'd choose whether or not to carry it based on whether or not I needed the cargo room and whether or not I was going some place far off the grid.

 

Great idea...just *WHY* haven't they (automotive industry) thought of it yet (wink,wink)?

 

That's my story too!

No, I'd consider your options then strike it off my list.

If my circumstances change then it might no longer be a "must have" for me.

 

The last time I changed a tire in the past 20 years, was for a young mom stranded along the road.
I'd call AAA if my personal car have a flat.

Just wondering:
In 2009 when I joined PC, the rage, (a post almost every day) was all about Scan Gauge. There has not been one post is several years now that I have seen. What happened? Did they quit making them? Do they not work on a Prius?

The reason the question came up in my mind: At highway speeds, when the dash gauge reveals you have obtained 99.9 mpg, what is the ICE doing? Do the valves open, and the ICE free-wheels? Does the CVT put the ICE in neutral? The transition is so smooth, it is difficult to understand what is actually occurring.


Finally. Have we moved on discussing shoes? I hope so.

 

i believe they are still being made. i'm seeing scan gauge, (and other gauges) talk. probably less because many people now have them. very useful if you like that sort of thing. you can get metrics on just about anything in the car.

brake shoes?

 

I'm using ScanGauge. If you show RPM, and are in a low load situation, say coasting downhill and picking up speed, somewhere around 72~73 kmh RPM ticks back up, at least to idle speed (around 900 rpm). It'll sometimes show no gas being used AND a value for RPM.

 

That's because it is an exhausted topic. We discussed every possible quirk imaginable and even used the data to squash some greenwashing.

Uploads from priusguru - YouTube

That's my own youtube channel. As you can see I started with Scanguage (which I use everyday still), then added the Torque app for bulk live-data capture.

ScanGuage quite informative to see detail like RPM and coolant temp. It can be left plugged in all the time too, since it doesn't require another device for a display.

 

Each person has a different experience. I've never in my life run out of gas. There is no way I want to be on the side of the road, possibly in the dark, in the rain, trying to fix a leak in a flat tire rather than just changing the flat. It is true what you say about spare other things, and I have to admit that the last flat I had was years ago. But old habits die slowly and I will not buy a car without a spare tire. I won't also eat up precious cargo space with an aftermarket spare.

When I look up Volt cargo space, with the seats up, is shows 10.8 Cu Ft. The Prius is 21 Cu Ft and we have to pack carefully for long trips. We've even had to leave the Prius home and take the 4Runner (poor mileage to be sure) on a 1,000 mile trip. If the Rav4 Hybrid gets decent mileage (38-40) we may very well go that direction just due to the cargo space (oh and the gauges are in front of the driver).

Yes I believe my son's truck is an 85 Blazer, dual 12V batteries, etc.

 

True. To keep the car from spinning the electric motors too fast the engine will run when going fast downhill.

 

Also (I own one) the ScanGauge II is expensive compared to alternatives. I now have a Bluetooth ODB2 ($24) plugged into the Prius all the time. For $5 I purchased the Torque Pro app for my Android smartphone. This combo is more convenient and offers WAY more display options, especially for the Prius. Our Prius MPG has dropped from 45-47 down below 40 and we are trying to figure out what is going on (153K miles on a 2008 Gen II).

So in my opinion there is no market for the ScanGauge. The only advantage I can see is it is smaller and can easily be mounted in the car. I have mine stuck to the steering column of my 4Runner. By the way it has never saved me a dime in fuel cost. The Prius taught me how to drive to save fuel a long time ago.

 

The one advantage I can see is that it's not a phone, you can leave it in permanent.

 

There isn't a huge user base (market) that desires that type of data.

After all, an EV indicator is what drew many to it all those years ago and that is now a standard feature for Prius.

 

That's why I think the hitch mounted spare carrier is the best solution for those that want a hybrid sedan with trunk space and a spare. Leave the spare in the trunk of the time, and stick it outside when you need the trunk space.

That's the volume just up to the bottom of the rear window. The full hatch space, seats up, is 13cu.ft., which compares to the Prius's 22cu.ft.
Compare Side-by-Side

I have a ScangaugeII, and I'd recommend their products over the cheaper competitiors because they are assembled in the US, and have great customer support. They gave me a no charge firmware update when my Scangauge didn't work with the new car. But I'll likely end up going Bluetooth connector and phone app sometime in the future now that I actually have a smart phone. The size of the Scangauge does make it easier to find a mounting location where it can be checked with a glance, and be out of the way though.

 

Can somebody link me to these newfangled Bluetooth connectors that enable smartphone monitoring? I have yet to grab a Scan Gauge.

EDIT: Google is my friend. Is the port easily accessible on the Prii (in my case, the C)?

 

This is the one I bought

I don't know about the C but in the Gen II Hatchback the connector is above the gas pedal. I can plug it in without looking. It's easily accessible.

 

The port is a specified (by govt. order) and small distance from the steering column on the bottom of the dash. It's best to have a right angle cord exit from the device/plug if leaving it connected.

As for spare tyres, do remember that it is used/allowed for in crash testing/crash energy absorption. Removing it may be hazardous to your health. Carrying a wheel/tyre combo ditto. That's why Toyota includes straps to hold the "flat wheel/tyre" on the floor of the hatch area, and includes specific instructions on how to fasten it there.

I live in fear of having to change to the spare. That's why I buy good quality tyres only!