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www.toptiergas.com
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/octane.htm
Well, often this is true. Some engines can adjust the spark timing to the various grades. I owned a 2002 Honda Odyssey that produced it's top HP on Premium fuel, and 10 HP less on regular unleaded. It actually got better MPG with premium, but not enough more to justify the extra costs. I ran it on regular normally, but often put in premium for vacations with a heavy load.
BTW, my Ody got 19 MPG town / 27 MPG highway, pretty good for a 4500 lb vehicle.
Surprisingly enough, I could immediately tell the difference. The transmission had different shift points (lower, if I recall correctly), and there was a definite increase in power. I think it was the combination of the higher octane in the engine and the transmission changes that resulted.
And as I noted, I got better MPG with premium.
BTW, it's a $2000 deduction on your federal tax return if the vehicle is purchased brand new during the 2005 calendar year. The deduction drops to $500 in 2006 and disappears entirely after 2006.
The MSRP on the sticker was $26,630, dealer added optional equipment was 1025.00. Final sticker price was $27,671.06.
That's about $150 worth of accessories (purchased online) plus way too much for Toyoguard, the value of which is somewhat dubious. Any chance of having the cost of that item refunded?
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/content/accent/epaper/2005/07/14/a1e_roncol_0714.html
Here's a piece of it:
" Q: Uh-oh. What is it?
A: I might not be smart enough to own this car. One of its quirks is that when you stop, the gasoline engine quits and you can't tell the car is running. Well, not running, but ready to go. Like a golf cart. On my second day with the car, I parked for an hour and was amazed to return to a cool car. Turns out I had forgotten to hit the power button and the AC kept going on batteries. No worry about the batteries dying because the gasoline engine kicks in as needed."
Navigation Motion Override
1)Push MENU Button on bezel
2)Tap the VOLUME soft button
3)Tap top left of screen (where the speaker icon is), then the bottom left, then top left again and finally the bottom left again.
4)The Service Menu should appear.
5)Press and hold the OVERRIDE soft button until it beeps and is highlighted.
Full NAV function should now be available until you shut down the car. This can be engaged while in motion but must be repeated each time the car is restarted.
BTW... I also tried activating the override while in motion this morning and it worked like a charm.
thanks!
Toyota stands behind this hybrid with an 8 yr/100K for the hybrid system. Know this ....there is a misconception that the hybrid car is relatively new to the market. NOT SO!! Toyota has been in the hybrid business for more than 10 yrs. Getting the truth out to the car buyer is taking awhile. There are still people who think you plug them in to charge them up. I just saw a Chicago news station rattle off several bogus statements about hybrids just this morning and I have to tell you..It ticked me off. Nay sayers are quick to bad mouth the hybrids but you'll have a hard time finding owners that will find fault with their hybrids. Resale remains to unfold due to the new time factor but its already looking pretty good.
railroadjames(free-us Prius)
IF I had paid the sticker, the OTD would have been $31,103. Instead, I paid $28,750 OTD. I haven't heard of a better deal on a similarly equipped Prius yet.
A dealer closer to home came down to $29K OTD. That one was without any of the dealer-added options and w/o the Toyoguard. So, I passed on that deal in favor of the former.
Under the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004, the deduction amount is limited to $2,000 for cars first put into use in 2004 and 2005. the deduction will be limited to $500 for vehicles placed in service in 2006, and no deduction will be allowed after that year.
Certain Toyota and Honda models qualify for the deduction:
* Toyota Prius — Model Years 2001 through 2005
* Honda Insight — Model Years 2000 through 2005
* Honda Civic Hybrid — Model Years 2003 and 2005
* Honda Accord Hybrid — Model Year 2005
* Ford Escape Hybrid — Model Year 2005
The car has no problems with hills, even long steep ones. Very high speed cruise is also effortless. The 'trunk' area, when the shade is in place, is very shallow. Front leg room is on the tight side, but the rear is fine. Rear head room is a little tight. The car is narrow, so for us it is a four seater unless the fifth person is a child. Hard to keep the cloth arm rests clean. The touch screen is hard to see during the day unless one puts a shade on the center dash above the screen. The stability control has a low speed threshold, but does work well (need it with these rock hard tires). Ride is very good and wind noise nil. Normal handling is fine and it is very easy to park. The xenon headlights don't seem to be any better than the halogens on my other cars (Silverstars on one).
Note: There is an aftermarket kit that removes the I accept screen from the nav system and allows destination inputs while the car is in motion.
I don't like that the nav system automatically picks a different destination once the programmed destination has been reached. (there has to be a setting to stop this).
The more I drive it the more I like it, but I'd rather drive a car that is more 'wind' stable for a long trip. I am amazed at being able to cruise at high freeway speeds on battery only (the down hill parts). I have yet to see the battery fully charged.
Strongly recommend the rear bumper applique.
Don't like the spare being stored upside down. Makes it very hard to check the pressure. Car was delivered with under inflated tires which made for a softer ride. So far it has been trouble free, just like my PT Cruiser GT has been for nearly three years.
Gas engine gets a little buzzy on steep hills - not bad. Rolling acceleration is much better than expected.
Congratulations on your new car. Enjoy it for years to come.
Man, I wish you had not posted this. Once the Toyota Lawyers get wind of this, the software will be changed to remove this "feature". You will bring you car into the dealer for service, and when you drive it out it will have different software - and no nav on the move.
I can assure you that if the lawyers find out, it will be removed. Many owners (of all cars) don't realize that as a part of dealer service, they will routinely put in software updates.
Toyota put that feature in to avoid lawsuits when someone uses the NAV and gets dikstracted, causing an accident. It is irrelevant who provided the information, it is a "back door" to bypass a design requirement of the software, and it is likely to be removed. Let's hope lawyers don't read this forum.
RE: "Costal Dave". Go ahead an install it if you like; it voids your Toyota warranty.
I don't have to know anything about the mod; if you attach something to the system that modifies the operation of the software, it voids the warranty. If you take out the plug prior to servicing, that just means that Toyota isn't aware that you voided your warranty. That kind of behavior is a personal decision that I will not comment on in this forum. Although I would not be too sure that the car isn't somehow monitoring it's systems with a loopback mechanism. This particular change may not trigger a computer alarm - but may be recorded. BTW, if one does happen to get into an accident due to programming the NAV instead watching of the road, Toyota may well read that computer memory (or find the "plug"). If so, not only the warranty but the insurance may be void as well. I'm not saying they can or do record this information; I'm saying that none of us knows. But when you involve software so completely with a vehicle (as the Prius does), any modification is significant.
"As far as Toyota modifying existing cars..... that may be your opinion but it ain't gonna happen. There will always be a back door and that's the truth."
Well, the modifying car software isn't my opinion. It happens all the time; as a manufacturor finds faults in the software, they notify dealers, and it is upgraded when the vehicle is serviced. I suspect this is why some people have never experienced the 2004 software stalling error; their cars were updated without them knowing it.
RE: Backdoor. Once a backdoor is known, it is no longer a back door. There may indeed be a new "back door", but I suspect the current one may be shut down. But in all practicality, I don't see why they need one, if the service department can connect a computer to the car for analysis. So it may disappear completely. This is the kind of software item in the code for testing purposes, and is normally removed before shipping the final software - to keep the end user from messing around with the programming.
" I'll forward this thread to Toyota. That's how sure I am that nothing will happen."
Well, it depends on who you forward it to, and how conscientous they are about their job. They may just toss the e-mail. If the lawers get onto it, they will demand a change. The problem is that if Toyota left in a means to deactivate the NAV programming system limitations, it means that they must accept responsibility if that means is discovered and leads to an accident. If they were willing to do that, they would have left in the capability to modify the NAV while moving in the first place.
I hope that when you get your Prius, you can still do the mod. Hey, I'm supporting your freedom to do it here; I was lamenting the fact that the technique was discussed in an open Internet forum. Just remember that the mod has to be done each time your start the car.
Your point is my point. Toyota knows that many car companies allow useage of the NAV system, so the fact that they deliberately did not allow useage in the Prius indicates they did not want it used on the road. They could have programmed it differently.
RE: Attack scenario. The woman was provided with an owner's manual that clearly said she could not program the NAV while the vehicle was moving. If she chose to stop in an unwise location, that is her choice, and I a suspect a jury would agree. Toyota would be far more likely to have liability if they left in the capability to modify the NAV while moving. The former is a personal decision by the driver; the latter is a design decision by the car manufacturor.
I think it is stupid to prevent users from making use of a NAV while the vehicle is moving. I think it is especially stupid for a car that senses if the right hand seat is occupied (as the Prius does) not to enable the NAV when there is a passenger.
I, too, find it a hassle to pull over to program or reprogram my nav distination while driving. But sometimes I can get distracted with the other things you can do with the display and put myself in some uncomfortable positions. It takes longer to program a distination that to say, set the A/C or radio station. I just pick out a safe spot, pull over and do my programming with piece of mind and safety. It doesn't do you any good to program a destination if you end up getting into an accident and not make it to that destination. I was telling my wife about this and if I could get my passenger to do the deed, it would seem logical in my mind. I think it's just too much for a driver to take on. You can't do two things at once with any commitment.
Rich :shades:
railroadjames
I agree that we have too many distractions while driving. It was wise of Toyota to disable the NAV while moving. The sooner they outlaw the use of any electronic device including phones while driving (both handheld & handsfree) the safer we all will be. The latest study says that using a handsfree cell phone is not any less distracting than handheld. The bottom line is with current technology it is easy to detect when someone in on a cellphone. If an accident occurs it will be a very simple procedure to determine if the driver was distracted by a NAV, cellphone or iPod, possibly changing the outcome of the case if it ever became a lawsuit. Driving is a full time job!
Also, how do you find the e-mail addresses of all the dealers in the area without calling all of them? I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area & it seems only a fraction of them have websites according to Google.
Thanks!
I also belong to AAA and really enjoy getting maps to new places. (I must have inherited cartographer genes) The Nav program is very handy but it has its limitation re info on some of the road choices. I recently punched in a golf course in Livermore, Ca and the Nav program ran me down an old deserted loop road instead of just staying on the freeway for one more exit !! I do rely on the Nav program for local stuff but when I go out of town (most recently from San Francisco Bay Area to Boise, Id for a golf trip) I pack my own "trip kit" with hotel names, golf courses, restaurants, etc. I switch mapping areas on the Nav program when I get closer and either punch in names or addresses. Most POI's (points of interest) are only shown within 25 mi. I keep an atlas and appropriate local maps just in case. Like it was mentioned earlier, it can take your eyes off the road when just adjusting the radio or A/C. I have to wonder how many accidents and daisy pusher-uppers can be accounted for by such actions?
Thanks,
Rich :sick:
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That doesn't seem right. I'm in Jacksonville, FL. All four Toyota dealers here have website. Same goes for the sole dealer in St. Augustine.
Have you tried www.toyota.com? It has a Dealer Locator feature. The link's at the top of the home page. Running a search for SF yields four Toyota dealerships.
Since buying our Prius in May, we have logged 6,500 miles on it. An equivalent amount of mileage on our 14 MPG SUV would have cost us $951 for $2.05 gasoline. Instead, we spent $405 during that same period.
If you account for the $35 extra we've spent on our new car's loan payments for two months, that's a net savings of $476.
I now have an extra $476 to spend on some plumbing in our upstairs bathroom that we were otherwise delaying. I called someone to render an estimate. When he arrived I noted that he was driving a big yellow Hummer with a trailer. He estimated $1,200 to fix the problem.
Another plumber arrived, driving a small chevy van, he estimated under $600 to fix the same problem. (I'm beginning to wonder exactly whose problem is getting fixed.)
Does anyone know of a hybrid-driving plumber in the greater Atlanta area?
We used to just eat at a couple resturaunts within a ten mile radius or at home. So, unfortunately, we've actually begun traveling more, which probably adversely affects the equation, and is helping the local economy. Bummer.
Conversely, if we had gotten the big GMC Yukon with cash back, the money spent quickly, our incentive would be to drive less in order to stem the leak of money flowing into the pockets of the "oil priviledged".