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Comments
Unless you can get one way under Blue Book from a private seller I would look for a different dealer. You can get better deals in AZ or NV. I have not been able to buy a new car in San Diego since 1967. Just not competitive pricing. LA is better still too high for me.
I've had my '05 Prius for about 10 days and I am loving every pass-the-gas-station minute of it.
I found the hack to turn off the reverse and seatbelt beep and now I was wondering if there was a way to make the accessory plugs stay on when the car is powered off so I can charge me cell phone.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Bob
Personally, Cell phones, even bluetooth wireless, significantly divert a person's attention for the road and are probably only second to fatigue for causing accidents and Fatalities. MADD, along with more stringent laws, have reduced drunk driving as a primary cause of accidents and fatalities. As cell phones become more and more ubiquitious soon we will see legislation completely prohibitting their use.
Having said all that, it your desire is to charge your cell phone while your car sits. it is very simple to wire a hot plug. I would recommend you use an inline fuse though.
Crus'n in 6th,
MidCow
Congratulations!!! We know you'll enjoy your Prius as much as we do. What color/pkg did you get? Did you get a deal on it or like everyone else, MSRP? To help answer some of your questions, here are some possible answers. Stay tuned to this website and you'll learn A LOT about your Prius and how best to get the most out of it.
1) The bottom window has defroster wiring in it. I would think it would be activated at the same time as the rear windshield.
2) The consumption display is like blood pressure....changes by the minute. When you place a demand on the engine (uphill/acceleration/rap music) the "estimated" mpg drops considerably. When you coast up to a traffic light/sign you'll see it go to 99.99 (infinity?). It's just showing you the "for the moment" instantaneous mpg. The best check for accurate mpg is over 3-4 tankfuls. I live in a hilly area with stop signs every 3 blocks, so unless I'm on the highway, I usually only get low to mid 40's. Don't get too distracted trying to "drive" by the mpg display, it can take your eyes off the road too often.
3) Re the illumination of the steering wheel lights. If you've got the brightness turned all the way up, I don't know what else can be done.
4) I am also seeing a discrepancy between the displayed avg mpg and actual. Actual mpg can be affected by- the gas pump you use, some shut off early, (read back on this site for info regarding fuel guage innaccuracies) and lastly your fill-up will vary on how many times you "top it off" before your shoe gets wet. I usually let it shut off and I give it one more. Some say to wait 2-3 mins and try it again. I don't care to wait around.
5) The green bars often do "show" full when you are on a long downhill grade or during periods of regenerative braking. The computer will discharge excess voltage when it's full.
6) Regarding the auto A/C controls. The heater is strictly electric. When you use AUTO, the fan speed comes on around mid-range to get you your desired temp ASAP and then reduces itself in speed. To avoid the noise of the fan, I simply push the climate button, push one of the fan speeds, detetmine air flow (heat/defrost/vent) and set the temp manually and I get steady temperature results. I usually leave my temp setting at 74 deg this time of year.
Again congrats David on your new acquisition. If anyone else can add/correct what I've offered, please do and we'll all learn. Be sure to re-read your owner's manual. I swear everytime I re-read it, they slipped something new I haven't seen before!
Rich
It will open a Prius manufacturing plant in Chang-chun by the end of the year
The car is silver w/the AI package, but since I'm a techno geek (actually I'm a school administrator), I should have gotten the Nav pkg, play with the screen constantly. The NAV wasn't available; this car happened to be on the lot, I did pay sticker, but he's throwing in pin striping.
I have 2 more questions, but I'm posting them for everyone.
Dave
2. Air Conditioning vs. Heat: Maybe I wasn't clear on this before. When I turn on the heat, the A/C button is automatically lit. I assume this means that the compressor is working, which, of course, is not only not needed in cold dry weather, but wastes energy. So, I shut off the A/C button and run the heat. Why can't I just run heat wo/ A/C?
Thanks again--in advance.
David
About the AC button...I just disengage the AC @ the screen.
Gee!! I wish I'd gotten the smart key when I ordered mine. Actually I wish Toyota made the smart key std. equipment. What I'd also like to see is a convertable hybrid.
Culliganman(Smart Car)
During the warmer months I've found that (during solo driving) if I open the pass windows both front and back an inch or so and leaving the others closed, I get a refreshing breeze around my head. I don't think that little amount of window opening would affect aerodynamics and cost you any mpg. Running the A/C would definitely drop mpg. Try it on a better weather day. I looked up the Toyota website for a cross-reference on the AI (it's #5) package. Didn't the former pkg #1 come with ONLY a rear wiper? I see that even the initial pkg comes with some great features. I have an '04 Driftwood Pearl, pkg #9. By the by....I've had my car for just over a year. I have 11,826 miles using only 255 gals fuel = 46.37 mpg (lifetime avg) Wow!!
Thanks,
Rich
2. Yes the electric motor and battery can tolerate frequent use of the motor at full capacity (which is why Europeans/Japanese have a button).
3. Yes, the button will void the warranty. A dealer will look for any excuse not to fix your broken car, and a major modification like the EV Button, will give them that excuse.
I can't run biodiesel in my Volkswagen for that reason. VW-Germany says it's okay, but VW-America forbids using it, and they will void my warranty.
Likewise, adding the EV Button will void your Toyota warranty.
troy
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publish/volkswagen_news/article_1259.shtml
David
I don't know why the defroster causes the engine to run, my guess is to insure that warm air goes to the windshield. On this other site was a pdf of a presentation discussing the AC in the new Prius. It's electrically driven, but since it does put a drain on the battery, the engine will occasionally run to regenerate the battery charge. But we've had a couple of warmer days here, where the AC ran (and it puts out COLD air), but the engine was not running - even when stopped at a light. Heck, I noticed the difference between driving in cold weather with no AC and driving in warmer weather with AC that I got BETTER mileage running the air conditioner than I did on a cold sloppy day. The best mileage is when the outside temp is decent enough to just turn off the climate control and roll down the windows. And yes, I noticed the "whup whup whup" sound when the rear windows are down - especially on the highway. What I do is roll down the front windows AND rear windows. This seems to elminate the "whup whup" noise and keeps you from being beat up by the wind while driving.
In respose to some of your other questions from your post on the 21st:
I'm totally confused about the Consumption display. I drove today about 20 miles over 35 minutes. It began at about 25 mph (it always seems to start low), then jumped up to 50 ish, and at one time jumped to 75, then back to 50. Sometimes, the little car icons appeared (2 of them), other times, only a half of one. There seems to be no relation to MPGs and the icons. Can someone explain this?
The consumption display is a trip. The first "block" or two are the engine warming up for emissions. So 25mpg is normal. Then, each subsequent block shows you what your average mpg is - if it's flat or downhill, you might see it peg 100. If you hit hills, or are in a lot of stop and go traffic where the engine kicks in, it will drop. The car icons you see show how much energy has been regenerated. And it's quite possible to see high mpg with no car icons, or a smaller mpg with several icons. Over time, you'll get used to what it's telling you. You can actually modify your driving habits by glancing at the screen - I was able to improve my average by several miles per gallon by simply NOT racing between stoplights - yet still accelerating fast enough to keep from being flipped off by other drivers.
3. Can you make the lights on the steering wheel brighter? I can hardly find them at night?
Wish I knew, but I don't.
4. Is the MPG average accurate. I filled up today for the first time. My calculations said 37 MPG, but the display had me in the mid 40s.
Yes, the MPG average is pretty accurate. The problem is that this is one of the hardest cars to fuel that I've ever owned. It uses a bladder and pumps tend to shut off when you can still pump another gallon or so in it, but to do so is a lot of clicks on the pump, and it seems to take forever to "top it off". And be careful if you do try to top it off...since it's a bladder, it doesn't really "spill back" like a regular car, but if you "overfill" it and pull out the nozzle, be prepared for the thing to SPEW gas back at you. For that reason, I go till the pump clicks off and then pump up to the next even dollar amount. And to get an idea of how much gas it should take, I divide the miles driven on the consumption screen by the average mpg on the same screen, and make sure that I pump at least that amount at the next fillup.
5. Does the battery ever get fully charged. When I bought the car, it was in the blue zone. It usually gets to one green bar, and only one time have I seen it with 2 green bars. Is this OK?
Yes, it gets fully charged, but you'll rarely see it in the green while driving. Green is full charge, blue is normal, and pink means low charge.
Hope this answers some of your questions. I was so impressed with my Prius that I bought one for my wife. And our monthly gasoline bill dropped from about $240 (in the pre $2 gas days) to around $80 (in the $2.09 per gallon days).
In the F.Y.I. department: Life is cruel to people like myself...I'm color blind and once again Toyota chose color displays to indicate "battery level" green-blue-pink-etc...For "US" it is most difficult on a day to day basis because those tech people who develope & innovate our world fail to realize the frustration they indifferently seem to bestow upon the color impaired. This will probably never change mostly because "they" fail to stop and think about the "color challenged" poor souls that have to "make do" and/or "adapt".
Railroadjames(livin in a world of your colors not mine)
.
Thanks. But still not what I was talking about. Volkswagen-Germany allows 100% biodiesel (plant oil). Volkswagen-America does not (only 5%), and will void the warranty if you use anything higher. Same car. Same design. Different warranties.
Same with Toyota. They allow the EV Button in Europe/Japan, but not in America, and will void your warranty if you use it.
troy
I haven't reached that stage, so I have no personal info on what the NW region is getting by way of option choices. Toyota has been known to restrict option pkgs in the past, so nothing would surprise me.
Some dealer websites offer the chance to search their new car inventories online - take it with some salt [these cars are sometimes already sold to somebody], but that is another way to check up on what's out there.
Thanks.
A few hours on the phone and Internet can save you hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars. For example I priced a new Jetta TDI Wagon at a dealer in Portland last week. They sell for $200 over invoice. A dealer across the river in Vancouver wants $995 over MSRP for the very same vehicle. You gotta shop around!
HERE GOES
DA GOOD...Surprising pickup that was so much better than the 1st gen Prius that I noticed the yr B/4 on a test drive.
Styling that I like considerably(to each his own) I think it's much better than the 1st gen's styling.
Interior roominess that looks deceiving on the outside. The hatchback is a godsend with over 16 sq. ft of space.
Gas enconomy...What can I say but it's such a pleasure to see so little of gas stations. I've been averaging between 46(winter) & 53(summer)MPG's and near 475 miles to a tank.
Toyota warrantee and quality (the 8 yr 100K on the hybrid sys. speaks volumes). This is nothing new to owners of Toyotas that quality is paramont.
Little things add up too! Heated mirrors, Outside air temperature, Not one but two tripometers, Storage compartments galore(9 of em), lighted visors, Locking gas cover and many other nuances.
DA BAD....Blind spots that tend to annoy me. Rr window is less than popular with Prius owners.
Black Dash always seems to be a dirt magnet and the one of a kind interior upholstery gets picked on from time to time by those that would like a leather interior(can't blame 'em).
I'd like a sunroof (I've heard this by many other owners also.
Side moldings should come with almost all cars unless the doors are polycarbinate or plastic. I hate parking lot dings.
Steering wheel tilt & telescopic could be better. Arm rests seem to be too low and very noticable on long trips. Seats could be better as for comfort.
Whos' idea was it to put the radio antenna on the back in the middle. Poor location.
Smart Key should be standard on the Prius period.(not an extra cost)
There will be more to come later and I hope other owners and fans will add their critiques as well.
Railroadjames(Prius- a car for these times)
- side molding: could be had if you pay less than $100 for the accessory from toyota. I did it myself in 10 minutes.
- Smart entry: as you said, at extra cost and I love it.
- I would also love a moonroof. Considering Toyota's strategy of not putting anything heavy onto the Prii, it is not likely.
- Yeah, I am with you on that Antenna. It is prime-time ugly (or should I say, it appeals to younger folks..).
- Again, manual telescoping steering wheel would be nice. Powered one? Not-likely. Anything heavy is not likely to show up in Prii.
My only wish is to give the drivers more control on when to shut off ICE. For instance, at stop sign, shutting off ICE is plain silly. If the timing could be adjusted, it would be nice. Say, shutting down ICE only after 5 seconds of stop....
One dealer said they had ten on the weekend, now maybe one or two (as of this afternoon). There was a red, today a silver, at another dealer a blue, etc. I get off work in forty minutes and then we go.
Railroadjames(good luck)
Larry (of Michigan).
We did NOT get pre-paid routine maintenance but the dealer provides that ("free") for the first two years/24,000 miles.
I've been looking to buy a Prius for the past week and have learned much about the Prius market, both new and used (in LA / Southern California). Here's what I've come up with:
There's an interesting situation brewing the Prius market. As some of you may have noticed, the sale prices of 2004 model year Prius' is very close to the sale prices of the new 2005 model year Prius. This is particularly odd since most of the 2004 Prius' have over 20k miles on them -- a clear indication that they were rental cars.
In fact, although I've long heard about the "wait" for a Prius, I was offered 6 2005 Prius' last week that met my specifications exactly -- ALL AT MSRP. So, on a 2005 Prius, with package #6, the total was $26,666 (not including tax, license, etc.). Yet, 2004 Prius' with package #9 (the equivalent) were all posted at or near $25k.
The reason for the above, as far as I can tell, is as follows. Toyota is being squeezed on their 2005 models by the competition -- namely, the 2005 Honda Hybrid that is highly rated, has more power (but noticeably less gas mileage). As such, they've had to scale back their pricing demands. This issue has not caught up to the used 2004 Prius market yet, but I suspect it will in the coming months. If you can hold out, 2004 models will probably drop in price...but that might be further stalled by the fact that the Summer driving season will soon be upon us (and gas prices are expected to rise to $3 per gallon).
Another small factor is that there's a Toyota Nationwide Spring Sales Event going on which puts further pressure on dealers to move new cars.
Ultimately, if you're offered a 2004 Prius with over 20k miles on it, but can get a new one for nearly the same price, you should absolutely go with the new one. Especially when you consider that the interest rate to finance a used purchase is higher than that to finance a new purchase.
Hope this is helpful to people out there...and remember, don't pay a single penny over MSRP now. The demand argument is over. They need to move these cars and they're under competitive pressure. If one dealer doesn't make you a good deal, there will be others that will.
I recently got a 2005 Prius and love it but this reverse gear beeper is driving me insane! Does anyone know how to shut it off or disable it?
Will they apply that battery to Prius as well. And if they do so, will it give more mileage.
May be Prius owners should ask these details to Toyota.
We will see a third generation Prius in a couple or three years and you can rest assured it will probably be at LEAST 20%-30% better (in the battery technology department) than the rx400h and the HH are when they are released....
Can anyone say "EPA city rating 70 MPG?"
How do I turn off that annoying beeping in reverse?
1. Power on (not necessarily ready, IG-ON will do).
2. Set Trip/ODO to ODO
3. Power off.
4. Power on to ready (brake on).
5. Within 6 seconds, press and hold ODO for 10 seconds or more.
6. WHILE STILL HOLDING ODO *after* 10 seconds, Shift from P to R, then back to P. Now release ODO.
7. You'll see in the trip display "b on" or "b off".
8. Press ODO to toggle.
9. Now power off.
The Repair manual page says, however, that if you disconnect the 12v battery, you may lose this change. Repair manual also isn't clear that you should be holding down ODO while shifting (or operating seatbelt if you wish to cancel seatbelt buzzers, driver or passenger, using similar steps replacing shifting w/ fastening seatbelts).
Also note that there can't be anyone in the passenger seat when doing the above operation.
Prius-II has the same mileage as Prius-I, even though its battery improved a lot (because its size have been increased a lot and also the pickup). If things go this way, Prius-III will also have the same mileage (with length & height increased).
But if the gas prices really go up, then they may retain the same size and instead race towards high mileage and 70 MPG is feasible.
And the Prius I "realtime mileage" is probably about 7% lower than Prius II.
So with the increase of the HH being 22% better battery capacity than the Prius II, if you extend that 22% again to the Prius III and you do not increase the size or weight, I think we agree that 70 MPG is a reasonable "educated guess" this early in the game.
That's a 15% increase, so it's a lofty goal, but I think it will be possible with upcoming battery technology improvements.
After purchasing my Prius @ list I let go of old ways of thinking like, "why didn't I get a better deal (like300-400 hundred off). Well if the car satisfies and your impressed with it in many ways ....let go and be content in your purchase.
This coming from an ex car salesman.
Railroadjames( oh! and I had to wait 3 months as was their quote on time)
If I have to, I will just order from a dealer in another region.
I wouldn't be surprised if your dealer could get you a package 4 by trading some incoming vehicle. He'll probably trade a 5 to a region which doesn't get 5's. Good luck.
Cher2005
However, the finance manager was quite aggressive in pushing the extended warranty package which we did sign up for, in part because of the newer technology associated with the navigation system. And I'm spoiled rotten so we also opted to replace the fabric covering with full leather for an $1772. :shades: