one bad experience at one dealer hardly would make me eager to buy from a private party.
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.
(This is my second attempt at posting this question - please forgive if it's out there twice but I don't see it on the list)
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.
Your other post is #4160. Leaving a hot plug could potentially run down the battery; I don't thin the Prius has a hot 12V plug. Why can't you charge the battery as you drive or are you using the phone during that time and the charger cable bothers you.
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.
drtravel47- 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
Rich, 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
1. Back window noise. There is SO MUCH NOISE when the back windows are open it is PAINFUL. Besides this, the radio begins to sounds like flub, flub, flub, flub.
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?
You will find many cars when in defrost mode the compressor operates. This is to keep it lubed as in the old days the folks in cold climates only used air for a couple months a year and the rest of the time the compressor sat and rusted, requiring replacement. As auto warranties increased from 12 months to 60 months and now 36 months manufacturers fixed the compressors to come on to save warranty costs plus gas was cheap then so it didn't matter.
This has been around for quite awhile. Mostly due to aerodynamics of cars to make them more fuel sfficient. The term "helicoptering" should ring a bell since it refers to this annoyance. I guess it's a kind of trade off to attain a better & efficient vehicle. 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)
My last two cars and my brand new Prius have the same rear window noise problem. I find that if the front windows are both open at least a crack the turbulance stops. YMMV.
Hi gang, 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
1) No the button will not damage the battery (the engine turns on at 40% state-of-charge).
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.
Your compressor isn't running. It's just confusing words on the dash, I guess because "climate control auto" is a bit too big to put on the dash lights. If it's heat, it's not running the compressor. On a side note, the AC is electric - it doesn't depend on the engine to run to operate the compressor. The other thing is that when you select "defrost" for the front windshield, the engine DOES run almost all the time.
This is way off topic, but since you brought it up: VWoA just announced jointly with ADM that they are going to approve use of biodiesel [up to some level that is code for a blend that I don't pretend to understand] in this country.
I wish I could tell you where I get this information, but the minute I post it, the moderators delete the post, since it's a competing message board.
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).
Very well delivered P.J. I think that you covered a number of issues that even Toyota has had difficulty communicating to owners...like how to get the screen back on after turning it off. 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)
Railroadjames - thanks....side note for you - the state of charge can also be determined by the height of the bars - I believe when it gets down to two bars, it goes pink. Mine's never got that low, but I'm guessing that when I have "full bars" they are green, but with between 3 and about 5 or 6 bars showing, you're in the "normal" range. Above 6, it's green.
"VWoA just announced jointly with ADM that they are going to approve use of biodiesel [up to some level that is code for a blend that I don't pretend to understand] in this country."
.
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.
You may think it is the same engine but in fact it could have different gaskets etc. to make it relieable on the bi-diesel for that country. Just as in they make different versions of the same cars for different countrys (steering wheel placement, heated mirrors, the button in previous posts for the engine etc.) they can and do make different versions of the same engine.
If you are a serious buyer, I would e-mail and/or phone every dealer from Ashland to Seattle [get the details from the Toyota website] and tell them what you are looking for and what you'll pay. If the car you want is anywhere in the NW, you'll find out soon enough.
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.
A quick and very dirty search of WA and OR dealers shows plenty of availability, and many cars priced below the levels of pkg 4 or above. How many of these cars are actually on the lot and available for sale is another question - again, a serious buyer just needs to make some phone calls and/or e-mail inquiries. Never, ever, take the word of one dealer for anything in this business....
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!
...that would be Dick Hannah - they are laughable in their sales practices. They honestly seem to think that their customers are too stupid to know what competition means. Whatever...
I just started looking in earnest for Pruis. Interested in pkg #4 - purchase below or at MSRP. Today dealer wanted "$4,000 premium" for car due to demand. Any out there within 150 miles of Dayton, OH?
Since no car is perfect I think it's time to let the forum explore one of the most popular new cars to come along in quite awhile. This being said, I'll begin by sharing my ups & downs with my 1-1/2 yr old Prius. Both the good and the not so good(O.K....the bad) that I've experienced in my 17 thousand miles at the wheel of this hybrid. 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)
Well, - 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....
Agree on antenna--should be in-glass type diversity antenna; would like ev button, daytime running light with xenon for insurance reduction, brighter interior lighting, manual height adjustment for driver, better audio with auto volume, adaptive cruise control, rain-sense wipers, etc.
This evening we are headed to dealer(s) in Washington, D.C., area looking (possibly) to "close" on Pkg# 4 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.
We bought our 2005 package 4 Prius from Alan Nott Toyota/Honda in Lima, OH, back in November. Price was MSRP. They were very helpful and easy to work with. Lima is just a bit of a drive up the road from Dayton. They only had a waiting list of 3 or 4 people back then, and no one wanted this color (red). So my name went on it after making just one phone call (and a $500 deposit) to them. Larry (of Michigan).
Bought a White #6 for $700 under the $26,742 MSRP on Easter Sunday. I would have preferred a #4 because I'm not too fond of the JBL Stereo. I've never seen a #4 available for sale at any So Calif Dealership.....
Pkg# 2, Silver, dark (grey) interior, $24,183 Oot-The-Door, Toyota Platinum warranty (with $100 deductible per incident) $1,300 and extra $32.50 tax on that. We paid with five checks: $9,090 and $9,090 and $5,000 and $1,300 with final $32.50 check, drove the Prius away with cardboard tags. I know afterwards that another Prius forum provides the Platinum for below $800 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 hope everyone understands that ALL the hybrid automakers are working diligently on battery improvements...not leaps and bounds, but significant steps nonetheless.
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....
Shamelessly lifted from another prius chat group..
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.
my guess is that the next Prius will not be much larger or heavier than the current generation....it's already classified as "midsize" versus the Prius I being a "compact."
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.
For those that are in the market for any car in demand be it the Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Insight, etc....The thing to remember is dickering over a few hundred dollars is usually not worth the hassle even if you think you can. Also, if you hold out and play a bit of the waiting game it can effect some barganing power, sometimes. 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)
Apparently that information is true. I have been trying to purchase pkg#4 in GA and was told yesterday when I finally went in person to a dealer that it is not being offered by Southeast Toyota region. Immediately after leaving that dealer, I called another one who had told me 120 days for pkg#4 to clarify whether or not it was really available. He told me that his GM was on the phone to Toyota then and that there were only 4 available so he ordered one for me and I gave him $1000 deposit over the phone. I'm going Monday to fill out paperwork, but in the meantime, my boyfriend called the 800 Toyota number. They told him the same thing the first dealer said - Southeast Toyota region only offers Pkg 1, 5 & 6. So, I hope the dealer who took my deposit isn't trying to bait & switch. When I asked if the deposit was refundable, he asked me why I was asking. Then he proceeded to tell me that it was. So........I'm waiting til Monday to meet this guy in person and hopefully get a feel for his degree of BSing. He said that not every dealer could get that pkg, but he has one of the best GMs.
If I have to, I will just order from a dealer in another region.
It seems that the different parts of the country get different packages by default. If you go to the main toyota website and put your zipcode in you can find out what packages that toyota sends to your region. Where I live in the northeast we seem to get packages 3, 4 and 6. In GA it looks like they ship mostly 5 and 6. I was told by the dealers that they can get other packages but it takes time and they have to be connected enough to get a trade. I wanted a package 3 and was able to find one on the lot. Checked it out in the afternoon, took it home that night. At msrp, which is what the going rate is here in the Boston MA area. True to the main toyota website, the dealers in my area only had 3, 4, and 6's. I think that Toyota does send package 1's everywhere, but not many.
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.
Hi Larry- I'm in western PA . Last Wednesday I looked at a 05 Prius on a lot but it was sold. Dealer told me he had a '05 #6 coming in in two weeks. I put $500.00 to hold it. It came in last night, 2 days after I put a deposit down and I will pick it up on Monday. It is Tideland Pearl, Pk. # 6 with EVERYTHING. Out the door price of $26,715.00 Good buying experience, can't wait to pick it up. It sounds like my experience was unusual. Cher2005
We went to a newer Toyota dealership here in St. Louis two and a half weeks ago on a Wednesday evening. I wanted a Tideland Pearl 2005 #6 and that's exactly what they said they had coming in on Friday. We picked it up on Saturday for $26,666 plus a flat fee of $199 for "title, filing, preparation & recording". No dickering or upcharges (the dealership HAD been adding an upcharge of $2000 up until about a month ago). I think that Toyota has revved up its manufacturing capabilities and at least for the moment, supply is coming close to equaling demand.
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:
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: