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2010 Prius - Next Generation
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When the vehicle ( Gen2 ) is running at speeds lower than 41 mph and the GO pedal is released the ICE shuts off entirely ( ! ) and a) the vehicle coasts or b) MG2 moves the vehicle.
When the vehicle is running at speeds over 41 mph the ICE runs at 1500-1600 rpms nearly all the time except when the computer decides that it isn't needed as much, then the ICE is turned down to idle speed of about 950 rpms ( coasting , rolling down a hill or overpass, slowing for traffic, etc. )
Only in heavy full acceleration does the engine rev all the way up to 3000+ rpms and that's not for long.
Over at Priuschat.com a group of technophiles from all over the world have torn these things down and mapped almost every variable possible.
As I cruised into town yesterday I noticed that on pure EV when you can only go so far till the battery runs down, that as I was driving at 35 to 40, the ICE was running, charging the battery as well as providing driving force and the generator was providing some propulsion yet showing the battery being charged at the same time. I was getting an instant reading of about 75mpg while the battery was staying fully charged as it cycled back and forth. This seemed to be a much more sustainable operating mode than EV and looked like it could go on indefinately.
Bob, I'm curious, in Nags Head last year I drove the TCH for 300 miles and got around 45 mpg. I'm guessing with the Prius in the flat, slower roads that 65 to 70 might indeed be reasonable?
The boost is there when you need it to pull away from a stop light or pass on the highway or go up a short hill but that's all. Anything more would require a much bigger battery. The 2010 is a little better because the ICE is more powerful, the battery is a little bigger and you can put it in POWER mode manually.
I'd expect this number to be about 53-55 mpg on the new Gen3. I have a friend who just picked up his 3rd Prius. He put 246,000 miles on his Gen 2 in 5-1/2 years and his number is also 47 mpg lifetime; 44-45 in winter and 49-51 in summer. He's my barometer for what to tell people. He'll put 250,000 mi on his Gen 3 also.
I have read and re-read the manual; done what was said; the lights blinked ......
but the door does not open.
Next, I went through the mode where you press the learn button on the opener.
Same results ....
Any suggestions?
New G3 - IV 3 days old.
Today, I was letting the GPS guide me home, and when we were approximately 1 mile from home, it announced we were home and would quit navigating. I suspect it is wholly due to the fact that our street does not appear on the maps.
I am currently achieving 54.1 mpg .... I call that fantastic!!
There is a lot of talk about all electric vehicles. Interesting, and encouraging, but I suspect that day is a long way off in the future. The issues have already been discussed, so I will not repeat them here, but I think for now, my Prius gas/electric is the answer for me an my wife and our circumstances.
Same results ....
Did you go through the learn cycle by pressing the button on homelink 3 times for two seconds? Mine always thats all three
54 mpg is nice. Better than most. But how about 70 mpg. and a self-correcting gps.
I assume the image represents -"watt hours"? or "watts/hour"?
I assume that signifies the power that is generated (returned to the battery) by what? the regen? the engine? On the 5 min display, the little images do not extend all the way to the top of the graph .... so I assume that while I am achieving, say 50 mpg, is is being obtained via two separate processes?
What useful informationm is that to me? For maximum efficiency, should I be striving to make as many images as possible?
I have not had my car a week yet, so maybe in time I would have figured it out, but I assume the target is to get as many images as possible. I have been practicing "pulse and glide" (P&G) and I can see real merit in that process, but I have mot made the connection between P&G and the little images.
The manual mentions "50wh," but I have not found an explanation. Then somewhere I read about "30wh." I assume that is not as good?
I will be joining this discussion group because we just purchased a 2010 Prius IV which we will be taking delivery of on Tuesday or Wednesday. I have been waiting to get a Hybrid Vehicle for three years so I am quite excited about our new purchase. The Prius will be replacing a Ford Explorer that gave us 9.5 years of good service once the bugs were corrected.
If you would like to get information on the operation of and terminology used for Toyota Synergy system I suggest you go to the Howstuffworks.com website. You will get an explanation of how the system works and the terminology used to describe the energy derived from electric motors.
It clearly is an option in all the brochures and it has always been one of the ordering options ever since Toyota announced the vehile back in January. Just a matter of time I think.
I just bought the package IV a few days ago and at first, I did not like it very much, because going from a Lexus ES to a Prius is a huge difference, however, after a few days of driving it, I like it more and more. It is fun to drive. the power is better than I expected for a hybrid, it is fun to drive. Because I have been using A/C all the time so I dont get the 50+ mpg yet, but I still get apprx 40+ mpg. Blue tooth, back up camera are very nice. there are only a couple "wish for improvements" : the halogen head lights are not bright enough (actually little dark) and for a 30k vehicle, I expect to see some luxury wood grain in the dash. I wish HID is an option in package IV.
Christine
There are another 21 - 1227 models in the Southeast Region with the SR package available from now through the first week in August.
Toyota Link
I own a G3, IV and find that it is quiet, comfortable, most economical, and fun to drive. I like the looks too. I purchased it for it's fuel efficiency, which to date is greater than the EPA figure. That is great!! But, in addition, I have found the NAV system is functional, and very clear; The drive comfort is much better than expected, it is stable, and drives straight without issue; the interior is tomb quiet; the audio system is better than my hearing .... no complaints; the seats are comfortable even on moderately long trips (longest has been 250 miles to date); and I could go on and on.
Truthfully, I have enjoyed every car I have owned. My last was an Acura RSX (a lot of fun to drive, and very economical). Prior to that I owned a 2001 Toyota Highlander, (great car)(traded in on the Prius). The list includes another Acura, another Toyota, a Nissan, two VW's, and long before that several Fords.
I know that many feel a $25-30,000 vehicle should be perfect. I have not found many "perfect" things in my life, but I have found many excellent things. So far, I include the 2010 Prius on the "Excellent" list. I tend to thoroughly research a product, make the best deal possible, and then enjoy the purchase. If a problem develops, I try to solve it, but some writers seem to search for problems, or features they do not like, or list features they wish it had.
I suppose I have enjoyed reading others comments, but most often I conclude how glad I am that mine does not have that problem.
I sure do feel smart when I fill up the tank ..... thank you Toyota.
When driving on the Interstate, it does show the next three exits before you. It does list gasoline, lodging, food and "$" .... not sure if that means "ATM" or a bank. Again, that feature will need to be understoof a bit better. One aspect of the NAV that I have not become accustomed to ... the vehicle cannot be moving when changes are entered. I tend to get in and go, and my wife complains that I did not give her enough time to set things up. The name of the restuarant is not shown (that I have seen). Some have complained about teh clarity of the screen. The only complaint I have is all the fingerprints on the touch screen.
I considered the Fusion, but could find no dealer that had one to drive. The local Ford dealer did not even meet me in the showroom floor or when we walked around the lot. I mused that they must not be hungary enough yet.
I have read good things about the Fusion, and I like the looks of it, but alas, I went for the mileage, and the Toyota reputation. Actually, I considered giving Ford my business for not accepting the govt money. But in the end, I went with the Prius, and do feel I could not have done any better. As I mentioned, I traded a 2001 Toyota that has been an outstanding vehicle.
Good luck.
You can also do it by voice command...my favorite is..'I'm hungry'. that will bring up all the icons on the map around your present location.
I admitted at first when I first got the car, I did not like it and kind of regretted it, but the more I drive and learn about the vehicle, the more I like it. If you want to save little money, you can skipp the solar roof, but I highly recommend the Navi. it is worth getting the Navi. the solar make it looks very nice, especially with a white exterior; however, the solar is not really practical. Dont take me wrong, I enjoy the solar roof, but if you want to cut a few bucks off the price, you can skip the solar.
good luck
If anyone has any suggestions on car choices for a commuter who is also kind of a techie(love the navs with voice recognition and bluetooth etc), I am all ears.
Also, I need help negotiating a fair price when it comes down to it!
Today I drove our Prius 300 miles (to the Tetons). I am more impressed than ever. Comfortable, quiet, great NAV .... and 57.7 mpg. Gas in Wyoming is $2.459.gal, so you can see the day cost less than $15.00. I drove up and down the Teton Grade (10% up and 10% down) the hybrid did not even strain even with the A/C on.
I do not understand comments about the "shift lever." It is not a shift lever at all. In much less than a week of ownership, I have completely adapted to the selector, and it is perfectly convenient when going to the "brake" function, for example when going down a long 10% grade.
I can understand that others like the Ford Fusion, actually I like it as well, and may have made that choice had I not gone with Toyota. We all make our own choices. Some like the Fusion profile .... I like the profile of the Prius. It slips through the wind almost without any noise.
Every aspect of the Prius design has fuel efficiency, comfort and reliability as a focus. It has been said before, the Prius is not a direct competator with the Fusion. Ford applied a hybrid system to a gasoline Ford Fusion, just as they did with the Escape, and a number of other manufacturers as well. Toyota did the same with the Camry, Honda did it with the Insight, and will do so again with the Fit. Each has achieved a degree of improved economy by doing so. As near as I can determine, only the Prius was designed from the inception to be what it is .... and they are now in the third generation of the design.
Have a great day!
31, or even comparing the Prius to the Fusion or Insight, but this is specifically about the 2010 Prius, of which was not even mentioned in your comments.Blind Spots: - I was a bit concerned about that initially. My other vehicle is a full-size truck, and it has taught me to use the outside mirrors. My previous car was a Acura RSX, and it had serious blind spots. I figure only a convertible with the top down offers completely visibility. No car designer can provide the cabin protection now demanded without sizable corner structures.
The horizontal bar: Yes, it is in the line of sight, but again, I use the outside mirrors. I have the NAV package, so when backing, the camera gives a pretty good view behind. However, I use the camera only to check for children or obstructions that may be out of view of the mirrors ... I still like the mirrors, and use them when backing. When I look through the inside rear-view mirror, I see the bar, but a little more distracting is the rear hatch is brighter (it is not tented) and the lower area is darker. Honestly, I have not become use to the two levels of brightness. Also, the RSX had a very poor view through the rear view mirror. So, it is all in what you become comfortable with.
Claustrophobic: I have never had problems with that; that being said, the RSX was even more "confining." We have the tan leather interior, and maybe it is the blend of tan and dark that gives me depth ..... Plus, there is a wonderful view of the road ahead. So many sedans have extended hood blocking most downward view. That probably helps too. ....... no I have not felt claustrophobic.
4WD - I traded in a Toyota Highlander with AWD. That concern almost broke the deal for me. I talked with 4-5 other Prius owners in our development (I live in Utah and we do get snow). They all said they drive their Prius Winter and Summer, and they have never had a problem. The city does clear the roads, and there should be no problem except with accumulated drifts. The Prius is lower to the road than the Highlander. If it gets too deep I will drive my truck ... but they are not that great in snow either.
When the Toyota Venza came out I looked at it and thought that was the direction we would go. Then I noticed how small the windows were, and I felt "limited." In the Prius I sit up (I am 6'3") and see over the sill, plus the wonderful panorama of the road ahead..
I know you won't, but do not buy based on my comments. Some people have rented Prius' and get a better behind the wheel experience than a dealer will permit.
BTW, my wife wanted a Lexus SUV. She objected to how low the Prius is to the ground. But today she told me she found the car completely comfortable on our 300 mile mini-vacation. And she is aware that we could not have afforded to go if it had not been for the fantastic fuel efficiency.
A fair price on a brand new Prius is prolly MSRP, +/-
A fair price on a brand new Jetta TDI, sedan or sportwagon is MSRP, +/-
A fair price on a brand new Insight is prolly a discount, Honda doesn't give discounts easily.
A fair price on a brand new FFH is prolly a small discount. Most dealers I understand have one or none.
The four vehicles are not really in the same class.
An Insight is a subcompact 5 door hatch
A Prius is a tweener, between a compact and a midsizer
The Jetta's are also tweeners,
A Fusion is a midsized sedan.
The Prius gets the best fuel economy ( FE ) by far overall
The Jetta gets equally good FE on the Hwy but suffers in the city
The Insight gets very good FE overall
The Fusion gets the best FE for its class, but not amongst this group.
The Jetta is prolly the most fun to drive but as a commuter that's prolly not all that important.
The Insight, Fusion and Prius follow behind, subjective.
The Fusion is prolly the most comfortable.
The Prius, Jetta and Insight are may be less so, subjective.
There are NO blind spots at all. In fact the visibility is better than most any other vehicle.