I really like our prius as a daily appliance. Needs stickier rubber and stiffer suspension, aside from that it's damn good little car.
I really like our prius as a daily appliance. Needs stickier rubber and stiffer suspension, aside from that it's damn good little car.
I'll balance all you eco weenies out with my 13mpg Cayenne Turbo S.
Picked up car today. Tires are new, it has weather tech mats inside. The rear hatch opening plastic trim has come undone , guess this is common? The hatch trim car colored is oxidized from the sin. One of the door handles paint is all crispy and chipped.
Its a weird car, but almost perfect if you have some sort of other car to get your Jones in.
In about 3 weeks I have put 2K miles on the '07 Prius I just bought.
I have to say, it works very well. I notice that unlike most of my cars, the gas pedal requires a lot of movement/travel to get the car going. I hopped in my wife's Mazda5 the other day and crazy gassed the thing, nearly peeling out (if an automatic Mazda5 could actually peel out.)
Aside from this pedal travel, a Prius also drives different from a regular car in that it never seems to really coast. Even auto trans cars do a little coasting but the Prius drives more like a brake is sticking. The brakes are not sticking but the car seems to either use power going forward or make power (regenerate) when not making power. It is a little odd and has taken some getting used to.
It was warmer last week and I was getting 43-ish mpg. Now that it is colder I am getting as low as 40-ish mpg.
Most odd for me has been buying a used car that seems to have nothing wrong. I did replace the 12V battery but mostly that was preventive maint and likely me just looking for something to replace. When I replaced the battery I could see no evidence that it had ever been replaced so at 9 years old, I guess it was wise preventive maint to replace it.
In reply to Coldsnap:
How are those Weather Tech mats?
I have been considering but they are expensive. I wish I could find a used set. I have found used sets from newer Priuses. The problem with finding used is they are often from perople who leased the cars.
My body style ended in '09 so the 3 year leases were turned back in about '12. That means the used sets I want were sold 4 years ago. On the market now are sets from '12, '13 & '14 Priuses
Hi John I need some more time with the weather techs to really say so. But I took em out to clean them and they seemed nice. I prefer my Volvo OE ones, I think those are actually made by weather tech but they feel a better quality. Fit is good. I like how the back seat one goes over the drive train bump.
Is the 12v battery in the back passenger side trunk? Previous owner replaced that. That's about it though.
In reply to JohnRW1621:
Re: prius coasting. You can get it to coast. I think they call it "glide". Iirc it only works under 42mph. Anyway, get the car up to cruising below 42mph. Let go of the gas pedal; the infographic should show Regen. Very lightly press on the gas pedal. The infographic should show no power flow or Regen. You are now gliding or coasting. I believe it only works when the car is up to operating temperature. It can get you a few more mpg.
I'm gonna hyper mile the E36 M3 outta this thing. Gotta change my driving habbits for sure..
I can get mine to glide at any sleed. In other news, did 107 in it the other day. Not maxed, just a fast cruise. One of thesedays I want to vmax it just for yucks. On a closed course of course.
^Just because there's pedal left doesn't mean there's power left! 
I tried to daily drive "interesting" cars for over a decade. Ultimately I've been much happier dailying an appliance and having a true project car. Take the Prius, sell the 240, buy a kart or a passion car and have real fun.
Not in disagreement, but I'll offer that my perspective doesn't even separate my Prius into a different category than anything else i own/owned. It's just another 'different experience' along with my turbo minivans, porsche 911, etc etc. I think everyone values different things in the car world. I value the 2g Prius design as the first 'good' expression of what a hybrid for the masses could be . The 2g Prius is to hybrids what the Tesla Model S is to EVs; the one that made the whole thing real. So while being in one and driving it may not be exciting to most people, i think it's kind of neat driving a piece of car history that just isn't fully recognized as such yet.
My girlfriend gonna legit kill me. Her parents own two priuses and she hates them. Oh well
Oh well is right! Just tell her you're now entitled to waste at LEAST a couple grand on whatever you want before you're back to what you would have spent driving anything else, and go buy that bike! 
I just wish that they'd build a Prius-ized scion xB
I actually wish that about the xA! It would be like the Fit Hybrid they never sold here, except with a superior drivetrain.
You can get a Prius to coast at any speed, it just requires precise throttle pedal usage. You can see it on the power flow screen, but you'll be able to feel it without any help from the screen once you get used to how the thing works.
GVX19 wrote: After you get past $45 for the fluid. Its EZ. A Funnel and 3' of 1/2 PEX Pipe. Is so cheep you wont feel bad to trash them when your finished. So $50 and your time. Be responsible and recycle all your fluids.
What's your method on doing it? Seems a bit silly how the transmission doesn't have a dipstick.
Coldsnap wrote: I'm gonna hyper mile the E36 M3 outta this thing. Gotta change my driving habbits for sure..
I did just the opposite when I had a Civic DX as my daily driver. I drove the piss out of it. It was fun driving everywhere like there was a trophy, a bottle of champagne, and a kiss from a pretty girl waiting for me when I got there, and still getting nearly 40 mpg.
I'd put some sticky tires on the 2g Prius and drive it like you stole it. Which, you sort of did.
Tires are "Prime Well".. for free I'm not complaining, but I usually don't cheap out on tires. Would like something different, but oh-well.
Coldsnap wrote: Tires are "Prime Well".. for free I'm not complaining, but I usually don't cheap out on tires. Would like something different, but oh-well.
Based on my experience with them, be very careful in the rain. Mine would hydroplane at 45mph In a slight drizzle when new.
I did just the opposite when I had a Civic DX as my daily driver. I drove the piss out of it. It was fun driving everywhere like there was a trophy, a bottle of champagne, and a kiss from a pretty girl waiting for me when I got there, and still getting nearly 40 mpg.
Hypermiling is cool if you have fun with it, but I'm kinda with you in that if you really want mpg, you're better off driving the wheels off of something that's actually efficient vs driving on eggshells in something that still won't touch 40mpg. Back when i had a highway commute in my 1g Insight i would get damn near to the top speed on a daily basis.
I once drove a couple hundred miles to the coast at 90-95mph and got 38mpg.
Nick (Bo) Comstock wrote:Coldsnap wrote: Tires are "Prime Well".. for free I'm not complaining, but I usually don't cheap out on tires. Would like something different, but oh-well.Based on my experience with them, be very careful in the rain. Mine would hydroplane at 45mph In a slight drizzle when new.
Damn, I do not like hearing that as safety is #1 for me. Any chance I could get new tires and possibly sell these ones on Craigslist? Dunno who would want them.
People will buy used tires - I got $75 or $100 (I don't remember exactly) for a set that wasn't in great shape. As long as they're round, have plenty of tread, and hold air you can get money for 'em.
Cool, think I will get some Michelin then.
Coldsnap wrote: Tires are "Prime Well".. for free I'm not complaining, but I usually don't cheap out on tires. Would like something different, but oh-well.
I just ordered a new set of Cooper CS5 Grand Tourings for my DD. I've read good reviews, and the price wasn't bad- about $400 for the set "all-in" from my local shop. Will let you know how I like them but from the reviews I've read they're an excellent upgrade for an A/S tire. And they probably come in a size to fit the Prius.
docwyte wrote: I'll balance all you eco weenies out with my 13mpg Cayenne Turbo S.
Still in the two digit range for MPG. You hippy.
My K3500 averages 9.5.
What's your method on doing it? Seems a bit silly how the transmission doesn't have a dipstick.
You just add fluid until it over flows. Just like a Dif.
I wonder if anyone would be interested in a Prius Driver Friendliness Pack.
My main changes would be "solid axle conversion kit" anti-roll bars, and reprogramming the steering to roughly quadruple the force needed at the rim.
In reply to chaparral:
What is the benefit of a solid axle?
Edit: I'm so new I'm not sure what it has. Maybe it currently has a solid and you are proposing an independent.
JohnRW1621, since I got ya in the thread. Did you put collision insurance on the prius? I'm a bit on the fence. Kelly blue book puts it at $5k or so (2008 130k miles). Dealer trade in is $3.5k, If I do crash it I'm out $1,000 deductible then I have a rebuilt tittle car that's worth $2k or so.. I figure at that point it's not worth the premium for deductible. I'm at $26 a month with no collision on it, I'm comfortable there since I'm pricing grad schools and need to save money..
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