Toyota Prius: In The Autoblog Garage Day 1
As an automotive journalist I felt completely derelict of duty for not having tested a hybrid vehicle. The entire trend is one of the most talked about and potentially revolutionary automotive innovations since the assembly line. Am I going a bit overboard here? Probably, but even if all this is over exaggerated there is still no reason for not testing the most popular hybrid of the day, the Toyota Prius.
My first impression didnt come from the car itself, it came from an instruction sheet I was given with the key. The Prius has a valet sheet that basically uses pictograms to explain how to start the thing. And not to sound like a moron but I certainly needed the walk-through. You insert the key fob/key into a slot in the dash where a key would normally go, push the power button and seemingly nothing happens.
Sure the lights go on but the engine doesnt come to life. You have to wait until you hit the gas pedal for that to happen. Ive already become addicted to the display that constantly tells you your gas mileage. When you coast, it shoots up to 100 mpg. Hopefully this wont influence the way I drive but Im guessing it will.
Ive read too many reviews of the car and they all say pretty much the same thing so Im going open this test up to the readers. What are the most burning questions you have about driving a hybrid? What would you want answered in a review? Let us know through the comments section.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bruce 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
When I test drove the Prius it seemed that the rearview through the back window was small. Is that a problem? Also the fan (I think) controls on the touch screen seemed hard to use. Maybe I was doing it wrong. Did you get used to the controls on the touch screen? Consumer Reports says there is pronounced noise on coarse pavement. Did you find that, too? I am on the waiting list to buy one for environmental reasons. Thanks
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Guy Socks 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Besides the feel good feeling of saving the environment a few more pounds of CO2, is the Prius a viable alternative to a Corolla XRS or a Camry, which get near 30 mpg?
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
so for tomorrow I'll def tackle the hwy noise thing after a long weekend trip.
mpg will get a good update too.
controls...i'll give another day though. they are tricky.
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keith 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Try Tons... For some of us helping save the environment isn't just to "feel good"
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Paul 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
First is there a way to turn off the display that tells you what the MPG is so you don't have to keep looking at it all of the time, like a regular cars dashboard?
The second question I have is how much room does the front seat have? Do you think a big or tall person could drive the car? Do you have a big and/or tall person handy to sit in the drivers seat and drive around (and not have their knees hit the front column)?
From some of the brief reviews I've read, most people say that your mileage isn't what the EPA reports. What type of gas mileage are you getting in city? What are you getting on the highway?
Thanks
Paul
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b.a.m. 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Though a rather small vehicle, a key differentiation of the 2004 prius from the civic is the hatchback design. If the need to transport anything comes up, I hope you share your experience (good or bad).
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David Steel 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I have a 2004 Prius which I drive in England. I am 17 stone and 6ft 2ins. I find that the Prius is plenty big enough and comfortable on long runs. Overall I get 64mpg. As English gallons are bigger than US ones that equates to around 46mp(US)g. The touchscreen is superb. I have the Prius T Spirit which has SatNav. This means that I usually leave the map on the screen when driving as the mpg screen rapidly ceased to be of interest. After 8000 miles everything is still working perfectly and there have been no problems whatsoever. The most impressive thing about this car, however, is the almost complete silence. It is one of the quietest cars I have owned.
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bjc 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
i am also curious about the trunk/cargo space. perhaps you could get a sampling of luggage (e.g. gym bag, pullman, grocery bags) and put them in other cars (e.g. Civic, Camry, etc) to give us a real-world example of how usable the trunk is (as opposed to the so-and-so many sq ft specs that would only apply if my bags were shaped like M&M's).
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James 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I'm not sure if you will be able to notice this just after driving for a few days, but with the added weight of the batteries, do you know if there is excessive tire or brake wear?
Thanks
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Alan Pratt 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Regarding noise, I have to agree with David Steel of England. I believe the Prius is quiet for a car in this price range. My previous 3 cars were a 2002 VW GTI, 1999 Nissan Maxima, and 1995 Nissan Altima. Only the Maxima was quieter.
Comparing to a Corolla XRS or Camry (or a lot of other cars). The Prius is a fantasitic car for commuting, City driving, or short trips. I've never taken it on a long trip, so I can't really comment on that. But I would say it is superior as a commuter or City car.
You can turn the screen off if you want to.
There isn't really any "added weight of the batteries". Sure the batteries weigh more than no batteries, but they don't weight much and Prius has no transmission, just a fist sized CVT device that saves tons of weight. The car weighs under 3000 lbs, less than my VW GTI, a 2 door hatchback. As far as brake wear goes, there should be less in a Prius than in virtually any other car, because of the regenerative coasting and braking, which results in less use of the conventional brakes.
Milage in a Prius is more variable than with most cars. If you drive it like a Prius you can get the EPA milage. If you don't alter your driving style to take advantage of the Prius's special features, like regenerative braking, you won't get the EPA milage. I'm getting about 56 mpg in combined driving. Seems most people get mid 40's to mid 50's.
I don't really like the fan/AC/heater controls. I think maybe I'm missing something too, and find it to be one of the worst features of the car.
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Steve Eley 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
"I don't really like the fan/AC/heater controls. I think maybe I'm missing something too, and find it to be one of the worst features of the car."
If you insist on spending a lot of time overriding the climate control, then you're right, they're rather a pain. But my experience is that this is unnecessary: the Prius has the smartest automatic climate control I've yet seen. Just tell it what inside temperature you want, and it manages the fans, vent direction, and recirc for you entirely on its own. Does a great job of it.
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Kat Bearu 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Is the climate control in the Prius good for the environment as well? I've heard that air conditioners were not good for the environment but wondered if it's different in this car.
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