Enlighten me about a Prius + four.
 

OK, I've gotten so "fed up" with GM's lack of 'customer service response' (lack there of) with our 2011 LTZ Cruze that we're seriously considering dumping it and moving on to a 2013, 2014 or 2015 Toyota Prius...but we've never considered a Prius before.

So, in no particular order, here are some of my questions:

1) What is the typical battery-pack life?
2) Is battery life driven more by usage (miles), temperature (hot/cold), or what?
3) How leather-like is that faux-leather "Softex™," which is really just expanded polyurethane plastic (and they want an UP-CHARGE for it?)
4) What brand are the OEM P195/65R15 tires and are they LRR?
5) How accurate are the dash gauge MPG readings?
6) How accurate are the dash gauge BATTERY readings (%-left, range, etc.)?
7) How safe is their Smart Key System: "...may interfere with some pacemakers or cardiac defibrillators"? (I have one)
8) How well do the 'heated front seats work? What effect on battery life?
9) How visible/useful is the Heads-Up Display (HUD)...especially in sunlight?
10) How many problems with the Multi-Information Display (MID) unit (screen & electronics)...touch screen?
11) How effective is that battery-powered AC in hot summertime & at stoplights?

Oh, also, what Prius website(s) should I visit?

I have an 05 prius so cant help you with the newer ones, but PriusChat can

Thanks, I am now signed up there. :thumbup:

Did you run the numbers to see if this makes financial sense? Since the Insight has been discontinued you should be able to get a much better deal.

Long story short hybrid hate hot weather over 100 degrees as it shortens the battery life and most limit warranty in hot states. Second, they hate to be parked. They must be driven weekly if not daily or the battery life is shortened.

Cold weather cuts your mpg by at least 20mpg and the more heat you use the less mpg you will see.

How so? You referring to leftover Insights or Prius's (Prii)?

Interesting (disturbingly)...I hadn't heard about either of those limitation from ANY of our local (AZ) Toyota dealerhips visited.

Cold weather typically isn't our (Tucson, AZ) problem, it's the hot summer months (100-115ºF) that I'm worried about; but it would affect MPG.

Some answers, but others might have more to add:


1) What is the typical battery-pack life?
Don't know about the US, but in the EU we get 10 yo. warrenty on the Hybrid drivetrain
2) Is battery life driven more by usage (miles), temperature (hot/cold), or what?
It is NiMH batteries, which are very durable, så don't worry about them. Also system takes great care of them
5) How accurate are the dash gauge MPG readings?
In my yartis within 5%
6) How accurate are the dash gauge BATTERY readings (%-left, range, etc.)? You don't need that information
7) How safe is their Smart Key System: "...may interfere with some pacemakers or cardiac defibrillators"? (I have one)
In my opinion the smart key system is useless, and eats a lot of power, fo stay away
8) How well do the 'heated front seats work? What effect on battery life? Belive they run on the 12 V batryry, and they heat well, almost too much. Dosent use them.

I think the stock battery usually lasts as long as the Prius does. Even in the 1st gen Prius. The on dash MPG readings are a bit high sometimes, but that may depend on the tires.

It's a hybrid, so the battery gets charged and discharged multiple times during a trip, depending on the trip. The 3rd gen has an EW Mode button that keeps it in electric only mode - until the battery depletes and then the engine comes on and charges it. Regen also charges it.

I can't think that the Smart Key does anything like that - it has to pass FCC regs and I'm sure it is safe for a pacemaker. It (probably) works on the same frequencies as any typical remote key fob.

I can't speak to the heated seats.

FWIW, these are just some of the questions the local Toyota salesman was NOT able (or willing?) to answer...hence, my bringing them up here.

The Prius battery is warranted for 8 years/100,000 miles regardless of your state, unless you live in a CARB state where the warranty is longer (I don't think Arizona is a CARB state).

There are a few possibilities--as of 2013, Prii come with either Goodyear, Bridgestone, or Yokohama tires stock (earlier years also had Michelin). All are LRR. (Mine has the Yokohamas--not well-reviewed on Tire Rack, but I've had no problems with them in ice, snow, and dry so far).

Mine is consistently 5-8% high.

Don't know how exactly how accurate it is, but I believe you can read battery level as a % on Scangauge II.

None so far.

Well, we did it -- we dumped the 2011 Cruze and got a 2014 Prius-4 today!

Although we really wanted a Plug-In Prius (PIP), there were none to be found in AZ because (apparently) all the AZ dealerships just 'gave-up' on trying to sell them after '12 & '13 dismal sales.

Congrats! welcome to the club!

Wow, congrats on the new car. You won't be disappointed IMO. I love my 2004 Prius and have no worries at all about the battery or really anything else for that matter. I just drive it around and get great mileage.

I wanted a Plug-In as well; I'm disappointed they aren't available to us in the middle of the country yet.

You might find this list helpful if you have a Scangauge or are planning on getting one....

Thanks, I do have a SGII already, but I don't know much AT ALL about the Prius Synergy system. You got some insight you care to share with a newbie?

Not much, since I've had the car barely a month; tonight I turned off the reverse and seatbelt beeps using the X-Gauges, which is a must if you don't want to go crazy every time you put it in reverse. I've also found this article and this post helpful in trying to get the best mileage out of the car.

This. I picked up an '08 Prius for my wife so she could calm down and stop un-consciously hypermiling her 5 speed. :D

Congrats on the car, the new Prii look really good and have some pretty sweet features.

The coolest thing I learned was how the "transmission" worked. It's not a geared torque multiplier/reducer in the typical sense. It's the engine and battery feeding a sun gear arrangement with output going to the wheels. It's a very elegant arrangement. Excess engine power for the wheels can be used to run the generator for the batteries and the main battery turns the engine to start it, very cool.

Oh, and I'm jealous of your non-bladder fuel tank. I don't think we've fit more than 6 gallons in our Prius through all this cold weather... :(

Non-bladder? I have not read anything (in Owners Manaul) yet stating whether the fuel tank is a bladder...only that it is 11.9 gallons/45L capacity.

I saw somewhere they got rid of the bladders. I wish I could change mine... 16 gal would get me to North Carolina no problem with a day or two of driving while there before needing to fill! A man can dream.

1st and 2nd gens had a rubber bladder in the tank to reduce emissions. The 3rd gen ditched the bladder.

Congrats on your purchase.

If you asked me a few years ago if I would ever get a Prius, I would have said it would be unlikely. Now that I have one, I love it. My wife can get 50MPG in mainly city driving pretty easily, and I can get 60MPG city out of it in the summer. On a recent 2200 mile trip, it returned 48.7MPG overall doing mostly highway at 67 or 77mph (depending on the limit) with cruise. Its the perfect compromise of size, power, mileage, etc to me.

This video is a good introduction to driving a Prius efficiently. P&G at <40mph is effortless when you get used to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XxB6ma7qu8

Thanks, the wife and I watched that video together...it answered a LOT of our questions that the salespeople didn't cover.

We're STILL trying to figure out all the MID & MPG display functions and how to activate and enter/delete data.

How are you liking it now after a couple weeks?

Actually, we haven't really driven it all that much...was busy switching Vibes with our daughter (Burbank, CA)...so, the Prius was 'sitting' for awhile. We just got back in town late yesterday.

1. tank is not bad at all.....