Mumsy bought a nifty new car!

[guinaevere]

I originally posted this in the TZ: Survivor 2 Discussion thread as an update to a situation, but it's too darn neat to not share at the Cafe. So...

Mumsies Neat New Toyota Prius (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/guinaevere/photos/newcar.jpg)!

Take a look at Moms new car, Mom, Jaelie, and David, the very nice salesman who I had great time flirting with showing off my digital camera to. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/guinaevere/smilies/blush.gif


Mumsy went with a Toyota Prius instead of the MiniCooper. It's not as exciting to look at, but a better car. And it averaged 53 MPG driving home the day she bought it. And so far we've gone 317 miles on half a tank of gas. The tank is a pretty standard size: 11.7 gallons. So I have to say, it's kinda hard to beat this thing on fuel economy.

Wanna see some cool things?
Picture A (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/guinaevere/photos/wheresthestuff.gif)


?- You might notice that there are no gages in the normal location.
!!- There is an digital display which takes the place of speedometer, tach, et cetera.
Picture B (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/guinaevere/photos/insidenifty.gif)

1- This is the Power Button. Yeah. You push it. And the car starts.
2- The Touch-Screen computer. You can manage climate/radio from here, AND keep an eye on which engines are running, how effecient the fuel is being used. After driving back from the dealership in Athens, we drove a little around the back roads around here and for a while the engines were running at 99mpg.
3- This is just where you put the keyfob in while driving.
4- The gear stick. What's nuts about this thing is that you don't put it into drive and leave it there, you put it into drive or reverse and it pops back to it's resting place. Because there's no shifting within the engine/transmission. This thing is so insane, I can't tell you.
Average tank of gas will get a Prius driver 600-700 miles. What amazes me is that the thing has adequate power. Tap the gas pedal and you're off. It's an odd driving sensation, and the fact that the gas engine turns off and stays off while at a stop light (or whenever you'd be idling in a regular car) will take some getting used to.

Honestly, this thing is frickin' insane. The brakes on the car are regenerative, meaning, when you brake, you hardly use the brake pads as in a normal car... instead, in the Prius, it uses that kinetic energy to recharge the electric battery.

And when you're driving at higher speeds, if the gas engine needs extra power (say you want to pass a guy, or just zip into another lane), the electric engine turns on to give you that extra umph... (gotta love zero rev torque!!). And no, when the engines alternate or switch or turn off or whatever, you don't feel it. A very seemless flow.

Technology ROCKS!

And YAY Mom!! She's 60 now, and this is her VERY first brand new car that she bought on her own! (When Dad was alive, he worked, and she was a stay-at-home Mom, so he bought the cars.) She purchased a used '92 Ford Escort in 93, and that was a big deal for her. This however, is HUGE! images/smilies/biggrin.gif

I still have to drive around with her until she's comfortable with the new touch screen controls, but she's doing SO well with it. =D

What was funny, was the salesman didn't quite understand when she said "cash." Mom works 2 days a week as a door greater at Sam's Club. How she manages to squirrel away that sort of money is to me, one of life's great mysteries. :sweat:

[randomguy]

Ooo, neat. Call me a long-haired UN-loving green tea-drinking hippie, or a New York Times-reading Starbucks-drinking wind power-subscribing Kerry-loving yuppie, if you must, but I love the Prius to death. It's just too cool, both from an economical standpoint and an environmental one. It sounds like it'll be a great car for your mum.

Besides... a power button? Far out.

My car got totalled about two weeks ago, and I hope I'll be able to pool up sufficient cash to pick up something like a Prius in the near future. It's a pity they can't meet the demand on them. Speed up the manufacturing, people!

[Stu]

1- This is the Power Button. Yeah. You push it. And the car starts.

Do flames come out from the back of the car when you push it? :D

[Beguiled]

Heh, that's hilarious, my mom just got a Prius a little while ago! Except it's a blue one. We call it the Blue Aphid. We're actually getting a licscence plate 'blu afid'! :sweat: :D

Have fun! Those cars rock!

[sKorpia]

The sexiest feature on that car? For me, it's the turning radius. Now, I fear not the parallel parking! But I'll still avoid it when I can.

[Kurtman]

Ooooh! Nice and silver!

[ToOn~g@l]

Man that is a nifty car. Now I'm jelous. I want a new car like that or at least one that can drive the speed limit going up hills.

[guinaevere]

Ooo, neat. Call me a long-haired UN-loving green tea-drinking hippie, or a New York Times-reading Starbucks-drinking wind power-subscribing Kerry-loving yuppie, if you must, And you, a Texan. I'm so... not allowed to comment. But I will suggest cutting your hair. Ya punk.

My car got totalled about two weeks ago, and I hope I'll be able to pool up sufficient cash to pick up something like a Prius in the near future. It's a pity they can't meet the demand on them. Speed up the manufacturing, people! Sorry to hear about the accident, RG.

The issue with the manufacturing is the electric engine & battery. They take longer to produce.

The good thing regarding the electric engine and battery is that the cost MIGHT come down in time, as I read in Forbes that Toyota sold it's hybrid generation 2 (this years Prius & Highlander Hybrid are generation 3) R&D tech to Ford and some other car manufacturers for some ungodly amount. So they're no longer attempting to recoup their red column by sales.

And unfortunately, a lot of dealers are jacking up the selling price of the Prius, because there's a waiting list for just about every one produced. Supply & Demand. So if you do wind up in the market, shop around. I'd suggest Heyward Allen of Athens, GA, but that might be a bit of a trek for you.

Oh! Just remembered. When you purchase this car, you also get a $2000 deduction on your income tax, thanks to a certain George W.

Do flames come out from the back of the car when you push it? :D Only if you push it REALLY hard!!! Atomic Batteries to Power. Turbines to Speed.

Heh, that's hilarious, my mom just got a Prius a little while ago! Except it's a blue one. We call it the Blue Aphid. I took a queue from the name of the dealership, and suggested the car be christened Heyward McCool. Mom loved it, so that's the name. =D

I want a new car like that or at least one that can drive the speed limit going up hills. I hear ya! Moms old Escort was like driving in a tank. Only, not so comfortable or quiet. And it didn't have any power. At all. It lived a full life though. =)

[Artimus Gigan]

So what's the top speed of the Prius? I'm curious, my 93' camry starts rattling at 70-80 MPH and can't seem to go faster than that...even though the spedometer says the highest speed is 145...it's a lie. It's just used to fill up space...

Also is it 4wheel or 2wheel drive?

[guinaevere]

So what's the top speed of the Prius? Not that I would know, because driving this fast is illegal on roads, mind you.. but it can reach 90 easily. If (hypothetically speaking, remember), I wasn't such a sally, I'd try going faster, but I am a sally (hypothetically or not).

I'm curious, my 93' camry starts rattling at 70-80 MPH and can't seem to go faster than that...even though the spedometer says the highest speed is 145...it's a lie. It's just used to fill up space... A lot of cars have misleading speedometers. Why this is common practice, I don't know.

For what it's worth, the Camry will be seeing a hybrid iteration next year. Which is cool. If I understand correctly, Toyota would like all their vehicles to have hybrid models in the future.

Personally, I was disappointed with the Highlander Hybrid. For around $12,000 OVER the regular Highlander price (making the hybrid around $40k), you only gain an average of 4 MPG. So you'd have to drive about half a million miles to make it worth while. Great idea (I'd LOVE a hybrid SUV), but the weight and aerodynamics of the Highlander don't work with the current hybrid engineering that Toyota put into it. They need to work on a hybrid engine exclusively for the heavier vehicles.

Also is it 4wheel or 2wheel drive? Front wheel CVT. Interesting fact: The Prius will very rarely need to have brakes replaced, as the majority of braking is done by the regenerative engine (which recharges the battery).

[TimTwoFace]

Congrats on the new car for mumsy, Gwenbolyn! You must let me have a ride in it next time I swing by your neck of the woods. :)

-Tim

[Kurtman]

My favorite thing about new cars is the new car smell! How I love it!

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

First off, congrats to your mum for landing a shiny new Prius! Does my heart proud to see more of them on the streets.

Oh! Just remembered. When you purchase this car, you also get a $2000 deduction on your income tax, thanks to a certain George W.
Thanks to the same George W, it's also slated to go down to $500 (http://hybridcars.about.com/od/hybridcarfaq/f/cleanfueldeduct.htm) next year, If you're planning on buying a hybrid and that tax deduction is important to you, do it this year or take your chances that Congress will renew the deduction (or do it without, say, linking it to subsidies to strip-mine coal from the Appalachians). Given the direction gas prices are going, though, it's getting easier and easier to justify the higher initial price for the car through fuel savings alone -- I think someone somewhere calculated that gas will need to hit $3 a gallon before you'll make back the higher initial price in less than 10 years.

As for top speeds, hybrids can reach the same speeds comparable cars can, but you don't want to do that. After 70MPH or so, your gas mileage will take a massive dive because the engine has to work harder to overcome the wind resistance. You burn 90% of your gas going from 0 MPH or attempting to drive faster than 70MPH.

Drive slower. Enjoy the ride.

For those in the market for hybrid vehicles (randomguy :p), if you don't want to get reamed by your Friendly Neighborhood Toyota Dealer, the Honda Civic Hybrid gets comparable mileage at a lower sticker price, with the carrying capacity being the only thing you really sacrifice for it (no fold-down rear seat). I'd love to own a Prius as a second vehicle, but we're still making it as a one-car household and I'm not about to buy a Toyota dealer a summer home to get one.

You may want to direct your mom to the web site for All Things Hybrid at greenhybrid.com (http://greenhybrid.com/). Contains tips on maximizing your gas mileage (easy trick: overinflate your tires a bit and take it easy getting off that starting line), reviews on the assorted hybrid cars on the market, upcoming hybrid news, and mileage databases. There's also this guy (http://john1701a.com/), who focuses purely on the Prius and knows a scary amount about the cars.

-- Ed/Ace

[PressureCooker]

So what's the top speed of the Prius? I'm curious, my 93' camry starts rattling at 70-80 MPH and can't seem to go faster than that...even though the spedometer says the highest speed is 145...it's a lie. It's just used to fill up space...First thing to do is get your tires checked. It sounds like a balance or seperation problem. I've had my buddies Camry up to 110 and it was smooth.

And don't get me started on overinflating your tires...:shrug:


But yeah, my mom has been talking about getting a hybrid for a while. She just hasn't gotten around to buying one. But I'm sure she would love it!

[solarflere]

I have my eye on Honda Civic Hybrid for some time now. 56 miles to a galon or so I heard.

[Twilight]

Awesome! When I get a new car, I'm highly considering the Prius. Recently heard about Toyota making a Camry hybrid for next year. I drive a Camry right now so that bit of news has also caught my interest.

[sKorpia]

I didn't think the dealers were allowed to muck around with the price of the Prius. You can't even buy that car on the floor; you have to order from Toyota's website so it's a flat-fee. Maybe we're talking about buying used Priuses? *confused*

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

I have my eye on Honda Civic Hybrid for some time now. 56 miles to a galon or so I heard.
That's probably the Honda Insight (http://automobiles.honda.com/models/model_overview.asp?ModelName=Insight&bhcp=1&BrowserDetected=True) you're thinking of. The HCH is rated 47 or 48 MPG city and highway, depending on whether it's a manual or an automatic transmission. The Insight is rated in the 50's for MPG, but it's a two-seater car with a tiny hatchback area. According to my wife, it's also utt-bugly.

All EPA mileage estimates are more than a little optimistic. They assume that you won't be doing things (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml) like running the air conditioner or driving faster than 60 MPH. Most people driving HCH's in the Real World get somewhere between high 30's and low 40's, and most people with Priuses get somewhere in the mid-40's to the low-50's.

Awesome! When I get a new car, I'm highly considering the Prius. Recently heard about Toyota making a Camry hybrid for next year.
Yup (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7882633/). It's slated for a 2006 model year rollout, and they're ramping up manufacturing facilities in Kentucky. I just wish they'd stick the hybrid powerplant into the Matrix.

I didn't think the dealers were allowed to muck around with the price of the Prius. You can't even buy that car on the floor; you have to order from Toyota's website so it's a flat-fee.
Nope (or, if it's true, there are lots of Toyota dealers ignoring it). The web site is a car builder feature that all car makers offer nowadays, but Toyota dealers aren't obligated to offer that price at all. I think if you read the fine print on the website, they have weasel words to tell you that prices may vary. They call it "Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price" for a reason, after all.

Anecdotally, I know someone who got offered a 2004 Prius with 5,000 miles on it for $3,000 more than sticker price for a new 2005 Prius. After she managed to pick herself up from the floor from laughing at the salesman, she left and bought a Honda Civic Hybrid instead.

-- Ed/Ace