I got my Prius! 50MPG! Wow!

[nater]

I got my new Toyota Prius three weeks ago. I think I drove my Trooper twice since then. This thing is incredible. It gets 50 MPG, and is a real car, not this "Smart car" tiny box! The geek toys are amazing. Smart Entry and Start from the Lexus (no key! That's right, just a button on the dash, which "boots" the car), touchscreen navigation, bluetooth cell phone connectivity, and creepy, way cool electric torque combined with a gas sipping engine. Plus, all the "normal" luxury stuff, like ABS, Side airbags, Skid Control, HID lights, JBL audio system, climate controls, XM radio, auto-dimming mirro, etc). All under $27,000.

Every time I find myself driving through a parking lot in complete silence, I feel like the car was transported here in a time machine from the future. I'm never, ever buying a non-hybrid vehicle again. Whenever I drive my Trooper, it feels like it's from some era gone by. (Hmmm... idling... how quaint! Shifting... that's for the birds! Warming up? No need!)

The Prius has a Thermos for the coolant so the engine is almost always hot (stays hot up to five days). It's primarily for emissions, but this prevents waste of fuel for warmup and reduces wear and tear on the engine from expansion and shrinking of metal parts. As a bonus, you always have the heater available!

Man, this car is weird. I still forget sometimes and panic when I see the light change to green and realize the engine isn't running, but it starts as soon as you push the gas pedal. Way cool.

My Trooper may stay garaged quite a while these days.

Nate

[SGT.BATGUANO]

Your winters should be a good test. Will it be garaged?

[nater]

Yes, it will be garaged. Winters in Colorado are mild on the Front Range. (Denver/Boulder area). Some days, it can be as warm as 70 in January. Some of the mornings are awfully cold, though.

Nate

[Joe_Black]

Cool! Now all you need to do is start making your own ethanol and convert the Trooper, then you'll be pretty green.

[Dallas4u]

Were you on a wait for it? Is Toyota still behind on production of them (or were they ever)?

I think they are pretty damn cool. I like the new exterior design much more than the original.

[BaM*BaM]

And our government gives it a tax deduction that will benefit us all! Cool interior, but kinda boring exterior. Still, overall it rox!

[Andrey]

if I were to be in the market for a new car I will seriously concider it ! One sales man who comes to my store drives one - I almost freaked out when he started to move on a completely silenced engine.
I just wonder when the industry will start making SUVs like this with enough power to pull my 3.000 pound boat.... I guess it is not the right time to say goodbye to VX YET !

[Joe_Black]

If you convert your VX to ethanol and make your own fuel (or start a co-op) the government will basically pay all your fuel costs. So other than regular maintenance you'd be driving for free! Plus there's other programs at the federal and state level that put more money in your pocket, so you could potentially really make out. So hang on until my shop gets done, I'll be posting a "how-to" as I'm converting the IronMan then. All you need is some bigger injectors, a different fuel pump and fuel filler. A little bit more power for a little less range (about 10 - 20 % less per tank), all for a green fuel with super clean emissions.

[thedutchguy]

I wonder if it's all that simple joe!

Just because a vx has a motormanagement system with o2 sensors, does not guarantee that it has sufficient mapping to cope with the different air/fuell ratio E 85 has compared to normal petrol.

[Joe_Black]

Well, I'll find out early next year. And I'm not talking E85, but pure ethanol. Everything I've researched thus far indicates that current ECU maps will handle it. I may very well be wrong, in which case I'll have some extra parts laying about! But for well less than a thousand to invest and a quite a potential to save, I'd say it's a good risk to take for conversion. I'm just very fortunate because of the local sugar industry where I can get molasses for about $60 a ton. Saves a lot of effort in processing to ethanol when the raw material is already in liquid form.

Say, did you get the info I sent regarding all this stuff?

[thedutchguy]

I did not get the info, so I'll welcome anything you can contribute regarding alterations to the fuell system, engine asf.
I 'd also like to know what steps you have to take when using corn bought of the land and how long it will take to evt. destill ethanol from it?

[Heraclid]

I like the new Prius styling much better than the Gen 1, but aside from that, I actually rode in a Gen 1 Prius in NYC a while back. My brother picked me up at the airport in it, and it's a pretty cool experience. The silence definitely takes some getting used to. I wouldn't ditch my VX anytime soon for one, and it's just because of the uniqueness, aesthetics and capabilities of the VX. But they are pretty interesting.

[BaM*BaM]

Ah,.... I am sure a few here know how to make corn into an enjoyble and useful fuel!!!

[nater]

I waited six months, and that was from Boulder, a high-allocation market, plus, the wait is longer now. However, Toyota has promised 100,000 of these cars for 2005, plus the new Highlander Hybrid (known as the Hylander in some circles) will be out later next year. V8 power from a V6, tow over 3500 lbs, over 30 MPG. (Lexus RX400h will be the same, only pricier).

Here's the kicker on the SUV: Electric AWD! That's right, no drive shaft to the rear, just cables and motors at the wheels. Way cool.

A Hybrid Sienna is rumoured as well; I'll probably get on the list as soon as it's announced. (Baby coming).

Anyway, I just can't believe how much I enjoy driving the Prius. I thought it would be a concession, but a worthwhile one. If only I had known how much I would like the car, I would have bought one a year ago!

As far as converting the Trooper to Ethanol, bigger injectors shouldn't be required, merely a higher fuel pressure to deliver more fuel in the same duration. (See my rants in other S/C related posts).

WARNING: Pure Ethanol tends to burn without color or visible flame. PLEASE be careful, you might not even know there is a fire. Blending might be a good compromise for this problem (like E85).

Nate

[nater]

Originally posted by SGT.BATGUANO
Your winters should be a good test. Will it be garaged?

Update: After experimenting this morning, the Prius definately warms up faster than my 1994 Camry given identical conditions. I'm attributing this to the Prius's Thermos full of hot coolant from the day before. The engine is smaller, and the interior space of the Prius is larger, yet it still warmed up and de iced the windshield in less time than the Camry. It used a lot less fuel than the Camry as well, judging by the lack of exhaust coming out of the rear.

Way cool. It's as if this car was delivered in a time machine from the future. My Trooper hasn't moved in weeks...

Nate