Initial impressions

I had one other comment, and one question:

I drive 107 miles tonight at an average of 46 MPG. This should a bit over 2
gallons of gas. However, the gas guage still indicates full. So, for you
guys that have been driving one for awhile - How linear is that gas guage?
Does it stay near full for a long time, and then suddenly plunge towards
empty?

The comment was this:

With all the fancy technology that went into this car, you'd think there
would be an alarm to keep you from engaging the transmission with the park
brake on. Nope. I pulled proudly away from the house tonight with the
brake drums screaming. With those electric motors delivering great torque
at low RPM, you sure can drag those brakes!

Paul

Lean to the right and adjust your right mirror so that you can just see the
right rear corner of the car, then lean to the left and do the same for the
left mirror. It works for me.

Kari

"Hachiroku" <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.09.16.14.03.05.631397@ae86.gts...
> On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 08:46:40 -0500, richard schumacher wrote:
>
>> In article <a603f$432a3604$d80c11cb$26028@NAXS.COM>,
>> "Paul Missman" <missmanp@cfw.com> wrote:
>>
>>> The car certainly does have a blind spot to the left rear. I was coming
>>> off
>>> a ramp, after dark, onto the highway, and the car which was to my left
>>> rear,
>>> which I'm sure had its headlights on the whole time, just jumped out of
>>> nowhere. It was as though it snuck up with its headlights off, and then
>>> suddenly turned them on just as it came up to my left rear. You do have
>>> to
>>> watch your mirrors and stay alert.
>>
>> It helps to use the Car Talk method for adjusting all the rear-view
>> mirrors.
>
> The "Car Talk" method?
>
> knowing those two, I'm afraid to ask...
>

In article <oYGdnViTxJVKD7beRVn-jw@onvoy.com>,
"Ingenuous" <spot@polka.net> wrote:

> "kari" <kmassare@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:89MWe.253348$E95.8528@fed1read01...
> > Lean to the right and adjust your right mirror so that you can just see
> > the right rear corner of the car, then lean to the left and do the same
> > for the left mirror. It works for me.
> >
> > Kari
> >
> Is there something you say to your car while doing this or does the nav lady
> do the talking?

What do you mean? What Kari described is the method. (Uhh, the car is
parked while doing this, of course...)

In article <BrOdnSMEIq5gObHeRVn-gw@onvoy.com>,
"Calidous" <spot@polka.net> wrote:

> >> > Lean to the right and adjust your right mirror so that you can just see
> >> > the right rear corner of the car, then lean to the left and do the
> >> > same
> >> > for the left mirror. It works for me.
> >> >
> >> > Kari
> >> >
> >> Is there something you say to your car while doing this or does the nav
> >> lady
> >> do the talking?
> >
> > What do you mean? What Kari described is the method. (Uhh, the car is
> > parked while doing this, of course...)
> It was called the "car talk method". :-)

D'ohh!! Ya got me.

Paul Missman wrote:

> P.S. I don't really mean to sound like a salesman for the Prius. However,
> Toyota has done such a good design job, that it is difficult to find much to
> criticise.
>
> The one thing that could use serious work is the owner's manual.
> Information that should be in one place is scattered throughout the manual.
> If they had taken a more systematic approach, it would be easier to find
> what you are looking for, and to determine what is missing entirely.
>

I have to chuckle at this, because, coming from my VW manual,
I think the one for the Prius is great. The VW manual--for my
car anyway--is LOTS of separate little booklets, and it is a
real pain to look anything up. At least there is manual for
the Prius (in addition to the quick start one and other little
one).

--
Jean B.

Paul Missman <missmanp@cfw.com> wrote:
>
> I picked up my Prius at the dealer today, and drove it 107 miles with
>an average MPG of 46.0, including driving over a 2500 foot mountain and
>back on I-64. I really liked the vehicle's performance. The displays
>teach you how to drive it for best MPG pretty quickly. The car got
>about 25 MPG going up the mountain at 65 MPH. For highway driving,
>I think the cruise control probably gets better MPG than I could, and
>with no effort on my part.

That was one of my key learnings too. The cruise control uses very
gentle changes to the acceleration, so it keeps the ICE off longer.
When I'm on a long, straight thoroughfare at 25 or higher I set the
cruise and marvel at the milage.

My wife, on the other hand, blips the throttle when the speed falls,
kicking in the ICE much more frequently. Her milage (when I'm sick,
for instance) is always significantly lower than mine.

Calidous <spot@polka.net> wrote:
>
> <dbs__usenet@tanj.com> wrote in message
> news:I9OdnWuPZ-YoxrLeRVn-3Q@...
> > Paul Missman <missmanp@cfw.com> wrote:
> > My wife, on the other hand, blips the throttle when the speed falls,
> > kicking in the ICE much more frequently. Her milage (when I'm sick,
> > for instance) is always significantly lower than mine.
>
> Hopefully you didn't mention this to her. :-)

Yes, like most of us would, I did mention it. Now she manually turns off
the AC (I've a classic) whenever it's not too hot.

She's a great gal!