2018 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid - Its a nice cheap car to drive
We originally bought our used 2007 Toyota Prius in early 2008 when gas prices were reaching $4 a gallon here in Houston, TX, and there was a 200-person waiting list for a new Prius. Long story short, they wanted $32,000 for a new Prius or $27,000 for a used 2007 Prius with 30,000 miles on it already. After a few hours of negotiation, we settled at $21,500 for the 2007 model. With financing at 4% and everything else, we ended up paying it off early and put in a total of $23,400.
We originally bought our used 2007 Toyota Prius in early 2008 when gas prices were reaching $4 a gallon here in Houston, TX, and there was a 200-person waiting list for a new Prius. Long story short, they wanted $32,000 for a new Prius or $27,000 for a used 2007 Prius with 30,000 miles on it already. After a few hours of negotiation, we settled at $21,500 for the 2007 model. With financing at 4% and everything else, we ended up paying it off early and put in a total of $23,400.
About a year ago, I was hanging out with a girl that I was mutual friends with. After a little small talk, she asked me what I do for fun. I explained to her that I do aftermarket performance modifications to mine and my friendsÕ cars, and then I asked if she wanted to ride in my car.
About a year ago, I was hanging out with a girl that I was mutual friends with. After a little small talk, she asked me what I do for fun. I explained to her that I do aftermarket performance modifications to mine and my friendsÕ cars, and then I asked if she wanted to ride in my car.
Overall, my driving impressions our new Prius have been positive after the first days drive. We bought our car on a Saturday in Portland, OR, and spent the night there. That night it rained and snowed, and we faced some 420 miles of black ice and packed snow the next day to get home. It took us nearly 12 hours of driving to make the trip, but I was very pleased with the car itself. The Prius handled the ice and snow very well, never slipping at all, and did it with the OEM tires which are notoriously poor on slick roads. It didn't take long to appreciate the mileage from our new fuel thrif... (more)
Overall, my driving impressions our new Prius have been positive after the first days drive. We bought our car on a Saturday in Portland, OR, and spent the night there. That night it rained and snowed, and we faced some 420 miles of black ice and packed snow the next day to get home. It took us nearly 12 hours of driving to make the trip, but I was very pleased with the car itself. The Prius handled the ice and snow very well, never slipping at all, and did it with the OEM tires which are notoriously poor on slick roads. It didn't take long to appreciate the mileage from our new fuel thrifty ride. It has gotten to the point that I try to take my son with me when I fuel up - he drives a minivan and always ends up grumbling and complaining when I put my normal 8 gallons in and it clicks off. With a little training and effort, I have learned to consistently get over 50 mpg in the city and between 45 and 50 on the highway (always mountain driving in Western Idaho). See the picture showing mileage; the left hand bar is the first five minutes of the drive at about 40 mpg as the engine warms up while the next 20 minutes average around 75 mpg. The miles on the current tank of fuel is shown at 51 miles while the average mpg for the tank is 55.1 mpg. Also note the speedometer in the upper left of the picture; it indicates 22 mph while the MFD shows 100 mpg. Heating and air conditioning are excellent, and although the climate control tends to run the fan faster than I like it is easy enough to slow it down. Living where we do it is not unusual to see either below 0 or above 100 degrees F and the system handles both quite easily. I had been concerned that with the small engine that it would take too long to heat up when starting, but that hasn't happened - Toyota provided an accessory heat system to prevent that. Instruments and controls are well placed but without a tachometer and I do miss that. The main instrument cluster is buried under the dash with a mirror system to project the digital readings up and out - this results in a cluster that is higher and further away from the driver which in turn makes it easier and quicker to focus on. Back seat legroom is very good for a midsize car, and the hatchback provides not only the obvious storage but a good sized hidden storage compartment as well. Three adults in the back seat would find it a bit narrow, but 3 children (one in a car seat) do fine. Headroom is good throughout the seating. I am pleased with the steering and handling of the Prius, although I'm sure a sports car aficionado would turn up their nose. Acceleration will not snap your head back, but is more than enough for freeway merging. Our Prius will climb a 6% uphill grade at over 70 mph; that is quite adequate for me and I've never had the cruise control drop below the speed limit anywhere in a very mountainous region. Top speed is limited to 105 mph but I never expect to see it so that is fine as well. Brakes are quite satisfactory outside of the glitch noted above.
I found a few things about the Prius that I don't like - lets get them out of the way first. Driver leg room is a common complaint, and I agree. At six feet tall, I do not really have enough leg room to be comfortable. A few hours driving is not bad but a few days would, I fear, be another story. Many people have tried to modify the seating, but as far as I know none have truly been successful. The gas tank contains a rubber bladder as part of the emission control system and it regularly changes the usable size of the gas tank. Although listed, I believe, as a 10 gallon tank I have never b... (more)
I found a few things about the Prius that I don't like - lets get them out of the way first. Driver leg room is a common complaint, and I agree. At six feet tall, I do not really have enough leg room to be comfortable. A few hours driving is not bad but a few days would, I fear, be another story. Many people have tried to modify the seating, but as far as I know none have truly been successful. The gas tank contains a rubber bladder as part of the emission control system and it regularly changes the usable size of the gas tank. Although listed, I believe, as a 10 gallon tank I have never been able to get more than about 8 gallons in it even with the gas warning light blinking. Not a huge deal - it is still good for well over 300 miles - but it is irritating. The antilock brakes are a little too sensitive, like the traction control. Braking while driving over a wet manhole or a slick spot in the road causes the braking to fail for an instant as the antilock system notes the sliding tire. This results in the feeling that the car jumps forward or that the brakes fail and while both feelings are false, it can be unnerving. The sensitive traction control can also be distracting if trying to quickly enter traffic from a stop in that the traction control will remove power from the wheels if it detects wheel spin in the slightest amount. This will cause the car to "pause" just when you are trying to move quickly. Driving over a bump, wet or snowy roads or a little gravel on the road will all cause this to happen as well. I've had to learn not to gun it hard to enter traffic from a stop. Although I have not experienced it, headlight failure on the 2006 that I have is common and expensive; although new bulbs are available on eBay for a good price they are not easy to change. This particular problem has been changed in the later years, however, and unless you purchase a 2006 you should have no problems with this. I have the HID headlights on my 2006 and while I like them very much there have been reports of the automatic headlight leveling system mounted in the rear of the car failing due to dirt and rust. Knock on wood - I haven't seen it yet.
2018 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid - Great vehicle for commuting or long drives.
Love that it is plug in hybrid, and I could just charge it in my home. Very cheap to operate and does not require gas unless you go for long drives. Love the big screen on the dash for navigation. Very convenient when you don't know the directions to your destination. Could use it on long as well as short drives because of the hybrid system.
Love that it is plug in hybrid, and I could just charge it in my home. Very cheap to operate and does not require gas unless you go for long drives. Love the big screen on the dash for navigation. Very convenient when you don't know the directions to your destination. Could use it on long as well as short drives because of the hybrid system.
We took a trip to Chicago and back and it turned out to be a great long distant trip in this car. We had a lot of fun and the car drove smoothly and we enjoyed it a lot.
We took a trip to Chicago and back and it turned out to be a great long distant trip in this car. We had a lot of fun and the car drove smoothly and we enjoyed it a lot.
Best part about this car was definitely the option to use gas, or plug into an outlet, whichever suits you best. Decent amount of trunk space. Very comfortable and smooth to ride. Leather seats are nice too. Very sleek looking car, definitely enjoy its unique design that makes it look like a more expensive car than it is. Love the colors that are offered. Safety record is pretty good too. Well designed and well thought of structure, very aerodynamic. It has great pickup for a hybrid car. All family members enjoy using it.
Best part about this car was definitely the option to use gas, or plug into an outlet, whichever suits you best. Decent amount of trunk space. Very comfortable and smooth to ride. Leather seats are nice too. Very sleek looking car, definitely enjoy its unique design that makes it look like a more expensive car than it is. Love the colors that are offered. Safety record is pretty good too. Well designed and well thought of structure, very aerodynamic. It has great pickup for a hybrid car. All family members enjoy using it.
It's a medium size car, does not have as much space as a big SUV or a truck. Another problem that might happen in future is the possibility of twice the number of things that could break down with a hybrid car, unlike pure gas or pure electric cars. It is not the cheapest car on the market.
It's a medium size car, does not have as much space as a big SUV or a truck. Another problem that might happen in future is the possibility of twice the number of things that could break down with a hybrid car, unlike pure gas or pure electric cars. It is not the cheapest car on the market.
2018 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid - High tech driving.
The Prius Prime is a true 21st century vehicle. The plug-in aspect is just a start which provides up to 30 miles of electric driving. This is perfect for my lifestyle as it is only four miles to the train station where I take the train to my office. The large entertainment console has plenty of gadgets: XM radio, GPS, mapping, etc. It is 5 1/2 hours to fully charge the battery on a simple 110 volt outlet. The car drives and feels extremely well-built and I have loved every minute. There is very minimal space for luggage especially if you have passengers in the back seat.
The Prius Prime is a true 21st century vehicle. The plug-in aspect is just a start which provides up to 30 miles of electric driving. This is perfect for my lifestyle as it is only four miles to the train station where I take the train to my office. The large entertainment console has plenty of gadgets: XM radio, GPS, mapping, etc. It is 5 1/2 hours to fully charge the battery on a simple 110 volt outlet. The car drives and feels extremely well-built and I have loved every minute. There is very minimal space for luggage especially if you have passengers in the back seat.
I had owned the vehicle only two days and the exact same vehicle pulled up next to mine at the gym. I waved to the women and told her I had just purchased the day before. She gave me plenty of insight on the vehicle and showed me she had gotten 110 mpg up to that point.
I had owned the vehicle only two days and the exact same vehicle pulled up next to mine at the gym. I waved to the women and told her I had just purchased the day before. She gave me plenty of insight on the vehicle and showed me she had gotten 110 mpg up to that point.
30 mile electric range, entertainment console, plenty of passenger space.
30 mile electric range, entertainment console, plenty of passenger space.
Very little storage space.
Very little storage space.
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