Government Motors to build a super gay car to compete head to head with Tesla

Bob,
You need to change your sequence when turning off a prius. First, ALWAYS hit the park button. Second, press the brake and the start/off button. The problems you have described deal with age and the wrong sequence. You will never have a problem again if you properly sequence your shut down process.

2seaoat wrote:Bob,
First, ALWAYS hit the park button.  

I was actually going to tell Pkr that too but I got to running my mouth and left it out.
Yes, that is what I always do now too. Hit the park button first because the park button ALWAYS works and electrically clamps the transmission to prevent any unwanted movement.

It was also remarkably comfortable and solid feeling for a small car.

I went thirty years only buying GM cars, but I am a big person and my head would hit the roof of the interior when I was wearing a cap. When I looked at the Prius, I was thinking of the 1976 Civic we owned which was the last non American car we had bought in 34 years and how cramped that space was. I got in the Prius and could not believe the head room. The 2010 Prius has received the highest quality ratings and consumer feedback since they have been keeping records. It is simply the best car we have ever owned. We will be getting another car later this fall or early winter. We are looking for a Ford transit connect, or another Prius. We need to tow small trailers and the Prius cannot tow, but we want another Prius.

I was impressed with the customer satisfaction and the reliability... but the safety rating and six airbags sold me.

I'm not ready to buy one for myself yet... as I like to work on my own cars and I don't know anything about hybrids.

2seaoat wrote: the Prius cannot tow

They say it'll void the warranty. But I'm guessing the dealerships want the warranty work so would probably ignore seeing a trailer hitch unless it's one of those by-the-book do-gooder types.

But out of warranty (like mine is now), I would have no problem doing light towing like all these prius owners are doing...

https://www.google.com/search?q=pulling+trailer+with+prius&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Towing with a small car is not the issue.  Stopping is the problem.

Mr Ichi wrote:Towing with a small car is not the issue.  Stopping is the problem.  

I won't argue that it's an issue but it doesn't have to be a problem.
I pulled fully loaded trailers with a little 4 banger mazda pickup (with no more horsepower than the combined engine/electric motor in the prius) all over the place.  One time I went to Cleveland,  loaded the trailer up with video arcade games,  and then drove over the mountains with it to get back here without any problem.
Several days after I got back,  I headed with the empty trailer to Baton Rouge to pick up another load.  I made a stop in Metairie on the way out.  When I got back on the street again,  the axle fell out of that crappy beat up old trailer.  I abandoned it on the side of the street in Metairie and went on to Baton Rouge.  On the trip back (two days later) I drove back through Metairie and the abandoned trailer was still sitting there.  lol
But the trailer was the problem and not the vehicle.
All I remember is saying to myself "thank god that axle didn't fall out on the earlier trip with the loaded trailer because then I woulda been fucked".

As long as you're not pulling much weight (what I did back then was stupid),  and as long as you learn to anticipate the braking issue and adapt to that,  it'll be fine.
I don't see anything about the hybrid drive train or brake system that precludes towing.  I honestly don't know why Toyota would insist on that voiding the warranty.

No Bob, if you exceed design criteria you are taking unnecessary risk and damage to a vehicle which should give you 400k virtual maintenance free miles........why do you think Chicago is a sea of Prius taxis as reports are coming back with 400k miles and no major maintenance. I will put 100k on the 2010 Prius by December and all we have done is put new tires on the vehicle. No other maintenance. I figured if we put 200k on the vehicle with no major maintenance issue and the savings from running a 17mpg vehicle will allow us to buy the next Prius for free from the maintenance and gas savings.

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

You simply should not tow with a Prius.....this is not rocket science. People drink a case of beer a night too, but it usually does not end well.

Mr Ichi wrote:I tow with a Geo Metro. So you can tow with anything.  My point is that the rear suspension system(Your old Mazda Pick up) and body panels are entirely different from a front wheel drive wheel vehicle.  It doesnt take much trailer tongue weight at all to help unload the traction of a front wheel drive car.
It can be done and 1,000s do it every day, but there is a price to play on your real suspension components.

I admit you have a point about that. So I would keep it down to a small trailer and not much payload.
I have no plans to put a hitch on my prius though only because I'm lazy in my old age and sick of having to fool with anything that won't go inside the car. I can move one pinball machine or one washer or dryer that way and that's all I need to do anymore.

Not sure if anyone noticed in today's pnj but Prius was the 9th best selling vehicle in the month of August. . .

I don't think I'd have bought a new one... but an 09 w 77k miles was the smart buy for her. I really did shop hard.

Should last her thu college.

Not sure if anyone noticed in today's pnj but Prius was the 9th best selling vehicle in the month of August. . .


Our oil production is according to Z the highest it has been in 25 years, and I am telling you when I go to NW hospital in Chicago, the entire streets are covered with Prius vehicles. In the year and a half I have been getting my shots there the percentage of Prius vehicles has simply doubled. I am seeing Chevy volts......saw two in one day, and I am seeing the Nissan leaf everywhere. Four buck gas makes all this very smart, but the best news is our balance of payments is getting healthy, and we have cut our deficit in half from just four years ago. America is making prudent and wise decisions, and the days of gas guzzling stupidity and dependence on nations who hate us is rapidly coming to an end.

That is interesting on the shingles. I have a 2009 park model RV which I am going to transport to Naples for this winter. I had it at the islands, but the flooding has got so bad I cannot leave it over the winter on the river. I would like to see if Collier County will let me put panels or shingles on an RV without having to hire a contractor. I will see how I fare with this trip this next week, but I am getting some of my strength back. The rv lot I am looking at has 150 amp service, and I need to see if I put solar on this if the utility would credit my account for the reverse flow from the roof. I know I will need some electrical work with inverters at the meter, but if I am only going to use it for a couple months, the rest of the summer when I am at the islands, that roof would be sending electricity back to the power company. I need to see how they credit that power. I do not worry about payback time because I do not have that time, but I could use the tax credits because of a business sale in 2012. The good news is the Park Model can work on 50 amp hookup and this seems like an affordable project which could cut the expenses for my kids and grandkids after I am gone. I was going to set it on a lot in Santa Rosa County, but they are total dicks about everything, and I need to get some guaranteed warm weather in January and February this year.

2seaoat wrote:No Bob, if you exceed design criteria you are taking unnecessary risk and damage to a vehicle which should give you 400k virtual maintenance free miles........why do you think Chicago is a sea of Prius taxis as reports are coming back with 400k miles and no major maintenance.   I will put 100k on the 2010 Prius by December and all we have done is put new tires on the vehicle.  No other maintenance.  I figured if we put 200k on the vehicle with no major maintenance issue and the savings from running a 17mpg vehicle will allow us to buy the next Prius for free from the maintenance and gas savings.

In Chicago it is simple. They are a smaller target and can hide behind the burning trash dumpsters.