Toyota Prius Q&AToyota PriusQuestion: Toyota Prius? Answer: Well, I assume that you already purchased one of the top-of-the-line option package models, that already comes with Navigation, Bluetooth, and the Smart Entry&Smart Start system, as you cannot add these things to a Prius not already equipped as such from the factory. Hopefully you went for a Touring edition, as it comes with larger/sportier wheels, a better-tuned suspension, and a larger spoiler. You may have also added in a Sirius or XM satellite radio tuner as well. Some simple things would be to get some window tinting (max. the law allows in your state), add in an integrated i-Pod connection (which would allow you to control and view your iPod from the Prius' controls and touchscreen, besides providing an i-Pod audio and charging hookup), add a sportier shark-fin antenna, and some other useful items like window deflectors (keeps the rain out while your windows are cracked open) or mud guards. Most people do not like the OE Goodyear Integrity tires that come stock on the base North American NHW20 Prius (like yours), as they have a relatively short life and rather poor traction on slippery roads (particularly after they've been worn a little bit). I'd highly suggest upgrading to a better "all-season" tire, or planning on switching out summer/winter tires seasonally. You could even look into getting some sportier alloy wheels at that point as well. If you don't mind losing some aerodynamics and alloy wheel protection, removing the plastic trim rings off of the standard alloy wheels makes for a different look (and wouldn't cost you anything). If you are capable enough (good eye/steady hands), you could even add in your own body side molding (may help prevent dings) or pinstriping (or other body art). I would also suggest maybe a clear plastic front-end bra (to keep away rock chips on your paint and headlamps) and/or on the rear bumper (to keep away scratches from dragging items over it in/out of the hatch area), available from installers such as ClearBra, Invisishield, Scotchguard http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en... , and the like. If you were in Japan, there are even some body kits to allow you to make your Prius look even more sporty. http://toyota.jp/customize/prius/ If you are more technically-minded, you may want to install a CAN-protocol ODB-II real-time scanner/display. Suggested offerings: If you had more money to spend, you could also convert your Prius to be plug-in capable (adding batteries, charger, and some more electronics. Depending on your usual commute, you may never need to use your gasoline engine again. You'd run mainly on the electric motor, and when your added battery pack was drained low enough after your overnight charge, the PHEV Prius would revert back to a regular Prius and use the gasoline engine for propulsion and recharging the hybrid batteries. But, startup costs are high right now for this ability to make your Prius plug-in capable (usual reports are 100+mpg), so your "money is kind of issue" may not make this feasible right now.
Question: How long does it take to order a Toyota Prius? Answer: Funny how all the VW fans come out of the woodwork whenever anyone asks about the Prius. By the way: Fuel economy for the 2007 Prius is 48 city / 45 highway (regular unleaded), and for the 2006 VW TDI New Beetle it is 31 city / 40 highway (diesel). Identically the same numbers for the 2006 VW Golf TDI. That's using the *NEW* mileage test results from the EPA. So the gasoline Prius still beats the diesel TDI, both in city and on the open highway. [There are no 2007 VW TDI models, that's why I listed 2006.] Ignoring that -- most Toyota dealers have a good selection of Prius cars these days, just waiting for you to walk in and buy one. If you want a specific color and specific options, you may have to look around to more than your closest dealer, or push your dealer to trade with another dealer. But if you start looking now, you shouldn't have any problem getting a Prius you'll be happy with by mid-September.
Question: How much money in gas could I save by getting a Toyota Prius hybrid? This would be a second car. We are going to get the prius or the yaris. Answer: It takes 10 years for a Prius to break even. Hybrids arent the best technology for better fuel economy anyway. A clean diesel can get 60 mpg easy, while costing thousands less than a hybrid system. Diesels are most common in European cars, and manufacturers like Volkswagen sell them in the US as options. The Prius is a much better car than the Yaris, although I would not suggest either mainly because of Toyotas falling quality. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/20...
Question: What are the pros and cons of owning a Toyota Prius? Answer: Pros: Cons: The only real complaint I've seen in the US is about the Goodyear Integrity tires that are OE on the base Prius (not the Touring model), in that their traction is not the greatest. If you see some serious snow/ice where you are, you may want to invest in a good set of snow/traction winter tires, or at least some better "all season" tires. Some people do not like the lack of tactile buttons/switches on the dash for the audio and climate control systems - it's through the touch-screen display. But, you get used to the steering wheel controls in its place. And yes, there are whole debates as to which is better, the Toyota navigation system, or a portable 3rd party unit... I've never seen anyone do a cost-benefit analysis for a v4 vs v6 vs diesel engine, so why do one for a hybrid drivetrain? Most cost analysis articles neglect trade-in value which the Prius does very well in maintaining. (in some areas, used Prius are still selling for new prices for availability and rising gasoline prices!). Don't forget to include federal and any state tax incentives in your calculation (Consumer Reports forgot, and had to issue a retraction that hybrids are cheaper to own/operate than their gasoline cousins). Edmunds.com still doesn't take into account the true depreciation value (as seen by manually looking for a Prius trade-in value) when calculating their TCO, but they still say that hybrids will pay for themselves even when using their lower than actual trade-in amounts: Hybrids do cost less in the long term than their conventional counterparts. (Intellichoice used a 5 year ownership comparison in 2006) See: http://www.intellichoice.com/press/Hybri... While Consumer Reports in 2006 only found the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid would pay off within the same 5 year frame. The Honda Accord Hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Lexus RX400h, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid were also studied. There is more to vehicle ownership besides initial purchase cost and the amount of gasoline used - there is also the costs to maintain and insure it, and also depreciation costs. However, the societal costs for emissions are not usually included. The hybrids tend to be at worst an ULEV, with many (like the Prius) an AT-PZEV. Some are only sold in CA-emissions states. (Compare that to the often suggested VW TDIs, which cannot be sold new in CA-emission states because of their poor emissions.) In the US, hybrid models (like the Prius) tend to be the best in fuel economy in their respective classes, using the same testing procedure to compare all cars: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best/best... The Toyota Prius is also in Consumer Reports' top picks for new cars: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/... (as well as for used cars: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/... ) The Prius is also in edmunds' used cars best bets list as well, and their lowest true cost to own list. http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/bestbet/a... Remember that the Toyota Prius is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary this December 2007, so it's hardly new technology! The hybrid batteries in the currently available hybrid vehicles are usually listed by the manufacturer to last the lifetime of the vehicle, and have long warranties (not pro-rated!) to cover it. (Toyota Prius in the US: hybrid system (which includes the hybrid battery) for 8 years/100,000 miles, if in a CA-emission state the CA-emission warranty covers the hybrid battery pack for 10 years/150,000 miles.) So far, hybrid battery replacements are VERY uncommon, and rarely out of warranty. Pricing is much better when buying a used unit from a wrecked vehicle (much less than $1000), and not paying dealer-inflated rates/labor prices. Old battery packs are easily recycled (and Toyota even pays a $200 bounty to the owner to be sure it is recycled!). I don't know where another poster gets the numbers of a 10% loss every year, as I haven't heard that before... (My US 2001 Prius is almost 7 years old now, and the hybrid battery pack hasn't shown me any problems yet...) Meanwhile, here's the 2004 Toyota Prius Green Report (life cycle assessment): http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/k_forum/tenji... Over the measured lifespan of the Prius, when compared to a comparable mid-sized gasoline vehicle, the Prius comes out ahead in the lifecycle assessment (LCA) for airborne emissions for CO2, NOx, SOx, HC, but actually does worse for PM (thanks to the material and vehicle production stages). Lifespan is given as 10 years use/100,000km. The CO2 break-even point for the 2004 Prius compared to this unnamed gasoline vehicle is given at 20,000km. (more CO2 is emitted during Prius production, but the Prius makes up for it over its driven lifetime.) Another neat thing is that the Prius is one of the first uses of Toyota's Eco-Plastic (plastic made from plants, as opposed to petroleum products). The battery is recycleable (NiMH), as is much of the car (steel and aluminum body, for example). BTW: you can view the scheduled maintenance guides at: http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com/ More info at: But since you asked, yes, I'm very happy with my 2001 Prius. Since moving to the Big City, I don't see it/drive it often, and really should sell it because of non-use (living mostly carless now), but it's difficult to part with it... My mother had heard me raving about my 2001 Prius when I bought it, and bought herself a 2002 Prius (in the color I really wanted!). My husband bought a 2004 Prius when the new model came out (so he could stop "borrowing" my Prius), loved it, but sold it (to his mother!) when we moved. My cousin has also bought a 2007 Prius. So, they're in the family...
Question: Can You Play Dvds in a 2008 toyota prius without voiding the warranty? Answer: The "DVD" part of the "DVD Navigation system" is that the navigation system reads its maps and other database information off of a DVD, as opposed to a bunch of CDs or a hard drive. The navigation system does not have an MPEG decoder, so it cannot play movie DVDs. The navigation system can only read DVDs with the proprietary navigation software/database information on it. If you wish to watch DVD movies in your Prius, then you will either have to: Do note to check with your state/local laws regarding having a television screen viewable by the driver while moving, however...
Question: How does the Smart Key system work on the Toyota Prius? Answer: There's a nice flash animation tutorial on the Smart Key System (formerly called Smart Entry & Smart Start) available at: I also highly suggest re-reading the "Smart Entry and Start System" section of you Toyota Prius Owner's Manual. In the US 2004 Prius Owner's Manual, that's in section 2-1 "Operation of Instruments and Controls," "Keys and Doors" section, pages 23-33. You should also review the use of the Power switch and the push button start, which is also in your Owner's Manual. In the US 2004 Prius Owner's Manual, that's in section 2-6 "Operation of Instruments and Controls," "'POWER' Switch, Transmission, and Parking Brake" section, pages 129-134. Your manual's pages may vary, however. A common problem with new owners is that they neglect to press the brake pedal when trying to start the car. If you just press the POWER button without having your foot on the brake pedal, you just cycle between "OFF/ACC/IG-ON" modes. OFF is off; ACC is the accessory mode - 12v power is available for the lights, windows, wipers, and radio, but not much else; IG-ON is like ACC except that you now also have the MFD powered on and climate control/fan use. Note that the sole power usage is from the 12v battery, which is not recharged in any of these modes. It sounds like your not starting situation is this case of forgetting or otherwise not pressing hard enough on the brake pedal when starting the car, and getting stuck/confused in IG-ON mode. If the brake pedal is depressed while pressing the POWER button, the car will cycle between "OFF/READY." OFF is off, READY means that the car is ready to go and can be put into gear and driven. The hybrid battery is connected and will be recharged as needed by the gasoline engine, and the hybrid battery will recharge the 12v battery as needed. Anyhow, yes, there is a toggle button under the steering wheel to turn on/off the Smart Key System if equipped. Unless you paid for this feature and don't really want it, the only reasons to turn off the Smart system would be either for valet parking, or if you are not going to be driving your Prius for 2+ weeks (reduce the parasitic load on the 12v battery). With a recognized Smart Key on your person, as you approach the Prius near one of the external sensors (front driver's door, front passenger's door, rear hatch door) from about 6 feet, the interior dome light will turn on and the car will be expecting you. The car will unlock when the back of the door handle of the appropriate external sensor is touched. (To lock, all doors must first be closed, then touch the black square pad on the outside of the door.) Get into the car. The car will recognize that the recognized Smart Key is inside of the vehicle (interior sensor), and will await for you to press the POWER button. All this time, you never have to touch your keyfob. If you didn't have the Smart Key System in your car, or you turned off the Smart system with the toggle button under the steering wheel, then to lock/unlock your car you'd have to press the lock/unlock remote keyless entry buttons on the keyfob, and to start the car you'd have to put the keyfob into the dash slot. If the battery in your keyfob was dead, you'd have to use the metal mechanical key inside of the keyfob to unlock the driver's door. Then just put the keyfob into the dash slot to drive yourself to a Radio Shack or the like to get a new keyfob battery. If the Prius' 12v accessory battery was dead, then to get into the car you'd have to use the metal mechanical key to unlock the driver's door. You'd then pop the hood, and jumpstart your Prius... (The remote keyless entry will not work without the 12v battery. The car cannot connect up the hybrid battery to start the car without the computers running, and the computers first need the 12v accessory battery.) There are some situations when the Smart system or the remote keyless entry may not work due to interference. For example:
Question: How does Toyota prius Hybrid engine with gas and battery work? Answer: The electrical part works to get the car going and once going if additional power is needed or the battery's need charging the motor automatically starts. All is controlled by an integral computer powder management software.
Question: Where can I find / buy an navigation system upgrade for a 2002 toyota prius? Answer: I also had a 2002 Prius, but mine had the nav system. One of the big rages back then was that the buttons were there, but the nav system wasn't, unless you paid for the option. On the original Prius newsgroup, it was hashed back and forth for literally months, and some really bright people tried to do it. Unfortunately, what they found out was that the Prius was wired for the nav system - or it wasn't - at the factory, and that it could not be added afterwards. Now, that is only for the system that Toyota included with the Prius. You can absolutely add an aftermarket nav system to the Prius, but it will not interface like the original into the MFD. You might try www.coastaletech.com as they did a ton of add-ons for all of the Prius, though I don't know if they were ever successful with adding a fully integrated nav system from scratch. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid unless someone has done a ton of work since then,it is the answer. Something to consider is that for you to add the factory nav system might be so expensive that it might cheaper to by another Prius with it in the car already. Good luck.
Question: In what stage of the product life cycle is the Toyota Prius? Answer: The Prius is nearing the end of its second generation. The first generation was the NHW11, which was marketed in the U.S. from 2000 to 2003. The current generation is the NHW20, introduced in 2004 and will end production after the 2009 model year. The next-generation Prius will be powered with a Lithium-Ion battery (NHW11 and NHW20 are nickel metal-hydride powered). As long as the Prius continues to be a good seller, Toyota will keep on improving it through redesigns every few years. Toyota did state that they plan to offer a hybrid version of each vehicle in their line in the next few years. That will be great, especially in the minivan segment where there isn't a hybrid available yet from any carmaker.
Question: Is it possible for a toyota prius to go up to tahoe from "san francisco" on snow conditions? Answer: It is front wheel drive so make sure you put the chains, if they are required, on the correct set of wheels. Front wheel drive is great in snow and you can go places rear wheel drive can't. You will get a false sense of security until you try to stop. Stopping distances don't change. I once climbed a hill by my house that had 1 1/2 feet of new snow in my Civic w/FWD no chains no problem. There was a fellow half way up on the steep part who could not make it with RWD. I told him to turn around and back up and he went to the top with no problem. Then when I reached the top I got stuck off the road so I tried to back up. Wrong move, I put it in 1st and pulled right out. Toyota Cars @ LemonFree.comOther Good Toyota LinksToyota Prius |