got one of the first 2007 with the new Touring edition package in Norcal.

It thus far is much better all around car than I thougt it would be.
First tank of fuel went 44.1MPG with brake in procedures and lots of driving in the foothills of the Sierras.

I am more than pleased since we are just starting to figure out how to get the most out of the hybrid system....

When are you going to A/X the Prius?

Cool, can you still get the carpool lane sticker or have they run out?

And how's the 914 engine rebuild coming?

No Erik, AX is not in the Prius's future....that is what the orange putput is for

Anthony, motor rebuild will start after the 28th of Oct. Once I get home from GGR #9 the motor will come out and we will get serious. Plenty of time to get it done during the rainy season....then back together for a full season of AXing and TTing in 2007

From what I have read recently there are about 6-7K stickers left...
Luckily my wife and I both commute ~3-4 miles on surface streets to our offices.
No need for that butt ugly sticker on my nice new car.
We got it for an around town driver and some quick trips to Chico/Redding areas.

We have a '05. Best tank of gas has been 51mpg. Most of them are around 40mpg which is much lower than they advertise. I still like the car though. Does yours have a rear camera for backing up? I understand they come with that now. I hate the reverse beeper, someday I'll find it and trash it.

Yeah, I've heard that they are very well engineered. When they first came out, I heard that a large percentage (was it 40 ?) of buyers said their reson for purchase wasn't fuel economy or the environment, but rather the advanced technology.

Someday those cars will get old and showing up in junkyards. Man, then we can have some fun !

I'll have to bring the 914 out for one last round of autocrossing on the stock engine. I'm building an engine this winter too. I can't wait.

(for those of us that dont know what a Prius is.)

Bought the wife a 2005 Prius with about 10K miles - and commute stickers. She LOVES it more than any car she has EVER owned. Mileage started out at about 44 but now runs 52-53 as she commutes to Milpitas - in the commute lane.

Make sure you read www.priuschat.com -great info such as inflating tires to 42/40, which phones will work with the bluetooth system, etc.

Amazing car ...

Enjoy ... Ed ( ProPricer ) Ducey

Hey..so did we!...2007 Prius
(I wouldn't have mentioned on this board..)

Wife is starting a new job and long commute. Just in time for the tax credit. We're still on the first tank, but 50+ mpg average so far.. I hear MPG's depend alot on driving style and conditions.

A coworker has one (3 years old I think?). He says he pretty consistantly gets 52 MPG.

There was one out at Willow turning surprisingly fast times. Fast driver/slow car thing. Kinda pissed me off since he had an extension cord hanging out the back.

Dan - Can you get the stickers and let me commute my 84 miles in it daily? Must beat driving my Suburban everyday...

T

Trevor, uhh, No.
here are some gratuitous pics
motor in there somewhere

front

Did you sell the truck instead of the Boxster?

Nope, Suburban is relegated to the driveway until I get things moved around. Can't sell the 'Burb since it is my RV tug. Not too many vehicles short of a Burb or big pickup can handle my 8,000 pound trailer
Boxster is for sale now on 3 different sites. Once 914 gets engine pulled it will also get the engine compartment cleaned and painted. Any hell hole issues or battery tray rust will be addressed in advance of new motor install...then the car will be finished and will be garaged at the side of my house in its own little enclosure.
That will get us back to the Prius, the Suburban and my daughter's Protege in the garage....at last.

I bet you will like that car. A friend of mine bought one and then bought another for his wife. They love'em.

They dropped us off after a dinner out and after I opened the front door to my house, I turned to wave goodby and they had "vanished"... in total silence... spooky! Sent a chill up my spine.




Must make it easy to sneak out of the house. You don't have teenagers do you?

..

Now all you have to do is take that nice new car and convert it! Plug in technology= 100mpg to 150mpg performance!
If my wallet was significantly fatter- this is what I'd be doing. This stuff could end wars;



http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html

http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=ar...amp;storyid=818

http://www.edrivesystems.com/technology.html



The conversion consists of swapping out the NIMH battery for a Lithium battery, and hacking the drive computer to tell the car to drive more as an electric (like up to 35mph instead of the current 6mph). Oh, and you plug it in at night for a couple pennies of extra electrons.

No teenagers any longer in my house. My son owns his own house about 2 miles from me and my second oldest (daughter) still lives in Chico. She is in her 2nd year of grad school. Youngest is almost 21 and lives with us....goes to school locally.
Yes it is wierd when you back out of the garage with absolutely no sound.
I am getting the hang of getting it to run on electic motor only around town. You must drive very softly with regard to the accelerator...
But it is possible....lots of fun watching the instant mileage numbers peg at 99.9MPG when running on electricity.

I am very happy with the mileage as it is now...
Those plug in conversions are big $$$$ and are still saddled with antiquated battery technology. I will wait until they come up with some better batteries before I do any conversions. And wait until my factory warranty has expired

I am enjoying the car more every time I drive it.

With the conversion- you get a true 100mpg- driving at highway speeds. 120 if you finess it.

Those are some of the things they enjoy about it also. The car creates it's own singular form of motoring entertainment.

Another aquaintance just bought a Versa. I drove it a bit. Not as nice as the Prius.

..

My wife just bought an 07 Prius, just before the Oct 1 deadline for the tax benefit ran out. Last week she took off work so I drove it for my 90 mile a day commute.

I _HATED_ it.

Sure, the gas saving were appearent. But the rest of the car...

The beeper that beeps on the insode when you are backing up. The backup camera. I think the backup camera is the worst idea ever. Now erin just watches that damned screen when she is backing up. No perepheral vision of what is heading towards her. And she can't hear anyhting over the damn backup beeper. It would make sence if the beeper was outside too, but its not.

Its also very distracting to have to dig into a digital touch pad for things like the radio and climate control. Give em a knob that I can turn wthout taking my eyes off the road.

The slab sides get pushed around toomuch in the wind. There is no road feel through the steering wheel. The car has an annoying high pitched whine.

I hate the car.

Zach

to each his own.
My car has steering wheel mounted controls for just about everything on the Multi-function display...so you rarely need to take your eyes from the road.
I got the touring edition that has upgraded wheels, tires, shocks, springs and sway bars. Handles nicely for what it is.....an economy car.
Makes noises just like any car....just different than you are used to in a "normal" car.
It has it's idiosyncracies just like a 914 or 911 or...."fill in the blank"

By the way the tax benefit did not "run out" on Oct. 1. It was reduced and will continue to decrease every few months until it completely disappears in 9 month or so....forgot the actual dates.

I prefer the Yaris. $15K less, 40 MPG +, and you can race the Yaris. The Prius is more grown up and a very nice car however.

Forget the mileage and how it looks, the bonus for commuters is being in the carpool lane.

"Ahhh-nold" signed the bill to add 10,000 more HOV exemptions and extends the perk to 2011!


I should let you all know I had to decide between my 914 project and the c2. C2 is now up for sale...