Gen 2 Purchased!

[nellsey]

Hi All,

Just saying hello as I will be looking forward to conversing with you over the next weeks and months making sure I know as much as I can about the Prius.

I have put down a deposit on 58 plate T4 from a dealer with 20k on it.

It will be serviced prior to collection and have been reading various threads on the using the correct oil.

Which one is correct for the Gen 2?

I will have to start trawling the threads on the best way to achieve the maximum fuel efficiency now, lol.

Atb

[Jan&tone]

Welcome to TOC

Gen 2 oil is 5w-30 - it's the Gen3 and Auris that uses 0w-20.

enjoy your car, the Gen2 was my first Hybrid - enjoyed it so much I bought a Gen 3

[cootuk]

There are quite a few grades specified in the owners manual

5W-30 gives the widest temp range and appears best.

There is a note that 10W-30 or higher could lead to poor starting in extremely cold weather.

Top tips are to look well ahead to drive smoothly, and learn when you can regen roll.

[Chris Dance]

Happy motoring with your Prius Gen 2. Remember to always ensure the rear hatch is firmly closed. I always use cruise control in speed limit areas this helps to give the best MPG. When descending steep hills use "B" this really charges the batteries but never use "B" for normal driving.We had a Gen 2 prior to our new Gen 3.

[Peter Sale]

First thing is to check the tyre pressures !. I was surprised how low mine were despite coming serviced from a dealer.

Enjoy it - I am sure you will

Peter

[nellsey]

Thanks for the welcome.

I did wonder what "B" was for, lol.

Regen roll? Not read about that one. I am searching now!

[cootuk]

I thought "B" was designed to stop the batteries overcharging when going downhill by throwing the energy into spinning the engine rather than charging the Battery too fast?

Looking at the power display, you will see various energy flows.

Under drive the power will come from either the Battery, engine, or both at once.

When you brake the power flows reverse to charge the Battery.

If you're going slightly downhill then you can let the natural engine braking recharge the battery whilst keeping up speed. I would call that regen roll.

On some roads if you take foot of accelerator then lightly feather it, you find you actually do glide and no power flow is shown.

One other point. The Prius only uses conventional brakes at low speed or in an emergency, so the discs are liable to corrode. Once a week you can put it in neutral and brake - this uses the conventional brakes and will scrub the discs clean.

[Chris Dance]

Agree "B" does spin the engine and is used for steep descents. When it used the Battery charge does indicator goes to full and the batteries no longer get charged. I think using "B" on steep descents reduces the amount of normal braking. Some folk say they only use it in mountain areas. I use it on every steep descent. Some drivers tell me it is good to use in snow and ice conditions I have never tried for braking in snow and ice.

[capnbirdseye]

Agree "B" does spin the engine and is used for steep descents. When it used the battery charge does indicator goes to full and the batteries no longer get charged. I think using "B" on steep descents reduces the amount of normal braking. Some folk say they only use it in mountain areas. I use it on every steep descent. Some drivers tell me it is good to use in snow and ice conditions I have never tried for braking in snow and ice.

B mode makes the inlet & exhaust valves close & therefore your car is slowed against the pistons resistance, every time you lift your foot off the gas normally the valves will open & the only resistance will be the small generator, if you feather the pedal so the display shows no arrows ( under 46mph) then it also turns off the generator so you are in fact legally coasting with no drag whatsoever.

Applying the brakes makes the big electric motor (which up till the moment you touch the brakes was probably assisting your engine) go into reverse & becomes a generator, the added resistance of the motor is what slows you down.

[sjrainsford]

Welcome into Prius ownership.

I too am a Gen 2 owner and have been very pleased with my purchase. Expect 50+ MPG. They're normally better on slower moving roads up to 60mph I find and it's extremely economical if you can get yourself to sit at 60mph on the motorway. I however drive mine in a more normal sort of way and don't particularly try too hard to conserve fuel with regular motorway blasts at 90 ish mph and I'm still averaging 52mpg. If I take it more easy in this warmer time of year I get more like 56mpg.

What surprises most is that it really isn't that much of a slow car! The only real little annoyance is the way the engine runs away with itself when going up steeper inclines, but it's all in the name of efficiency!

[nellsey]

I would be delighted with 50mpg.

I didn't intend to try and maximise every last mile out of a gallon but I am already starting to think of ways to improve the mpg and I have not even got it yet!

I fear I am hooked into the Hybrid way of life already.........

[Opifex]

I would be delighted with 50mpg.

I didn't intend to try and maximise every last mile out of a gallon but I am already starting to think of ways to improve the mpg and I have not even got it yet!

I fear I am hooked into the Hybrid way of life already.........

Beware - increasing the mpg becomes addicitve if you're not careful.

[cbcdesign]

I would be delighted with 50mpg.

I didn't intend to try and maximise every last mile out of a gallon but I am already starting to think of ways to improve the mpg and I have not even got it yet!

I fear I am hooked into the Hybrid way of life already.........

Beware - increasing the mpg becomes addicitve if you're not careful.

And unfortunately in doing so the bad reputation of driving like old women Prius drivers have with some other road users is perpetuated!

I am all for driving economically but I am dead against holding other people up and becoming a !Removed! nuisance on the road like the US hypermilers are.

[cootuk]

i know some people advocate accelerating slowly, but I'm of the persuasion you get up to speed asap then throttle back.

The Prius will get you well in front at traffic lights so you can then hover arond the speed limit.

No need to hold traffic up.

There are plenty of cars who will be surprised at how quickly you can pull away even though 0-60 is 10.5s and you just put your foot down, no gear changes, no kickdown, no rev ranges for best torque etc.

[nellsey]

I would be delighted with 50mpg.

I didn't intend to try and maximise every last mile out of a gallon but I am already starting to think of ways to improve the mpg and I have not even got it yet!

I fear I am hooked into the Hybrid way of life already.........

Beware - increasing the mpg becomes addicitve if you're not careful.

And unfortunately in doing so the bad reputation of driving like old women Prius drivers have with some other road users is perpetuated!

I am all for driving economically but I am dead against holding other people up and becoming a !Removed! nuisance on the road like the US hypermilers are.

Shame we can't tow caravans! :!Removed!:

[nellsey]

i know some people advocate accelerating slowly, but I'm of the persuasion you get up to speed asap then throttle back.

The Prius will get you well in front at traffic lights so you can then hover arond the speed limit.

No need to hold traffic up.

There are plenty of cars who will be surprised at how quickly you can pull away even though 0-60 is 10.5s and you just put your foot down, no gear changes, no kickdown, no rev ranges for best torque etc.

I must admit I did not feel the Prius was underpowered at all. Surprising really as I have been driving a V6 diesel over the past few years.

[timberwolf]

i know some people advocate accelerating slowly, but I'm of the persuasion you get up to speed asap then throttle back.

The Prius will get you well in front at traffic lights so you can then hover arond the speed limit.

No need to hold traffic up.

There are plenty of cars who will be surprised at how quickly you can pull away even though 0-60 is 10.5s and you just put your foot down, no gear changes, no kickdown, no rev ranges for best torque etc.

I think it depends.

For example, if I'm held at a light, and I know from experience that there is no point setting off briskly because the next set of lights around the corner will cause me to stop then I feel no need to drive faster to only have to stop abruptly at the next lights.

If I can see the traffic lights ahead are on red then I'll drift up to them rather than drive up to them faster and stop harder.

I'd rather hold up the traffic in these situations, and I think it is inconsiderate of all the other drivers not to drive with any apparent anticipation that they will have to stop. In my first example, everyone who is local should know the light sequence, we've only got the one way in and out, I don't know why they race off the lights when they must have "learnt" even by tedious, repetition that they are going to have to stop at the next light?

[Jan&tone]

I would be delighted with 50mpg.

I didn't intend to try and maximise every last mile out of a gallon but I am already starting to think of ways to improve the mpg and I have not even got it yet!

I fear I am hooked into the Hybrid way of life already.........

Beware - increasing the mpg becomes addicitve if you're not careful.

And unfortunately in doing so the bad reputation of driving like old women Prius drivers have with some other road users is perpetuated!

I am all for driving economically but I am dead against holding other people up and becoming a !Removed! nuisance on the road like the US hypermilers are.

Shame we can't tow caravans! :!Removed!:

It's a good job we can't! There ade enough of them around as it is!

I came down the A1/a14/m11 last night from Grantham to Harlow and there were dozens of them around - nightmare!

As for getting addicted to economy, set the cruise control at 67 mph, not too slow to hold people up and not likely to upset plod either and a nice result wirh the economy, my gen2 used to return around 58mpg like that on motorways, and the gen3 is giving me around 68...

[kithmo]

Shame we can't tow caravans! :!Removed!:

But you can tag along behind them and use them as an excuse for driving slower and use their slipstream to maximise mpg

[Jan&tone]

Shame we can't tow caravans! :!Removed!:

But you can tag along behind them and use them as an excuse for driving slower and use their slipstream to maximise mpg

Huh.... If you're close enough to benefit from their slipstream then you are far too close!! But I take your point about their speed

[Opifex]

i know some people advocate accelerating slowly, but I'm of the persuasion you get up to speed asap then throttle back.

The Prius will get you well in front at traffic lights so you can then hover arond the speed limit.

No need to hold traffic up.

There are plenty of cars who will be surprised at how quickly you can pull away even though 0-60 is 10.5s and you just put your foot down, no gear changes, no kickdown, no rev ranges for best torque etc.

I understand that a petrol engine gives maximum efficiency when the throttle is fully open. I believe this is why the pulse and glide technique works because the momentum is gained by accelerating rapidly at full power and the ICE then stops during the glide phase.

In real-world driving the 0-60 time is almost irrelevant because if you are stationary it is more than likely that you are in a built-up area and unlikely to want to go to 60mph. Quoting a 0-30 time would be much more relevant. The other figures I would like to see are 40-60 and 50-70 times to be able to compare the car's overtaking ability. These used to be found in car tests years ago but seem to have dropped out of fashion.

In general I find the Prius has adequate power and the only time it is really lacking is when climbing hills with a full load. Now, if a turbo were added that would make all the difference.

[korat102]

The Prius has done wonders for my driving habits. Obsessing over fuel consumption has helped me keep my licence. I did tend to like the speed a bit too much - that's why I decided I had to get rid of the bike

I soon found that my right foot was as wayward as my right hand so, after acknowledging that the problem was probably higher up in the command chain, I started looking for a more sensible car. Ended up with a Prius, which I've now had for longer than any other vehicle I've ever owned.

My only complaint is that the cabin is a bit more noisy than I'd like with lots of intrusive roar from the tyres. Apart from that, it's been a fantastic car. Was quite exclusive when I bought it, now they're everywhere and I'm one of the commoners again :!Removed!: