Prius V Plug-In Performance

[kithmo]

Has anyone on here owned an early Gen 3, say 2010 T-Spirit, then a 2012 Gen 3 Plug-in and can enlighten me with the following ?

1. does the plug-in accelerate better than the standard Gen 3 in EV mode i.e. doesn't kick out of EV as easy ?

2. Re: road noise, is the plug-in quieter or noisier than the T-Spirit due to the 15" wheels and the extra weight ?

3. Does the Plug-in ride better than the old Gen 3 models due to the extra weight and supposedly improved chassis and suspension on 2012 models ?

And what is the general opinion, ignoring the plug-in factor, is it worth up grading from a 2010 T-Spirit to a 2012 or later Plug-in spec model ?

[Peter2673]

Yes, I had a Sept 2009 T-Spirit (first of the Gen3's) and in Jul 12 traded it in for a Plug in.

1 Yes. EV mode is a joke in the old car, but can be used for real life journeys in the Plug in

2 Quieter, but road noise is still the predominant sound when driving

3 As you might expect with higher profile tyres the ride is better, but the handling not quite as sharp

Conclusion: The Plug in is much nicer to drive than the T-Spirit, mainly because the delightful gliding around in near silence occurs for a greater proportion of the journey and at higher speeds

Pete

[RobMagpie]

I had a 2010 T-Spirit with sunroof so 15" wheels and also in July 12 traded it in for a Plug In.

1 I agree in the old car was a joke but in the Plug In a lot of my driving is EV. Currently 1000 miles on this tank with 2 bars still showing!

2 Very quiet. To be honest don't notice road noise but most of my driving is city.

3 As I had the same wheels before, not noticed any difference.

I too much prefer the Plug In as even speeds up to mid 50's can still be EV.

[Opifex]

That's an impressive mpg figure.

Do any plug-in owners know how much the electricity for the car is costing?

Another thought - general wisdom says that if you accelerate quickly in a normal car you use more fuel than gently accelerating. Is the same true if you are only using the Battery?

[johalareewi]

Another thought - general wisdom says that if you accelerate quickly in a normal car you use more fuel than gently accelerating. Is the same true if you are only using the battery?

Ye canna change the laws of physics

[Peter2673]

From the car's computer, since new, 6780 miles, 69 gallons of petrol, 715KWh electricity.

A charge takes 3KWh and in round numbers will run the car for 10 miles (NOT the 15.5 that Toyota quote). If you charge on overnight economy 7 electricity that's 2p a mile, or 5p if you charge on day time electricity.

The range does change with driving style. 12 miles if you drive gently, 8 if you drive more briskly. The only way to get Toyota's advertised 15.5 is to point the car along a straight flat road and set the cruise control to 26mph- Yawn...I've done it once in the early hours of a Sunday morning. Actually got 16.8 miles.

The range also varies with the weather. It is less if charged overnight in freezing winter weather.

[RobMagpie]

Mine costs 2p a mile charged overnight on economy 7, 7p during the day or 9p using petrol. Whilst the range currently displays 11.3 (that is only the computers estimate) invariably I find I get more. As Peter said, it varies depending on driving style and weather.

[kithmo]

Thanks for the info guys, very informative.

As much as I love my T-Spirit, I hate the drone of the road noise at any speed over 20 mph. Even on smooth roads there is a low background hum.

Now my weasel warranty has almost run out, I'm thinking of trading for a used Plug-in as basically it has very similar spec to the T-Spirit but with the 15" wheels to hopefully give a quieter ride, the extra EV qualities and mpg would be a bonus. Some would say go for a T-Spirit with solar roof, the problem is they are few and far between on the used market.

Also 17" wheels may look nicer but at £150 a corner for tyres, compared to £90 for the 15" they seem a much better long term prospect.

BTW, do all you guys have a special charging point or does anyone just charge from a normal household socket ?

[RobMagpie]

You can charge from a normal socket providing other sockets on the circuit do not draw a large current.

There are (or at least were) grants available to contribute towards the cost of having a separate point.

Personally I have a separate point.

[Bibsy]

Slightly tongue in cheek, but if noise bothers you, change your T-Spirit for a Lexus LS430 rather than a plug-in.

Silent as you like, way better to drive, and a third of the price of a plug in, leaving you about 15k in your pocket, which will buy one hell of a lot of fuel and maintenance even at Lexus prices.

[kithmo]

Slightly tongue in cheek, but if noise bothers you, change your T-Spirit for a Lexus LS430 rather than a plug-in.

Silent as you like, way better to drive, and a third of the price of a plug in, leaving you about 15k in your pocket, which will buy one hell of a lot of fuel and maintenance even at Lexus prices.

I want technology as well as quiet, a CT220h would be ideal if it was a bit bigger

[Bibsy]

Gs450h then...

:)

[kithmo]

I test drove the plug-in and even with 15" wheels it was almost as noisy as my 2010 and although the EV driveability was better it didn't last long enough. I also drove the Prius+ and the road noise difference was immediately apparent, it is so much queiter, so I ended up buying a 6 month old T-Spirit. I still have the 17" wheels, now pay £10 VED (101g/km) and have taken a 5 mpg hit but the road drone has disappeared.