Has Driving A Hybrid Made You A More "relaxed" Driver?

[Dasbob]

This could be a personal experience, but i did read something similar on a news site before i brought my car.

Historically speaking i have always been a bit of a "foot on the floor" driver, never really had powerful cars but if i was ever driving 5 mph less than the speed limit i got anxious.... always keen to get to where i am going as such.

Since i had my Hybrid i discovered i am more relaxed at driving, some times on roads i traditionally belt around at 50-60 i can find my self tootling along at 40-50. I think its because i am determined to keep the car in eco and forbid i ever go into power mode (except when over taking or going up hills of course). I prize my self on milking the electric motor and if i beat my "Personal Best" or get above the average since i last refueled i get a sense of achievement (like my record is when i hit 82 mpg on a trip from Taunton to Glastonbury (about 25 miles))

Now i find if i am stuck behind some one going at 40 i am happy as i don't feel pressured to drive faster and i know it will help my MPG.

so... is it just me ?

[Aceshigh84]

No, it's not just you - I play the same game of trying to eek out as much mpg as possible, and I have certainly changed my driving style from heavy right foot to just enjoying the drive

[jonesbach]

Yes, you start by trying to be economic, but I think the 'reward' is more tangible with this car and then when you arrive more relaxed it encourages you further. My driving has improved no end.

I suspect the ECO mode also helps, I have detected myself 'slipping' a little when I drive in 'normal' mode. I haven't even tried 'Power', but I suspect I may grow horns.

[geo13647]

What I like about it, is that you can choose, (and re-choose) your driving style, just by pressing a button.

EV only -- really hard to stay in, unless on the M25 car park.

ECO --most relaxing, almost Sunday Driver mode.

Normal-- best balance of some oomph! when needed, with a bit of EV & ECO as the car decides.

PWR -- Lead Welly mode, when things just need done.

G...

[Shugster]

I've found I no longer hurry to get to a destination. Just love how quiet the car is and also the comfort.

Must admit I do try and beat my previous best MPG. Big change from trying to beat my best time.

[Dasbob]

I have to agree on the multi faces of this car.... the ability to go from a "Milk Float" to a "boy racer" at the flick of a switch is a real joy. There is a 1 in 4 hill near where i live and i did a bit of experimenting last weekend with power mode.... best way i can describe it is it felt like a hot knife through butter with power mode, and a cold knife without.

[ToyotaAurisHybrid]

It does change you as a driver, without doubt. My wife demonstrates this best...she seems far less stressed by driving nowadays

[cootuk]

Simply moving to an auto makes driving easier on the clutch leg in the city, and having the continuous drive without kickdown means you aren't faffing around trying to maintain revs in the powerband.

Then I think you are trying to use the road contours to your advantage for gliding and reading further ahead for regenerative braking.

You can still have fun with traffic light Grand Prix too.

[Duffryn]

I even enjoy gliding along with the radio switched off - although the relaxing effect can often be spoilt by tyre roar on a poor road surface, and dashboard rattles.

Or, as an earlier poster mentioned, I can switch to PWR mode, grow devilish horns, pin me ears back, and just go!

[johalareewi]

<aol>Me too.</aol>

Being an automatic makes driving in congestion a lot easier.

The Prius HSD also adds smoothness and a level of serenity, until you hit the PWR zone and the engine revs up!

There is an excellent write up on this forum where the writer says that now they have a hybrid, they look forward to traffic jams.

[Parts-King]

......and me.............find myself trying to eek out the best MPG possible and stay in EV mode

Kingo

[theoilburner]

Our Prius is primarily my wife's car. She's normally a Type A driver - get there and get there quickly, ignoring urban speed limits. Little or no anticipation with harsh braking etc.

I was very surprised to see that in the Prius her driving style has changed almost completely overnight. She's chosen to put the Eco bar on the HUD display and doing her best to stay out of the Power band. She's taken on board what I said about her braking late not using the regenerative braking effectively, and so she's started anticipating junctions etc earlier.

In fact, I'm not just surprised, I'm seriously shocked. Clearly the Prius has chilled her out. :)

I'm a fairly relaxed driver myself anyway, but I now find myself in my Mondeo thinking "if I had the Eco bar here, what would it be telling me about my driving now", it's contagious!

[Mkuk0]

Its the Prius phenonomen, as was mentioned earlier, I even look forward to being in traffic, I'm certainly more chilled out, and being late for meetings is no longer my fault, as I used to think, but the heavy traffic, as is right. God knows what I'm going to do if I ever have to get an ordinary car again

[Ethanedwards]

Yes driving a Hybrid has made me a more relaxed driver BUT not nearly as much as riding an 1100cc motorbike has.

Car Drivers may think they own a really fast car but let me tell you. In biking terms they just don't. Once you get used to being able to get to 60mph in three seconds or so then no car is going to feel that impressive unless your in the hyper car bracket.

So from my point of view I am totally underwhelmed by speed in any car. So I'm happy to just keep to the limits in my hybrid, these days. I've thouroughly exorcised my speed demons already thanks.

[sanzomat]

Yes driving a Hybrid has made me a more relaxed driver BUT not nearly as much as riding an 1100cc motorbike has.

Car Drivers may think they own a really fast car but let me tell you. In biking terms they just don't. Once you get used to being able to get to 60mph in three seconds or so then no car is going to feel that impressive unless your in the hyper car bracket.

So from my point of view I am totally underwhelmed by speed in any car. So I'm happy to just keep to the limits in my hybrid, these days. I've thouroughly exorcised my speed demons already thanks.

I was just about to say almost the same thing! I used to drive my car hard and fast until I returned to having a bike. About 11 years ago a I got a 600 and upgraded to an R1 about 3 years ago. Like you said, once you've experienced what real speed is then anything a car can do just doesn't compare so it becomes a means of transport rather than a second rate adrenaline tool. Some would say that the bike is dangerous, and they aren't wrong, but instead of driving 30k miles a year in the car like a hooligan I get it all out of my system doing 1000 miles a year on the bike and the 30k in the car are now all steady and arguably much safer overall. Getting the Prius Plus is a natural progression of this change and there is certainly great satisfaction to be had from getting the best out of any machine i.e. speed and handling from the bike and economy from the hybrid, but both come best from anticipation. More recently I've taken to using track days to get the best out of the bike as in all honesty riding such a powerful machine on the road anything near its capability is asking for trouble. I'm certainly finding the Prius is a smooth, comfortable and very rewarding car to drive and, yes, relaxing too. I've only been a hybrid driver for 4 weeks but it is exceeding all my expectations and, despite choosing it for what might be considered the wrong reasons, low company car tax and the higher petrol mileage rate for my business miles, I'm now so glad I chose it for the pleasure of driving it and I didn't think I'd find myself saying that!

[AurisHSD13]

I definitely changed as a driver. My previous car was quite powerful sports car, which seemed to agitate other drivers to race me. No success for them, but I often found myself come home with unnecessary amount of adrenalin and thoughts of what I should have done differently, all stressful thoughts. Sometimes I had trouble sleeping after such events.

Now it's all gone. I creep along watching the eco drive level, Battery level, thinking which route would offer me some nice downhills to charge the Battery, trying to keep the needle under that dangerous middle line of the green zone where ICE starts... On a highway I'm not in such a big hurry to pass big trucks, knowing it will take more than 5 seconds now.

Despite all that it's totally stress-free.

I have become mellow!

[valmiki]

Ditto, my previous car was a 530i sport touring auto, couldn't have been more different! And I'm very much enjoying the mileage, lol.

[Dasbob]

I also found that i will have a few ego boys over take me at a million miles an hour on a blind corner on my daily 20 mile commute to work... and then by time i get to my destination they are 6 cars in front stuck in the same morning queue of traffic... they burnt up a few oil wells of petrol and risked their lives and the lives of others... and gained...nothing!

...with less exaggeration, its amazing how just driving "economically" although it appears your going slower, you find you catch up with what ever traffic is in front any way.

The down side is i found i will approach roundabouts a little too fast now as i dont really want to slow down... and that i hate traffic lights and have that thought of "if i get to the light before it changes i wont have to stop... or do i slow down as it will prob go red any way....

[AurisHSD13]

Having to stop at red light and getting one extra bar on the Battery from the braking... Satisfaction! :D

[barrycoll]

yes....the joy of the red traffic light, and the congested roundabout.........nirvana, is all about 'smart' braking and harvesting the free charge...

my first 2 years of 'retirement' was doing pick up and delivery work for a company called www.ecurie25.com ...so I spent my time in Lambos and Ferraris, Astons and Porsches et......and seeing climate change occur around me when more speed was required in a Supercharged Range Rover Sport

the excitement of planting your right foot to the floorboards in a lime green Lamborghini Murcielargo, when the M40 changed from 50 to national speed limit, and seeing the hoi-poloi disappear in the rear vision mirror was totally addictive, and possibly license changing, but now nothing the pleasure of seeing 8 Battery bars and nose to tail motorway queue ....

at the time, the real pleasure was getting back on my bike after a 'successful' delivery, and no kerbed alloys!

but hybrids are the motoring version of meditation...............

[kithmo]

The down side is i found i will approach roundabouts a little too fast now as i dont really want to slow down...

me too, but it does get rid of the tailgaters as they slow down for the roundabout and I go round it on two wheels LOL.

I was so relaxed after my drive to the seaside last Saturday that I forgot to pay for the parking and got a ticket.

[Birty]

Become more relaxed and less impatient on commute!! Had for 1 mth now and love it! Arrive feeling calm!! Just wish could remove dashboard sun glare!!

[RelaxedDrive]

Definitely, hence the name!

[johalareewi]

Just wish could remove dashboard sun glare!!

Have you tried polarised sunglasses?

I use a pair of polarised overglasses which fit over my normal specs and work a treat.

Like these.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-POLARISED-OVERGLASSES-SUNGLASSES-Protection/dp/B0094G9P20/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377011081&sr=8-3&keywords=polarised+over+glasses

[Dasbob]

Bit confused about folks saying about the glare from the dash. I wear glasses and have never had a problem, i do have anti glare glasses for driving (the reflection in the glass if you hold them up to light is green/purple).... so maybe i just answered my self