Top 5 quirks of a 2005 Prius:
-Annoying beep when going in reverse. (What am I, a big honkin’ truck?)
-To maximize fuel economy, it actually encourages you to drive slowly (and to play the “let’s see how long I can possibly go without using the brakes” game).
-$350 replacement cost for a new smart key. (Haha, uh, you meant $3.50, right?)
-Hatchback contents a little too visible. (Should I just put up a Steal Me sign?)
-What, no tape player?! How am I supposed to connect my iPod (well, if I had one)?
Top 5 perks of a 2005 Prius:
-It’s QUIET. (Ever had a car sneak up on you in the parking lot?)
-Average fuel usage after the first 250 miles is inching toward 50 MPG. (I’m expecting about 600 miles on this first 12 G tank of gas.)
-Keyless smart entry and smart start system. (An endless source of amusement as I show friends how to unlock the door by just touching the handle.)
-Hatchback contains additional luggage space *under* the floor mat. (For all my emergency supplies in case I ever get lost in the desert.)
-Touch screen display, 12 volt DC outlets, secret compartments, and cup holders everywhere. (Nice touch: 1-minute how-to-drive-a-Prius tutorials for valet drivers.)
what about the ever so popular feature of the keyless sensory fob that allows your car to be driven away without a key, while you are locked in the trunk? hmm maybe the visibly exposed trunk contents is a perk after all :OP
Well, if the car-jacker is dumb enough to leave the key fob with me, I can hit the Panic button even while stuck in the trunk or chasing after the runaway car. =] Cool! Score two more for the Perks list.
I kind of want to own a Prius! I love the idea of an environment-friendly car, and the great fuel-economy. But forget driving slowly! That’s just not something I do. But initial price (compared to used cars) and rapid initial depreciation are pretty big deterrents for me. I’d rather someone else take the hit of rapid initial depreciation. But older hybrid cars aren’t really that great. So I don’t know.
touch screen display? What does that mean?
you can turn off the reverse beep.
Yup, I did! Ahh, silence… =]
There’s two circuits that spin the same way, other cars go oppsiote ways, and it’s easy to get a shortYou’ve misread the article. It’s very clear that Toyota uses two sensors of different voltage, each with their own isolated ground that are also physically separated. A complete short would cause the car to not work. The professor that claimed to duplicate the problem bridged the two circuits with a 200 ohm resistor; the resistor not only had to be 200 ohms but had to be applied at a specific time when the engine was running.There is nothing wrong with Toyota’s design save for a possible MECHANICAL issue when there was corrosion on the accelerator mechanism. When looked at the overall claims for ALL cars BEFORE this latest hysteria, it wasn’t out of the ordinary. (It’s also interesting to note that since going to electronic controls, these types of complaints have decreased [by over 80%].)