Sunday, July 27, 2008
Camden
00085
Originally uploaded by jpfxgood.
Went north this weekend to visit our friends Terry and Jacob...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Prius two years later...
Due to the rise in fuel prices, and the likelyhood that they aren't coming down any time soon, folks have been asking me about my Prius which I bought in 2006. After answering some of their questions I thought, hey, I should post my answers someplace so I can just refer folks.
Note, these are just my personal opinion, "beliefs," and observations, they may well be full of errors and wishful thinking. I recommend that you go evaluate a Prius yourself and get the information out of the manufacturer if you want an authoritative answer.
For what it's worth here is it is:
Do you like the Prius ?
Yes, I like it a lot, and I've spent a lot of time driving it when I was commuting, it is different than other cars and so take some getting used to, but I do like it. It is reliable, quiet, comfortable, roomy and versatile.
Do you really get X for gas mileage ? ( 35 mpg > X <= 100 mpg )
My gas mileage (driving normally, which L might term spirited or worse) hovers between 45mpg and 48mpg, If I focus on it and drive conservatively (an experiment I've tried for a week or so at a time) I can drive that to 55-58mpg.
How does the Prius handle ?
Like a brick, unlike a lot of front wheel drive cars, it is almost evenly weighted front and rear, and has low body clearance and a long wheelbase, and small tires, so it has flat handling and on slippery roads it can get sketchy if you aren't paying attention. Also, because the electric motor is used when starting or for low speed acceleration and it delivers a lot of torque very directly, you can get wheel skip in the front if you are on a loose surface, wet pavement, wet manhole cover, this is disconcerting, but doesn't result in a loss of control because the traction control compensates immediately, so it's just a funny feeling.
That being said, in actual practice driving on the highway, commuting, and around town, I've never had any problems due to handling.
How does the Prius accelerate ?
It accelerates well enough to merge onto the highway, and pass people at highway speeds, it performs pretty much like a 4 cylinder Corolla which has the same engine. It can cruise just fine at 80 mph, but the sweet spot for mileage is actually 60.
Is there enough space in the Prius ?
Yes, it has a lot of driver and passenger space and a lot of storage space inside, one of the nice things about the hybrid thing is that you get a slightly larger car with the mileage of a smaller car.
What trim-level did you get ?
We got the mid-level trim package, cloth seats, cd-mp3-port for your ipod, traction control, backup video camera (very handy because it does have a high rear end which limits visibility when backing out).
Does the AC affect mileage ?
Not that I could detect, I believe that the "new" Prius has an electric air conditioner and so doesn't require the engine to be running like the original Prius.
Is there any special maintenance ?
Not so far, but we haven't cracked 30,000 miles yet.
What about the rumors that the batteries are going to fail and you'll have to spend thousands to have them replaced ?
They are guaranteed by Toyota for 8 years which is about as long as I tend to keep cars anyway so not an issue for me.
Are there any safety issues with the electric stuff ?
Yep, don't touch the bright orange high voltage cables under the hood, don't touch the extremely hot electric motor, don't cut into the body indiscriminately (because of the cables). The last one is just for the firefighter/rescue person, but hybrids are common enough now that all of them have been trained. The batteries themselves are safer in a collision than most gas tanks, and as a benefit you'll only be carrying 11 gallons of gas around, so less fuel if you did have a car fire.
What do you think of the dealer ?
I went to a local dealer, the sales-people are typical car salesmen, what can you say ? The service side is very good and convenient and professional, so far I like them a lot. (I would assume that Toyota dealers in other areas might be different.)
Note, these are just my personal opinion, "beliefs," and observations, they may well be full of errors and wishful thinking. I recommend that you go evaluate a Prius yourself and get the information out of the manufacturer if you want an authoritative answer.
For what it's worth here is it is:
Do you like the Prius ?
Yes, I like it a lot, and I've spent a lot of time driving it when I was commuting, it is different than other cars and so take some getting used to, but I do like it. It is reliable, quiet, comfortable, roomy and versatile.
Do you really get X for gas mileage ? ( 35 mpg > X <= 100 mpg )
My gas mileage (driving normally, which L might term spirited or worse) hovers between 45mpg and 48mpg, If I focus on it and drive conservatively (an experiment I've tried for a week or so at a time) I can drive that to 55-58mpg.
How does the Prius handle ?
Like a brick, unlike a lot of front wheel drive cars, it is almost evenly weighted front and rear, and has low body clearance and a long wheelbase, and small tires, so it has flat handling and on slippery roads it can get sketchy if you aren't paying attention. Also, because the electric motor is used when starting or for low speed acceleration and it delivers a lot of torque very directly, you can get wheel skip in the front if you are on a loose surface, wet pavement, wet manhole cover, this is disconcerting, but doesn't result in a loss of control because the traction control compensates immediately, so it's just a funny feeling.
That being said, in actual practice driving on the highway, commuting, and around town, I've never had any problems due to handling.
How does the Prius accelerate ?
It accelerates well enough to merge onto the highway, and pass people at highway speeds, it performs pretty much like a 4 cylinder Corolla which has the same engine. It can cruise just fine at 80 mph, but the sweet spot for mileage is actually 60.
Is there enough space in the Prius ?
Yes, it has a lot of driver and passenger space and a lot of storage space inside, one of the nice things about the hybrid thing is that you get a slightly larger car with the mileage of a smaller car.
What trim-level did you get ?
We got the mid-level trim package, cloth seats, cd-mp3-port for your ipod, traction control, backup video camera (very handy because it does have a high rear end which limits visibility when backing out).
Does the AC affect mileage ?
Not that I could detect, I believe that the "new" Prius has an electric air conditioner and so doesn't require the engine to be running like the original Prius.
Is there any special maintenance ?
Not so far, but we haven't cracked 30,000 miles yet.
What about the rumors that the batteries are going to fail and you'll have to spend thousands to have them replaced ?
They are guaranteed by Toyota for 8 years which is about as long as I tend to keep cars anyway so not an issue for me.
Are there any safety issues with the electric stuff ?
Yep, don't touch the bright orange high voltage cables under the hood, don't touch the extremely hot electric motor, don't cut into the body indiscriminately (because of the cables). The last one is just for the firefighter/rescue person, but hybrids are common enough now that all of them have been trained. The batteries themselves are safer in a collision than most gas tanks, and as a benefit you'll only be carrying 11 gallons of gas around, so less fuel if you did have a car fire.
What do you think of the dealer ?
I went to a local dealer, the sales-people are typical car salesmen, what can you say ? The service side is very good and convenient and professional, so far I like them a lot. (I would assume that Toyota dealers in other areas might be different.)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Sailboat in the city
Sailboat in the city
Originally uploaded by jpfxgood.
So this sailboat (and not a small one) emerged from an alley in Boston onto Massachusetts Ave... causing me and several other onlookers to say "WTF?"
There are no parking spots in Boston let alone boat storage...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Longfellow
Click on this one and look at the full size one... I brought the big camera today and shot this one composed out of zoomed shots... lots of details
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Three Helicopters
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Ball Field View
ballfieldview
Originally uploaded by jpfxgood.
There was a story in the paper yesterday about these fields not being open. They were open this morning, maybe an accident... but I took a picture anyway...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Boston 180
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Originally uploaded by jpfxgood.
Coolidge Reservation Manchester-by-the-sea, MA
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