My New Car!!

[JohnsD90]

John, you just ruined this whole thread!! This thread is all about efficiency, reliability, and boring cars!! Your new car goes against everything this thread stands for!!!

The jetta got over 50mpg following behind it for 300 miles at 55mph. The Land Rover got just over 20mpg on the trip.

 

[Thai]

The jetta got over 50mpg following behind it for 300 miles at 55mph. The Land Rover got just over 20mpg on the trip.

I think that the Jetta would also ruin the thread for the same reasons....

 

[rebelbowtie]

Congrats on your future car!! Yeah, i use the radar cruise daily...love it! And your wife will love the LED headlights...bright and white. (Funny how Audi is making such a big deal about their new cars having LED headlights when i have been enjoying it since 2010! Of course, uber expensive LS460 hybrid already had LED headlights before me. Audi is making it like they re-invented the headlights! )

What is the pricetag on your Prius v Five? $40k?

Funny because Audi drivers have been enjoying them from 2006 and I've enjoyed them since 2008. Another funny thing is the light output is adjustable via VAGcom as well, at 100% they're brighter than high beams.

 

[Thai]

Funny because Audi drivers have been enjoying them from 2006 and I've enjoyed them since 2008.

Really? Wow, that's cool. What Audi do you have?? R8?

We are talking about LED headlights, right? I am not talking about daytime running lights...or those strip of LEDs that is used for such.

Link: Audi R8 gets first full LED headlamps

Audi R8 only got full LED headlamps in 2008. This is what the Prius has...that is, at night, your low beams are LEDs. DRLs are different...and that is common enough...but full LED headlights are a rarity. I think that only the 2011? or 2012 Audi lower end cars have the option for full LED headlights, not just DRLs.

 

[Thai]

Nevermind, i found the answer...rebelbowtie, you need to do more research dude before barking!

See this site: Audi - Defeat Darkness

Your 2008 Audi has LED strips that act as DRLs, unless you have the R8. They are NOT full LED headlights, like what you find on Prius Five nor the newer Audis with LED headlight option. And the full LED headlights are available nowadays ONLY on A6 and up as option. And how much do A6 costs?

Funny indeed. Good try though...actually, bad try, but i was being nice.

 

[Thai]

Another funny thing is the light output is adjustable via VAGcom as well, at 100% they're brighter than high beams.

Funny thing is that you do NOT understand the difference b/w headlights and DRLs!! :barf: That is really funny!! Thanks for the laugh! It would be hilarious if i did not think that you were serious!

Making a light bright as hell via aftermarket mod is one thing (and easy to do with just about any headlight)...BUT, making it useable for on-road use (aka safe for oncoming traffic, dispersion for wide angle, etc) is another!

Let me guess, another grudge against me now too, right?? I better watch myself...because i gotta stop embarrassing you so often!!

 

[Quentin]

First tank was 42.5 mpg, second tank is 45 mpg. Not too shabby for all highway/interstate. Brought my new daughter home from the hospital in it today.

 

[Thai]

first tank was 42.5 mpg, second tank is 45 mpg. Not too shabby for all highway/interstate. Brought my new daughter home from the hospital in it today.

congrats!!

 

[Quentin]

4 month update:

What a fantastic car. With a new baby and my family being over 4 hrs away, we've made 4 long road trips in the v so far. The v just swallows up everything. On one trip to Pittsburgh, we bought a TV stand from Ikea and still fit me, the wife, the baby, all the baby stuff for a weekend with no problem. I've taken the recycling to the recycling center a couple times and the big cargo area keeps me from having to lay the seats down and having the kiddo beside that nastiness. Being able to move the 2nd row seats back and forth is nice for making more space when you need it, as shown below.

I love the radar cruise control and the moonroof is great for helping the car feel even bigger and more open inside. With the power button pressed, it actually moves pretty well, too. Merging is no problem at all.

I'm averaging 41.06mpg and have driven 4661 miles on $425 of gas. My driving conditions are mostly short trips to and from work (6 miles each way) on 55mph highway and interstate driving. I need to air up the tires again, as I haven't touched the pressure since August, haha. Zero hyper milling, too. Just getting in and driving.

 

[Thai]

That's the great thing about current gen Prius...regular drivers can get advertised MPGs without much effort.

 

[Quatre Coureur]

Congrats on the new ride! Oh and nice 'hood btw.

 

[Thai]

Consumer Reports: USA TODAY

 

[Thai]

Well after about 6 months away from the Prius (driving Subaru), i went back to Prius due to logistic reasons. (My wife now drives the Subaru.) I really do like it all over again. The ride is tight (Prius level V) and i love the radar cruise! The only thing that i really miss is the quietness of the Subaru. Well, new tires are coming up...and this time, i am going with a regular luxury tire, Michelin MXM4 (215/45/17). This tire is supposedly the quietest of its kind...so, i am hoping that it will provide some tranquility that i am missing.

But, overall, I love the Prius all over again....

 

[Thai]

Here are pics of my Prius after detail...50k miles and still looking good IMHO.

 

[Thai]

Time for new tires. This time, i went with a regular tire instead of one focusing on fuel economy. Why? Well, i want to decrease road noise as much as possible. For me, that is more important than MPGs, esp. when you talk about Prius MPG levels. (A few MPGs ain't gonna make a huge impact on my wallet.)

I chose Michelin Primacy MXM4 (V-rated) with 55k mile warranty. According to my iPhone mic, the new tires get about 1 dB quieter than my old Toyo (OEM). It is slightly more comfy over highway expansion joints. Overall, i like it a lot.

BTW, here is more info on the MXM4:

http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1006_michelin_primacy_mxm4_tire/viewall.html

My MXM4 is actually seen on Lexus vehicles...my guess is the CT200h. So, if it's good for Lexus, then it is good for me!

 

[Thai]

Confirmed...the MXM4 version that i have (V-rated) is indeed solely on the CT200h. I don't believe any other OEM have this tire in that size. Whether it is any different from the "regular" MXM4 is unknown...but that size (215/45/17) comes in two flavors (V- and W-rated). W-rated tire only has 45k mile warranty, while the V-rated tire (Lexus version) has 55k mile warranty. My guess is that V-rated is obviously a "slower" version of the tire since neither CT200h nor Prius will ever get past 110 mph anytime soon much less 149 mph...in doing so, you gain 10k miles of tread life. I wonder if the slower speed rating also means that Lexus wanted Michelin to make a quieter tire for it's CT200h??

Anyway, i do notice significant ride improvement and less noise on the highway. It is just a smoother feeling tire...bumps are felt less. The ONLY negative so far is that my fuel economy has dropped...not sure how much, but my guess is probably 3-5 mpgs. (This may partially explain why the CT200h gets only 43/40 mpg.) Like i wrote above, i don't mind the drop at all because the Prius now rides very nice!!

BTW, my previous tire on my Prius was the Bridgestone EP100. It was a good tire...maintained good fuel economy, but was hard riding and about the same (maybe slightly quieter) as stock Toyos in highway noise. My wife popped one of them...so, i had EP100 up front and stock Toyos in the rear. At the time of Michelin installation, the EP100 still had good tread life left...so, my comparison is not from a totally worn out tire vs. the Michelins.

 

[Thai]

Ok, after almost a week with the MXM4 and have driven long distances, i LOVE these tires!! It has really transformed my Prius into a (relatively) quiet luxury small car! Significantly quieter than before...much quieter IMHO! The ride is smoother for sure.

The ONLY negative is that my mileage has gone down about 3-4 mpgs. Not bad since the Prius already gets excellent mileage. The tradeoff is well worth it IMHO.

Truly amazing that a set of tires could make that much of a difference!

 

[Quentin]

Installed a 2" receiver on my Prius v Five yesterday. TorkLift is the maker and it is part of their EcoHitch line. The total price came out to $260 or so. Every bolt, washer, etc that I needed were right there in the box. Very complete setup. I'm very impressed! Everything uses the factory bolt holes for the tow hooks and exhaust hanger. The support structure is all up above the bumper cover so only the 2" box is even visible. There are also 2 "straps" that they use as further support.

 

[Thai]

As Prius Sales Rise, So Do Sales Of The Prius

Link: As Prius Sales Rise, So Do Sales Of The Prius | The Truth About Cars