Featured Test Drive: 2017 Toyota Prius Technology

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Tideland Prius, Jul 19, 2017.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    2017 Toyota Prius Technology Test Drive Review
     
    #1 Tideland Prius, Jul 19, 2017
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  2. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

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    Yikes! I paid a lot less than list for my 2016 Three w/ATP and TSS-P. And it was less than my 2G Prius, including the tax. I paid about $30K (including tax) for my 2G, about list for the base 2017 (including tax).
     
    #2 pilotgrrl, Aug 4, 2017
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Prices in Canada are always higher. When the exchange rate was 1.5x, your $19,990 Prius was $29,995 here.
     
    #3 Tideland Prius, Aug 4, 2017
  4. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

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    <facepalm>
     
    #4 pilotgrrl, Aug 4, 2017
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Smaller purchasing power. We have the population of California spread over the size of the U.S. so goods cost more.
     
    #5 Tideland Prius, Aug 5, 2017
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  6. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    But you supposedly get better peanut butter.
     
    #6 Trollbait, Aug 5, 2017
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    One think that rankles: the reviewer mentions his fuel economy numbers frequently, and likely it's what the dash is telling him. Even with the calculated correction the numbers are very good, but I think Toyota is skewing the dash display, to get some rose-tinted review numbers. Frustrating that the outcome of this ploy is: all owners having to un-apply the fudge factor, day in, day out.

    Wayne Gerdes of CleanMPG drove a pre-production 2016, and found displayed and calculated virtually matched. The car was slated to be compacted, within a few weeks. I'm thinking with this car they hadn't applied the mpg "fix".

    Thanks for the Canadian perspective review link, btw. (y)
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Aug 5, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2017
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  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Our freight is also $1,495 for cars (+100 for SUV) vs. $895 in the US.

    I don't understand since the Gen 2 was quite accurate.

    The Gen 4 does get better fuel economy (calculated or displayed). It uses the battery noticeably more often.
     
    #8 Tideland Prius, Aug 5, 2017
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah even doing cold engine starts without automatically running engine within 10~15 seconds, given high enough ambient temps or whatever?
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Aug 5, 2017
  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It will keep the engine off. Granted, I didn't drive it during the snow storm (my 2010 is the one with the Nokians since the 2016 has the factory AS). I had a full battery earlier today (li-ion) and for the next 1-2 km, it drove like a Prime. I guess the Gen 2 and 3 do it but when combined with the torquier feel of the Gen 4, it feels more athletic. This is in ECO mode.

    But even with 4, 5, 6 bars, it'll still feel sprightly. I've seen it go down to 1 bar :eek: before which never happened in the Gen 2 or 3. (I've only seen 2 bars) but with the li-ion battery, it seems more willing to use the battery because it appears to more easily charge back up (either regen or engine).

    Also, I'm sitting at 3.9L/100km displayed for today. On my Gen 3, it'll easily be 4.5 or 4.7L/100km indicated. Longest trip was 20km round trip. Rest were short (<5km one way)
     
    #10 Tideland Prius, Aug 5, 2017
  11. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

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    I learned to curse at Union Pacific railroad crossings. I saw one bar on my 2G more than once, and I sweated bullets every time.
     
    #11 pilotgrrl, Aug 5, 2017
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    :eek:. I'll shut off the A/C on my Gen 2 at crossings. It'll last about 30 mins without A/C but only 8 mins with A/C. Crossings are usually just over 8 mins for the longest of trains.
     
    #12 Tideland Prius, Aug 5, 2017
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  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    @Mendel Leisk Oops, make that 4.0L/100km over 53km. (last trip was 3.8L/100km indicated).
     
    #13 Tideland Prius, Aug 5, 2017
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    @Mendel Leisk Here's today's numbers! :). Also, August is off to a good start (see history)

    20170807_consumption.jpg
     
    #14 Tideland Prius, Aug 7, 2017
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Disgustingly good... :cautious:

    I'm still puzzled over the crazy good (for 3rd gen) numbers we had after tanking up in Powell River. I'm "blaming" it on ethanol-free. As you can it was only 23+ liter top-up, and I can't put it down to vacation driving. We tanked up and reset odo immediately prior to starting back to Vancouver, under 140 km on the trip back. The remainder was tooling around, in town. My wife set out one day with 4.1 displayed, brought it back with 4.0!

    upload_2017-8-7_20-18-16.png
     
    #15 Mendel Leisk, Aug 7, 2017
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  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I can't either but I was getting good mileage with ethanol-free but that also coincided with the car being new. Now the car is older, it's running on WRG3s, has E10 fuel and has hills to contend with. (which, yeah, makes those numbers in the history on the Gen 4 really impressive. The hills kill me)

    The 101km today included highway driving. The ability to go into EV mode up to 110km/h (never reached it since our speed limits are lower.. good for mileage lol) and the ability for the li-ion to recharge quickly.

    The trip out was 3.7L/100km. The return trip was 3.6L/100km (The 3.8L/100km on Trip A is the tank average since we filled up yesterday). I was able to use the battery, let it drop (engine comes on at 3 bars instead of 2 on the highway), it'll pop back up to 4 bars in 10 seconds (stupidly fast) and then I can run on EV again. Climb the AF bridge and glide down the other side (again, because of the ability to engine-off up to 110km/h, no engine pumping like on the Gen 3) and I'm back to 6 bars and I can cruise in EV and slowly drop down to the construction zone limit at 176 st.
     
    #16 Tideland Prius, Aug 7, 2017
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  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I read somewhere that outside of greater Van Chevron's selling ethanol free. Not sure if there's truth to that, but intend to do a top up (about 50~75% fill-up) with Chevron 94, see what happens. I appreciate it's an extravagance, both in octane and price, but I want to see if the outcome is similar to the Powell River fill-up.
     
    #17 Mendel Leisk, Aug 8, 2017
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    In (stock Touring size) 215/45R17?
     
    #18 Mendel Leisk, Aug 8, 2017
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I usually will pump 91 in the states since the difference between 87 and 91 is small enough that the gain is a wash (but at least I can flush the system of E10 fuel).

    The 2010 is the Tech pack so it's on 195/65R15 on WRG3s

    The 2016 Touring is on factory tires (I forget which tire model)
     
    #19 Tideland Prius, Aug 8, 2017
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  20. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Unless I want to go an hour out of my way, or pay $8+ a gallon for 98 to 100 octane in jugs, it's E10 for my car.
     
    #20 Trollbait, Aug 8, 2017
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