Hi There, I just found this part of PriusChat... I didn't realize there was a newbie board on here! Anyway, here's a bit about me. I'm 41 and I live in Pennsylvania, and I work as a graphic designer doing web design and designing art for printed garments. I'm an environmentalist (freecycle, reuse or recycle everyhing, compost, vegan, etc), so I've wanted a Prius for a long time now. I started looking at them back in 2007, but my stubborn 1995 Mazda Protege refused to die. It had 203,000 miles on it when finally, a few weeks ago, someone turned in front of me at an intersection, totalling the car. I was pleased to find that a used Prius was now within my grasp, since in 2007 there were only a few used ones around and they were almost as expensive as new ones. After a few weeks of looking (and negotiating with car dealers) I finally settled on the very first car I test drove, a tan 2005 with 45,000 miles on it. After driving it for a week and a half, I can say for sure that it's the best car I've ever owned, even though the legroom is a bit tight for my 6'5" frame. I've been averaging 46mpg, and I'm seeing that I could easily do better with better driving habits. Anyway, it's great to be part of this board... you seem like a great bunch of people and I can't wait to learn more from you! thanks! -Ken
Hey Ken, welcome to PriusChat! :welcome: Yeah, with some thought and with the coming warmer weather you can count on your mileage going up.
Thanks, Tony! I've already noticed how the first 10 minutes I drive, the mileage stinks until the engine warms up... can't wait to see how it is in April!
Welcome to Pchat!!! I had to change my driving habits to improve my mpg. I'm a lot more relaxed driving now a days then I use to be.
Yeah, it's funny, I've found myself driving under the speed limit more so that I can coast, and treating the gas pedal like it's costing me money every time I touch it, because I can actually SEE it happening! I drove the Prius on snow for the first time yesterday, and I was really impressed with how well it handled... I didn't slide or have the brakes lock up once. Other things I love: -the smart key system, which I think is the best thing ever. -the engine shutting down at stop lights... brilliant. How come nobody thought of that before? (minor) things I'm going to have to get used to: - the shifter being where it is. I keep accidentally turning on the wipers when I try to shift into drive (I learned to drive on a 1980 Monte Carlo... that's where the shifter was) -the screen in the middle of the dash attracting my attention more than it should -having to access the climate control system through the display (but having it set on auto makes adjusting it all the time unnecessary)
