well, yesterday we got the call. Our 06 Seaside Pearl finally came in..... Pkg. 3. Fortunately enough, I had the chance to drive it to a wedding that was a ways away. Here are my initial impressions. 1. Power is quite sufficient. I was a little skeptical as to the power of the hybrid system but after driving it for a few mins., I was quite comfortable with the way the power comes on. My only concern is when you initially pull out. It seems that it's a little slow off the line but once you get going, it seems that power is good enough. 2. Keyless system - it's pretty convenient. I am getting used to just being able to get to the car and open it, hit the start key and I'm off.... well worth the pkg. 3 option 3. Sound system was quite surprising - don't get me wrong, it's no Mark Levinson system but I was pleasantly surprised with how it sounds. 4. Power steering system over boosted in low speed - I'm not complaining but it feels pretty numb when you're driving low speed around the parking lot or parallel parking 5. So far, it looks like I'm averaging just a bit under 40 mpg. I guess this is due to mostly freeway driving. anyway, we're pretty happy with our new toy. My wife loves the seaside pearl color and we're just waiting for our carpool lane sticker and that would really complete it.
Congratulations on your Prius, and welcome to PC! You got the car I wantd so badly in Jan. But Seaside was not to be found in a Pkg #3 in the Western U.S. (I called over 50 dealers in 5 states) and I wasn't willing to wait, so I got a red one. Your color will wear well. You're so right: the Prius is a bit of a dog off the mark...but wait until you floor it going from, say, 40 to 70 or 80 (if you haven't already). Few cars can match its mid-range acceleration. It's even more noticeable going up a steep hill. The Prius steering doesn't leave you any road feel, expecially at low speeds. One critic said it felt like driving a refrigerator. I've gotten used to it. Now a Honda product feels OVERsensitive.
I got my 06 red #3 on Friday. I was surprised how smooth and quite it is on the freeway. I was going 70 MPH before I realized I was going so fast. I'm comparing it to my 93 Subaru Legacy wagon.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ghostofjk @ Apr 30 2006, 10:35 PM) [snapback]247814[/snapback]</div> The same thing happened to me! I still think Seaside Pearl is the most elegant color, but my dealer told me the factory just didn't seem to be turning out that color early this year. My wait time was coming up on six months, I had to re-register my old car for another year, so finally I gave in.
I wanted red, but agreed to seaside ! Perhaps we can have a great get-together, and sort this color business out
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(asaulo1 @ May 1 2006, 12:06 AM) [snapback]247781[/snapback]</div> Congrats and welcome to the club! B) I also took delivery of my Seaside Pearl last week(Wednesday), though mine is with the fully loaded Canadian Package C, which includes everything except leather and HIDs, neither of which are currently available in Canada. I actually lucked out with a dealer who had a demo car with 4K miles on it with my exact specs, so I save a couple $K and had 2-day delivery. B) I agree. I imagine the reluctance at launch is probably because the ICE has to spin up and build oil pressure...? Totally agree! I also find the sound adequate. I do find it a bit slow to read files & folders though, compared to my 2-year old Sony radio in my last car. For that matter, it is even slower than my 4-year old Sony MP3 radio, which was stolen 2 years ago. :mellow: It's also irritating that it also locks out some the functionality when in motion. I can understand what you mean by "numb", though personally this is not an issue for me. I am averaging 4.5L/100km (53MPG) through the first 500km (312mi), in mixed city/highway. I drive for efficiency, but may also be influenced by the engine already being broken in. I have also not yet touched the tire pressures from the factory spec, though I plan to do so. We love ours too! A few comments of my own... - Still learning the Navi, but so far I find it is very hit & miss with voice commands. Does it "learn" your voice and get better with time? - Is there a "lifetime MPG" meter anywhere, or only the resettable meter in the consumption screen? - I am the first person in my neighbourhood and at work to get a hybrid, so I have been doing my share of educating people... They are not nearly as popular in Canada as in the US, likely because of the much steeper pricing. Kevin
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(iiwi @ May 1 2006, 08:03 AM) [snapback]247935[/snapback]</div> Congrats iiwi. I had the same experience when I brought my car home. It was up to 70 in no time. I had to watch my speed and finally just let the cruise control take over. We also had an older Legacy wagon. Great car.
Congratulations, and welcome!! Just keep on driving it...you should see your mpgs go up a bit as you get used to the feel of the car and driving it efficiently.
