Nasty wrote in news:4ba25dd9$0$4868$ snipped-for-privacy@unlimited.newshosting.com:
What benefit or purpose is there to having a car creep forward when there's no go-pedal input? Plus,if your foot is on the brake,such a "feature" still consumes battery power despite the car being stopped.
It's still an automatic,as the tranny is controled by electonics and not by a mechanical shift lever and clutch.Its internal construction more closely resembles an auto tranny than a manual.
No argument there.
I do own one, as I've previously stated. Bought it new in '07. The more you ride in one the more you see and feel. I think it has a bad ride, uncomfortable seats, weird and rubbery steering, it wallows around turns and there's a lot of wind noise at highway speed. It feels cheap and boxy to me. It's a technological marvel but it is, IMHO, far inferior to a Camry.
Nasty wrote in news:4ba27b9a$0$4959 $ snipped-for-privacy@unlimited.newshosting.com:
So... it is, then, for all intents and purposes, an automatic.
Since some 90% of new cars in North America are purchased with automatics, Toyota had chosen well in having the Prius mimic a traditional automatic.
Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns9D3F9BAB9FD38jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44:
In a car where the driver doesn't have to constantly use a big stick to manually stir a box full of gears, drivers of such vehicles are used to a particular type of behavior from the vehicle.
Toyota evidently attempted to avoid frightening the herd with strange and unfamiliar things, such as presenting them with an "automatic" that does not creep forward when the brake pedal is released. And so the Prius mimics the traditional "automatic" that everybody knows so well, even though it doesn't actually _need_ to behave that way.
As for power consumption, I'm guessing that there is _no_ drain through the electric motor when the brake pedal is depressed hard enough to hold the car still. The PCM, which is already consuming power by virtue of being in its "RUN" state, will monitor the brake pedal position, and will only feed power to the electric motor if your foot lets the brake pedal up to the point where the PCM decides that it should start making the car move. I can't see that monitoring should consume any more power than the PCM would consume in any case while in the "RUN" postion.
Nasty wrote in news:4ba27d83$0$4986 $ snipped-for-privacy@unlimited.newshosting.com:
Toyota makes little to no money on the Prius; it's an "image" car, and is expensive to build. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that they've cut a /lot/ of corners in an attempt to keep the line from being a major money pit.
A manual transmission.
My dad's Ford Five Hundred has a CVT. The controls are marked like those of an automatic, with P, R, N, D and either low or 1.
Jeff
Actually, it is a type of CVT.
dr_jeff wrote in news:cdydnbxGIMroUD_WnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
it's still an "auto" transmission. just one with continuously variable gearing(ratios). No -manual- clutch,no -manual- shifting of the belt. It's done -automatically-....
"it has a bad ride, uncomfortable seats, weird and rubbery steering, it wallows around turns and there's a lot of wind noise at highway speed."
That sounds a lot like my '94 Accord.
Actually, the main problem my Accord has is that the power goes to the wrong wheels...............I never have been a big fan of FWD, but the car was free and it is very reliable. I should finally hit 80,000 miles today.
Really? We have a 2000 Accord and love it. Superb handling but I agree that it's not a great long haul car. Sneaking up on 150K. By some standards in here that's nearly a new car!
I believe everything Toyota tells me because they are so prompt, forthcoming and honest.
This '94 Accord LX is actually pretty nice for what it is. Very good gas mileage.
It has pretty high wind noise, but this is also a very lightweight car compared to many other 4 door sedans, and I like that.
The seats could be a lot better. This car is cheap to insure, however, and it doesn't attract the attention of the various ticket-writers, so there are definitely some advantages.
The reliability is what I like about it the most, and at the low miles it has, it will hopefully remain reliable for some time to come.
Nasty wrote in news:4ba39a70$0$23502$ snipped-for-privacy@unlimited.newshosting.com:
more accurately,YOU bought the wrong car for YOU.
Having the front-mounted motor drive the front wheels makes better use of interior space,gives better traction(and steerable!) under winter driving,and is more efficient.It eliminates a driveshaft and associated U- joints and weighs less than a comparable RWD setup.
In my 86 Prelude SI(THAT is "superb handling"),I drove for 12hrs straight,only stopping for gas,and felt like I could go another 5-6 hrs at the end of my trip. Orlando,FL - Hopkinsville,KY. Piece of cake. My 94 Integra GS-R would have been the same.
I did not buy the Accord, this car was given to me.
Also, I know all of the advantages and disadvantages of RWD, FWD and AWD. I am just a big fan of 50/50 weight distribution, and I don't have much winter driving to consider in central Texas.
It is indeed more efficient, especially interior space-wise, but very often it also usually makes for more difficult repairs because of everything engine and drive-line related being crammed in front.
My main RWD preference is while driving, though. Having the power go the the rear wheels just feels better to me.
I did Texas to North Carolina and back twice in a 1996 Miata. Not too bad.
"Very often it also usually"........Wow, I need a little better proofreading. :-)
Pat
Nasty wrote in news:4ba39a70$0$23502 $ snipped-for-privacy@unlimited.newshosting.com:
My '91 'Teg is sneaking up on 340,000. It's at about 339,500.
I honestly never dared to think that it might go this far. And judging from its current behavior, oil usage, and emissions numbers, I'm thinking it might, possibly, actually hit 400,000.
Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns9D40A42BDB4A9jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44:
My '91 Integra used to be great for 10-hour drives. Now my butt and right knee get sore after just three hours, and I need to do the tag-team thing with my buns (probably too much information there, sorry). I'm not sure if that's due to the /seat/ being 19-years-old, or /me/ being 19-years-older.
A brand-new driver's seat is $400. Considering the amount of time I spend in the 'Teg, it might not be such a bad expenditure.
I drove my '06 Si 18 Hours from Buffalo to At Augustine, FL, and felt great. Pulled in to the Hotel, then hit the beach.
If the motor gives out, you can always have it towed the last few miles.
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