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• On the waiting list (Score:1)

  by cbrandtbuffalo (4462)

  Very cool that you've got a Prius and are enjoying it. My car is slowly dying and I'm on the waiting list for a new Prius. I'm 13 at the dealership and they're getting about 1 per month. That means I could be waiting a year.

  I also read the Wired article and while it did seem to focus on the Honda, I was a little concerned about actual performance of the Prius. Nice to hear about your actual experience. Not that I would have cancelled my order. There are a ton of other amazing features to make it a cool ca
  • Re:On the waiting list (Score:2)

    by gav (2710)

    Are there any problems with hybrids when you're living somewhere where it can get way below freezing in the winter?
    • Re:On the waiting list (Score:1)

      by cbrandtbuffalo (4462) on 2004.05.18 7:06 (#30877) Journal

      I can also pass along one of the features the salesman told me about. Apparently, the engine contains a large thermos that sucks in all of the hot engine fluids when you stop the car. This thermos keeps the fluids hot for up to 5 days so when you start the car again it can get warm again quickly.

      My guess is they need to do this because the small engine doesn't throw off a ton of heat, and when you are on electric, they must run an electric-based heater.

      Living in a cold climate, my question is why isn't this in all cars? They salesman said you get heat in about a minute because there isn't the warm-up time. I imagine it's a little easier on the engine too.

      Can you confirm that it actually works this way? Or is this a newer feature?

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      • Re:On the waiting list (Score:2)

        by djberg96 (2603)

        It's possible, but not something I remember reading about. I suspect it's a newer feature, because my car takes a few minutes to get warmed up, though it's still relatively (and surprisingly) quick - probably 3-4 minutes on average. It's a non-issue.

        My main complaint with the 2004 model is that they went overboard with the computer controls. The 2001 model kept a simple manual layout for the A/C and heater controls, while I think the 2004 has gobs of buttons to push, plus an unusual ignition system.