I took my Camry for service, dealer loaned me an electric skateboard (Prius Hybrid)

[HotRod53]

I opened the shuttle door and planted my butt behind the control panel of the space shuttle! Man, what a whacky looking vehicle and controls. I can't even tell when this thing is running! I gained a new understanding of why Prius drivers drive the way they do, they can't help it! I sure hope I never have to pull out quick, its not possible. Man, this thing is smooth and quiet.

I don't mean to knock it, but it will definately take some adjustment to get used to this thing! The whacky looking rear hatch makes me keep looking and thinking it's not closed.

Kind of a neat change of pace, not sure I would want to drive one every day, but that's just me. I'm used to 180 - 620 hp, hard to get used to 12, or what ever this thing is ...LOL. I'm not sure, this thing might be powered by a whole bunch of gum bands under the seat wound real tight!

[11LE]

We had a rental prius a few years back.. same with us, we didn't know when it was on or off. Hard to merge, I tell you.

[GeeEssVee]

LMFAO i love this. Hilarious!

[touringcamry]

My previous employer had a fleet of Prius. The first time I drove one, it was the older 4 door model. I was exiting the parking lot and thought the car had stalled when I hit the speed bump.

The thing I hate the most about the newer Prius is the magic sequence required to start the car. I still have no idea how to start it because half the time the car looks like it is on and ready to go but when I put it in gear, the car is not really on. All the dash lights are on, but the car is not in drivable state.

I found the brakes pretty annoying too. Sometimes I touch the brakes and it brakes like I expect any other car to. Other times, merely touching the brakes makes me feel like I'm going to put myself through the windscreen.

I found the Civic Hybrid to be far easier to drive.

[sarsman45]

Originally Posted by touringcamry

My previous employer had a fleet of Prius. The first time I drove one, it was the older 4 door model. I was exiting the parking lot and thought the car had stalled when I hit the speed bump.

The thing I hate the most about the newer Prius is the magic sequence required to start the car. I still have no idea how to start it because half the time the car looks like it is on and ready to go but when I put it in gear, the car is not really on. All the dash lights are on, but the car is not in drivable state.

I found the brakes pretty annoying too. Sometimes I touch the brakes and it brakes like I expect any other car to. Other times, merely touching the brakes makes me feel like I'm going to put myself through the windscreen.

I found the Civic Hybrid to be far easier to drive.

I think its because we're so used to sticking in a key and turn. For a Prius you have to step on the brakes first and then press the power button. And that's with the nicer remote that you can leave in your pocket. If not, key fob in, brakes, then power. Hell, even most kids cant get it right after 20 mins of staring at it. Had a supervisor left one parking one day in front of other cars and no one in the office could get it to start because no one drove one before. That was almost an hour before I got there and moved it for them

[fatngs]

i had a rental one when my water pump took a crap...... a bit slow but i liked the pwr mode and all the features for a base car

[05CamryGuy]

The same reasons you're pointing out are why the Lexus HS250h did so crappy. People who are used to powerful responsive cars are not the demographic that the Prius is trying to target.

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by sarsman45

I think its because we're so used to sticking in a key and turn. For a Prius you have to step on the brakes first and then press the power button. And that's with the nicer remote that you can leave in your pocket. If not, key fob in, brakes, then power. Hell, even most kids cant get it right after 20 mins of staring at it. Had a supervisor left one parking one day in front of other cars and no one in the office could get it to start because no one drove one before. That was almost an hour before I got there and moved it for them

Correction, insert key, step on clutch, then turn the key. I've never driven an automatic that required pressing the brake to start it before. I guess I've been stepping on it without thinking about it on ocassion. It is, however, not obvious just sitting there that the brake pedal needs to be depressed to start the vehicle. They should not make all the light illuminate to confuse users into thinking the car is an operable state when it is not.

Why is it necessary to depress the brake to start the car? It is not a manual transmission. Is it something resulting from the SUA issue?

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by 05CamryGuy

The same reasons you're pointing out are why the Lexus HS250h did so crappy. People who are used to powerful responsive cars are not the demographic that the Prius is trying to target.

Wow...I had no idea that car even existed. I saw one a few weeks ago and thought someone applied some Lexus badges on a Corolla.

[05CamryGuy]

Originally Posted by touringcamry

Why is it necessary to depress the brake to start the car? It is not a manual transmission. Is it something resulting from the SUA issue?

This is a characteristic of all cars equipped with the "Smart Key" system. Pressing the Engine Start/Stop button w/o stepping on the brakes will cycle you from OFF/ACC/ON modes as if you were twisting a mechanical key. Pressing the Start/Stop button with the brakes depressed will start the engine.

...and about the HS250h; LOL, it really does look like a Corolla doesn't it?

[BlackG5]

^yep.


Every single car with the push-button start needs to have the brake depressed in order to start, otherwise, it's just in ACC.

worked at a silly carwash that did upwards of 1200 cars per day.. needless to say, we saw every hybrid/push button car there was..

[HotRod53]

I easily got the magic start sequence down, my biggest problem is getting it into DRIVE. It goes right from PARK into NEUTRAL but I have to keep hitting the shifter to get it to go into D.

[alexorozco92]

When my girlfriend and I went to go buy our g37, we didn't know it was a push to start.
The salesman had the key in his pocket so when we got in it turned on.
After all the paper work was signed, they pulled the car up washed and with a full tank.
We go in the car and drive off.
Next day, when we tried to get in the car, we realized we never got the key!
I really don't like push to start and I'm so glad our cars don't come with it.
As for hybrids, i'd rather go with Honda's CRZ than a Prius, as much as I dislike anything Honda.

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by BlackG5

^yep.


Every single car with the push-button start needs to have the brake depressed in order to start, otherwise, it's just in ACC.

worked at a silly carwash that did upwards of 1200 cars per day.. needless to say, we saw every hybrid/push button car there was..

Except it's not in ACC, it's in ON without going to start first. All the dash lights illuminate on the Prius including the one that said "Ready". In ACC, the dash lights don't illuminate on my car.

[Sevn86]

Originally Posted by alexorozco92

When my girlfriend and I went to go buy our g37, we didn't know it was a push to start.
The salesman had the key in his pocket so when we got in it turned on.
After all the paper work was signed, they pulled the car up washed and with a full tank.
We go in the car and drive off.
Next day, when we tried to get in the car, we realized we never got the key!
I really don't like push to start and I'm so glad our cars don't come with it.
As for hybrids, i'd rather go with Honda's CRZ than a Prius, as much as I dislike anything Honda.

My 2011 Toyota Camry SE has push button start and I actually like it alot.