Toyota Prius: Major threat?

[arbolmano]

Greetings all. I commute around 120 miles a day, on Hwy 101 and 1 here in Central Coastal California
I have noticed a trend over the last 5 years and have been wondering if it's just me or is something up? It appears like 80% of the time, if there is a car holding up the smooth flow of traffic it will be a Toyota Prius. The most common scene being traffic will be flowing smooth around 75mph in the fast lane and "whammo" there is a Prius doing a steadfast 64MPH even though there plenty of room for slower travel in the right lane. This forces everyone else to use the right lane to get around with subsequent snarl and resultant danger. The scene of travel at 64mph in the right lane when traffic is flowing 65-70 in that lane and 75-80 in the fast lane seems to occur pretty often as well. I've been calling it "Prius Syndrome". Am I alone in this observation? What could be wrong with these folks? I postulate these folks are intent on watching the fuel economy gauge which drops dramatically over 65mph or during acceleration and not watching the road. Check it out next time your out in commuterland.

[glenfiddich]

I'd never noticed that! Wow, you might really be on to something!

[kurt1305]

Hyper-miling is the term for it.

http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2013/...ive-like-that/

[buerkletucson]

Hyper-miling is the term for it.

http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2013/...ive-like-that/

I have a different term for it but I might get booted for posting it.

[Ken F]

Germany has a great law that I'd like to see put into effect here:

If you are in the left lane on an Autobahn, and you are hit in the arse, it's automatically your fault.

And yes, in the midwest we are also affected with the "Prius Syndrome"
I never really considered that it would be possible to despise a perticular automobile.... but I'm getting there!

Every time I see one on the road it makes my blood pressure rise, no matter what lane they are in!

Ken

[kthutchinson]

Here in Western New York it's called Prius driving syndrome, or PDS. It's especially annoying on a two lane road with no passing, when the Prius driver attempts to accelerate after a stop sign or red light without having the gasoline engine cut in. It may take them half a mile or more just to reach 30 mph.

[Omega Man]

Hyper-miling is the term for it.

I didn't know about this syndrome.........I have kinda noticed the owners who drive 'em though. It seems that there is a Tutorial on how to drive like there is no one else on the road complete with "drafting" instructions
Small vehicles drafting large vehicles- Prius or motorcycle to a tractor-trailer is a very bad idea.
While the road is everybody's place to drive, I am completely aware that no good comes from someone intentionally driving "out of the pattern".
OM

[36654]

Greetings all. I commute around 120 miles a day, on Hwy 101 and 1 here in Central Coastal California
I have noticed a trend over the last 5 years and have been wondering if it's just me or is something up? It appears like 80% of the time, if there is a car holding up the smooth flow of traffic it will be a Toyota Prius. The most common scene being traffic will be flowing smooth around 75mph in the fast lane and "whammo" there is a Prius doing a steadfast 64MPH even though there plenty of room for slower travel in the right lane. This forces everyone else to use the right lane to get around with subsequent snarl and resultant danger. The scene of travel at 64mph in the right lane when traffic is flowing 65-70 in that lane and 75-80 in the fast lane seems to occur pretty often as well. I've been calling it "Prius Syndrome". Am I alone in this observation? What could be wrong with these folks? I postulate these folks are intent on watching the fuel economy gauge which drops dramatically over 65mph or during acceleration and not watching the road. Check it out next time your out in commuterland.

OK, putting on my partial Prius Owner Hat..........

Your typical Prius owner bought the car for the fuel mileage and the most direct means of achieving high fuel mileage beyond the vehicle design is minimizing speed, since the power required to overcome aerodynamic drag is a cubic function of speed. With that said, there is no excuse for any butt-head camping in the passing lane.

BTW - I have one official warning from the Pennsylvania State police for speeding in my wife's Prius. In 26-yrs of driving 3 and 5-series BMW's, I have zero tickets or warnings.

[henzilla]

I didn't know about this syndrome.........I have kinda noticed the owners who drive 'em though. It seems that there is a Tutorial on how to drive like there is no one else on the road complete with "drafting" instructions
Small vehicles drafting large vehicles- Prius or motorcycle to a tractor-trailer is a very bad idea.
While the road is everybody's place to drive, I am completely aware that no good comes from someone intentionally driving "out of the pattern".
OM

Love the tips at the end.."avoid annoying your passengers with hypermilling practices" Change it to fellow drivers.
My sis-in-law recently joined the club...have not ridden with her, but she seems to drive it like the non fuel saving bunch according to H.

[TracerBullet]

We have to deal with the same crap here in Pa. IMHO they should not even be on the road

[henzilla]

We have to deal with the same crap here in Pa. IMHO they should not even be on the road

kind of harsh. Think they are not going away as more players entering game, including BMW.

its prob your neighbor 36654

[Ken F]

I'll bet BMW's entry into the market will be able to keep up with traffic however...........

Ken

[story]

A friend of mine in the CHP says, most CHP officers have a pet peeve they will write tickets for. His is holding up traffic in the left lane. He also states that most of the time its a Prius that's doing it.

[AKsuited]

Another Prius hate thread. Wonderful.

Here's a result of Prius-hate:



I had my Prius less than two weeks when some low-forehead Prius-hater kicked a $900.00 dent in the right rear quarter panel.

I do hypermile, but never in the fast lane. If traffic is reduced to one lane, I will do the speed limit to not slow anyone up.

Be careful about generalizing about people. You see one Prius going slow in the fast lane and assume we all do that. There are lots of people not in a Prius driving slow in the fast lane. I see it all the time.

And what is it about a Prius that scares the low-forehead types so much? Crazy BS.

Harry

[AKsuited]

I didn't know about this syndrome.........I have kinda noticed the owners who drive 'em though. It seems that there is a Tutorial on how to drive like there is no one else on the road complete with "drafting" instructions
Small vehicles drafting large vehicles- Prius or motorcycle to a tractor-trailer is a very bad idea.
While the road is everybody's place to drive, I am completely aware that no good comes from someone intentionally driving "out of the pattern".
OM

I don't draft anyone in my Prius. I don't have to. I easily get 50+ mpg in anything above 50F so why would I tailgate anyone? And that happens to be my pet peeve: tailgaters.

Calm down, people, the Prius won't take away your precious gas-guzzling V-8. Sheesh.

Harry