Author Topic: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?  (Read 27206 times)

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #50 on: March 05, 2015, 04:11:03 PM »
Ok well.. I took the gamble and sent the guy the rest of the money. He does have a dealer license and the pics looked good.  The mileage could very well have been just a mess up with the settings easy to change from km/miles. If I were to buy it in person I would have had to pay sales tax and drive for an ungodly amount of miles. 

I figure as long as there's nothing majorly wrong with it.  I drive it for two years.. it pays for itself and I can make a change at that point to something else if I want more room, etc... and hopefully be money ahead.

Thanks for the TDI recommendation.  I thought about them as well, but have heard they can have expensive maintenance and diesel prices are generally higher.  So I stopped looking into them.. although I could be wrong?

@Ecky "I built one for my car with <$30 in parts from eBay to help maintain mine, and it was quite nearly plug and play."  Do you have info posted about this anywhere? 

Also thanks for posting.   I remembered I have an old S-10 Hidden Hitch laying around and thinking about seeing if I can bolt it on.  Only would be carrying 150 pounds or so max.  Do you think I would be ok without bracing it?

Yeah I figured the stock stereo sucked plus I want to be able to hook my phone into it for GPS.  So will look for a cheap head unit and a couple speakers.

Ecky

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 342
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #51 on: March 05, 2015, 07:33:52 PM »
Let's see...

$19 for the pair of 90v power supplies

$3.50 for a single 12v power supply

$2.50 for a pack of piggyback connectors from RadioShack, because I was too impatient to order online (though I have 7 left over)

$1.25 for two diodes from RadioShack

$0 for a ring terminal and two splice connectors; already had a big box of connectors

$0 for a power supply I found in the garbage at my university, which already had a fuse, fan, and some nice connectors.

$0 for a spool of solder and a nice temperature controlled iron; already had

$0 for heat shrink tubing; already had

$0 for some speaker wire; already had

$0 for some zip ties; already had

$0 for electrical tap; already had

$0 for wire cutter/stripper


I guess if you were starting with nothing, a nice iron will run you ~$30, and you'd need to buy a few large boxes of connectors, might come out to $30 total for the items I listed as "$0", but you'd have enough spare to make 20 grid chargers, and they sell for $$$ on eBay. I'm always building small electronics and have bins and bins of junk for use as parts, so it's hard for me to know what the actual cost to make things is.

Here's the diagram:



And the finished product:



And here's the harness I made from some speaker wire to hook it up. The diodes are in the harness rather than inside the power supply, for safety reasons:





Here's the battery box (behind about 20 bolts):



And here it is hooked up:





And charging:




Regarding the hitch, 150lbs of trailer or of tongue weight? Would this be a cargo box?

If you're just pulling something like this, I wouldn't be concerned at all:



« Last Edit: March 05, 2015, 07:47:14 PM by Ecky »

Ecky

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 342
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #52 on: March 05, 2015, 07:37:45 PM »
Regarding the speakers, there is actually mounting and wiring hidden behind the carpet behind the seats, just need to cut it out. I found I get practically no bass from the door speakers, but a satisfactory amount from the rears. You could probably even install low profile subs (the passenger side has somewhat limited depth).




ysette9

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8930
  • Age: 2020
  • Location: Bay Area at heart living in the PNW
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #53 on: March 05, 2015, 09:41:00 PM »
As for the comment on diesel, it often is more costly than regular gas but not always. Occasionally it is cheaper. So far we have had nothing but normal maintenance on our TDI. One beautiful thing about the siesel engine is that it only needs an oil change once every 10,000 miles, so I am taking it in far less frequently than the gas car.

Ecky

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 342
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #54 on: March 06, 2015, 05:12:37 AM »
As for the comment on diesel, it often is more costly than regular gas but not always. Occasionally it is cheaper. So far we have had nothing but normal maintenance on our TDI. One beautiful thing about the siesel engine is that it only needs an oil change once every 10,000 miles, so I am taking it in far less frequently than the gas car.

That's the interval I use on the Insight too, and it only takes 2.5 quarts.

Jack

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4725
  • Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #55 on: March 06, 2015, 09:12:06 AM »
I haven't seen this car thrown into the suggestion pile yet so I will: Golf TDI. We have a 2012 Golf TDI manual and it gets only slightly lower gas/diesel mileage than my mother's 2011 Prius but is a HECK of a lot more fun to drive. (I average around 42 mi/gal with lots of surface street driving while my mother averages 45.) It is a 6-speed which I enjoy and the diesel engine has a lot of torque at low RPMs which means it feels like it has kick in the engine even though it is actually pretty low powered. Being a hatchback (like the Prius) it is super convenient for everything. We love loading ours up with a tent, picnic, baby gear, our baby, surf gear, and a surf board on the roof for a day at the beach. All that and still room to carry two more passengers! :)

Thanks for the TDI recommendation.  I thought about them as well, but have heard they can have expensive maintenance and diesel prices are generally higher.  So I stopped looking into them.. although I could be wrong?

The thing about TDIs is that even though the diesel engine is great, they're still Volkswagens. So they're still going to have a "German car" level of required maintenance. If you're an enthusiast who is willing to DIY, or at least to seek out the community (i.e., tdiclub.com) to help you, then it's no big deal. However, if you're the kind of person who thinks of a car as an appliance and takes it to the dealer for all maintenance, then owning a TDI is a terrible idea for you.

I have a 1998 New Beetle TDI with a 5-speed and I love it. Except for lacking the 6th gear I think it's an even better car than ysette9's 2012. (The newer TDIs have poor fuel economy compared to the old ones and can't use high percentages of biodiesel, plus some of the newer common-rail engines have had expensive high-pressure fuel pump problems.) I read up on community-developed best practices, I do most of the maintenance myself, and I never take the car to the dealer (except to visit the parts counter -- not the service bay, because even lots of VW dealer techs are incompetent at dealing with TDIs). I know exactly why (for example) changing the timing belt is critically important, and how to check if a shop has done it correctly (paint marks on the crank are a Very Bad Thing). I know that turbodiesels are less unlikely than other engine types to have an engine runaway, and know what to do if it happens (use the brakes to stop the car in gear, so that the engine is forced to stall). I know to be picky about what kind of oil, coolant, and other fluids get put in it because it requires special kinds and the "normal stuff" will damage it.

A TDI is a great choice for people like me. However, I would never recommend it to the average Prius driver.

As for the comment on diesel, it often is more costly than regular gas but not always. Occasionally it is cheaper.

"Diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline" has never been a good argument. Even when Diesel has been more expensive per gallon, it's always been cheaper per mile because the fuel economy of the TDI exceeds the fuel economy of the equivalent gasoline car (e.g. TDI Golf vs. 2.0L Golf) by a larger percentage than the difference in price.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2015, 09:14:59 AM by Jack »

Sid Hoffman

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 928
  • Location: Southwest USA
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #56 on: March 06, 2015, 10:48:02 AM »
"Diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline" has never been a good argument. Even when Diesel has been more expensive per gallon, it's always been cheaper per mile because the fuel economy of the TDI exceeds the fuel economy of the equivalent gasoline car (e.g. TDI Golf vs. 2.0L Golf) by a larger percentage than the difference in price.

Side note, but you can't compare the Golf TDI versus the 2.0 (or 2.5).  Up until 2014 VW put the worst engines known to man in their base models, with city fuel economy down in the 22-23mpg range.  That is so far below what a comparable Japanese/Korean compact car would get in almost all cases.  Like back in 2000, I had a 97 Civic and a buddy of mine had a Golf 2.0.  Both had 115hp and were roughly $15k cars but my Civic would get an easy 32-40mpg versus his 22-30mpg.  Even the 2014 Golf 2.5 was only rated at 23/30 mpg.  It was an embarrassment of an engine.

Jack

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4725
  • Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #57 on: March 06, 2015, 11:45:36 AM »
"Diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline" has never been a good argument. Even when Diesel has been more expensive per gallon, it's always been cheaper per mile because the fuel economy of the TDI exceeds the fuel economy of the equivalent gasoline car (e.g. TDI Golf vs. 2.0L Golf) by a larger percentage than the difference in price.

Side note, but you can't compare the Golf TDI versus the 2.0 (or 2.5).  Up until 2014 VW put the worst engines known to man in their base models, with city fuel economy down in the 22-23mpg range.  That is so far below what a comparable Japanese/Korean compact car would get in almost all cases.  Like back in 2000, I had a 97 Civic and a buddy of mine had a Golf 2.0.  Both had 115hp and were roughly $15k cars but my Civic would get an easy 32-40mpg versus his 22-30mpg.  Even the 2014 Golf 2.5 was only rated at 23/30 mpg.  It was an embarrassment of an engine.

So what if VW's 2.slow engine sucks? It was still the only apples-to-apples comparison (other than the Golf 1.8T, of course), since a Golf with a Honda engine isn't a choice.

Comparing gas to diesel is only valid in the same car: Golf to Golf, or Civic to Civic. And it turns out that "diesel is cheaper" is true for Civics too. From the linked article:

Quote
So what about fuel economy? According to the Civic's trip computer, I averaged 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers, which translates to 44.4 miles per US gallon -- pretty darn impressive compared to the 30-or-so I'd expect to average in a gasoline-powered Civic. At the time I tested the Civic, diesel fuel was running about 25% higher than regular gasoline, so despite the higher price I still saved money on fuel.

Sid Hoffman

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 928
  • Location: Southwest USA
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #58 on: March 06, 2015, 12:14:23 PM »
There has never been a diesel Civic sold in America, so it's moot in the OPs case, since he lives in Illinois.  This is partly why I mentioned diesels make great sense in Europe, but not so much in America.  That's all.  I don't discriminate against fuel type, I'm just trying to illustrate how different regions make different options more or less attractive than other regions.  Gasoline makes the most sense in USA, diesel makes the most sense in most of Europe, and EVs now make up a HUGE portion of the new car sales in Norway due to tax advantages.  3 different places, 3 different outcomes.

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #59 on: March 25, 2015, 07:39:37 PM »
Just thought I would update in case anyone reads this and is curious how the car ended up being.

I received it from a shipping company yesterday and have put around 20 miles on it so far around town.  Says I'm averaging 56 MPG.  :)

Overall the car seems pretty solid.  Back tires need to be replaced soon, rear hatch seems to not be working.. or haven't figured out proper way to open.. and I'm sure I there will be some other issues pop up.  But I suppose thats to be expected with a older car.

It been fun driving it around.  Although I did get one scare.  I pulled up to a stop light and the car shut off.  I started panicking thinking it died haha.  But then after I put the clutch in and put it in gear it instantly fired back up and I was on my way.  I wasn't fully aware of the auto-shut off feature.   But after I got used to it I like the feature.  As I had a train go by and instead of idling there for 5 mins I just sat with the car off with no added effort. 

Also you were right about the stereo! "EDIT: I should warn you, the one weakness is the factory radio. It sucks! You'll probably want to replace the speakers in the doors and install rear speakers (there are holes and mounts for them under the carpet right behind the seats) and possible the factory head unit too, if you like to listen to anything but AM talkshows and weather. " 

Man does that thing suck!   But I think I found a work around.  I bought this from Amazon.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F4B2LZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Found one for $45 with free shipping.

I plan on putting it in the car with me and using it to listen to music/GPS and use it for bluetooth hands free cell phone speaker while driving. 

The benefit to this is that if I ever get rid of the car I am not out money invested in a vehicle specific stereo product.  I can also bring it into job sites, workouts, etc and listen to music.. So it serves more than one purpose of just music in car. 

May not sound as good as a full blown system, but thinking it will work for me. 

Next is getting a hitch mounted up. 

Thanks again everyone for the input!

Sid Hoffman

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 928
  • Location: Southwest USA
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #60 on: March 25, 2015, 09:00:36 PM »
Glad to hear it sounds like it's not a lemon or anything.  Post up some pictures when you get a chance, we'd all like to ooh and ahh it.  Well, at least I would like to ooh and aah it.

neo von retorch

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4920
  • Location: SE PA
    • Fi@retorch - personal finance tracking
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #61 on: March 26, 2015, 08:26:58 AM »
It been fun driving it around.  Although I did get one scare.  I pulled up to a stop light and the car shut off.  I started panicking thinking it died haha.  But then after I put the clutch in and put it in gear it instantly fired back up and I was on my way.

Wait, just so I understand correctly, you bought a Prius with a manual transmission? I tried to find more information in the thread, but my morning eyes aren't up to the task of finding that exact information.

FastStache

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 257
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #62 on: March 26, 2015, 10:33:09 AM »
I bought a used 2008 Prius with 50k miles on Craigslist for 10k.  Sold Subaru Impreza WRX on Craigslist as well.  No taxes, trade-in costs, etc. and shady car dealers.  Even made a few hundred dollars after all was said and done and doubled my mpg.  Funny thing is that I love the Prius more than the badass Impreza - it's a lot more user friendly.  Get rid of that truck!

In some states you need to pay taxes when you register the car.

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #63 on: March 26, 2015, 02:36:45 PM »
Wait, just so I understand correctly, you bought a Prius with a manual transmission? I tried to find more information in the thread, but my morning eyes aren't up to the task of finding that exact information.

No sorry... I bought the 2000 Honda insight from the eBay listing

neo von retorch

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4920
  • Location: SE PA
    • Fi@retorch - personal finance tracking
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #64 on: March 26, 2015, 07:38:07 PM »
OMG I'm all caught up on the thread now. Checked out the ebay sale page. That's so cool that you can get a 5-speed. How did I never know this? My girlfriend will probably never ride with me again once I obtain one ;)

DarinC

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #65 on: March 26, 2015, 11:08:22 PM »
Overall the car seems pretty solid.  Back tires need to be replaced soon, rear hatch seems to not be working.. or haven't figured out proper way to open.. and I'm sure I there will be some other issues pop up.  But I suppose thats to be expected with a older car.
To open the hatch, turn the key with your right hand until you feel the latch pop, and then open it with your left. One of the plastic parts connected to the solenoid by the latch likes to go wonky in the sun. I think someone on the insightcentral forums sells a 3D printed replacement for $20 or so.

You can get the factory RE92s installed from Costco for ~$300. Definitely worthwhile. I went from 60+mpg to 70+mpg after I replaced the tires that came with my Insight.

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #66 on: March 29, 2015, 12:21:39 PM »
To open the hatch, turn the key with your right hand until you feel the latch pop, and then open it with your left. One of the plastic parts connected to the solenoid by the latch likes to go wonky in the sun. I think someone on the insightcentral forums sells a 3D printed replacement for $20 or so.

You can get the factory RE92s installed from Costco for ~$300. Definitely worthwhile. I went from 60+mpg to 70+mpg after I replaced the tires that came with my Insight.

Thanks for the info!  I contacted user:mudder on the insight forums to see if he is still selling the 3D part.  Seems like a good easy fix.  Will be interesting to see what 3D printing does in the future...

The car actually has the RE92s on the car now.  Not sure what they came with stock.   So glad to know they are good tires and will stick with them.  The fronts are still in pretty good shape like I mentioned.  So maybe I will just replace the rears as they are a bit dry rotted.  Unless.. now that I am thinking about it.. for proper tire rotation.. would it be better to replace all four at once even though two still have quite  bit of life left?

Makes me wonder about my MPG if I have the RE92s like you and still getting only 60 MPG.  I did read that coasting is better than engine braking to regen.  Which I was doing thinking that was the way to go.  Maybe I will switch to strictly coasting and see if I can make it up to the 70 MPG.

Assuming after a grid charge that should help with MPG as well?

I also had the IMA light come on.  Guessing a grid charger will fix it.  So I bought one from Hybrid auto.  I know I could have probably made one myself and saved some money... like Ecky.. but they come with a 2 year warranty,  instructions, support and look well built.   Might kick myself for not making my own.. but just wanted to get it done.  My head was spinning after reading all the info on them on the forums. 

Will most likely have to get a new battery.  Hoping I can make it a year or two before buying.  Any suggestions on them?  This one looks pretty good: http://hybridrevolt.com/catalog/Honda-Hybrids/2000-2006-Insight/NEW-High-Current-8-Amp-Hour-IMA-Battery

DarinC

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #67 on: March 30, 2015, 03:10:51 PM »
I'd stick with the rears if it's safe to do so. FWD cars in general put most of the wear on the fronts, and hybrids more than most, so you might be able to get the rest of the life out of the fronts w/o having to replace the rears, and then replace them all as one set. If not, I'd get them all replaced anyway and keep the two with some tread as spares. You also get an extra $100 off the set of 4 (~$300 installed) when Costco has their bridgestone promo (It goes month to month, sometimes it's bridgestone, sometimes it's michelin), plus having them rotated will even out wear.

For the IMA, you can check the blink codes to see what the specific subcode is.

http://99mpg.com/mikestips/readingtheblinkcod/

Mine sometimes throws the IMA light and sometimes throws the CEL too, although that really depends on what my driving is like. Lots of city with regen/assist when it's hot and it's way more likely to throw a light. I've only seen it throw a code on the highway once, and if I baby it I won't see one in the city either.

You can go with a new pack, or you can pull your own and test the sticks. If most of them are ok, you might be able to get away with replacing the others. In addition, some people on the forum have reported mixed success restoring low voltage sticks by draining them very low, then charging them back up. It doesn't work with all sticks, but some may benefit.

Grid charging seems to help, unless you overdo it, in which case the extra heat generated can kill your good sticks quickly. As long as it's done in moderation I don't think there are any issues with it, since you're just slowly re-balancing the pack.

I think of it like filling a bunch of glasses with varying capacity that are all connected to each other with very narrow passages. If you stop refilling when the glasses are 80% full, and you have some glasses that are very small (low capacity sticks), if you fill up all the glasses quickly, those small glasses will cause the refill to stop early because they fill up quickly (less capacity, higher internal resistance, and they hit the max voltage faster).

If you fill up everything slowly, then the water can flow to the bigger glasses (high capacity sticks) and you can put more water into all the glasses because the narrow passages have enough time to move the water between the bigger/smaller glasses. If that makes any sense...
« Last Edit: March 30, 2015, 03:20:52 PM by DarinC »

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #68 on: March 30, 2015, 05:43:14 PM »
For the IMA, you can check the blink codes to see what the specific subcode is.

http://99mpg.com/mikestips/readingtheblinkcod/

You can go with a new pack, or you can pull your own and test the sticks. If most of them are ok, you might be able to get away with replacing the others. In addition, some people on the forum have reported mixed success restoring low voltage sticks by draining them very low, then charging them back up. It doesn't work with all sticks, but some may benefit.

Grid charging seems to help, unless you overdo it, in which case the extra heat generated can kill your good sticks quickly. As long as it's done in moderation I don't think there are any issues with it, since you're just slowly re-balancing the pack.


Thanks for all the great info!!!!  You're awesome. 

I did the blink test and came up with a code - 78 battery mod deterioration

Quick question.  I bought a grid charger from Hybrid auto.  What exactly does limping along a battery with one look like?  I am searching the insight forums right now. And I am sure it varies on individual battery condition.

But can't really find a ball park on what it looks like for mileage between grid charges on average..

I saw one guy only getting 25-40 miles out of a grid charge before the IMA came on again.  And I see other posts saying their battery is fixed and no issues after grid charging.

i guess its worth trying and see what happens with mine before I dump $1600-2000 on a battery, but if its normally like the guy only getting 25 miles above I don't know.. I might just swap the battery, install the grid charger on the new one and be done with it.

DarinC

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #69 on: March 31, 2015, 01:32:23 AM »
You're welcome!

Battery performance with grid charging depends on the condition of your sticks.

If your battery was refurbished at one point it probably has a mix of newer and older sticks, and may benefit from grid charging since you can balance the pack every day or few in order to get more use out of the total capacity, rather than run through shallow cycles when driving because the weak sticks are limiting how much you can charge the others.

On the flip side, a pack where most of the sticks are old and don't have much capacity won't get much help from a grid charger.

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #70 on: April 02, 2015, 08:33:03 PM »
Quick update for anyone interested in this.

I installed a grid charger.  Actually a pretty easy process.  I was a little intimated at first but wouldn't have any issues doing it again.  If I was FI and had more time I would actually build one.  The more I looked into it the more I felt I could have done it.   

Completed a 24 hour grid charge and looks to have brought the car back to life!  :)  Big difference.  The only question will be how long the temp fix will last.  Planning on purchasing a bumble bee battery in the fall if it makes it. 

I also noticed that the car had too much oil in it.  It was last changed by a Honda dealer in FL and I would guess 1-1.5 quarts too much in it.  Maybe 2.  It was way past the second dot. 

So I ran to Walmart and bought some Mobile 1 and filter.  Did an oil change and it was perfect at 2.5 quarts. 

With these two changes I did a short 40 mile trip and FCD was telling me I was averaging around 70 MPG.  The highest I was able to get it up to on that trip was 73.4.

Not sure if the extra oil affected the MPG that much.. and the battery is probably doing a lot of the lifting in improved MPG.. but a great improvement and has more power for sure.

lovesasa

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
  • Age: 34
  • Location: The Wild Wild West
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #71 on: April 05, 2015, 02:03:28 AM »
Thanks for the updates! I've found this thread very interesting, as I may look into buying a hybrid if/when I move back to the states next year (I would have the option of free housing, but in an area too far from the 'good jobs' for bike commuting).

Regarding wanting to haul mountain bikes. I used to have a bike rack that fit on the back of my Jeep but was also adjustable to fit on the back of pretty much any car (how I lost it actually - I let a friend use it on their sedan and never got it back). Unfortunately I can't remember the brand, but it was one highly recommended by the bike shop I worked at. From what I remember of how it worked, it would have been adjustable to fit on the back of any sedan or hatchback. Worth asking your local shop what options they have and then maybe have a look online. It was ~$200 or so, but lasted me 5 years before I lost it to the aforementioned acquaintances.

Have you found you particularly miss the extra storage room you would have had with a Prius? How do you feel the power and handling are? I'm really tempted to look into the Insight after reading this thread, but I'd be worried about how it would handle in the snow and if it would have enough oomph in the mountains. I've heard front wheel drive is better for snowy conditions? I realize wherever you are might not be snowy right now, maybe someone else can chime in.

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #72 on: April 05, 2015, 08:49:51 AM »
No problem!  Glad you've found it interesting. 

As far as hauling bikes.. the insights design is all glass on the hatch.  So it makes me leary about that sort of carrier.  But... it has got me thinking of maybe seeing if I can think up a custom design and build one myself.

I also figured out that I can take the front wheel off my bike and fit it in the inside.  It's a little cramped but it works with one bike and is a free solution for the time being. 

So far the extra space hasn't been an issue.  I like the advantages of it being compact and extra gas mileage.  If it was my only vehicle.. then that my change my decision and I would have probably gone with a Prius or Honda Fit.

Power and handling are ok.  Rides a little rough (could be because I put more pressure in the tires to increase MPG).. but not too bad. 

Snow.. They do make the Blizzaks in 14"  and would be a needed option. But I would say the same for almost all compact cars.  Snow tires make a big difference.  Easy way is to mount them is on extra set of rims fro easy swaps (did that with an old S-10 pickup I had). Myself I will probably use the truck in snow since I drive a lot for work and don't want to risk getting stuck in the Chicago winters. 

I am also curious about mountain driving.  Hoping to do a road trip with it soon and see how it does.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 08:56:22 AM by IamDavin »

IamDavin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • Location: Chicago Burbs
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #73 on: April 07, 2015, 07:33:40 PM »
I think someone on the insightcentral forums sells a 3D printed replacement for $20 or so.

You can get the factory RE92s installed from Costco for ~$300. Definitely worthwhile. I went from 60+mpg to 70+mpg after I replaced the tires that came with my Insight.

Thanks again Darin!

As I mentioned the rears were a bit rotted and I like my piece of mind with tires.  May have been able to stretch the old ones out some more.. but not worth risking a bill from a tow truck and potential accident.   

Became a CostCo member today :) and bought 4 new RE92s for $391 installed and out the door.  Tire rack was about $10 more expensive a tire with shipping added.

So basically almost paid for my initial Costco Membership with the savings on the tires.. plus I opted for the 2% cash back membership.. so somewhere around $50 saved versus going through tire rack.   

I also picked up the 3D printed part for the hatch.  It was $15 and came in the mail a couple days ago. 

Cinder

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 468
  • Location: Central PA
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #74 on: April 08, 2015, 06:26:47 PM »
I also picked up the 3D printed part for the hatch.  It was $15 and came in the mail a couple days ago.

It's pretty amazing how fast 'additive manufacturing' aka 3d printing, is moving into the consumer space! 

DarinC

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #75 on: April 13, 2015, 04:34:03 PM »
I think someone on the insightcentral forums sells a 3D printed replacement for $20 or so.

You can get the factory RE92s installed from Costco for ~$300. Definitely worthwhile. I went from 60+mpg to 70+mpg after I replaced the tires that came with my Insight.

Thanks again Darin!

As I mentioned the rears were a bit rotted and I like my piece of mind with tires.  May have been able to stretch the old ones out some more.. but not worth risking a bill from a tow truck and potential accident.   

Became a CostCo member today :) and bought 4 new RE92s for $391 installed and out the door.  Tire rack was about $10 more expensive a tire with shipping added.

So basically almost paid for my initial Costco Membership with the savings on the tires.. plus I opted for the 2% cash back membership.. so somewhere around $50 saved versus going through tire rack.   

I also picked up the 3D printed part for the hatch.  It was $15 and came in the mail a couple days ago.
That's good to hear! I'm thinking I should stop being such a tightwad and just order the part myself rather than wait for a 3D printer to print it.

Before I forget, retepsnikrep on insightcentral ws clearing out some boards that he made to override certain things. He has one to control IMA, another to increase the amount of current the motor pulls, and another one or two for others features.

I'm not sure how into soldering you are, but if you're down with that sort of thing you can install the IMAC&C to limit current from your pack if it's marginal, and if you ever install another pack, the other mod allows you to pull ~2x more power from it, and I think there're a couple other mods that are pretty interesting.

anon-e-mouse

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 78
  • Location: Southern California
Re: Trade Truck for Prius.. Or Just Keep Truck?
« Reply #76 on: April 13, 2015, 05:47:15 PM »
You can have a Prius AND a Truck...