dedwax

Like most drivers, I have several frequently repeated routes. For example, the 1.5 miles from home to the market/post office/hardware store plaza. So I get the benefit of EV+ at both ends of the out and back. Here's the question. Does anyone know how close EV+ locations can be? If I make the shorter trip to the pizza joint, EV+ is not activated on the return leg, so there must be some limit. On my market run there is a stop light half-way that short cycles in my directions, and I notice that having to stop and then drive away (using ICE to mollify following traffic) really puts a dent in the mpg results, as opposed to EV cruising through when green. So I'm thinking, if I have to stop anyway, why not turn the car off and then on before proceeding. In a half dozen trips, the damned stoplight would become an EV+ zone. Unless adding the EV+ zone halfway nixes the EV+ at either or both ends. If we could determine how far apart EV+ zones can be, a lot of commutes might benefit from such trickery, no?

Thanks, that did the trick.

Have had our C-Max SEL (Sony Audio) for a week. It was transferred from another dealer, and had apparently been used to demo the MFT. All the FM presets are set for stations out of the area or of no interest. The Owner's Manual and Quick Reference Guide explain how to preset a station, but not how to remove or change a preset. Anybody know how to do this? My wife want's her NPR!

We purchased our SEL (302A, no Moonroof, 6/2013 build) last week. It had over 100 miles on it as it was transferred from another dealer. Still on the first tank (I assume they topped it off), and I’m still learning the do’s and don’ts both here in the Forums and on the road. I will not reset the Lifetime mileage until I fill it. Now, I am supposed to drive a Prius, if demographics count: New England based retired college professor, politically liberal, eco-conscious, expensive/techie interests (photographer, audiophile, Apple computers, etc). Several of my friends drive (and apparently love) Prii. Or at least, they feel good about themselves for driving one. I am also 6’3”, have sat in every generation Prius liftback, and hated them all. Lousy, manually adjustable seats, poor visibility (especially to the rear), inadequate storage, bizarre dash/display, etc. Last year our daughter asked me to car shop with her. She’s single, 30, lives in Boston, hiker/climber/skier, so my first thought was Subaru Impreza. But her job involved a lot of driving, reimbursed at $.50/mile. The Prius C had just come out, and a quick calculation showed the job would basically pay for a hybrid getting 50MPG. So I promised to buy a set of Michelin Ice winter tires for her birthday, and she loves the C. It might be a tad underpowered, but I think it’s the best of the line. So I'm no knee-jerk Pri-hater:-) I also basically had assumed the V would be our next car until I became aware of the imminent arrival of the C-Max. Last fall I test-drove them both on the same day. No contest. But I didn’t need to buy at that time, and just seeing “Microsoft” in the fine print meant waiting for version 2.2.1 at least (or 3.5.1, as it turned out). I also was skeptical about the 47/47/47 business. Ford may have gamed the system, but as educators say, there are always problems “teaching to the test”. I had a specific mileage goal in mind. Twice a month, on average, we make a 300 mile round trip from western Massachusetts to Cape Cod and the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, where we have a second home. My 2003 Mazda Tribute (an Escape with lipstick) would do the circuit at 20-21 MPG at about 72 MPH on cruise control (65 posted). That is so close to a full tank I always made a pit stop on the return. I just wanted a car that would double that, to 40-42MPG highway. Last weekend in the C-Max I got 42.6 MPG doing the speed limit down (95˚+, AC at 70) and 40.5 on Eco-Cruise at 72MPH on the return. The Tribute has been put out to pasture on the Vineyard after 117K miles of fine service. I’m as happy with that as I am with the 68.3 I got on a 4 mile grocery run Monday. Can’t wait for the upgrade!