Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
#1
02-21-2006, 09:41 PM
Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Just picked up my 06 HCHII Magnetic Pearl Non-Nav on 2/14 after a 1 1/2 month wait, and thought I would post a few notes to share some experiences and notes on my 5+ years of Hybrid involvement.
A little history...Ordered my first Hybrid back in February of 2000 and took delivery of my Gen 1 Toyota Prius on 8/31/2000. That was back during the time when you ordered on faith alone
since there were no Prius's on shore to see let alone drive. I waited 6 long months to finally take delivery. My silver Prius was in the first boat load delivery to the US.
At that time there were no cool options available. No Nav, not even cruise control, but the car was a technological marvel and far surpassed all my hopes in the areas of quality, function, and usability.
As fate would have it, exactly 30 days from taking delivery I was rear ended on a foggy morning commute rolling down Highway 101 at 5 A.M. Traffic stopped, I stopped, but the Bread Truck behind me did not
After waiting 6 long months to get it, my Prius was in the shop for over 4 months. Body shops at the time did not even have complete parts lists automated for the Prius yet, and no one was skilled yet in the process of Hybrid repair. Luckily it all turned out beautifully, and I was back on the road.
When Toyota announced that they would now have Nav and Cruise available, I had the opportunity to sell my first Prius and ordered a new Gen 1 with all the tech toys. I could not resist. I took delivery of my second Prius on 8/30/2001. I put over 139,000 on my 2 Prius's and realized a lifetime MPG average of 43.5.
Prius Gen 1 Likes: True hybrid, Quality fit and finish, Pioneer in field, Cutting edge technology at the time, Green machine, Good touch screen electronics integration, Quiet, Comfortable 4 door and family friendly, Roomy trunk.
Pruis Gen 1 Wish List: More Power (a little doggy on the full throttle), More leg room for driver (my left knee was always bent), Less front hood nose down angle design (hood took a lot of hits from the road and was pebbled throughout with chips in paint), Fold down rear seats.
I was approaching 100,000 miles on my second Prius. As a network engineer I fell victim to the High Tech Field dry-up and found myself in the midst of a career change. After trying to find a High Tech position for several months, I gave some thought to getting involved with the automotive business. Heck, I knew a lot about Hybrids so I called the Sales Rep who sold me my cars and investigated the opportunity.
I have been in the car business now since 2003 and am currently a Toyota Sales Manager for a large auto group in Northern California. I have seen Toyota Hybrid technology evolve during the years and the Prius Gen II as well as the Hybrid Highlander are truly amazing vehicles. Gen II prius Hybrid system is much more stealthy and sustains true extended battery propulsion with ease of engagement. In April the Hybrid Camry launches and I am sure it fills the need for updated styling that has been lacking in the Toyota line.
So, why did I buy a HCHII ? It was time for a change. Although the Gen II Prius is a great car, it does not fit my coolness needs. I love the HCHII exterior and interior design. Prius exterior and interior are a little boring, and the rear visibility with the rear window support pillar bothers me. Honda wins hands down here.
Prius wins in overall spaciousness, leg room, fold down rear seats, rear seating legroom, cargo capacity with hatchback, and IMO a truer hybrid system. As I mentioned before it yields more pure battery propulsion time during normal slow speed/stop and go driving times. It is easy to achieve up to 35-40 mph in electric only mode for sustained periods of time.
I commute 90 freeway miles a day. So far I have put 585 miles on the HCHII and am averaging 44.7 MPG. The Honda handling is superior to Prius and is a much sportier feel. Interior fit and finish is excellent, I love the flow of the front dash. Front and rear visibility is superb. Interior road noise is pleasingly and surprisingly quiet. Instrumentation positions are well thought out and clearly visible. Sound system is excellent for stock equipment, and even better with Bass Extender kit (see below).
My only complaint so far is that the AUTOSTOP fails to work in my favorite pass-time, the drive through lane
. I drive up to the order sign, hit the brake and the first AUTOSTOP works fine. As the line ahead creeps forward, subsequent crawl forwards and stops do not engage the AUTOSTOP and I am burning unnecessary gas. I end up turning the engine off with the key! Still have not figured out why Honda designed it this way.
For those of you thinking about personally installing accessories such as XM, Bass Extender, and the Auto Dimming Mirror, I can tell you first hand that it can be done, but be prepared. Don't do it all in one night like I did
I installed all 3 items myself. Started at 2 P.M. Wednesday and Finished at 3 A.M. Thursday.
Here are a few notes to take: The kits are well constructed and online instructions are available for each. Make sure you get the 06 HCH versions and not the 4 door non-hybrid versions. You will be taking apart several dash components, so be careful when you pull apart each piece as to not break the multiple clips on each one.
Pulling out the NON-NAV radio is a very tight squeeze to clear the steering wheel and windshield wiper control. Cover the wheel and wiper control with a towel, your going to hit/rub against it now matter how hard you try .
As you pull the radio out the connector leads do not have a lot of slack and are a chore to unplug/reconnect due to shortness in length. Be patient and assure you get all of them plugged back in.
There are 2 screws under the dash directly above the front pocket holder that hold the Radio in. Be prepared to have a very small hand ratchet with a short magnetized philips head. Very tight space to work in , bad angles, and very sharp metal edges make the screws difficult to remove and just as difficult to put back in.
The factory recommended location for the antenna is in the upper right corner of the inside windshield. It is a good location and does not block visibility, but it requires you to put a piece of dark metallic reflecting tape on the outside of the windshield to cover the back side of the antenna that shows through the windshield on the outside. This may not please the very picky among us, so I suggest scrapping the factory plan and mounting the antenna on the exterior rear trunk lid.
TEST EVERYTHING to assure it all works before final reassembly .
Love the auto-dimming mirror with compass. A must have for night drivers with long commute times home.
The bass extender kit is a nice increase in bass without having to add a panel vibrating subwoofer. I notice no rattles or enoying vibrations and a noticeable improvement in overall sound quality.
I can't live without XM as I have been a longtime subscriber. Integration into factory ready radio is flawless, and large display lettering with blue background is very visible. Scan and seek functions also work on XM.
Overall I am very excited and pleased with my new hybrid. Even though I purchased mine at one of our auto-group stores (in the family) you can imagine the ribbing I get at work (toyota) for driving up in a HCHII. While I was waiting a month or so for my car to arrive, my boss (the dealership general manager) kept asking me "Where are you going to park that thing when you get it ?"
As I continue now with my 3rd hybrid vehicle and loving the experience, I am looking forward to participating with this group and contributing when I can.
Cheers,
Alan
A little history...Ordered my first Hybrid back in February of 2000 and took delivery of my Gen 1 Toyota Prius on 8/31/2000. That was back during the time when you ordered on faith alone
since there were no Prius's on shore to see let alone drive. I waited 6 long months to finally take delivery. My silver Prius was in the first boat load delivery to the US.At that time there were no cool options available. No Nav, not even cruise control, but the car was a technological marvel and far surpassed all my hopes in the areas of quality, function, and usability.
As fate would have it, exactly 30 days from taking delivery I was rear ended on a foggy morning commute rolling down Highway 101 at 5 A.M. Traffic stopped, I stopped, but the Bread Truck behind me did not
After waiting 6 long months to get it, my Prius was in the shop for over 4 months. Body shops at the time did not even have complete parts lists automated for the Prius yet, and no one was skilled yet in the process of Hybrid repair. Luckily it all turned out beautifully, and I was back on the road.When Toyota announced that they would now have Nav and Cruise available, I had the opportunity to sell my first Prius and ordered a new Gen 1 with all the tech toys. I could not resist. I took delivery of my second Prius on 8/30/2001. I put over 139,000 on my 2 Prius's and realized a lifetime MPG average of 43.5.
Prius Gen 1 Likes: True hybrid, Quality fit and finish, Pioneer in field, Cutting edge technology at the time, Green machine, Good touch screen electronics integration, Quiet, Comfortable 4 door and family friendly, Roomy trunk.
Pruis Gen 1 Wish List: More Power (a little doggy on the full throttle), More leg room for driver (my left knee was always bent), Less front hood nose down angle design (hood took a lot of hits from the road and was pebbled throughout with chips in paint), Fold down rear seats.
I was approaching 100,000 miles on my second Prius. As a network engineer I fell victim to the High Tech Field dry-up and found myself in the midst of a career change. After trying to find a High Tech position for several months, I gave some thought to getting involved with the automotive business. Heck, I knew a lot about Hybrids so I called the Sales Rep who sold me my cars and investigated the opportunity.
I have been in the car business now since 2003 and am currently a Toyota Sales Manager for a large auto group in Northern California. I have seen Toyota Hybrid technology evolve during the years and the Prius Gen II as well as the Hybrid Highlander are truly amazing vehicles. Gen II prius Hybrid system is much more stealthy and sustains true extended battery propulsion with ease of engagement. In April the Hybrid Camry launches and I am sure it fills the need for updated styling that has been lacking in the Toyota line.
So, why did I buy a HCHII ? It was time for a change. Although the Gen II Prius is a great car, it does not fit my coolness needs. I love the HCHII exterior and interior design. Prius exterior and interior are a little boring, and the rear visibility with the rear window support pillar bothers me. Honda wins hands down here.
Prius wins in overall spaciousness, leg room, fold down rear seats, rear seating legroom, cargo capacity with hatchback, and IMO a truer hybrid system. As I mentioned before it yields more pure battery propulsion time during normal slow speed/stop and go driving times. It is easy to achieve up to 35-40 mph in electric only mode for sustained periods of time.
I commute 90 freeway miles a day. So far I have put 585 miles on the HCHII and am averaging 44.7 MPG. The Honda handling is superior to Prius and is a much sportier feel. Interior fit and finish is excellent, I love the flow of the front dash. Front and rear visibility is superb. Interior road noise is pleasingly and surprisingly quiet. Instrumentation positions are well thought out and clearly visible. Sound system is excellent for stock equipment, and even better with Bass Extender kit (see below).
My only complaint so far is that the AUTOSTOP fails to work in my favorite pass-time, the drive through lane
. I drive up to the order sign, hit the brake and the first AUTOSTOP works fine. As the line ahead creeps forward, subsequent crawl forwards and stops do not engage the AUTOSTOP and I am burning unnecessary gas. I end up turning the engine off with the key! Still have not figured out why Honda designed it this way.For those of you thinking about personally installing accessories such as XM, Bass Extender, and the Auto Dimming Mirror, I can tell you first hand that it can be done, but be prepared. Don't do it all in one night like I did
I installed all 3 items myself. Started at 2 P.M. Wednesday and Finished at 3 A.M. Thursday.
Here are a few notes to take: The kits are well constructed and online instructions are available for each. Make sure you get the 06 HCH versions and not the 4 door non-hybrid versions. You will be taking apart several dash components, so be careful when you pull apart each piece as to not break the multiple clips on each one.
Pulling out the NON-NAV radio is a very tight squeeze to clear the steering wheel and windshield wiper control. Cover the wheel and wiper control with a towel, your going to hit/rub against it now matter how hard you try
. As you pull the radio out the connector leads do not have a lot of slack and are a chore to unplug/reconnect due to shortness in length. Be patient and assure you get all of them plugged back in.
There are 2 screws under the dash directly above the front pocket holder that hold the Radio in. Be prepared to have a very small hand ratchet with a short magnetized philips head. Very tight space to work in , bad angles, and very sharp metal edges make the screws difficult to remove and just as difficult to put back in.
The factory recommended location for the antenna is in the upper right corner of the inside windshield. It is a good location and does not block visibility, but it requires you to put a piece of dark metallic reflecting tape on the outside of the windshield to cover the back side of the antenna that shows through the windshield on the outside. This may not please the very picky among us, so I suggest scrapping the factory plan and mounting the antenna on the exterior rear trunk lid.
TEST EVERYTHING to assure it all works before final reassembly
.Love the auto-dimming mirror with compass. A must have for night drivers with long commute times home.
The bass extender kit is a nice increase in bass without having to add a panel vibrating subwoofer. I notice no rattles or enoying vibrations and a noticeable improvement in overall sound quality.
I can't live without XM as I have been a longtime subscriber. Integration into factory ready radio is flawless, and large display lettering with blue background is very visible. Scan and seek functions also work on XM.
Overall I am very excited and pleased with my new hybrid. Even though I purchased mine at one of our auto-group stores (in the family) you can imagine the ribbing I get at work (toyota) for driving up in a HCHII. While I was waiting a month or so for my car to arrive, my boss (the dealership general manager) kept asking me "Where are you going to park that thing when you get it ?"
As I continue now with my 3rd hybrid vehicle and loving the experience, I am looking forward to participating with this group and contributing when I can.
Cheers,
Alan
#2
02-21-2006, 10:31 PM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
With my very first post in this forum, let me congratulate you on your new HCH II 
And thank you for a great write-up! I, too, have noticed that the autostop does not activate during a drive-thru excursion, but on a whim, I did place the car in neutral once, and as soon as I did it, the engine went into autostop while I continued to hold the brake. When the line moved forward, I place the gear back in Drive, released the brakes and crept forward, then placed the car in neutral again to activate autostop. I wish I didn't have to do this, but at least its better than turning off your engine all of the time! I have only done this once, so I haven't noticed if it works in all similar situations, but just thought you'd like to give it a try.
As someone with so much experience with hybrids, I look forward to your future contributions to this great forum!
Daryn
And thank you for a great write-up! I, too, have noticed that the autostop does not activate during a drive-thru excursion, but on a whim, I did place the car in neutral once, and as soon as I did it, the engine went into autostop while I continued to hold the brake. When the line moved forward, I place the gear back in Drive, released the brakes and crept forward, then placed the car in neutral again to activate autostop. I wish I didn't have to do this, but at least its better than turning off your engine all of the time! I have only done this once, so I haven't noticed if it works in all similar situations, but just thought you'd like to give it a try.
As someone with so much experience with hybrids, I look forward to your future contributions to this great forum!
Daryn
Last edited by supo; 02-21-2006 at 10:40 PM.
#3
02-21-2006, 11:08 PM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Originally Posted by amf
Just picked up my 06 HCHII Magnetic Pearl Non-Nav on 2/14 after a 1 1/2 month wait, and thought I would post a few notes to share some experiences and notes on my 5+ years of Hybrid involvement.
A little history...Ordered my first Hybrid back in February of 2000 and took delivery of my Gen 1 Toyota Prius on 8/31/2000. That was back during the time when you ordered on faith alone since there were no Prius's on shore to see let alone drive. I waited 6 long months to finally take delivery. My silver Prius was in the first boat load delivery to the US.
At that time there were no cool options available. No Nav, not even cruise control, but the car was a technological marvel and far surpassed all my hopes in the areas of quality, function, and usability.
As fate would have it, exactly 30 days from taking delivery I was rear ended on a foggy morning commute rolling down Highway 101 at 5 A.M. Traffic stopped, I stopped, but the Bread Truck behind me did not After waiting 6 long months to get it, my Prius was in the shop for over 4 months. Body shops at the time did not even have complete parts lists automated for the Prius yet, and no one was skilled yet in the process of Hybrid repair. Luckily it all turned out beautifully, and I was back on the road.
When Toyota announced that they would now have Nav and Cruise available, I had the opportunity to sell my first Prius and ordered a new Gen 1 with all the tech toys. I could not resist. I took delivery of my second Prius on 8/30/2001. I put over 139,000 on my 2 Prius's and realized a lifetime MPG average of 43.5.
Prius Gen 1 Likes: True hybrid, Quality fit and finish, Pioneer in field, Cutting edge technology at the time, Green machine, Good touch screen electronics integration, Quiet, Comfortable 4 door and family friendly, Roomy trunk.
Pruis Gen 1 Wish List: More Power (a little doggy on the full throttle), More leg room for driver (my left knee was always bent), Less front hood nose down angle design (hood took a lot of hits from the road and was pebbled throughout with chips in paint), Fold down rear seats.
I was approaching 100,000 miles on my second Prius. As a network engineer I fell victim to the High Tech Field dry-up and found myself in the midst of a career change. After trying to find a High Tech position for several months, I gave some thought to getting involved with the automotive business. Heck, I knew a lot about Hybrids so I called the Sales Rep who sold me my cars and investigated the opportunity.
I have been in the car business now since 2003 and am currently a Toyota Sales Manager for a large auto group in Northern California. I have seen Toyota Hybrid technology evolve during the years and the Prius Gen II as well as the Hybrid Highlander are truly amazing vehicles. Gen II prius Hybrid system is much more stealthy and sustains true extended battery propulsion with ease of engagement. In April the Hybrid Camry launches and I am sure it fills the need for updated styling that has been lacking in the Toyota line.
So, why did I buy a HCHII ? It was time for a change. Although the Gen II Prius is a great car, it does not fit my coolness needs. I love the HCHII exterior and interior design. Prius exterior and interior are a little boring, and the rear visibility with the rear window support pillar bothers me. Honda wins hands down here.
Prius wins in overall spaciousness, leg room, fold down rear seats, rear seating legroom, cargo capacity with hatchback, and IMO a truer hybrid system. As I mentioned before it yields more pure battery propulsion time during normal slow speed/stop and go driving times. It is easy to achieve up to 35-40 mph in electric only mode for sustained periods of time.
I commute 90 freeway miles a day. So far I have put 585 miles on the HCHII and am averaging 44.7 MPG. The Honda handling is superior to Prius and is a much sportier feel. Interior fit and finish is excellent, I love the flow of the front dash. Front and rear visibility is superb. Interior road noise is pleasingly and surprisingly quiet. Instrumentation positions are well thought out and clearly visible. Sound system is excellent for stock equipment, and even better with Bass Extender kit (see below).
My only complaint so far is that the AUTOSTOP fails to work in my favorite pass-time, the drive through lane . I drive up to the order sign, hit the brake and the first AUTOSTOP works fine. As the line ahead creeps forward, subsequent crawl forwards and stops do not engage the AUTOSTOP and I am burning unnecessary gas. I end up turning the engine off with the key! Still have not figured out why Honda designed it this way.
For those of you thinking about personally installing accessories such as XM, Bass Extender, and the Auto Dimming Mirror, I can tell you first hand that it can be done, but be prepared. Don't do it all in one night like I did
I installed all 3 items myself. Started at 2 P.M. Wednesday and Finished at 3 A.M. Thursday.
Here are a few notes to take: The kits are well constructed and online instructions are available for each. Make sure you get the 06 HCH versions and not the 4 door non-hybrid versions. You will be taking apart several dash components, so be careful when you pull apart each piece as to not break the multiple clips on each one.
Pulling out the NON-NAV radio is a very tight squeeze to clear the steering wheel and windshield wiper control. Cover the wheel and wiper control with a towel, your going to hit/rub against it now matter how hard you try .
As you pull the radio out the connector leads do not have a lot of slack and are a chore to unplug/reconnect due to shortness in length. Be patient and assure you get all of them plugged back in.
There are 2 screws under the dash directly above the front pocket holder that hold the Radio in. Be prepared to have a very small hand ratchet with a short magnetized philips head. Very tight space to work in , bad angles, and very sharp metal edges make the screws difficult to remove and just as difficult to put back in.
The factory recommended location for the antenna is in the upper right corner of the inside windshield. It is a good location and does not block visibility, but it requires you to put a piece of dark metallic reflecting tape on the outside of the windshield to cover the back side of the antenna that shows through the windshield on the outside. This may not please the very picky among us, so I suggest scrapping the factory plan and mounting the antenna on the exterior rear trunk lid.
TEST EVERYTHING to assure it all works before final reassembly .
Love the auto-dimming mirror with compass. A must have for night drivers with long commute times home.
The bass extender kit is a nice increase in bass without having to add a panel vibrating subwoofer. I notice no rattles or enoying vibrations and a noticeable improvement in overall sound quality.
I can't live without XM as I have been a longtime subscriber. Integration into factory ready radio is flawless, and large display lettering with blue background is very visible. Scan and seek functions also work on XM.
Overall I am very excited and pleased with my new hybrid. Even though I purchased mine at one of our auto-group stores (in the family) you can imagine the ribbing I get at work (toyota) for driving up in a HCHII. While I was waiting a month or so for my car to arrive, my boss (the dealership general manager) kept asking me "Where are you going to park that thing when you get it ?"
As I continue now with my 3rd hybrid vehicle and loving the experience, I am looking forward to participating with this group and contributing when I can.
Cheers,
Alan
A little history...Ordered my first Hybrid back in February of 2000 and took delivery of my Gen 1 Toyota Prius on 8/31/2000. That was back during the time when you ordered on faith alone
since there were no Prius's on shore to see let alone drive. I waited 6 long months to finally take delivery. My silver Prius was in the first boat load delivery to the US.At that time there were no cool options available. No Nav, not even cruise control, but the car was a technological marvel and far surpassed all my hopes in the areas of quality, function, and usability.
As fate would have it, exactly 30 days from taking delivery I was rear ended on a foggy morning commute rolling down Highway 101 at 5 A.M. Traffic stopped, I stopped, but the Bread Truck behind me did not
After waiting 6 long months to get it, my Prius was in the shop for over 4 months. Body shops at the time did not even have complete parts lists automated for the Prius yet, and no one was skilled yet in the process of Hybrid repair. Luckily it all turned out beautifully, and I was back on the road.When Toyota announced that they would now have Nav and Cruise available, I had the opportunity to sell my first Prius and ordered a new Gen 1 with all the tech toys. I could not resist. I took delivery of my second Prius on 8/30/2001. I put over 139,000 on my 2 Prius's and realized a lifetime MPG average of 43.5.
Prius Gen 1 Likes: True hybrid, Quality fit and finish, Pioneer in field, Cutting edge technology at the time, Green machine, Good touch screen electronics integration, Quiet, Comfortable 4 door and family friendly, Roomy trunk.
Pruis Gen 1 Wish List: More Power (a little doggy on the full throttle), More leg room for driver (my left knee was always bent), Less front hood nose down angle design (hood took a lot of hits from the road and was pebbled throughout with chips in paint), Fold down rear seats.
I was approaching 100,000 miles on my second Prius. As a network engineer I fell victim to the High Tech Field dry-up and found myself in the midst of a career change. After trying to find a High Tech position for several months, I gave some thought to getting involved with the automotive business. Heck, I knew a lot about Hybrids so I called the Sales Rep who sold me my cars and investigated the opportunity.
I have been in the car business now since 2003 and am currently a Toyota Sales Manager for a large auto group in Northern California. I have seen Toyota Hybrid technology evolve during the years and the Prius Gen II as well as the Hybrid Highlander are truly amazing vehicles. Gen II prius Hybrid system is much more stealthy and sustains true extended battery propulsion with ease of engagement. In April the Hybrid Camry launches and I am sure it fills the need for updated styling that has been lacking in the Toyota line.
So, why did I buy a HCHII ? It was time for a change. Although the Gen II Prius is a great car, it does not fit my coolness needs. I love the HCHII exterior and interior design. Prius exterior and interior are a little boring, and the rear visibility with the rear window support pillar bothers me. Honda wins hands down here.
Prius wins in overall spaciousness, leg room, fold down rear seats, rear seating legroom, cargo capacity with hatchback, and IMO a truer hybrid system. As I mentioned before it yields more pure battery propulsion time during normal slow speed/stop and go driving times. It is easy to achieve up to 35-40 mph in electric only mode for sustained periods of time.
I commute 90 freeway miles a day. So far I have put 585 miles on the HCHII and am averaging 44.7 MPG. The Honda handling is superior to Prius and is a much sportier feel. Interior fit and finish is excellent, I love the flow of the front dash. Front and rear visibility is superb. Interior road noise is pleasingly and surprisingly quiet. Instrumentation positions are well thought out and clearly visible. Sound system is excellent for stock equipment, and even better with Bass Extender kit (see below).
My only complaint so far is that the AUTOSTOP fails to work in my favorite pass-time, the drive through lane
. I drive up to the order sign, hit the brake and the first AUTOSTOP works fine. As the line ahead creeps forward, subsequent crawl forwards and stops do not engage the AUTOSTOP and I am burning unnecessary gas. I end up turning the engine off with the key! Still have not figured out why Honda designed it this way.For those of you thinking about personally installing accessories such as XM, Bass Extender, and the Auto Dimming Mirror, I can tell you first hand that it can be done, but be prepared. Don't do it all in one night like I did
I installed all 3 items myself. Started at 2 P.M. Wednesday and Finished at 3 A.M. Thursday.
Here are a few notes to take: The kits are well constructed and online instructions are available for each. Make sure you get the 06 HCH versions and not the 4 door non-hybrid versions. You will be taking apart several dash components, so be careful when you pull apart each piece as to not break the multiple clips on each one.
Pulling out the NON-NAV radio is a very tight squeeze to clear the steering wheel and windshield wiper control. Cover the wheel and wiper control with a towel, your going to hit/rub against it now matter how hard you try
. As you pull the radio out the connector leads do not have a lot of slack and are a chore to unplug/reconnect due to shortness in length. Be patient and assure you get all of them plugged back in.
There are 2 screws under the dash directly above the front pocket holder that hold the Radio in. Be prepared to have a very small hand ratchet with a short magnetized philips head. Very tight space to work in , bad angles, and very sharp metal edges make the screws difficult to remove and just as difficult to put back in.
The factory recommended location for the antenna is in the upper right corner of the inside windshield. It is a good location and does not block visibility, but it requires you to put a piece of dark metallic reflecting tape on the outside of the windshield to cover the back side of the antenna that shows through the windshield on the outside. This may not please the very picky among us, so I suggest scrapping the factory plan and mounting the antenna on the exterior rear trunk lid.
TEST EVERYTHING to assure it all works before final reassembly
.Love the auto-dimming mirror with compass. A must have for night drivers with long commute times home.
The bass extender kit is a nice increase in bass without having to add a panel vibrating subwoofer. I notice no rattles or enoying vibrations and a noticeable improvement in overall sound quality.
I can't live without XM as I have been a longtime subscriber. Integration into factory ready radio is flawless, and large display lettering with blue background is very visible. Scan and seek functions also work on XM.
Overall I am very excited and pleased with my new hybrid. Even though I purchased mine at one of our auto-group stores (in the family) you can imagine the ribbing I get at work (toyota) for driving up in a HCHII. While I was waiting a month or so for my car to arrive, my boss (the dealership general manager) kept asking me "Where are you going to park that thing when you get it ?"
As I continue now with my 3rd hybrid vehicle and loving the experience, I am looking forward to participating with this group and contributing when I can.
Cheers,
Alan
Congrats on your new car. I test drove both cars, and agree with your likes in the HCH. My wife and I are both short, so we liked the driver's seat height adjustment. We also have a 14 year old son who likes the MP3 jack. I added the Bass Boost, as I like my tunes also. Make sure to enter your mileage in the database. I'm sure that other members will be interested in your comparisons of the two cars. Isn't it sad that Detroit is so far out of the loop! Welcome to the HCH forum and good luck with your newest hybrid.
Regards,
#5
02-22-2006, 12:44 PM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Don,
Thanks for your comments. It is sad to see that american manufacturers have not invested the time to develop competitive vehicles. Ford licensed the Toyota GEN 1 hybrid system for use in the hybrid escape and has not progressed with hybrid technology to market. Enjoy the tunes in your new HCHII!
Alan
Thanks for your comments. It is sad to see that american manufacturers have not invested the time to develop competitive vehicles. Ford licensed the Toyota GEN 1 hybrid system for use in the hybrid escape and has not progressed with hybrid technology to market. Enjoy the tunes in your new HCHII!
Alan
#6
02-22-2006, 12:53 PM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Originally Posted by supo
With my very first post in this forum, let me congratulate you on your new HCH II
And thank you for a great write-up! I, too, have noticed that the autostop does not activate during a drive-thru excursion, but on a whim, I did place the car in neutral once, and as soon as I did it, the engine went into autostop while I continued to hold the brake. When the line moved forward, I place the gear back in Drive, released the brakes and crept forward, then placed the car in neutral again to activate autostop. I wish I didn't have to do this, but at least its better than turning off your engine all of the time! I have only done this once, so I haven't noticed if it works in all similar situations, but just thought you'd like to give it a try.
As someone with so much experience with hybrids, I look forward to your future contributions to this great forum!
Daryn
And thank you for a great write-up! I, too, have noticed that the autostop does not activate during a drive-thru excursion, but on a whim, I did place the car in neutral once, and as soon as I did it, the engine went into autostop while I continued to hold the brake. When the line moved forward, I place the gear back in Drive, released the brakes and crept forward, then placed the car in neutral again to activate autostop. I wish I didn't have to do this, but at least its better than turning off your engine all of the time! I have only done this once, so I haven't noticed if it works in all similar situations, but just thought you'd like to give it a try.
As someone with so much experience with hybrids, I look forward to your future contributions to this great forum!
Daryn
Thanks for the autostop advice. I could almost swear that I tried the same technique with no luck, but I will give your neutral to drive technique a try again and see if I can duplicate your results reliably.
Good luck with your new Hybrid!
#8
02-23-2006, 05:01 PM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Hello Alan;
Man that is what I would call a Detailed report on the HCH II.
I Love it: 
All, I can appreciate your (General manager) asking you where you going to park that thing, when you get it ?
I work for a Chevy Dealer and I can tell you that it gets real Hot
sometimes when I drive, different Makes of vehicles to the Dealership and then listen to all the {Intelligent Remarks} from the (RED NECKS). 
Hey, great review on your HCH II and the accessories. I have every accessory that Honda offers for the HCH II on order with the car when it gets here. So was glad to here the comments on the X/M and the Mirror Etc.
Regards;
Terry
Man that is what I would call a Detailed report on the HCH II.
I Love it: All, I can appreciate your (General manager) asking you where you going to park that thing, when you get it ?
I work for a Chevy Dealer and I can tell you that it gets real Hot
sometimes when I drive, different Makes of vehicles to the Dealership and then listen to all the {Intelligent Remarks} from the (RED NECKS). Hey, great review on your HCH II and the accessories. I have every accessory that Honda offers for the HCH II on order with the car when it gets here. So was glad to here the comments on the X/M and the Mirror Etc.
Regards;
Terry
#9
02-23-2006, 07:06 PM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Nice Post. I test drove a Prius 1.0 and it was a little too radical for me...definately ahead of its time.
#10
02-25-2006, 12:27 AM
Re: Notes from Hybrid Pioneer (long post)
Paul,
Thanks for the comments. Still lots of Prius I customers out there enjoying their vehicles. Best of luck with your new Honda. I see you live in NCal as well. Hope to see you on the road!
Thanks for the comments. Still lots of Prius I customers out there enjoying their vehicles. Best of luck with your new Honda. I see you live in NCal as well. Hope to see you on the road!
