General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: My friend picked up his new Chevy Volt today. [View all]gvstn
(2,805 posts)I'll never forget my first run in with a moving Prius. I was walking through a large hospital parking lot on a very hot and still summer day. I was the only one around. Someone in a Prius was backing out of their parking spot and I ended up within six inches of the car because it was completely silent. No sound at all in electric mode. I jumped back like I saw a ghost! Very unexpected and creepy.
I think they added some sort of "noise" where now you hear the car moving, as a safety measure. I seem to remember there being a controversy over the silence, shortly after they came out. If I lived in the city where kids play among the parked cars lining the streets, I would have been terrified of having kids around that quiet a car. Of course, I've been close to many Priuses but they don't seem quite as silent as they once were. (Or, maybe I was distracted that day?)
At any rate, it does take some getting used to, and makes you realize that you use your sense of hearing for more than you realize in daily life.
Enjoy your test drive! And please let us know your first impressions.