Toyota Prius v. Holly's Review.
Article ‘Trust Your Intuition’: How To Advocate For Your Child In Hospital
Mother’s instinct is a funny thing. At home, we trust it without question. But put us in a hospital setting with an unwell child, surrounded by doctors, nurses and monitors, and suddenly we start doubting ourselves.
What if I’m overreacting?
What if I’ve got it wrong?
So we stay quiet, even when we know something just isn’t right with our child. I’ve been there myself – when my usually ‘tough’ son was doubled over with stomach pain. I was told in the emergency department that it probably wasn’t his appendix. But I knew he wouldn’t have begged me to take him to hospital unless it was serious. Because I know him better than anyone. Turns out, it was appendicitis.
It’s a really common place for parents to land. You’re grateful for the care your child is getting, but at the same time, you feel this huge responsibility to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
Here’s the thing though: that instinct you’re feeling? It matters more than you might think.
Why your gut feeling matters more than you realise
According to Paediatric Nurse Unit Manager, Canterbury Hospital, Leticia Jackson, parents bring something to the hospital that no test or machine ever could.
“Parents often say they ‘just know’ when something isn’t quite right with their child, and in a hospital, that gut feeling is incredibly valuable,” she explains.
While medical teams rely on observations, tests and equipment, parents know the little details. The way your child usually smiles. How they react when they’re tired. What’s normal for them.
So when something feels “off”, even if everything looks okay on paper, it can actually be an early warning sign.
“When parents trust those instincts and speak up, this creates a powerful partnership that can sometimes catch a problem before it becomes an emergency,” Leticia says.
Worried about speaking up? You’re not alone
A lot of parents hesitate about advocating for their child.
You don’t want to come across as difficult. You don’t want to question the people caring for your child. And sometimes, you just don’t feel confident enough to push the issue.
Leticia gets it.
“It is completely understandable for parents to feel hesitant,” she says. “No one wants to be seen as difficult or to second-guess the hardworking people caring for their child.”
But here’s a helpful way to look at it: you’re not challenging the medical team, you’re helping them.
Parents are the constant. Staff change shifts, care for multiple patients, and rely on snapshots of information. You’re there the whole time, noticing the subtle changes.
“Our medical team doesn’t view a concerned parent as overreactive, but as a partner,” Leticia explains. “Your voice matters.”
Remember, we know our children better than anyone.
What to do if you’re worried: the Raise It process
If you’re in a NSW public hospital or health service and you’re worried about you or your child’s condition getting worse, there is a clear process you can follow called Raise It.
Raise It is designed to help patients, carers and family members get help fast if they’re worried about a change in their loved one’s condition.
Here’s how it works:
- Talk: Start by speaking to a nurse, midwife, doctor or health worker about your concerns.
- Ask: Still worried? Ask to speak to the nurse or midwife in charge and request a Clinical Review.
- Call: If you’re still concerned, you can escalate further using the Raise It process to get urgent attention from a senior health worker.
You don’t need medical knowledge. You don’t need to be certain. If you feel something isn’t right, or your child is getting worse, Raise It. You just need to speak up.
What should you actually look out for?
Sometimes it’s not one big, obvious sign. It can be small, subtle changes that just don’t sit right.
Things like:
- Changes in breathing (fast, laboured or noisy)
- Skin looking pale, mottled, or developing unusual rashes
- Your child being unusually drowsy, floppy, or hard to wake
- Confusion or behaviour that’s out of character
- Pain that isn’t improving with treatment
- Or simply that feeling that your child is getting worse
And sometimes, it’s just that gut feeling you can’t explain.
That’s enough.
“You are helping us, not bothering us”
If there’s one message Leticia wants parents to take away, it’s that you aren’t bothering the medical team, you’re helping them.
“In my years as a Nurse Unit Manager, I can say with absolute certainty that many critical changes in a child’s condition have been identified first by a parent. While our clinical staff are highly skilled at performing regular observations and interpreting data, parents are the only constant presence who truly know their child’s baseline behaviour, personality, and what is normal for them.
“I have seen numerous instances where a parent’s insistence that their child is “just not themselves” – despite vital signs appearing relatively stable – has prompted a deeper clinical review that uncovered everything from early signs of sepsis to a life-threatening respiratory crisis.”
The Raise It process exists because healthcare teams know how important parents are in keeping children safe.
“Speaking up doesn’t mean you don’t trust the team,” she says. “It means you’re partnering with us to make sure nothing gets missed.”
And if you’re still worried about being judged?
“Whether your concern turns out to be something or nothing, your instinct to raise it is always valid.”
Find out more, visit health.nsw.gov.au/raiseit
Mouths of Mums is proudly working with NSW Health to bring you this important article.
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- 10 Apr 2026
8:25 pm
- 10 Apr 2026
ReplyYou should never second guess yourself when it comes to yours or your childs health- or anyones for that matter. Go with your thoughts. It is natural to want to protect a loved one especially when it comes to health situations, and the feeling you get when you think you didnt do enough to advocate or fight for them…it is not a kind or nice way to feel. Many people have ended up being heartbroken and picking up pieces for years because of feeling they didnt do enough.
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- 10 Apr 2026
8:25 pm
- 10 Apr 2026
ReplyA very good and informative article. I have read so many stories about mums just knowing when things are not right and demanding second and third opinions until they got the right answer. Sometimes mums just know. It is our job as care takers of our families. Listen to your gut!
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- 09 Apr 2026
4:12 pm
- 09 Apr 2026
ReplyYears ago, I spoke up for my 14-year-old daughter, but my concerns weren’t fully listened to. I’ve always wished I had pushed harder. She was sent home without much testing, and two days later, she passed away.
So, if you ever have concerns—no matter how minor—please speak up and keep advocating. Trust your instincts; they are there for a reason.
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- 09 Apr 2026
3:18 pm
- 09 Apr 2026
ReplyThis is so important for parents to know how to raise it further if they don’t think their child is receiving the medical support they need! I know this article refers to the NSW system but other systems have similar procedures just with different names. I know in QLD it’s called Ryan’s Rule.
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- 09 Apr 2026
8:08 am
- 09 Apr 2026
ReplyIt’s so important to follow your gut instincts and express your concerns indeed. I have never hesitated to advocate for my children in various situations and I don’t care what other people think about it. Not all doctors and medical staff appreciate it when you question them, I’ve experienced that it may result in angry indignant responses.
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- 08 Apr 2026
10:10 pm
- 08 Apr 2026
ReplyHow true this is! While nurses and doctors are the medical professionals doing their job on the daily, we know our children better than anyone and what is ‘normal’ for them. I would always speak up if I had noticed any changes in my child’s health and encourage other parents to do so too. No question is silly!
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- 08 Apr 2026
6:16 am
- 08 Apr 2026
ReplyThis really is such an important issue and a good topic to discuss with people, I am often surprised that people are worried about being judged. This is not something I care about; the priority is for the care and health of everyone is my family. Parents know their children and need to work with health professionals for the best outcomes for their children.
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- 07 Apr 2026
12:32 pm
- 07 Apr 2026
ReplyThis is such an important issue to raise, and no one should ever feel ashamed, nervous or that they are being OTT for advocating for their kids, themselves or loves ones in hospital. In QLD we have Ryan’s Rule. A three step process where your concern will be escalated if they believe the patients condition isn’t improving or is worsening.
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- 07 Apr 2026
12:10 pm
- 07 Apr 2026
ReplyI have never been afraid to advocate for my children and partner and extended family and also friends. It is so important to listen and to trust intuition. When people have not listened, I have persevered and kept on with insisting on care and making sure they truly listened and took action.
10:15 pm
Last day then, return the car.... Wanted to dive into the sunset....and not to Toyota.....he he he
:(
There are so many things that I'm going to miss from the Toyota Prius V......
The H.U.D (head up delay) ((my favourite thing))
Keyless entry
The little button on the boot that I found 2 days go, to lock the car and not have to press a button on the key
Push start button to start the car
Reverse camera
Large GPS/NatSav
Bluetooth connectivity
iPod connectivity
IPA (intelligent park assist)
Great seat configuration for my family of 2 adults, 4 kids and the occasional friend/s tacked on
Fuel efficiency
Seat comfort
Heat seaters
And...the kids are going to miss the double moon roof
Well after listing all my likes, I think all I can about the Toyota Prius V, is OH WHAT A FEELING! Loved driving it. Want one, and fingers crossed may get one.....one day....hopefully sooner rather than later!
1:10 pm
OH WHAT A FEELING.....ALL 4 KIDLETS IN SCHOOL......
11:30 pm
Happy chappy's all round....seats 7 with ease....love it!
9:24 pm
Love it, want it, an I keep it please!?
After picking the car up, I went with the family in tow in the other car, as I needed to get there somehow, to Costco. Thought I'd see how the boot compared to our current car, in terms if boot size. Was very surprised how much we could fit in it. There would have been a photo, but everyone was too excited to unpack and go for a drive....so next time! My youngest loved the seats in the second row, so much so, he fell asleep on the way home. The front seats are very comfortable, my eldest just loved that can be heated, mind you it wasn't cold today but had to try them out. Very impressed with the car,evn though only Avignon it for a day. Maybe for my fortieth this year hubby can buy me one. He he he.....
5:26 pm
It's a car for a family like us
If you were thinking you had to buy an SUV for room for the family I think you should definately head to a Toyota dealer to see the Prius v - it is spacious like a SUV but also offers amazing fuel economy, more maneuverability and versatilty at an affordable price.
The Prius v is where style meets practicality.
5:04 pm
Great first impression!!!
12:30 am
Bluetooth.....hands free..... touch free telephony in car....What a bonus!
Getting tea for the tribe tonight, 2 wanted pizza, 2 wanted fish n chips. Ordered the pizza at home, then on the road decided to see if I could phone for fish n chips by the Bluetooth function and could I access my phone contacts in my iPhone. Pushed the speak button twice, and said "call fish and chips"....a prompt on the Nat Sav screen told to wait, then the number came up in the screen. A voice said there was 3 options but could just continue with that number displayed or one of the other 2, spoke clearly "continue"...and I was putting in my order, on the road without having to pull over to talk. Pressed the hang up button and was off the phone, order was in, without even touching my phone. It's safe to use whilst driving and easy to use. I didn't even have to look up the manual! Fantastic! :)
4:38 pm
Pre-Christmas running around.......too easy!
Parking is a breeze in the Prius with the reversing camera. We have one in our Kluger, so it's no longer a novelty. It makes getting into those squishy city parking spaces all that easier (no more driving around searching for a park that looks easier to get into & out of.......they are all easy now). Mind you it did not stop one silly man from darting out behind me, without looking, in a car park.....so over shoulder checks are still a must!!
I found the centre-of-dash information screens a little weird to get used to at first (am so used to looking through the steering wheel for this driver info), but it is actually easier to view quickly once you are familiar with the screen layout. The head-up speed display that projects onto the base of the windscreen was also a little disconcerting at first. I thought it might be distracting when I was driving but am amazed how it just seems to disappear if you are not consciously checking your speed.......it is not distracting at all & is far easier to check your speed whilst driving without taking your eyes off the road. The height & reach adjustment for the steering wheel along with all the controls & switches being within easy reach makes city driving easier & safer.
We had a bit of a play with seat configurations today......toooo easy, but will report back on this topic once I have been a passenger in every row, and not just the driver........hmmmmm I suppose that means I will have to give my husband a turn behind the wheel ???
11:41 pm
Ok I think I've mastered the IPA (Intelligent Parking Assist)...it's a long review...but I liked it....handy...
One little thing was the instructions weren't in the manual, but fortunately found a great tutorial on You Tube! Well it was really easy to use after finally figuring out what the button was for.
There are 2 settings : Press once for parallel parking. Press the button twice to reverse into park between 2 parked cars.
To parallel park: Press the IPA button once before you get to the park you want, drive slowly past the spot you want to park in. A diagram displays on navigation system how far to slowly keep going, then you brake, adjust where the parked car is if needed, then put the gear in reverse, take your hands off the steering wheel, slowly release your foot on the brake and the car parallel parks for you. Great if you're not sure or uneasy to parallel park.
To reverse in a car spot: If you see a spot to park, press the IPA button twice before you get to the parking spot. Slowly drive past the park and veer out ready to reverse, till a little beep lets you know it's time to center your steering wheel. Adjust where the parked cars are that you're parking between, put into reverse, take your hands off the steering wheel , slowly release your foot off the brake and let the car do all the work.
I must admit I found the reversing option a little more difficult than the parallel parking option. Or it could have been my error trying to do it at the local shop car park.
So not an all 5 star rating, as it wasn't in the manual, but overall, loved it, and would be great for those who are uneasy on parallel or reversing parking. Thumbs up from me.
4:00 pm
seat configuration
For us, we only have 1 car seat installed for Mr4, we have placed that behind the passenger seat. Miss7 sits in any of the remaining seats and has tried them all, she has announced that all are "great" but prefers to sit in the seat next to her brother - for the best view of the road ahead and of the satnav map.
Yesterday Miss7 turned 7 and we invited 3 of her friends over to play since we have the 7 seater I offered to drive them all home afterwards. 5 children in the car and all very comfortable! Definately fantastic to have the extra seats for times like these. Even if we did need another car seat installed the middle seat of the 2nd row is still plenty roomie enough so you could still have 5 in the car - all the Mums and Dads who came to look at the car were mightily impressed by that, especially those with 3 children.
Today we did a few jobs, we dropped off some donations for Lifeline, bought a flatpak desk and stopped at the hardware store for supplies. Normally to complete these shopping tasks we'd all go together as a family to window shop then either hubby or I would return to buy the items after we'd dropped everyone back home, as there simply isn't room in our current car for the family and large shopping items. For extra large items such as the roll of weedmatting we bought we'd usually have to borrow the 4wd from our parents. Not with the Prius v, the flatpak desk was placed in the rear of the car - in what is referred to as extra luggage mode, the weedmat etc we used long luggage mode and the 4 of us could still fit in the car! Thus we saved even more fuel as we didn;t have to make the 2nd trip back to the store - more shopping money!
(Speaking of fuel, we have travelled 315km and not even used 1/2 tank of fuel. Impressive.)
For interior flexibility I'd give the car a 10/10, I'd buy this car for this reason alone. You'd think with all these extra seats and space that the car would be large but it actually isn't much bigger than our current car. It easily fits in to our older style narrow garage, something our old 7 seat 4wd didn't do and the Prius v fits more into it - is cheaper to run and I suspect cheaper to service.....
10:15 pm
Last day then, return the car.... Wanted to dive into the sunset....and not to Toyota.....he he he
:(
There are so many things that I'm going to miss from the Toyota Prius V......
The H.U.D (head up delay) ((my favourite thing))
Keyless entry
The little button on the boot that I found 2 days go, to lock the car and not have to press a button on the key
Push start button to start the car
Reverse camera
Large GPS/NatSav
Bluetooth connectivity
iPod connectivity
IPA (intelligent park assist)
Great seat configuration for my family of 2 adults, 4 kids and the occasional friend/s tacked on
Fuel efficiency
Seat comfort
Heat seaters
And...the kids are going to miss the double moon roof
Well after listing all my likes, I think all I can about the Toyota Prius V, is OH WHAT A FEELING! Loved driving it. Want one, and fingers crossed may get one.....one day....hopefully sooner rather than later!
12:30 am
Bluetooth.....hands free..... touch free telephony in car....What a bonus!
Getting tea for the tribe tonight, 2 wanted pizza, 2 wanted fish n chips. Ordered the pizza at home, then on the road decided to see if I could phone for fish n chips by the Bluetooth function and could I access my phone contacts in my iPhone. Pushed the speak button twice, and said "call fish and chips"....a prompt on the Nat Sav screen told to wait, then the number came up in the screen. A voice said there was 3 options but could just continue with that number displayed or one of the other 2, spoke clearly "continue"...and I was putting in my order, on the road without having to pull over to talk. Pressed the hang up button and was off the phone, order was in, without even touching my phone. It's safe to use whilst driving and easy to use. I didn't even have to look up the manual! Fantastic! :)
11:41 pm
Ok I think I've mastered the IPA (Intelligent Parking Assist)...it's a long review...but I liked it....handy...
One little thing was the instructions weren't in the manual, but fortunately found a great tutorial on You Tube! Well it was really easy to use after finally figuring out what the button was for.
There are 2 settings : Press once for parallel parking. Press the button twice to reverse into park between 2 parked cars.
To parallel park: Press the IPA button once before you get to the park you want, drive slowly past the spot you want to park in. A diagram displays on navigation system how far to slowly keep going, then you brake, adjust where the parked car is if needed, then put the gear in reverse, take your hands off the steering wheel, slowly release your foot on the brake and the car parallel parks for you. Great if you're not sure or uneasy to parallel park.
To reverse in a car spot: If you see a spot to park, press the IPA button twice before you get to the parking spot. Slowly drive past the park and veer out ready to reverse, till a little beep lets you know it's time to center your steering wheel. Adjust where the parked cars are that you're parking between, put into reverse, take your hands off the steering wheel , slowly release your foot off the brake and let the car do all the work.
I must admit I found the reversing option a little more difficult than the parallel parking option. Or it could have been my error trying to do it at the local shop car park.
So not an all 5 star rating, as it wasn't in the manual, but overall, loved it, and would be great for those who are uneasy on parallel or reversing parking. Thumbs up from me.
1:10 pm
OH WHAT A FEELING.....ALL 4 KIDLETS IN SCHOOL......
9:46 pm
Hubby's turn to try out the Prius V
11:30 pm
Happy chappy's all round....seats 7 with ease....love it!
9:24 pm
Love it, want it, an I keep it please!?
After picking the car up, I went with the family in tow in the other car, as I needed to get there somehow, to Costco. Thought I'd see how the boot compared to our current car, in terms if boot size. Was very surprised how much we could fit in it. There would have been a photo, but everyone was too excited to unpack and go for a drive....so next time! My youngest loved the seats in the second row, so much so, he fell asleep on the way home. The front seats are very comfortable, my eldest just loved that can be heated, mind you it wasn't cold today but had to try them out. Very impressed with the car,evn though only Avignon it for a day. Maybe for my fortieth this year hubby can buy me one. He he he.....
5:26 pm
It's a car for a family like us
If you were thinking you had to buy an SUV for room for the family I think you should definately head to a Toyota dealer to see the Prius v - it is spacious like a SUV but also offers amazing fuel economy, more maneuverability and versatilty at an affordable price.
The Prius v is where style meets practicality.
4:20 pm
It's a smooth ride
During the time we have had the Prius v to test drive we have experienced many different driving situations - rush hour, a long traffic jam due to an accident, regular local running around, scenic driving up the mountain, highway driving etc. To begin with I really noticed the lack of power as you first accelerated and found it a little disconcerting to not being able to keep up with the cars ahead, however it only takes a few more seconds for the Prius v to reach the same speed and after a week I barely notice it. The lack of power was evident as we climbed Mt Coot-tha today but, hey, it's a scenic drive anyway :-) In summary the lack of power is only slightly noticable starting out from a traffic light change or quite noticable going up mountains.
I do enjoy driving the car. The steering feels light but the car feels solid on the road and handles corners well, its a car I feel very safe in.
Safety features of the Prius v include 7 SRS airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, ABS brakes all which contribute to a smooth, safe drive. I think that the Pre Collison Safety System is a brilliant idea and, although I actually never want to try it for myself, would love to see it in action. The Prius is ahead of it's time in car safety, I am extremely impressed with the level Toyota has achieved.
All up the Prius v offers a smooth, comfortable ride in all road and traffic conditions.
8:54 pm
button, buttons, buttons
There are many instruments and controls in the Prius v and it has taken some getting use to them all, in fact even after all this time I am still finding more functions. Today I found the Intelligent Park Assist button but rather wished I hadn't. Hubby and I read the manual with it's clear as mud instructions, spent 15 minutes trying to park using it but with no success, quite frustrating. Perhaps I might pop by the dealer and ask them to show me how to operate it...
I love the HUD (Heads Up Display) which projects a readout of speed, satnav, audio etc on to the windscreen using Touch Tracer controls located on the steering wheel. Makes for easier, safer driving as your eyes stay up looking at the road.
Today I was mostly the passenger and I used that time to explore the car audio features, satnav, bluetooth, ipod connectivity - I was busy for quite some time as there are many interesting buttons to push! The features themselves are very easy to use, I spent my time going through the layers of menu options. The front passenger of the Prius v i-tech will never be bored ;-)
In summary, lots of buttons which seemed a little overwhelming at first but now that I know their functions I'm thinking "Wow, what a clever car"
P.S. 5 days, 514km travelled in ECO mode and we still have 1/3 tank of fuel!! Incredible.
The other features are seamless to use, satnav very straight forward, car audio the same
4:00 pm
seat configuration
For us, we only have 1 car seat installed for Mr4, we have placed that behind the passenger seat. Miss7 sits in any of the remaining seats and has tried them all, she has announced that all are "great" but prefers to sit in the seat next to her brother - for the best view of the road ahead and of the satnav map.
Yesterday Miss7 turned 7 and we invited 3 of her friends over to play since we have the 7 seater I offered to drive them all home afterwards. 5 children in the car and all very comfortable! Definately fantastic to have the extra seats for times like these. Even if we did need another car seat installed the middle seat of the 2nd row is still plenty roomie enough so you could still have 5 in the car - all the Mums and Dads who came to look at the car were mightily impressed by that, especially those with 3 children.
Today we did a few jobs, we dropped off some donations for Lifeline, bought a flatpak desk and stopped at the hardware store for supplies. Normally to complete these shopping tasks we'd all go together as a family to window shop then either hubby or I would return to buy the items after we'd dropped everyone back home, as there simply isn't room in our current car for the family and large shopping items. For extra large items such as the roll of weedmatting we bought we'd usually have to borrow the 4wd from our parents. Not with the Prius v, the flatpak desk was placed in the rear of the car - in what is referred to as extra luggage mode, the weedmat etc we used long luggage mode and the 4 of us could still fit in the car! Thus we saved even more fuel as we didn;t have to make the 2nd trip back to the store - more shopping money!
(Speaking of fuel, we have travelled 315km and not even used 1/2 tank of fuel. Impressive.)
For interior flexibility I'd give the car a 10/10, I'd buy this car for this reason alone. You'd think with all these extra seats and space that the car would be large but it actually isn't much bigger than our current car. It easily fits in to our older style narrow garage, something our old 7 seat 4wd didn't do and the Prius v fits more into it - is cheaper to run and I suspect cheaper to service.....
8:30 pm
Highway driving, saving many $$$'s
Also impressed by the level of car comfort, the front seats are very supportive, they are 6 way adjustable including being equipped with adjustable lumbar support, I felt no driver fatigue during the journey.
The basic cruise control is very easy to use, I forgot to have a play with it before I left home but it was the same as what we have in our current car. What we don't have in our current car but is a feature of the i-tech is dynamic radar cruise control - described by Toyota , "This intelligent technology uses millimetre-wave radar sensors to detect the speed of the vehicle ahead, and automatically adjusts your speed to ensure you there's always a set range between you." To use you merely press a button on the steering wheel and you don't even have to worry about maintaining the gap between you and the car in front! Fantastic on the highway when light congestion occurs and everyone returns to correct speed quickly.
Car performance and features on this type of drive = 9/10
11:48 am
Back to Sydney on 1/2 a tank......now that's showing off !
The next morning we repacked the car and headed east while Nanma & Poppy headed back to The Ridge. This time we made it home on 1/2 a tank !! When looking at the average fuel consumption for the round trip, I was surprised to see that we averaged 4.9litres/100km. I thought it would be higher having gone over the blue mountains twice and with the amount of highway driving.....just amazing!!
The other little thing that I got to fully appreciate on the trip home were the retractable shades on the rear door windows. The sun was blistering leaving Dubbo, & stayed that way for the majority of the drive, but the kids were both comfortable with the shades up. I wish I had these when the kids were babies, instead of constantly struggling ill fitting sock type shades, or ones that sort of suctioned on to the window, or the common last resort of using a baby wrap tucked over the top with the door shut. Inbuilt, retractable window shades......pure genius !!!
11:45 pm
Shhhh......so quiet on safari....
9:23 am
FUEL ALERT....and still 25km to Dubbo......did we make it ?????
We had decided to refuel as soon as we got down to one bar on the fuel gauge. We didn't want to risk conking out on a country road with tired, grumpy kids and a greatly diminished snack supply. Unfortunately when we finally did hit one bar on the fuel gauge the service stations were few & far between.......no, make that non-existent.......on the route we chose to take.
When the fuel alert came on we were still 25km out but were pretty sure with the CVT (continuously variable transmission) we would be ok, as we were mostly going at speeds less than 100km/hr due to roads and were constantly changing between petrol & electric power.
One of my favourite things in the Prius v is the graphical display where you can actually see where your are drawing your power from. It really helped me understand CVT, and it was comforting being able to see at a glance when we were on electric power (especially when the fuel alert light was on).
Soooo, we made it, right to our motel, then popped around the corner to fill up! Here are our final stats:
Darlington to Dubbo = 393km on just over 1/2 tank of fuel
Total distance on one tank of fuel in 7 days of combined city & highway driving = 612km
Cost to refill with premium unleaded fuel = $60
We are really impressed & think the numbers speak for themself.
7:40 am
Manages mountain roads with ease....
We made a quick stop at the "The Explorers' Tree at Katoomba, but unfortunately it was all roped off as it was damaged in an accident earlier in the year so we couldn't even get a snapshot :( I bet Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth would have loved a Prius v to help them through the mountains in 1813 !
10:49 pm
Darlington to Dubbo in the Prius v
Ok then......all packed.... luggage, Christmas gifts for family, books, snacks....oh, & kids. We're off......starting with the fuel gauge at 1bar over half a tank. We haven't filled up since the Prius v arrived a week ago so fuel economy has been great around the city. I expect once we are at highway speeds we will have greater consumption......but want to see just how far we can get before refueling.
Keith is driving the first drive leg and with the current speed limit of 110km/hr says she feels lovely & smooth. Looking forward to seeing how she handles driving through the Blue Mountains. Jack and Lauren both comfy with loads of room in the middle row, as am I as the front passenger.
Must say though, we are a little disappointed at the "cup holder status" of the Prius v. All doors have a space for an average size water bottle, but for kids in booster seats in the 2nd row, these are too hard to reach. We have already had water bottles dropped in car seats and some minor spillage which of course lead to tears! Cup holders in the front centre console & 3rd row only fit small diameter water bottles, & most cups/bottles/kids drink bottles these days are larger than this :( We were surprised as we have never had this issue in other Toyota vehicles. In any case it is a minor issue.......everything else is spot on.
1:03 am
3rd row lowdown......grownups fit, but best for kids
Leg room wise it wasn't too bad, but I had no one in the seat in front of me so it wasn't an issue. You definitely couldn't have 3 tall people down one side of the car. With Keith driving, he has the driver seat pretty much all the way back so the leg room for Jack, sitting behind him in a booster seat, was also a little tight.
All this being said, the third row is still more than adequate for short trips, but really best suits the kids, or those who are a little more vertically challenged. The overall leg room throughout the whole car is also easily managed by rearranging seating around the specific heights of the occupants (although if you are all tall, then things could get tricky).
(Have added a snap taken from the 3rd row......you can just make out my knees in the bottom of the pic)
12:07 am
Cool & comfortable in the heat.....but Spider-Man & Barbie's cars are better!
It was a hot one in Sydney today so it seemed like we were reverting to petrol power the majority of the time, as we were relying heavily on the aircon. The kids had decided they were travelling in the 3rd row today (just to mix it up a bit.....as is their want) but by the time I was lovely & cool in the front they were saying they were still hot....though not so hot that they would move to the middle seats :)
After dancing it was off over the bridge to pick up Nan & Pop & then head home for "Christmas". This was Nan & Pop's first drive in the Prius V & they were impressed with the amount of room & were amazed that there were 7 seats. Of course we had to call Keith on our way back, blue tooth & hands free of course, & all sing Happy Birthday!! (Keith said it was really clear his end too). What was most impressive with this was that my phone was in the dance bag right at the back of the car. Once Bluetooth is activated & phone paired, as soon as you get in you are connected for calls & music regardless of where your phone is in the car, and all operations can be made through the steering wheel controls.....just love it!
We talked about getting a pic of Nan & Pop with the Prius v, but alas they said they were too camera shy. So for this post, I have attached a Christmas snap of Jack & Lauren who, unlike Keith, actually did get a car each this Christmas. I'm sorry Prius v, but I think you have been outshone by Spider-Man's super awesome "wheels" & the Barbie glamour car......(well, at least in Jack & Lozzie's eyes). Merry Christmas everyone :)
10:58 pm
View from front following our IKEA shop.....
IKEA....tick........now, I wonder if there is anything I need from Bunnings????
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