Originally Posted by
gburke1
I am planning to move west in March, and am wondering if the Mirage has enough power to get through the Rockies given the diminishing effect elevation has on horsepower.
I will be carrying some additional weight (not sure how much, but guessing 300 lbs or so, plus myself at 220 lbs)
Which way are you going?
There's nothing really steep in Rockies at least if you stay on main highways. With respect to the power loss it is a thing of the past when cars and bikes were carbureted. At 10,000' you are loosing 16% of oxygen, which if you consider how often you need to get above 80% while driving? With carbureted you are changing mixture and loosing alot more power, but with EFI altitude is not an issue. I would recommend cleaning radiator and adding Redline water wetter just to help cooling system on extended climbs, otherwise should not need anything.
When are you moving? Which route? If you have time it is a great opportunity to see many things. If you are going before June you might be required to carry chains in some places.
Rockies are fine they don't have steep climbs, Sierra Nevada and Cascades have some really steep climbs. But there were maybe 2-3 climbs we had issues in loaded Prius with 4 people on board. Prius engine is rated at 98hp, and after battery gets depleted that is all you have to push 4,000lbs up 11% grade.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 46.4 mpg (US) ... 19.7 km/L ... 5.1 L/100 km ... 55.7 mpg (Imp)