Just got your Prius?

ThomLP · 01-27-2007, 08:18 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(montelb@ada.k12.oh.us @ Jan 22 2007, 12:13 PM) [snapback]379048[/snapback]</div>

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I'm not sure your link is still good. I'd love to read the article. If there is an updated link, please post!
Thank you.
[/b]

Let me add my request to the one above. Just got my Prius a month ago and would love to read the article.

cgraham · 01-29-2007, 12:11 PM

I have PM'd Dr. Fusco to request a new link or re-post.

My own experience with an '06 Prius is that I never saw an effciency increase (now at 20K).

It has always averaged about 50 mpg under moderate driving conditions on the highway (65 mph), and ~46 when I drive 11 miles downhill to town (1000' elevation drop) and back a few times, driving as conservatively as possible.

However, one has to be cautious about great milage claims. There is a bias to remembering the high milage tanks or trips and ignoring the poorer ones. Wind direction, gradient and speed appear to be the major factors affecting economy. Remember, wind is a significant adverse factor except when blowing within 45 degrees of the rear of the car (.e. it is an adverse factor 3/4 of the time!) When driving long distances, it is pretty easy to plot decreasing mpg against increasing mph on a flat road during a windless day. However, these conditons are seldom satisfied here (NM).

After noticing startling differences in mpg as these 3 factor vary, I'm very cautious about making any claims about efficiency in the short term. Over the long term, an improvement in efficency might be documented, but be due to adopting more conservative driving habits, which the displays and experience certainly encourage.

C

LanceinOregon · 02-16-2007, 09:44 PM

The link to this article is broken.

Will no one fix it????

Lance

**efusco** · 02-16-2007, 10:28 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LanceinOregon @ Feb 16 2007, 08:44 PM) [snapback]391835[/snapback]</div>

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The link to this article is broken.

Will no one fix it????

Lance [/b]

It's fixed now....
http://priuschat.com/index.php?autocom=art...rticle&id=3

jgills240 · 02-21-2007, 06:18 PM

I've had mine for just over 2 weeks now, and with a whole 8 mile round trip to work, I wasn't seeing much over 40 average (not too much over my old car). Then just last night I "got" to sit in traffic on the freeway for about 7 or 8 miles and got 75-80 mpg for those miles!! WEEHW! changes your perspective on traffic pretty quick! (as long as you're not late to work.) Anyway, I'm stoked enough on that to not be bothered by my loss in MPG due to short commute...

ps: that's a cool symbol you have there Lance in Oregon...

LanceinOregon · 02-27-2007, 07:17 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jgills240 @ Feb 21 2007, 03:18 PM) [snapback]394229[/snapback]</div>

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ps: that's a cool symbol you have there Lance in Oregon...
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I'm now getting an average of 42 MPG with my new 2007 Prius. For some reason, my first tank of gas that came with my car only gave me 29 MPG.

That symbol is actually the corporate logo of Beretta Corporation. They are the oldest maker of sporting firearms in the world. I am into bird hunting ( we have lots of ducks here in Oregon ), and I also do a lot of clay target shooting with my shotguns. All of my shotguns are made by Beretta, and are just as handsome as my Prius.

Here are some photos of my Berettas:

JamieS · 03-11-2007, 04:59 PM

Thanks! That was a really helpful article.

jimgrames62 · 06-06-2007, 05:34 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jan 6 2006, 09:10 AM) [snapback]184728[/snapback]</div>

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good idea Tony, in fact, I'm going to "Pin" this topic for a while.

There's definately a break in period for the car and for the driver and with so many people getting the car in winter I know we're going to see a ton of "disappointed with MPG" posts.

Just hold out, try to learn what the car is doing, try your best to try various techniques to see how the car responds and don't sweat the mileage until April or May. If you're still in the mid or low 40s in May re-read the article Tony linked to above and let us know.

It takes a solid 2-3k miles to break in the tires alone. The rest of the mechanical components seem to take around 6k miles or so.

1)Buy a nice tire guage--the digitals are convenient and easy to read.
2)Buy a rechargable/portable air pump combo jump starter and use it to maintain your tire pressures (see article above)
3)Learn to check your oil level
4)Just drive it...play with different techniques, for sure, but don't hold up traffic, don't be a traffic risk, just have fun and with time you'll start seen the kind of mileage you're hoping for (there are, of course, exceptions. But we'll address those in the Spring)
[/b]

any idea why some priuses get 55mpg and others 45mpg? i drive like a grandma or the speedlimit, always slowing early and acceling slow.

1fixitman · 06-26-2007, 06:22 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jimgrames62 @ Jun 6 2007, 04:34 PM) [snapback]456859[/snapback]</div>

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any idea why some priuses get 55mpg and others 45mpg? i drive like a grandma or the speedlimit, always slowing early and acceling slow.
[/b]

You should google the term hypermiling and check out a few of the sites and the driving techniques. Where I live at I can coast one mile from my house and coast all the way into my driveway. Do you draft 18 wheelers on the interstate? Have you pressurized the tires up to the max pressure on the side of the tires vs. keeping at the toyota specs? At least 42 front / 40 rear. If you have trimrings have you removed them to remove wind shear? Do you constantly run your AC or have you tried temps near 77 or 78? Have you tried a different route to work to see if it improves gas milage enough to run the alternate route? Do you run your errands to the location that is the longest distance first to give your ICE time to warm up or do you stop at the closest place first? Some of these techniques may be illegal in your state....like coasting in neutral. Check your local laws. Call the state patrol and find out. Who is going to pop thier head in your vehicle to tell you to put it back in drive? Read the hypermiling links for a solid week or two and you will have the knowlege I do. It is not driving slow but knowing when to do it and the techniques. Do you know what pulse and glide is? Do you look three lights ahead to determine wether you need to coast or push the gas a little more? Know what FAS and DFAS is because it is mentioned many times on the hypermiling sites. .....cleanmpg hypermiling greenhybrid add a dot com to these and you can start learning. Do you have the EV mod installed yet? Have you installed a block heater or designed a catalytic converter heater to work in your car? I think you get my sense of knowledge that is available on this subject solely on the internet. Now get to google and look it up

D Rock

RicCorless · 01-26-2008, 11:01 AM

...yes, a 2008. Just a minor question: how the heck do you remove the cover over the 12v battery? Specifically... that is, does it pull up on the cargo edge first, or pull directly toward the cargo area, or...???? The one in my Prius is sooo tight that I'm afraid of breaking something (it acts as if it's permanently mounted), and there will come a time when knowing this answer will be important!

01-29-2007, 12:11 PM	#12
cgraham Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Mexico Posts: 149 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I have PM'd Dr. Fusco to request a new link or re-post. My own experience with an '06 Prius is that I never saw an effciency increase (now at 20K). It has always averaged about 50 mpg under moderate driving conditions on the highway (65 mph), and ~46 when I drive 11 miles downhill to town (1000' elevation drop) and back a few times, driving as conservatively as possible. However, one has to be cautious about great milage claims. There is a bias to remembering the high milage tanks or trips and ignoring the poorer ones. Wind direction, gradient and speed appear to be the major factors affecting economy. Remember, wind is a significant adverse factor except when blowing within 45 degrees of the rear of the car (.e. it is an adverse factor 3/4 of the time!) When driving long distances, it is pretty easy to plot decreasing mpg against increasing mph on a flat road during a windless day. However, these conditons are seldom satisfied here (NM). After noticing startling differences in mpg as these 3 factor vary, I'm very cautious about making any claims about efficiency in the short term. Over the long term, an improvement in efficency might be documented, but be due to adopting more conservative driving habits, which the displays and experience certainly encourage. C __________________ Seeking Information, Hoping for Wisdom. 06 Prius Pkg 3.

02-21-2007, 06:18 PM	#15
jgills240 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: the desert, CA Posts: 189 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I've had mine for just over 2 weeks now, and with a whole 8 mile round trip to work, I wasn't seeing much over 40 average (not too much over my old car). Then just last night I "got" to sit in traffic on the freeway for about 7 or 8 miles and got 75-80 mpg for those miles!! WEEHW! changes your perspective on traffic pretty quick! (as long as you're not late to work.) Anyway, I'm stoked enough on that to not be bothered by my loss in MPG due to short commute... ps: that's a cool symbol you have there Lance in Oregon... __________________

01-26-2008, 11:01 AM	#20
RicCorless Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 5 My Car: 2008 Prius Package: #2 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: Just got your Prius? ...yes, a 2008. Just a minor question: how the heck do you remove the cover over the 12v battery? Specifically... that is, does it pull up on the cargo edge first, or pull directly toward the cargo area, or...???? The one in my Prius is sooo tight that I'm afraid of breaking something (it acts as if it's permanently mounted), and there will come a time when knowing this answer will be important!

02-16-2007, 09:44 PM	#13
LanceinOregon Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 31 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The link to this article is broken. Will no one fix it???? Lance

03-11-2007, 04:59 PM	#17
JamieS Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 74 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Thanks! That was a really helpful article.