I Beat the EPA--Post 'em here

[Ray Moore]

Final result was 768 miles @ 61.8 MPG. I could have gone a bit longer. My fillup was 12.5 gallons but I was taking my wife out and the timing wasn't condusive to running out of gas. Still a new record in both distance and mileage. The elusive 800 mile tank is still just out of reach. What was the EPA thinking when they made these estimates so low?

[DaveinOlyWA]

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I live in chicago and get way worse miles in the city than the highway.  
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if you get way worse in the city, you need to work on your anticipation. no getting around the fact that the slower you drive, the better the mileage will be. the freeway is generally less stops, more room, easier to anticipate traffic flow because of the limited access scenario.

remember that each time your foot touches the brake hard enough to slow down, you are gonna kill your mpg's. if you find your self coming to a stop or using your brakes at every traffic signal, your mileage will never improve.

[DanMan32]

70MPG average on the highway? What speed?

[vprius]

Well, in the "city" I can't come near the EPA. I actually live in the suburbs, which some think are great for mpg, but not here. Speed limit is 55-45 with lots of badly timed lights (they aren't in sync). Also the fact that most of my non-highway trips are 10min or less, and have to use AC, adds up to terrible mileage for my Prius. Best I get in town is 45mpg. Of course relatively speaking that is great mileage...any other car would pale in comparison!

On the highway I get pretty much the what the EPA predicts 50-51. The posters that get in the high 50's or 60's must have ideal conditions. I imagine Texas Hill country is fairly rural?

Anyone in So. CA getting these high numbers? I've noticed most of the high mileage posts are not from CA. Maybe this is due to our driving conditions and possibly gas formulation? :?

[hdrygas]

I thought I finally did it I had to fill up a little early with one non blinking bar because I had a longish freeway drive. I did the numbers on my spread sheet. My last tank I got 59.59 miles. I will continue to work on it. Some day soon.

[DanMan32]

"Also the fact that most of my non-highway trips are 10min or less"

That's the real problem.

[DaveinOlyWA]

WTG HENRY!!

BUT... still got ya by a ¼ mile...hehehe

[micheal]

This is a repost of my post in the June MPG after hearing from several advanced drivers of the only several 1/10ths difference between MFD and actual.

First June Tank (6/1/05 - 6/15/05)

Temps have been pretty good, lows of mid to high 60's and highs in low to mid 90's. Usually been able to get away with not running the AC and I drove the car almost exclusively in residential streets, usually for 10-20 minute trips with 4 or 5 25 minute trips.

Total ODO: 12570
Tank Miles: 552.5
Gallons: 9.445 @ $2.059
Calculated: 58.5 MPG!
Screen: 61.3 MPG !!


After first 25 miles of refill screen indicated 64.0! I took about about a couple of 20 minute trips to outside of town and had 64.3 on these after resetting the MFD! This was even with a couple of miles of going 55-65!

I am pretty confident that I can beat the EPA city estimates, at least in the milder months of the year. For better or worse though, my wife drives it most of the time and she has several strikes against her.

[Ray Moore]

Michael-
That's simply incredible when your age is considered as everyone knows that when you turn 25 your insurance rate goes down and your mileage goes up. Seriously, your doing great. Keep it coming.

Oh, and the solution to your wife's mileage is a second Prius.

[micheal]

Thank you, Thank you. First off, I would like to thank the Academy for this great opportunity and of course my parents.......

I have to be honest, the Prius changed my driving style completely. I used to be the get there as fast as I can, get in front of everyone if at all possible. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the instant display to see how that affected MPG. Now I like taking the more scenic route, staying off the interstate if possible and arrive at a place at pretty much the same time. Especially with the way I see how the stoplights are timed in Lubbock (and most places).

Sadly I have friends who still think drive as fast as you can, race off from stoplights and slam on the brakes. Needless to say, I don't like riding with them. Being a psychologist in training, I can truly appreciate the therapeutic nature of the Prius and off arriving at my destination stress free.

Thanks for the encouragement, I will do my best! Financially, having a second Prius isn't an option at the moment, (Great solution though!!) but most likely our next car will be a Camry Hybrid or Highlander Hybrid as we get our family started. For now, I try to walk the walk by taking the local bus to school/work as much as I can and rarely drive our other car.

I do think some are surprised when they zoom past me and expect an old man and instead see a young adult . So I wave when I pull up next to them at the stoplight!