Best Driving Techniques for Highest MPG

[JeffElectric]

As a new member of PriusChat.com and a new owner of a 2007 Prius, I would appreciate information as to what driving techniques I could utilize in gaining the highest mpg.

In order for me to get the average 45 mpg city/hwy I am driving the Prius like a 90 year old and hence causing in some cases drivers to honk at me. HELP!

[Beryl Octet]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jeffelectric @ Jan 31 2007, 01:33 PM) [snapback]383372[/snapback]</div>

As a new member of PriusChat.com and a new owner of a 2007 Prius, I would appreciate information as to what driving techniques I could utilize in gaining the highest mpg.

In order for me to get the average 45 mpg city/hwy I am driving the Prius like a 90 year old and hence causing in some cases drivers to honk at me. HELP!
[/b]

I never got much better than that until I had 2 or 3 thousand miles on the car no matter how I drove. Just get in it and drive is what I mostly tried to do for the first six months or so. Then the ways of the Prius became clear and it taught me the value of getting off the gas when I see that red light with the gaggle of cars stopped half a block ahead etc. etc.

[MechaJohn]

Hi Jeff! Congratulations on your new Prius.

Beryl is right about just driving it at first. Get used to the car and what it can do. I have sometimes found that even when I don't even pay attention, I can get as good or better mileage as when I try to baby the car. The Prius is designed to do a lot of the thinking for you, but there are things you can do to help maximize your mileage. Here is a thread for new owners:
http://priuschat.com/New-owner-Want-MPG-he...rst-t15311.html

I personally, have not been able to put all of the techniques into practice on a regular basis because I live only 3 miles from work. It doesn't give me much time/room to practice "pulse and glide." Also, I live in south Texas, where I have to use the AC almost all the time. However, I am happy with my 5 month average of 44.8mpg (It sure beats my old SUV avg of 14mpg). I haven't yet hit the first break-in, so I expect it to get even better in the next couple of months.

Have fun with your new Prius.

[TonyPSchaefer]

I"m agreeing with the guys on this one on both regards.

First, welcome to Priuschat!

Secondly, you have to walk before you run, have to hit a few bloopers before you smack a grand slam, have to play a few hands before you bluff a big pot. Something like that.

Get to know your car, get comfortable with it, figure it out before you try to apply special techniques.

Have fun. Just drive it.

[Tideland Prius]

to be honest with you, 45mpg is pretty good for LA traffic lol. Get out of LA if you want > 45mpg :P.

Proof? I'm getting 49mpg up here in the PNW.

[hobbit]

Numerous references. Grope around some of the how-to articles on
http://www.cleanmpg.com/ ... give this and this a quick read...
you might actually be hurting your MPG by doing the granny act; the
engine is most efficient when you *load* it for real, and in between
you can let it cease burning fuel entirely either in complete shutdown
or warp stealth. Add a little instrumentation to be sure. But it's
really all in your right foot.
.
_H*

[dcoyne78]

Along with the advice from hobbit, there is a good "read this first" post on priuschat that gives some great tips, the best way to increase your MPG is to learn a technique called "pulse and glide", the best article I have seen on this is at cleanmpg here. Using this and other mileage tips at cleanmpg my best tank FE went from 58 up to 84. I also figure a 48 tank rolling average mpg (about a year of driving for me) and before learning about pulse and glide my highest 48 tank mpg avg was 51.4 mpg and now that has risen to 57.3 (I started learning this technique May 2006). My lifetime MPG was 50.1 mpg at 42K miles and now it is up to 52.5 mpg at 57K. Some here will tell you that this technique is unsafe, I would say try it where traffic and speed limits allow and judge for yourself, it works best where the speed limit is 30 to 35 mph and traffic is fairly light. Welcome to Prius chat and good luck.

Dennis