Wife Driving

[dipper]

Can't complaint about her using the Prius (Its her's anyway).

Since she started her new job traveling 110 miles a day commuting, she has been constantly getting between 52-57 mpg. This depends on traffic, and without even knowing anything about hypermiling concepts. And mostly on Freeway traffic too, which is much better than city stop lights.

[Ichabod]

It's "my" Prius, but she drives it the most because she works more than a few miles away and I bike to work. Most of the times I'm allowed to drive my car are on weekends when we're out and about with the baby, or evenings when someone needs to run errands. She says "I'll go... you always seem to get stuck doing errands." I say "I don't mind honey-lumpkins, I'm at your service." Meanwhile I'm thinking to myself "sweet! Now I get to drive my car a little... and maybe boost the avg by a little."

She doesn't really take much interest in the special driving techniques, but I don't try to instruct her because, as other have said, she's more important to me than a few points on the MFD, or even a few dollars in the bank.

[zak.kapoor]

My logic:

1. Wife driving SUV (18 MPG)
2. Wife driving prius normally (47 MPG)
3. Wife driving prius cautiously (55 MPG)

For a regular year of driving with 12K miles:

12000 / 18 = 667G
12000 / 47 = 255G
12000 / 55 = 218G

255 - 218 = 37G
667 - 255 = 412G
667 - 218 = 449G

I think saving 412G per year and having a happy marriage is the best option for me. BTW the Prii gives better mileage when my wife drives it.

[Jack66]

Originally Posted by autoxic

Hmm... How much will gas be in ten years?

How much will diapers be in 20 years and will your wife change yours while you are in the old folks home?

[Highly ImPriused]

After a week's worth of commuting with my Prius, it was sitting in our garage with the MFD showing 346 miles and 56.1 mpg (which is kinda low for my normal commuting but it included about 100 miles from the end of a previous road trip at about 48 mpg). Anyway, my wife drove it for various errands and carting the kids around all weekend. I get back in this morning and it's at 386 miles and 54.0 mpg. That calculates out to 40 miles at 35.8 mpg. Grrrrr!

I won't say a thing though. I've learned my lesson the hard way on this one. Also when I have brought this up on other similar occasions she would be pround that she got 54 mpg. I can't seem to convice her otherwise, no matter how many times I show her and try to explain the calculation. The concept of a weighted average is lost on her. Oh well, 36 mpg is still double what she would get driving her Jeep Liberty around, so it's a net positive in the end.

[morpheusx]

My wife has improved quite significantly since I told her she'd never be able to beat any of my numbers. She wont admit it but I know she is trying to out do me. Lately she is somehow managing upper 50's MPG on the Interstate / Turnpike on a 90 mile round trip she takes twice weekly to school, she has also taken my advice to leave the Climate control at Auto 75.

[rwhoyle]

You learn quickly not to say anything. The solution is to buy a second Prius.