Does this mileage sound right?

[wowser]

My 2008 Prius won't break 50 mpg in summer. It's usually 45-47.
-Drive eight miles to and from work three days a week; three to ten miles around town for errands (try to group together); a few 10-20 mile freeway trips.

-Live in Southern California; drive it like a grandma; tires are filled to 50; AC set to 73; P&G when possible; oil is not overfilled; car has 8000 miles.

I know the short trips are no good for MPG, but I still think it's too low. Should I have the car checked out or does this all add up? Thanks!!!!

[krmcg]

Yes, the mileage sounds about right. Short trips with the air running are not going to provide the numbers that you read about on this site. But, they are better numbers than you would be getting with almost any other vehicle. Be happy for what you get!
KRMcG

[freshmtt]

I also think they sound about right, those are just at the estimated EPA figures so I would be very happy with that. I also make just little short trips around town during the week and cannot get my MPG over 50 either unless I travel much farther away from town for longer periods.

My train station is only 2 miles from my house and the stores are all around that distance and shorter, so during the work week my MPG is like yours.

[pewd]

only 8 miles to work - the car probably isn't fully warmed up when you arrive - those are great numbers for such short trips.

[Margana]

I'm on my first 500 miles, and from past experience with other cars, the "best" mileage seems to settle in after 30K miles It might also be that the OEM tires are not as good as the tires I replace them with (I usually go with tires with a 80K plus tread life-so the rolling resistance might be less).

Presently I'm at 46 MPG after 500 miles....Talking with my "ex" who has had a Prius for a few years and lives in a more rural area, she averges 48 MPG so the revised EPA estimates of 48/45 MPG seems to be accurate in the typical Urban environment (yes you can save by driving with the CC set at 55 when the traffic is going 65 and slowly accellerating onto the highway in such a fashion that other drivers have to get out of your way and brake; I suspect you can in fact get 60MPG but all those angry looks likely won't make it worh it!).

I think choice of tires and frequent checking of tire pressure and driving with a clean air filter will boost your MPG....

[Prius 07]

Originally Posted by wowser

My 2008 Prius won't break 50 mpg in summer. It's usually 45-47.
-Drive eight miles to and from work three days a week; three to ten miles around town for errands (try to group together); a few 10-20 mile freeway trips.

-Live in Southern California; drive it like a grandma; tires are filled to 50; AC set to 73; P&G when possible; oil is not overfilled; car has 8000 miles.

I know the short trips are no good for MPG, but I still think it's too low. Should I have the car checked out or does this all add up? Thanks!!!!

You're correct in your assessment that short trips are MPG "killers" and good on you for combining errands. To dig a little deeper: on your MFD what is your typical MPG for the first 5 minutes and how is it for the rest of your trip to/from work? In addition to all the good stuff you're already doing consider raising your A/C setting to 77F and having it off if possible at least for the first 5 minutes of your drive. Open the windows and cool it down to ambient temperature.
Good luck,

[dogfriend]

I think your numbers are in the ballpark for the driving conditions you are describing.

I have an 11 mile commute (each direction). I usually get between 48 and 50 with most tanks finishing at 49 (per the MFD). But recently I got a tank at 44 and my current tank is at 51.1 with about 150 miles since reset.

There are a lot of factors that can affect your mileage. Here are some of the ones that I commonly experience:

Good:
Warm temp
Speeds between 45 and 55
Lack of rain
Cooperative Traffic Lights

Bad:
Hot temp (> 100°F)
Cold temp (< 60°F)
Caught in traffic that doesn't accelerate briskly
Have to accelerate too briskly to avoid other cars
Rain on road
Retarded Traffic Lights (triggered by side street traffic; impossible to time)
GF wants to go to Garage Sales on weekend

The worst problem that will hurt your mileage:

Other people.

[wowser]

To answer the question, my MFD shows anywhere from 15 to 25 on the first bar, sometimes to the second. I can't get a grasp on this thing. Sometimes when I expect really long bars, I get short ones. There seems to be no reason behind it. I also am astonished to see the real-time MPG show 9-12 mpg from acceleration at a stop.

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by wowser

I also am astonished to see the real-time MPG show 9-12 mpg from acceleration at a stop.

That is why you want to accelerate briskly; try to minimize the time you are seeing <10 mpg. Get up to the speed you want (e.g. 35 in a 35mph zone) then take your foot off the "go" pedal for a second and reapply gently. Maintain just enough "go" to keep your speed. You should see the iMPG (instantaneous MPG) jump way up. Try to hold that high iMPG as long as possible.

You can also try Pulse and Glide as traffic allows. I have gotten the mileage up to 74 mpg by doing this for short distances (10 miles) when the car is already warmed up, but I find it too impractical for everyday driving.

[wowser]

I guess I am going to have to just accept not breaking 50 mpg. It's sad that those of us with short commutes are penalized! If I had a 50 mile a day commute, I am sure I'd be in the high 50s, since I am doing everything correctly. A hybrid-electric would really help us short commuters! Come on Toyota, bring it on!