My first 60MPG Tank!

[taftjr]

I just returned from vacation from North Carolina but got my best tank ever (60.7MPG) on my way there driving mostly at highway speeds of between 50-75MPH. I drove from Marlborough, MA (near Boston) to Nags Head, NC (640 Miles) on one tank of gas with 18 miles to spare!(Last pip started blinking at 25 miles left)

[TonyPSchaefer]

Well done! Keep it up.
Of course, now a 59.9 mpg tank will just not be good enough.

[taftjr]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

Well done! Keep it up.
Of course, now a 59.9 mpg tank will just not be good enough.

Yeah, I had that on my way back and was dissapointed. (59.1)

[JimN]

Every 60 tank feels good even if they aren't back to back. Now try for a 70.

[Tideland Prius]

wow congrats! You might be the first that got near 60mpg on a tank that's mostly highway.

[jrjrdinh]

so far i've only got 50 mpg, maybe once I break in the car engine it'll get better

[dsviv]

I am stumped. With my 1st fill-up I got 49.8mpg. How do I learn all the tricks to get that kind of mileage? Of course, with my trade-in getting around 17mpg, 49.8 thrills me!

[jay_man2]

At my first fillup I recorded a 54.8, a 58 on the 2nd, and for the first two days after that 65 mpg in my regular commute. It's since dropped back to 55 since there's been less commuting and more short trips.

[taftjr]

Originally Posted by dsviv

I am stumped. With my 1st fill-up I got 49.8mpg. How do I learn all the tricks to get that kind of mileage? Of course, with my trade-in getting around 17mpg, 49.8 thrills me!

Trial and error is the best way to learn. Plus I owned a 2G Prius before this so I know some tricks already.
My first tip is watching the energy bar and instant MPG meters. When at slower speeds try if you can (traffic permitting) accelerating/coasting while keeping the bar to the left of the center "ECO" line of the energy bar. Once you cross the center of the power bar the ICE activates.
My second tip is the exception to the first rule. I am calling it EV Burst. If you accelerate from a stop after you hit the EV button you are allowed "double" the acceleration power up to 25MPH. This allows the bar to fill all the way (battery power and engine warmth permitting) without turning on the ICE! I use the EV button from stops when accelerating to higher speeds and there are cars behind me so that the engine comes on only once 26MPH is reached and the drivers behind get less angry with me slowly accelerating. This is still somewhat slower than ICE acceleration but twice as good as regular stealth acceleration but you still have to watch the bar so that you do not completely fill it on the PWR side thus starting the ICE before 26MPH.
My third tip is for higher speeds and is the old tried and true Pulse and Glide technique. Try accelerating to a certain highway speed and take a little pressure off the pedal so that the instant MPG meter goes within the 60-75MPG range(best guess) but not too much as it will go above that and lose speed quickly. If done right your speed will slowly come down but you will have acheived 60-75MPG for a half mile or more. After it drifts down 5MPH or so accelerate up to the original speed and repeat many many times.

These are the tricks I used to get this tank. That said, my return trip ONLY yielded 59.1 as it was hotter and I had to use the A/C.
I am still trying to determine if having my sunroof and a couple windows open is better than A/C on low. I did not use A/C at all on my best tank but I did have my sunroof and windows open some of the way as it was raining for half the trip.
I hope this helps!

[Mybrid]

Not to bust your bubble but what was your real world MPG?
You know how many gal. of fuel @ fill-up?


Enjoy as Always!