What To Expect On First Tank of Gas

[boulder_bum]

I've heard a rumor that the Prius fuel efficiency gets better once the car is broken in. I'm still on my very first tank of gas and am playing around with some of the hypermiling tricks, averaging 45 MPG for mostly short trips (few miles round trip). I'm very happy with that, but I'm wondering what is normal for a first tank, and what I can expect in the future.

[TonyPSchaefer]

Check out my personal mileage log. http://chicagopriusgroup.com/MileageLogs/T...chaefer/All.htm


I didn't breach 55MPG for several months.

[Charles Suitt]

Howdy Boulder Bum

First tank MPG? Hard to say since you didn't know how full the tank was and what the dealer did with the Prius before you got it. My first tank was 38.4 MPG. Like Tony, I still haven't breached the 50 MPG threshold at 2,400 miles on the clock. Currently I'm seeing ~46 MPG and expect that to steadly increase for likely the first 6,000 miles or more according to my experience for 2+ years in my 2004 Prius.

ENJOY YOUR PRIUS

[efusco]

Honestly I don't think you should even think about hypermiling techniques right now. Drive the car, start getting a feel for how it behaves when it does what it does, how to make it do what you want, let it break in. Establish a baseline.

In a couple thousand miles you can start thinking about getting fancy, but until then it will be almost impossible for you to know if the you're getting better FE b/c the car is breaking in or b/c of hypermiling techniques or if maybe you're not getting as good as you could b/c you don't have a frame of reference.

[cobra94563]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Mar 16 2007, 01:10 PM) [snapback]406890[/snapback]</div>

Check out my personal mileage log. http://chicagopriusgroup.com/MileageLogs/T...chaefer/All.htm
I didn't breach 55MPG for several months.
[/b]

Very useful information - Thanks!

[boulder_bum]

Howdy, Charles!

Tony, did you start consciously doing anything to boost your fuel efficiency?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Mar 16 2007, 12:20 PM) [snapback]406898[/snapback]</div>

Honestly I don't think you should even think about hypermiling techniques right now.
[/b]

Ack! How can I not?!? Isn't that like buying a Ferrari and only driving at 25 MPH the first several months?

I will try to follow your advice for a short break-in period, but I'm not sure I have the patience to drive a couple thousand miles before seeing how I can become more efficient.

[JamieS]

I'm averaging 41.3 right now, on our first tank and yet to break 200 miles.

The dealer used it for driving to and from his house so it already had 90 miles on it [so by that, I guess we've broken 200].

I can't help myself, I have to do some things like coasting to a stop and barely pressing the gas and such. It makes driving so much more fun.

My parents won't be doing any special driving in it though. I just feel I have to make the car have amazing mileage to prove to them that it was worth it.

[mywhitenoise]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rainydysandmondys @ Mar 16 2007, 04:49 PM) [snapback]406958[/snapback]</div>

I'm averaging 41.3 right now, on our first tank and yet to break 200 miles.

The dealer used it for driving to and from his house so it already had 90 miles on it [so by that, I guess we've broken 200].

I can't help myself, I have to do some things like coasting to a stop and barely pressing the gas and such. It makes driving so much more fun.

My parents won't be doing any special driving in it though. I just feel I have to make the car have amazing mileage to prove to them that it was worth it.
[/b]

Dude, you're 16 years old!? Good for you for thinking smart! I'm 21 and have some pride for buying one (of course I didn't buy it new...wanted to, but found a used one for $10,000 less than when it was originally sold for......though it does have 63,000 miles on it). Good to see that younger people are trying to be more environmentally conscious.

[TonyPSchaefer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cobra9 @ Mar 16 2007, 01:25 PM) [snapback]406905[/snapback]</div>

Very useful information - Thanks! [/b]

I was really amazed when I first presented that chart at Hybridfest. People loved it. I simply wanted to track my mileage. But what I've found is that having this chart has saved me a lot of arguing when people sarcastically ask if I get the EPA mileage. With this, there is no doubt that I beat EPA regularly. And like I do here, I show it to new owners to let them know that everyone has a learning curve and regardless of your first, second, third tanks you will get better mileage in time. And now it's clear why the auto critics will complain that on their test drive they didn't get good mileage.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Mar 16 2007, 01:49 PM) [snapback]406932[/snapback]</div>

Tony, did you start consciously doing anything to boost your fuel efficiency?[/b]

I've put notes to help me remember when I made certain changes. When reading these, it's best to have the chart open:
Summer, 2005: I think it was break-in, learning, and warmer weather.
Early February, 2006: Installed the EV Button. It helps when used correctly.
August 2006: I didn't note this, but this is the tank where I overinflated my tires. As the chart clearly indicates, my mileage - compared to the previous year - was simply amazing. Wayne Gerdes convinced me to increase my psi from 40/38 to 50/48. The results speak for themselves.

[JamieS]

Dude, you're 16 years old!? Good for you for thinking smart! I'm 21 and have some pride for buying one (of course I didn't buy it new...wanted to, but found a used one for $10,000 less than when it was originally sold for......though it does have 63,000 miles on it). Good to see that younger people are trying to be more environmentally conscious.[/b]

The environment is [and will always be] my life. The only reason we bought the Prius is because I was incessantly pushing for it. Prius = <3.