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Low Prius C MPG reading, please help!!

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by uPredict, Mar 21, 2012.

  1. uPredict

    uPredict Guest

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    Hello all,

    I'm new to the Prius family, I bought a Prius C package 4 in Silver with Black interior with 16 inch allow wheels yesterday, I really like the cool technology and the look of the car. I bought it from a dealership roughly 160 miles from my home. Once I purchased it and was driving back on the Florida Turnpike, I first started of getting 43mpg, I was in the higher green area of the Eco meter, basically I was pushing the gas pedal and it was reading roughly 90 percent of the Eco meter is being used, I was driving at 78-83 mph. After an hour or so, I checked again and to my surprise it was reading 32.2mpg, I was really concerned, and slowed the speed, but it didn't change the mpg at all. After another 15 minutes, the mpg raised .1 every 2 minutes or so until I got home and parked my car I was getting 35.8.
    This morning I woke up, got into my car and started driving for about 20 minutes, it is still reading the same 35.8. This is with me driving around 50 percent of the Eco meter

    I'm concerned, is there something I'm doing wrong, do I need to reset this mpg, if I do, how do I do that. Any comments on this would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you.
     
  2. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Go fill up the tank, reset the meter and drive till that tank is empty. Refill and record all of the data. Report back at that time with all of the information like miles driven, gallons pumped, indicated mpg, average speed indicated etc.. Until then there is nothing anyone can tell you except slow down if you want good gas mileage. The EPA does not test cars at 80mpg sustained speeds so it is foolish to think you should be able to hit that number doing so. Very few cars can.
     
  3. uPredict

    uPredict Guest

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    Thanks for the advice. Is there a particular speed on the highway you guys recommend not going over?
     
  4. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    Try to limit to the speed limit (assuming 65 mph). The faster you drive, the more air you have to push out of the way, therefore the more gas you use. Headwinds/crosswinds make a big difference too (as does rain). Basically, all these things impacted previous cars you drove, but without the handy dandy MPG meter, you didn't know the consequences of your driving style or the impact the environment has on your MPG's.

    You should check your tire pressures and inflate accordingly. I run mine at max PSI in the fronts and max PSI - 2 PSI in the rears. Underinflated tires will reduce MPG's. Also check the treadwear (after a few thousand miles, to make sure they are wearing evenly). If uneven, it could mean they are underinflated (hint the recommended PSI on the door jam = underinflated) or one of the wheels could have been knocked around during shipment and is out of alignment.
     
  5. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    First off, I don't have a Prius C, I have a regular Prius Three. But, I got 55 mpg on my last tankful and that was real world not FCD. My commute is about 35 miles each way of which there is about 2 miles on each end of local roads.

    The last two days I got to work and it just so happened that each day a Prius had parked near me at the same time. I asked each person what kind of mileage they were getting. They both said around 46 mpg and I'm sure that was via the FCD, so it was really about 44 mpg.

    They were stunned when I told them that I got 55 mpg. I get such good mileage because I gain the system by using driving techniques I learned in this video titled Max MPG Driving Techniques:

    youtube.com/watch?v=3XxB6ma7qu8

    Prius 2010 MAX MPG Secrets - YouTube

    Watch it several times and learn from it. I let a friend drive it a little today and he wanted to see what he would get driving it normally. Guess what he got ... 46 mpg.

    Let me know how you do! GOOD LUCK!!!
     
  6. edmcohen

    edmcohen Member

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    Haven't you ever heard of breaking in a new car? Your owner's manual says:


    ■​
    Breaking in your new Toyota

    To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recommended:​
    For the first 200 miles (300 km):
    Avoid sudden stops.

    For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
    • Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
    • Avoid sudden acceleration.

    • Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
     
  7. uPredict

    uPredict Guest

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    I took your and Coodyroo's advice. I filled up my tank, first wasn't sure what grade to put, called my dealer and he said 87 would be fine. I reset the ODO, but could not reset the Trip A and Trip B. So I just focused on what I would be getting looking at the ODO Eco Score. I was careful and used different technique to accelerate and drive on the highway at speeds of 55-60mph and also drove in the city at 25-35mph. I used the trip computer on the Nav screen to guide me as well. I am happy to report I got 52.3mpg!

    I took it a step further and really took my time to accelerate to see what would happen, I got an average of 60.8mpg! But this is driving like no one is behind you, relaxed driving. Still was thrilled to see that number, specially on the highway.

    Now I see how to drive this car and make sure of its Hybrid Technology. Thanks for the input guys!
     
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  8. Codyroo

    Codyroo Senior Member

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    Great to hear! Likely nothing is amiss with your car, just new to you and you'll learn a different way to drive. Driving below the speed limit can be a "painful" (emasculating) thing to do, but you will find that driving becomes very relaxing, even more so if you don't constantly look in your rear view mirror at cars racing up behind you.

    Get a tire pressure gauge and check your tire pressures as well. Not only will you get better mileage, but longer tire life to boot. I've got nearly 45,000 miles on my OEM tires and I expect to get another 15,000 miles before they will be down to 2/32 by this upcoming Fall/Winter.
     
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I'm glad you got it figured out and that you are happy. Once the car is broken in and you are comfortable with the hybrid system you won't have to try hard to get fantastic mileage. You won't have to drive like a grandma either.
     
  10. pmike

    pmike Member

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    If your going to exceed the posted speed limit by 13 mph you shouldn't have bought a hybrid. I always laugh at the people driving a Prius 80+ mph. You are defeating the whole purpose of the hybrid vehicle purchase.
     
  11. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Not really. Going the same speed in a Ford Fiesta or Elantra will result in lower mpg than the Prius. It's true that you will ultimately get lower mpg than driving slower but being able to get 40mpg+ at 80mph+ is still cool. :)
     
  12. uPredict

    uPredict Guest

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    I'll check the tire pressure right away. Thanks for the great advice. Off topic.. The combination of 50 plus MPG and Sirius XM radio is a dangerous one, you just don't want to stop driving LOL.

    I look forward to chatting with you guys more in the future.
     
  13. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    We're always here. :)

    Good luck with the new car and stop in whenever you need advice or feel like offering it to newbies!
     
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  14. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

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    While it would be great if everyone would drive more efficiently, driving the doors off a Prius is still doing more to save gas than driving like a grandma in pretty much any other vehicle. Every once and a while I get the urge to drive it like I stole it, and I still get 40mpg. Not quite as much fun as my WRX was, but 17mpg wasn't that much fun either. Most of the time I drive as efficiently as I safely can, because I enjoy seeing how high I can push the mpgs. In reality though, trading in the WRX on the Prius makes infinitely more difference than how I decide to drive. Trading in our 12mpg Land Rover on a second Prius made even more difference ;)

    @12,000 miles per year
    12 mpg Land Rover uses 1000 gallons
    17 mpg WRX uses 705 gallons
    40 mpg Prius uses 300 gallons
    50 mpg Prius uses 240 gallons
    60 mpg Prius uses 200 gallons

    Its also a common hybrid myth that driving a hybrid at freeway speeds makes no difference. The presence of the electrical system to supplement acceleration and manage the engines operation allows the use of a far more efficient Atkinson cycle engine, which rivals the efficiency of a diesel. I did some calcs recently to see what the highway mpg would be like for various engines substituted into a Prius. Compared to a standard 1.8L corolla engine, the Prius HSD system yielded ~30% better mpgs at 60mph and 26% better at 80mph.

    You can see the full calcs here:
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...minus-hybrid-synergy-drive-4.html#post1501132
     
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  15. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

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    Interesting note, using the calculator here:
    EV Calculator
    in a Prius it takes 19.3 hp to sustain 60mph, but 36.2 hp to sustain 80mph. That's 88% more power/fuel to drive 33% faster.
     
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  16. kwhitty

    kwhitty New Member

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    In Indiana the speed limit is 70 mph on the highway. Sometimes going 70 is the absolute slowest I can drive without causing semis going fast to slam on their brakes and drive even more dangerously than they already were.

    I just try to remember that the Joneses drive Hummers and the Joneses get horrific mpg so I don't need to try to keep up with the Joneses.
     
  17. edfishel

    edfishel New Member

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    After two days, I am averaging in excess of 60 miles per gallon on my 32 mile commute from home to work in the city and back home again. This is with a new Prius C. I am thrilled!

    Here's what I have learned so far:
    1. Keep it at the speed limit, not over. That's 65...then 60..and finally 30 miles per hour in the city.
    2. Use gradual braking. It really kicks up the battery charging.
    3. Accelerate gently and you usually can do it with just the battery (that really helps the mileage) sometimes it goes as high as 31 miles per hour on electricity.
     
  18. ksstathead

    ksstathead Active Member

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    Congrats on excellent results!

    If you want to try for more, make sure you understand that using "electric" is not always what it is cracked up to be. It comes from the gas, with far less than 100% efficiency.

    So, while it is great to have the batteries, your very best friend is gliding (just enough throttle to remove regen). And using the ICE to accelerate is not a bad thing; you actually want to avoid using your pack energy in many, if not most, situations.
     
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  19. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    If my arithmetic is correct, that means 41% higher energy/mile at 80 mph than 60 mph. If 60 mpg is 60 mpg, then 80 mph is 36 mpg.

    Sound about right ?
     
  20. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Nyet.

    Your other advice is sound