First refill of 8.366 gallons for 425 miles on my first tank after 2 weeks: I expected more.

You don't want to shift to neutral. If you want to shift to slow down at a red light, shift to "B" which gives you a more aggressive re-gen and may put a little more energy into the battery. I did that for a while and now feel that just lightly stepping on the brake does just as well for re-gen-ing energy into the battery. But you shouldn't put it in neutral.

Re: What else do I need to do to improve mileage
Check your tire pressure. I run 44 psi front, 42 psi rear.

 

have you learned pulse and glide?

 

You can use neutral if and only if you do not need to brake to reach the stop. Otherwise you're wasting a regen opportunity.

I would in fact say not to use neutral. Instead, practice gliding.

 

Actually if you are doing more highway driving than city.. I would think you are right in line with 50mpg since that is the median mpg that the C is rated. You mentioned that you got 370 miles with 16 gallons in your Camry. Well if you are putting 8.8 gallons in your C then you are getting more miles in your C with half the about of gas. So getting a free tank of gas every other fill up practically compared to the Camry. Of course as you drive the C more and get better at the driving style, the better gas mileage You will get

 

And the EPA claims 50 MPG so you seem exactly on track

US law states that if the manufacturer state any MPG, the EPA numbers have to be larger, as such, very few manufacturers ever give any MPG numbers at all, they use the EPA numbers. I would be interested in where you saw Toyota use any numbers other than the EPA estimates.

Please quit driving like that. Why should all Prius drivers be tarred with the brush that some drive annoyingly for no reason? I encourage no braking, or if needed, gentle braking, in D. (not B, not N, not R ,and not P)

Quit shifting into N would help a lot. you cannot use the motors to recover energy in N. Stay out of N as much as you can, neither Motor can act as an Generator in N, so the HV battery discharges. (B is for long steep downhills, and almost always wastes energy, as that is it's intent. Use B where you would use L, almost never)

I would leave it in Eco and drive normally and see if you do not get good gas mileage without being annoying.
Eco will help as the area you are in becomes summer and needs HVAC, but I do not know the area you are in.

 

AC use ? I'm not suggesting you do without, only that you take it into account if your target is EPA.

I suggest you break down your fuel economy into highway and city segments, so that we know where to focus. Along the way, learn P&G and stop neutral driving. My first guess is that you can save on some brakes use if you anticipate traffic a bit better.

Stay optimistic, there is a good chance you will eventually do much better

 

So what do you think about:

• driver position comfort?
• noise?

The reason I ask is Consumer Reports also thinks these are important. So I'm curious if you found either to be deficient?

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

 

I am curious what you were expecting. I have about 2100 miles on my c and the overall average is 50.1...I do quite a bit of highway driving and I almost always drive 4 miles per hour over the speed limit. I drive it for the most part just like any car...I also use cruise control a lot on the freeway. To me, the car does fantastic.

It gets better mileage overall then ANY other non all electric vehicle.

 

Yes people have gotten mpg's that high but that is strictly in town. Highway mpg is much less and if you are doing two-thirds of your driving on highway, then you will get much less

 

Be aware that saving 10 MPG at 50 does not save anywhere near as much gas as saving 10 MPG at 10 MPG.
10 to 20 is saving 50%, 50 to 60 is saving 17%

Max MPG Driving Techniques Youtube Video | PriusChat
Your meters will vary, but the ideas are the same.

 

Realize that those reporting very high mpg numbers are lucky to have optimal commutes, and not representative of what most will ever achieve! Fuelly.com currently has 52.5 as the average among C drivers who post there. Read about pulse and glide, ask questions and I'm sure you'll be doing even better in short order.

 

People are giving you bad info. Do not shift to neutral- you won't regenerate energy when slowing down. And don't shift to "B"- that doesn't regenerate energy, either. "B" mode turns the engine into an engine brake.

Just brake. They're regenerative and that's what they're there for.

 

Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/first-refill-of-8-366-gallons-for-425-miles-on-my-first-tank-after-2-weeks-i-expected-more.110936/#ixzz1y7bGXAjW​

That leaves some room for variance Try to be more specific.​

What steps do you take to keep the cabin cooler when the car is parked in the sun ?​

Do you start the AC right off, or vent the car first ?​

 

Define "very high"

 

The OP is referring to those who post tanks ranging in the 60's and 70's, I just mean that's a number most will not achieve with their commute! I've seen numbers like those on individual trips, and high five myself when it happens on my 2010, but just have to accept low to mid fifties for a tank average.

 

I thought B mode DOES regenerate? When I have my long downhill on my commute home I put it in B and the blue regeneration indicator almost maxes out.

 

It does regenerate and it also helps moderate battery temperature. Charging an NiMH battery is exothermic, they get hot, which is not good for the battery pack. The original, 2001-03, battery modules are especially at risk. So I recommend folks use "B" to moderate speed when descending large, 500 ft., and steep hills.

Bob Wilson

 

It really sounds like nothing is wrong here. (Other than using Neutral, but others have already explained that one). You're driving mostly on the highway, with an engine that isn't broken in, and you're getting exactly what the EPA estimates the car will get combined city/hwy. Plus, it's just your first tank. It will get better as the engine breaks in. My first tank was high 40s, second was 50, third a little over 50, and the fourth is shaping up to be higher yet. There is nothing wrong, except maybe your expectations. 60s and 70s are (unfortunately) the exception, not the rule. Give it time