Help! My Fiance is killing my MPGs!

This is a question for you gentleman. My Fiance is driving my Prius when we go places. He drives like a bat out of you know where, frequently accelerates too fast and won't use the cruise control. How do I "train" him to drive my Prius without hurting his feelings? I have made a comment like "Sweetie, I need to teach you how to drive this car so we can get good MPGs". So I have introduced the topic. I'm thinking of leaving the consumption screen on and challenging him to keep the MPGs above 50. Any suggestions on how I can train him? I don't want him driving my 2010 in the same fashion when I get it. Thanks.

Probably hopeless. You need to decide what is more important - the mpg's or the fiance.

There was a previous thread by someone whose girlfriend (wife?) was killing his MPG.

The consensus was, if they won't listen, decide right now which is more important -- your MPG, or your relationship.

Or.... Start giving him incentive with "treats". It works for adult males as well as it does children and animals, you just vary the type of "treat" you are enticing them with.

e.g. Aww honey, the MFD moved from 50mpg avg. to 47mpg avg. Should we go rent some "movies" for you and your alone time? Tsk tsk tsk

I'd be a hypermiling son of a gun.

Forget it! My wife gets 2-12 miles per gallon less than I do on my vehicles. She runs the AC all the time which I never do when alone. I crack the right two windows one inch even in 99 degree weather. Love a good sweat.

Great essay in the New York Times about training one's spouse, "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage":

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/fashion/25love.html?scp=1&sq=shamu&st=cse

Basically, you train them like you would animals -- reward them for good behavior.

It's your car ... you drive!

bingo!!!!!:d

Just what I hoped to hear! Thanks!

Have him buy his own car. Problem solved.

You could always try to get him to treat it like a video game.

Offer him 'incentives' if he scores well on the MFD.

Let us know how it works out. Well, err you know what I mean. Too many details might get us both banned.

Relationships 101 (usable for almost any relationship problem):

If there is a problem, you have three options:
1) Let it be. Live with a few fewer MPG.
2) Terminate relationship.
3) Negotiate.

Which option you take is up to you, but stick with it.
- If you live with it, don't harbor resentment or pull passive aggressive bullcrap (like mysterious treats).
- I doubt terminate relationship is the option in this case (tends to be for more serious issues), but if you do so, terminate relationship.
- If you negotiate, do so honestly and stick to the agreement.

-->Adam

You could always appeal to his competitive side (that would be the part responsible for leadfooting...something I'm prone to do.) The scoreboard is right there. Does he really want to get clobbered so handily?

School him on how to do it right. Throw him a bone now and again to keep him in the game. Rewards to do work for men...we are very Pavlovian and we don't like to lose. It's tougher with women as female response is more variable...almost matching the lunar cycle at times. (Marrried men--at least the ones who are still happily married--will understand what I'm getting at.)

My wife can rarely top my numbers, but she has been paying attention as I explain and is getting the hang of it. She takes special joy in handing me the keys after some particularly high mileage trek she has just made...knowing that it will be difficult or impossible for me to top it (especially the 99.9 mpg jaunt home from the gas station with a warm engine and mostly downhill...she loves to do that to me.)

She gives me a hard time when I stomp the pedal to pass some clueless schmuck on a cel phone or put some would be lead foot who is driving like a retard in his place (smoking him and out driving him through traffic in a Prius.)
"I wish you wouldn't do that, it's not a sports car!"
"Not the way you drive it...relax, I'll have it back to the previous average in a few miles."

I'd say deal with it, or YOU drive. In the end, what's a few MPG's? Why fuss? 5 mpgs on a tank for me is about 40 miles-ish... meh. Maybe I'm different from the others here.

I basically agree with Rae Vynn.

It's a car. Its purpose is transportation. It's not a video game. The actual difference in gasoline burned between 50 mpg and 47 mpg is very small. A few ounces in a typical commute.

You can nag at him and make him resent you. You can withhold "treats" from him and make him angry. How important is this guy to you? Does he treat you with respect and kindness? If he does, he's worth a few mpg. If he doesn't, you should dump him even if he gets 65 mpg!

Why is he driving your car anyway? Does he let you drive his?

I'd say separate the car from the relationship: If he's worth keeping, accept the fact that you're not in the competition for best mpg. If he's a jerk, dump him and your problem is solved.

Or just tell him, "This car is my video game and you are ruining my score. So from now on nobody drives it but me." If he doesn't like that, dump him.

Or get yourself an electric car. Then no matter how he drives it, it still won't use any gas!

It took my wife a while to get her mind right. Now she's always trying to do better than I do. She's competitive by nature.

On the other hand, MPGs are my sport, not hers. I simply let it be.

my wife kills my mpg too!

but as the passenger.

When we take the Prius out she hates it when I drive slow aka the speed limit. Instead of driving 65 on the freeway, I drive 70-75.

She insist on using the heater or ac.

I'm ok with it, I just make up for it when I drive solo.

I took my fiance with me to a Prius Owner's event. He enjoyed the pizza and the cars. Of course, he had to sit through about 45 minutes of "how to work with your Prius to maximize fuel economy". I think he is starting to get the message. :rockon:At least he is using the cruise control a bit more. I'll start the "games" next week on our road trip to the beach. He is already talking about buying his own Prius in a few years. Baby steps.....