I have a 2008 Proius with 117k miles. I have new tires, regular oil changes. and the car runs fine, bet yet I never get more than 42 mpg on the screen, and nore does it rarely drop below 35.mpg I feel selfish for asking but with this type of milage I feel like I cant be complaining about wanting better! I admit my foot is a bit heavy on the gas and run my ac unit a lot. Is there something I may be missing as far as maintenence goes? I already replaced the 12 volt batter with an Optima yellow top
I am in Greenwood MS, I get 40 MPG in 'winter' and 48 MPG spring and fall. In the summer I get 42 MPG because I run the A/C a lot. I run headlights anytime it is on, as I mistrust MS drivers to pay attention. I can see a hit on MPG for your wheel/tires. Your A/C can be a hit. Looks like you tinted the windows, that is a good thing.
the rims are actually lighter than the factory wheels. These are made by Koeing. and the tires are the same size that came on the car
You don't need to worry about your fuel efficiency as much as you do about your insurance rates. When I first got my (company) G3, I tried all of the daffy hypermiling crap---well, except for tailgating, which is moronic. I got 55-59 MPG, tank average, hand calculated. Then...I got over it, and just started to drive it like a regular car. My tank averages are now similar to Jimbo's. Just by looking at your car's picture for 10-seconds, I can tell that your driving style is probably a little more aggressive than mine is. Turn off the A/C....put the car in Eco...over inflate your tires....pulse and glide...and you'll recover some of your lost mileage. Oh and stay off the Interstate. I used to drive the 285 semi-occasionally. They don't call it the "Atlanta Speedway" for nothing. With those rims and that tint, you're already a mark for the GSP. One other thing. If there's one of those stupid Gucci "oil and gauze" filters (K&N) under that shiny black hood, throw it away and get an OEM replacement. Then....check your MAFS and your throttle body for carbon build up. This can eat at your mileage a bit before it manifests itself as a rough idle problem. DO NOT take it to the dealer and ask for the "throttle body cleaning." They use the spray and pray method. You can clean the MAFS yourself (don't use brake parts cleaner!) and the throttle body too. Just takes a little research and an hour's time. Short answer: It's not the car. It's what we in the electronics world call a dead short between the seat and the controlls...especially the throttle. Good Luck! Be glad you don't drive a Mustang or a Camaro!
He has a GenII so no Eco Mode option. If you make short trips and run the AC a lot then you are probably doing just fine considering those will drop your mpg like a rock! Search this forum as well as the GenIII Fuel Economy section. You'll quickly realize what is causing your low mpg.
We routinely get 50-ish in summer so something negative might be happening. I do not know how long ago you installed the Optima but it can take a couple tank fulls to see the benefit. There is a questionaire you can fill out to give us all of your details. If you drive many short trips, that is one cause, or driving highways >65 mph hurts MPG.
Light weight rims, good. Boy-racer tires, bad What diameter/width rims, and brand/model/size tire are you running now?
The OP is running Ecopia tires. I can't tell which ones though. They look under inflated but it's hard to tell since even at 35/33psi they look under inflated. *EDIT* Ecopia EP422.
Repkace the Inverter coolant. Your way overdue. Even a slight temp increase of the Inverter results in lower mileage. I got an immediate increase in mileage when I changed mine. The Inverter is the heart & soul of this car. I also use Redline Water Wetter in the Inverter coolant also which has eliminated the aluminum corrosion your seeing the inside the cap. The white stuff.
