1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Are people really getting 40+ MPG in Gen 2?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by timmyjane, Apr 12, 2017.

  1. timmyjane

    timmyjane Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2016
    87
    19
    0
    Location:
    SC
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I pretty much only get around 34MPG. I drive a good bit. Lots of highway and side roads. Not much stop an go but some. I talked with a 2014 owner and his display is showing something like 46 MPG over 3-4K miles. Ive been tracking my fuel purchases and MPG since last August and have only gotten 40 on one tank. It seems that the MPG has been dropping lately as I have only averaged 33 over the 4 tanks in March. November and December was better.
    I started looking around this forum and it appears some folks are getting 40+ in their Gen 2. It this unique or the norm? I have 230k on the car. Tires are new last month. 12v should be good. Last I checked the main batt was good too but I sort of want to check it out now. Yes I have read the how to improve MPG post and I do try to glade and generally be aware of my current MPG.
    What is everyone else realistically getting?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,533
    48,842
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    yep. you have a lot of issues, and to be truthful, idk if you will want to spend what it takes to get a 230k car back to 40+ mpg.
    do the posts of 40+ mpg you are seeing come from people with almost a quarter million miles on their car?
    things wear, get dirty and etc.
     
    Light and Spaysship24 like this.
  3. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2015
    1,191
    1,680
    0
    Location:
    Laughlin, Nevada
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yes. Looking at fuelly.com and fueleconomy.gov the Gen II Prii still being reported are averaging in the neighborhood of 43 mpg overall. Ours is right there, too.

    Some people have experienced emergency brakes that don't release all the way. It would be good to check the regular brakes, too. That could easily account for your low mpg.
     
    Data Daedalus likes this.
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,533
    48,842
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    or perhaps extra weight in the vehicle?
     
  5. MickyMatter

    MickyMatter Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    260
    166
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    At my daily way to the office and back to my home I need 5.0 l/100 km with my Gen2 (118000 km, 73300 miles). That's 47 mpg.
    At trips with more flat terrain I need less fuel.
    When driving longer distances at autobahn with 170 km/h (~106 mph) , I need round about 6.5 l/100 km. That's 36 mpg.

    SM-G900F ?
     
    landspeed likes this.
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,533
    48,842
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    does your car have a quarter million miles on it?
     
    Rich Obermayer, Valiant V and Light like this.
  7. MickyMatter

    MickyMatter Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    260
    166
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,533
    48,842
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    is this based on a new prius, or one that needs a lot of tending to?
     
    Valiant V likes this.
  9. MickyMatter

    MickyMatter Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    260
    166
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    No. As you can read above only about 73000 miles.

    SM-G900F ?
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,533
    48,842
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i wonder if mpg's decline with wear and tear.
     
    Valiant V likes this.
  11. MickyMatter

    MickyMatter Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    260
    166
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    That's possible. But at first I would check the tire pressure and the engine air filter.
    Sorry for asking, but you're using the right fuel? In Germany we use 95 RON (that's 90 AKI). A fuel with a smaller value decreases the mpg. Next put not necessary weight out of the car. Then check your brakes too. Mine and many other disk brakes may stick in brake position and don't release properly. Cleaning their guidance may be helpful... (European gen2 has rear disks too, and my rear left pads were fully fixed by rust and dust)


    SM-G900F ?
     
  12. PA Prius

    PA Prius Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2007
    753
    240
    0
    Location:
    SE Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I was still averaging in the low 50's when I sold my '04 last month, but it didn't have 230,000 miles on it, only 229,000 :)
     
  13. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I didn't see mention of how long you've had the car and if it's always been like that since you got it. Nor do we know anything about the service history.

    It may be as simple as a tune up (throttle body cleaning, new plugs & pcv valve, etc.), and replacing air filters. Don't forget the cabin air filter. It can affect mileage, too. A grid charger to do a charge/discharge re-balance of the HV battery can also help. When I traded in my '05 with 150,000 on it, I was getting 47-49 mpg with an occasional 51 mpg.

    Even with doing that, I would not expect optimal fuel economy on any vehicle with that many miles. But 33 seems low even for a quarter million miles.
     
  14. timmyjane

    timmyjane Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2016
    87
    19
    0
    Location:
    SC
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Thanks for all the feedback. I have had the car for about 2 years. I really only started tracking the actual fuel economy about a year ago. It seems to be on a decline in economy.
    The spark plugs and filters are well maintained. Oil is kept up as well. Tires are new and pressure is good. I'll check on the brakes. HV was rebuilt last year and last I looked all cells were where they were supposed to be. That was about a year ago as well so it may be time to break out the computer again.
    It is interesting that something is not quite right. I always assumed the MPGs were where they were supposed to be. Now I feel like I need to know what the problem is.
     
  15. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2004
    4,365
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    What brand and model tires do you have on it? Are they low rolling resistance tires. What pressure are they inflated to?

    Today I drove a combination of highway (at 50 to 55mph) plus a couple miles of stop and go in electric mode, and got 58mpg for 2i miles.

    But generally 42-55 mpg.
    2005 base model Prius
    170,000 miles.
     
    Eric.B, Sara J., ClemsonSteve and 2 others like this.
  16. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2013
    1,022
    1,182
    0
    Location:
    Wembley, London
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Please let us know what tyres you have fitted and what pressures they're set at.

    Who exactly services your Prius? Is it serviced and maintained per schedule by a Toyota Dealer (or at least a dealer with genuine technical knowledge about servicing Prii)?.

    What type of spark plugs were last fitted for example, and when? Any ordinary spark plug won't do.

    Other recommendations by other forum members are pretty much spot on; tyre pressures, servicing of rear brakes and throttle body, is the vehicle heavily loaded? Even driving style does make a difference - do you ever employ hypermiling techniques?

    What are your A/C settings? Do you employ the use of heating a lot? All these things matter too.

    I hope we can track down why your mpg is low, but it might well be one of the above.


    iPhone ?
     
    Kenny boy and srellim234 like this.
  17. biglew8

    biglew8 Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2017
    170
    114
    0
    Location:
    Seattle
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Do you share the car with anyone? If so, it could be the combined driving styles that is bringing down the mpg. My wife & I both drive our Prius and she usually brings down the mpg due to her driving style. When I drive the car, I bring the mpg back up.

    If you are the only one driving it, I would check the things other members have mentioned. Throttle body and mass airflow sensor may need cleaning. PCV valve may need to be replaced. Have you gotten a brake flush yet? Transaxle fluid drain and refill? What's the temperature like when you drive?
     
  18. Moving Right Along

    Moving Right Along Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2016
    684
    539
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The range on Fuelly is roughly 38-56 MPG, with most people in the 40s. If yours is 36 MPG average, there's probably something causing it to be lower than it should. In addition to the mechanical things you can check that were stated by other posters, driving exclusively short distances (say under 5 minutes) will give you lower miles per gallon, and driving up and down hills can wear out your battery faster. Also driving at autobahn speeds (as mentioned earlier) would lower your fuel efficiency as well.
     
    srellim234 likes this.
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,533
    48,842
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    do you drive her hard, and put her up wet?
     
  20. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,021
    10,004
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    jerrymildred likes this.