what is the worst way to drive a Prius?

the worst way is trying to keep it in ev all the time.
i would take the feeder roads, accelerate briskly, glide until slowing too much, and repeat.
don't worry about health/longevity, it was meant to be driven.

 

A longer route will boost fuel consumption and wear more than it could possibly improve health-per-mile.

One member near here has a commute of barely a mile each way. While many of us would walk or bike that, not everyone has the right route or health to do so. Numerous others are in the 2 to 3 mile range.

 

You should be focused on how much gas you're using, not what the best fuel economy is. If your fuel economy is 30MPG for the first five miles, but increases to an overall economy of 40MPG after you drive five more miles, driving those additional miles has caused you to use more gas than if you just stopped after the first five.

Generally speaking you get better fuel economy by driving slower. When the engine is warm you'll get better fuel economy at 30MPH than you will at 60MPH. But that may not be so true for a short trip where the engine is warming up if driving at 30MPH means a lot of start and stops with the engine running (in warm-up mode) while the car is stopped.

Since there are so many variables, the best way to answer your question is to just try each different commute a few times and figure out how much gas you used for each. Reset one of the trip odometers at the start of each commute, and at the end look at the miles traveled and MPG. If you traveled 9 miles at 35MPG then you've used 9 / 35 = about 0.26 gallons. Repeat a few times that for each commute and then choose whichever one uses the least gas.

 

Seeing the title i thought the worst way to drive a Prius would be into a tree or off a cliff.

 

I'd say that one 8 mile trip is better than two 4 mile trips. But that doesn't matter for commuting, where doubling the distance won't let you cut the number of trips in half.

 

Longer trips are better for vehicle health overall. I imagine fuel economy may also be better

 

As others already stated, it isn't a sure thing that driving further is better for your engine. The Owners Manual already tells you what you should do in case of short commutes. With that kind of usage, follow the severe usage maintenance intervals. That means 5000 mile or 6 months OCI instead of 10,000 or one year.

 

In my opinion you should consider
EV
Smart EV you can buy used for 5-7 k $
And nothing to worry about warm up the engine
Much less maintenance


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That would be a perfect commute for a PiP.

 

My commute went from 30 miles to 3. I was getting 54MPG and averaging 55mph at 30 miles. I'm now down to 41 MPG and averaging 27mph at 3 miles. I'm beginning to think a used electric vehicle may be more suiting now.

 

absolutely. have you seen what used leaves are going for? peanuts!

 

I've noticed that. Almost giving them away compared to other hybrid or electric cars with similar miles.

 

yeah, if you only need a commuter car, they fill the ticket perfectly.

 

After seeing your low MPG I thought something is off on your car but found out you're driving a V not C.

My C is doing 45+ at 3.8 miles in winter and 50+ in summer (warm now is SoCal). And when driving 55mph for 16 miles I've got low 60MPG.

 

A 3 mile commute in Delaware is not ideal for the Prius. The first 3 miles or so take a mileage hit due to engine warmup. It is likely still better than any other non-plugin car with an engine. Perhaps a used PiP would work well.

 

That is Trim V. They used Roman numerals in 2010. It is basically a trim 5 Liftback.

 

My commute to work is 16.5 miles each way, and takes me through rural areas, winding roads, hills, with about 10 stops along the way. My typical route offers many opportunities for spirited driving, when traffic allows it. If I (have to) behave myself, my fuel consumption usually reaches over 60 mpg. However, I love the dynamics of driving and finding the edges of a vehicle's capabilities. This makes my 1/2 hour commute more enjoyable. I will flog my Prius quite hard at times, and yet when I arrive at my destination my consumption is still at 40+ mpg.

So I'm sure my driving behavior with my Prius is atypical, but am astounded that it still rewards me with amazingly efficient fuel consumption. Some might say my treatment is bad for the longevity of my Prius, but I don't care. A great, fun car!

 

Well the Prius C wasn't even made in 2010, so it's obviously not a Prius C, which I think was the main point.