little help please?

You didn't get a lemon. You live in Michigan! Don't make me come over there and smack you.

Seriously, it's cold in this state, and we get a lot of snow. Those two conditions will kill your mileage, despite your friends' optimistic and probably false claims.

I average about 56 mpg in the summer, but in the winter my mileage falls to an average of about 44 mpg. Sometimes it drops into the high 30s. It all depends on the type of driving you do, but regardless you will take a big hit in the winter with any type of automobile. With the Prius you just notice it more.

Stop worrying and enjoy the holidays.

Merry Christmas.

Tom

 

Tom said it best. Since you live in such a cold area, I would recommend using an EBH and blocking your grille. That should shoot you up into the mid 40's or higher.

 

What is your tire pressure?

 

Tires are the most likely reason for a decrease, but also check the oil level.

 

I live in Metro Detroit. Average low-to-mid 50s during the summer, low-to-mid-40s this time of year.
Run my tire pressure 40/38, no grill blocking, no engine block heater.

 

Don't be silly. The major cause for a drop in mileage in Detroit at this time of year is the cold weather and snow. Soft tires can also be a factor, but your mileage is going to drop even if you do everything right. It's a cold weather fact.

Tom

 

I live in the not cold South Texas, and when i first got my Prius, I was getting 37 to 38 mostly, but after 12,000 miles, I'm getting 42 to 44, and I think thats pretty good.

Rule of thumb I found, use good oil, or if you have dealer do it, always check they filled it up correctly, I found out they were putting in too much oil, and when I did it myself, I got better mileage, so now I check and double check the dealer oil changes.

 

agreed. You're doing fine, without.

 

Yes, of course. I assumed cold weather as a given and was suggesting reasons for a further MPG decrease beyond that, but I should have been explicit. It's amazing how many people don't realize that cold weather causes MPGs to drop in all cars.

 

I thought as much when I read your post, but it seemed like it might be misleading to a newbie. I do that sometimes, where I jump in and overlook the obvious, assuming it is obvious to everyone.

Your point about mileage drop in all cars is a good one. It's fairly easy to see why it's not so noticeable in a normal car or truck. Let's say we get a 20% drop in mileage. With a Prius at 50 mpg, that's a 10 mpg drop down to 40 mpg. With a 15 mpg truck, that's a 3 mpg drop, down to 12 mpg. It isn't very noticeable, and of course with the Prius you have the MFD there shoving the data into your face.

Tom