Prius mpg

Those test runs were intended for high mileage. And nearly all those magazine writers attended the very same Prius and Insight review events, where top hypermiler Wayne Gerdes coached them. I believe Danny was also a collaborator. Both Wayne and Danny have written of their shared midnight run to LA, to refine each of their own reviews.

But any car can be hypermiled, usually with similar increase terms of % over EPA.

While I disagree with the detractors that the 'hybrid premium' is not justified, I also disagree that the 40% 'bonus' you see is exclusive to the Prius, because most other cars can get the same bonus. The strictly defined EPA test cycle is still the best available metric to compare different cars. Then use this bonus to set your personal expectations. The average Joe/Jane Leadfoot won't get those numbers.

 

I don't know that you can really quantify the benefits of a hybrid. Certainly it will take lots of driving and higher gas prices to justify the cost purely by personal economics. But my understanding is that you get the mileage and emissions benefits while getting a quality mid-sized car, plus various technologies to increase the "wow" factor. I put 35K per year on my car, so if prices do go up I'll see some real savings. And I won't be hypermiling, I'll be driving the highways at 9 miles over the speed limit with cruise control.
This is my "dream" car so I hope I won't be disappointed. Most of the criticism I've read is unimportant to me (exciting driving? I just want comfort, utility, economy and a few jazzy toys.)

Rich N.

 

How can you? To what do you make the comparison? You can compare a Camry to a Camry Hybrid, but it is quite difficult to find even two of those cars with the exact same appointments and having the only difference being the HSD. Even if you do that, how do you quantify the environmental benefits, the psychological benefits (to self and to others), or even the benefit that comes from seeing each hybrid purchase giving more likelihood that cleaner cars will become more widely available at even lower prices?

Again, you need to have a base position for purposes of comparison. Do you compare your Prius to a Corolla? a Camry? a Fusion? an Accord? -- with a V-6, or leather, or power seats, or rear-view camera, or NAV, or . . .

Me, too! For that reason, I can hardly justify the money I paid for my Prius (Package #6) as compared to what others paid for theirs (Package #2, for instance). In this sense, I first have to justify the added expense I paid when I get no increase in MPGs. How do I do that? Its that darned leather/NAV premium all over again.

 

Oh, don't forget the solar roof!

Rich N.

 

Maybe, one day, people will work past this arguement. Why does "doing the right thing" NEED to be cost effective/have a break even point. When is the "payback period" for a leather couch? A fully loaded H2? A private university education?

Honestly, buy the car because it pollutes less, uses less oil and its cost of ownership is low. Everything else is marketing aimed at base instincts to convince you to buy something else.....

 

I gassed up Sunday, my MFD was showing 60 mpg for the first 30 miles.

Now I'm down to a paltry 54 MPG average after some short trips ... what a disappointment ....

J/K!

 

Insight sales were strong for the month while Prius was down. New kid on the block got some glory. Wait till June and see the Prius numbers jump. If the car isn't a value, tell that to Consumers Report.

 

Does anyone else feel that the real-life MPG's will completely destroy the EPA ratings? From what I've read, it seems relatively easy to achieve 60+ MPG City in the Gen III without using advanced hypermiling techniques.

 

Any car can be hypermiled. Heck, I have a 2000 Accord coupe 2.3L 4cyl with government combined fuel econ number at 8.7L/100km. I'm getting 6.9L/100km combined with a bit of careful driving.

But hypermiling a 2010 Prius, now theres the ultimate gas saver!

 

But will it? Comments from the other forum suggest that for advanced hypermilers, it might not be significantly better then the Gen2 Prius. It will be better for the average driver, clearly showing in the better EPA numbers. But there was a feeling that much of that gain may came from automating some the improvements that the hypermilers are already taking advantage of on the existing Prius.

But until more people get more time on the 2010, they remain uncertain what the real hypermiled FE capacity will be.

 

The 2010 is ahead of the 2009 out of the box with a lower CD so that's a bonus to any driver (hypermiler or non-hypermiler). Not to mention it's EPA rated higher than the 2009 also (which doesn't mean it necessarily WILL get better extended mpg but is a good indicator based on testing).

20% over EPA is a good "low" target for anyone trying to mod or hypermile in any vehicle. 60 mpg in a 50 mpg rated car should be a snap given the low CD of the 2010.

I'm interested to see what effect the "eco" button has on actual mpg (whether it is like driving the 2009 in terms of power). That button alone might be worth a couple mpg over EPA if driven correctly as I'm guessing EPA testing for mpg value was not done in eco mode.

 

The lower CD is partially offset by higher A, and it is the CD*A product that matters. Mass also increased, further eroding the CD gain.

The Eco button will help the average driver, but I find it unlikely that it will help the advanced hypermilers. It should be automating some of what they are already doing.

I don't see how the larger engine size can help, despite the marketing fluff claiming that it does. With the Atkinson cycle and everything else they've done to it, the larger size no longer carries the steep penalty associated with large Otto cycle (traditional) engines, but still boosts power to cover the 'wants' of a larger portion of the U.S. market.

Until more real world experience is reported, I'm not betting much on improvements for the advanced hypermilers. We could see a situation where the average drivers simply narrow the gap between themselves and the advanced folks.

 

I completely agree with that...the main reason I said I was interested to see what the eco button does to mpg. I think it will just reduce the average drivers inefficiency or in your words "automating" the process for getting better mpg's.

Real world driving is the only real way to see what the 2010 can do for mpg. For average drivers, I'll guess 45-55 mpg. For more advanced drivers, I'll guess 55-65+ mpg.

 

since the 2010s have rigid gas tanks, i wonder how much more mileage one can get if they starting adding acetone...any thoughts?

 

Being a intermediate hypermiler, I'm interested in the ECO button as well. Its said that it "smoothes out the acceleration curve" I'm curious to see that ECO mode in concert with hypermiling techniques. Also curiousto see if.,as you said, that Toyota just automated hypermiling with the 2010. At any rate I wouldn't mind the automated hypermiling...less work the better

 

I would think that would be massively illegal. :tsk:
I worked with Acetone for many years. That is nasty stuff! I cannot imagine burning it and putting those fumes into the air.
Acetone when spilled on the skin can allow oils and other chemicals to pass right into the blood stream!