Gen III, a step backward?

Quite the opposite of A/C use... it has been a very COLD summer.

Mid 50's for MPG isn't realistic temps in the low 70's. It's pretty easy in the 80's. But here in Minnesota, that's been elusive since June. But at least I got a taste of what the 2010 could offer next year.

The seasonal cycle is quite refreshing. And as you eluded, there is much to look forward to this winter!
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I thought that is what you would report.

 

Accurate is alway scientific and this is what I've seen in North Alabama:


But this one shows a cumulative effect:



Bob Wilson

 

I think the main point here is that for EXTREME hypermilers (lets just say 70+ mpg on a regular basis) who use scangauges (special instruments that tap into the computers on the Prius and have a seperate LCD display), the Gen II is better for them to extract their awesome results from. That is fine. Nothing wrong with that.
But Toyota has to make cars for the masses. The extreme hypermiling crowd isn't a big enough market to be profitable for a company like Toyota. I admire what they do, their techniques, etc. But for the rest of us (like me, I believe, somebody that enjoys getting really good mpg, but will just stick with doing the best I can with what I've been given and enjoying my really great new car that looks great and gets really good MPG), Toyota has made a great improvement with the Prius III gen. The results are already evident - 40,000 units in 3 months! Exlosion of PC readers, great reviews, etc.
I and many others won't be cruising around town at 12 mph, Pulse and Gliding in the right lane with no regard for the drivers behind, removing the spare tire to save weight, pumping the tires up to 2x the recommended max sidewall pressure, installing engine block heaters to eek out another 5%, never running the A/C, the list goes on and on. To each their own. The Diversity is what makes life interesting. Enjoy and embrace it!

 

Oh Gawd yes. Starts down the toilet in Nov and starts back up in April. You won't see this sort of pain in Georgia.

The winter '07 and '08 got better because I installed an engine block heater. I don't use it in the summer. At $0.135/KWH, I'm not sure I would save.

The ugly one in '05 was 10 days of -10F to +10F and I had to go to Montreal (200 miles R/T) so I couldn't recover the tank when it finally warmed up a bit.

The REALLY ugly one is 28.2 MPG. 28" of snow in 12 hours. The plows couldn't keep up and it was 8" or more of 'mashed potatoes'. Still, my Prius got a lot farther than other cars with similar or slightly more clearance. Only the pickups and SUVs (the ONE time they would be an advantage) got through fairly easily. I had to turn around and find alternate routes several times because the roads were blocked with stuck cars. Had to beat my way through it for over 2 hours (all of 10 miles). Burned a lot of gas!

 

The Prius III is good for 70+ with very little effort, so I wouldn't worry, anyone intent on the task can hit that mark in a PII or PIII. I totally agree with your point. The Eco-Mode button is like a Hypermiling "Easy Button", although I don't really know how popular it is. But that's the point. Let the driver choose HP or MPG , it's up to them.

As far as hitting 110+, the PIII is good for that too. Problem is no one (that I've heard of) has cracked all the CAN messages in the PIII. Almost worth donating one to Atilla Vass for the task . Once all the CAN messages get decoded (and they will) a PIII pilot will have all the information that PII pilots have. Information is the key difference between the two right now, but as you said, Toyota certainly isn't missing sales becuase of the "Hypermiler" demographic B).

11011011

 

I do none of the above, but routinely see 70 mpg in temperate weather.

Perhaps, just perhaps, you can improve your MPG without becoming a strawman argument ?

 

Not gonna take that bait. Nice try. Peace!

 

If by bait, you mean a gentle challenge to drive considerately AND with high fuel economy in mind, I'm sorry to hear it.

I will admit though, that I cannot condone the arrogant and ultimately self-defeating position of so many americans that I can best summarize as "I'm fat, sweaty, lazy, and ignorant. Toyota has to engineer around me!"

 

The same folks are still running the service dept. there, so in effect nothing has changed after the sale. I realized this when I went back through my paperwork. The service manager told me several blatant lies--including after the change of hands. He's lucky he was no where in arm's reach the last time or he would probably still be learning how to walk.

I do most work myself, but I wasn't prepared to rebuild the rear end of my Tundra. Had I known then what I know now about that dealership, I would have tried my hand at it. It would have been quicker, cheaper, and it would have been done right.

 

Modern engines are built to tight specifications and you don't see much difference in MPG and performance after the break-in period. (Always drive gently and smoothly for the first 1000 miles and avoid high speeds to make your engine last longer in the future, and brake gently for the first 200 miles to make your brakes last longer.) So, the answer is you won't see much difference in MPG after break-in. And depending on how your car is maintained and driven, MPG may even decrease with time as your engine wears.

The old Prius had a smaller engine. With a smaller engine, you will get higher MPG if you drive slowly. With the new bigger engine, it's true that you will never attain amazing MPG numbers as with the smaller engine, but the overall MPG should be about the same as with the older car, as you now get better MPG when you drive faster. That's where the new Prius gets better MPG: fast highway/freeway driving. The old Prius will win the MPG game at slower speeds and city driving.

 

Ha ha. You probably don't want to know. That's why I always change my oil myself, knowing afterward that everything has been done perfectly. I use Mobil 1 0W-20. I heard many horror stories about Toyota dealers messing up simple oil changes and ruining your engine.

 

It certainly would be interesting to identify ZVW30:

• maximum range speed
• MPG at maximum range speed

Based upon past metrics, I suspect it occurs at ~18-20 mph and to get a credible fuel burn, +1 gallons, may take about 5-10 hours. That would be a significant investment in time ... but I did load up my iPod with "Learn Japanese" lessons. <GRINS>

"Honey, I need to go study Japanese for a couple of hours. I'll take the dog and walk her too."
​

NOTE1: Covered about 45 miles last night, 8/25, at an average speed of 20 mph using 25 mph as the cruise control target. It took about 2 1/2 hours with an indicated ~85 MPG but the tank still shows all bars. Another segment like this with at least one tank bar gone and we'll top it off and see what we get.

Bob Wilson

 

Not quite since the engine often shuts down at low speeds. I favor an energy analysis, which means the maximum distance will be a function of rolling drag probably at a maximum when it equals aerodynamic drag. Anything slower and the vehicle 'heart beat' overhead begins to predominate.

I had his book and used it to keep a 1966 VW MicroBus running for years including one engine rebuild.

Bob Wilson