600 mile tank...should I go for it??

Well congratulations!

Your mileage chart has insane fluctuations over the past 15 tanks of gas. I am highly impressed with the 60+ MPG reading on the display. Mine is showing 54.5 right now but I only have 60 miles on the current tank.

With mileage that high, you should be seeking a 700 mile tank! I'm shooting for a 600 mile tank at only 53~54 MPG.

heh heh heh... ONLY 54 miles per gallon!

Taking my wife to the middle of the state tomorrow to attend some festivals, booksales, and do a little backroads driving. Ga$ sure spiked here in the mitten state... $2.59/Gal for regular!

Still looking for that first official 600 MPG tank.

http://www.w8kc.com/priusmileage.htm

 

Evan (and others shooting for 600).

What's your summer AC setting? You mentioned it's 95F outside.

 

Congratulations Evan, I'm getting close to that 600 mile tank as well. (535 and just started blinking at current 50.5 mpg average). I don't think I will try for it though as the last time I filled up with last pip blinking I put in over 11 gals and I will be playing with empty soon. I will drive to my local Costco today, about 7 miles (cheapest gas in town currently $2.25) and settle for a 550 tank this go round.

I've had the Prius since mid April and have had mid 40 mpg's. When reading posts, on this forum, I sometimes get a little envious of the high mpg figures proclaimed, then last weeks marathon really got me hyped up and I tried to significantly improve upon my average. Has anyone else found themselves practicing the pulse and glide technique more since the marathon? Anyway, I found I did not care to drive glued to my mfd energy screen or constantly varying my speed and I would hate to help establish, for the Prius, a "city bus" reputation, (nobody wants to drive behind one because of the frequent stops).

As my Prius is not used as a daily commute vehicle, with the advantage of a uniform route, and the central florida terrain does not offer the benefits, if any, from long downhill glides, and I keep my A/C at 72, I will have to satisfy myself with watching for continued improvement of mpg averages as the break-in period continues and my driving techniques modify from power to economy mode.

One last point or question, as mine is about a week away, is their any real jump in mpg after the first oil change? Manufacturers used to use a higher viscosity break-in oil and this would account for less friction after the 1st oil change, is this the case with the Prius? Or is the higher mpg reported just due to improved driving skills after 5000 miles of practice.

 

Congratulations!!! I still haven't hit a 500 miler yet, will probably be this tank. Not sure when I'll have a shot at 600, probably after it breaks it a bit more - should have another couple thousand on it before cold weather hits here in DC.

Enjoy your trip this weekend.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

the vapor being explosive is hardly a unique characteristic of gas. grain silo explosions happen because the right ratio of grain dust in the air is also explosive and all you need is a spark to set it off.

 

At a 79 degree setting the air conditioner compressor is probably off most of the time.

 

A 79 degree setting makes me feel cool as long as the outside is hot. As the car cools off, I have to set the temp lower to maintain comfort. As long as it is blowing cool air then I'm comfortable. This would indicate that the compressor is indeed running but at a low speed. This type of operation is also good for maximizing dehumidification, which helps with our comfort at slightly higher temperatures.

On a related note, I have tinted all my windows including a light tint on the front windshield. This really contributes to a comfortable feeling of cooling at low compressor speeds due to reduced radiant heating on the surface of my skin.