MPG for Newbie

My very best advice is to ignore MPG for the first tank. You have no idea how much the dealer filled it, so learn the controls and so on, and practice MPGs on the second tank.

Learning not to hit the brakes will be the single most fuel efficient 'trick' you have. If you must hit the brakes, long gentle braking recovers about 30% of the energy.

 

SD to LA on the first day? When I got mine and read the manual, especially the break-in recommendations, I was afraid to drive the car more than 50 miles at a time.

 

Yeah, there still needs to be one comprehensive thread giving a breakdown of how the car works and hypermiling methods for the C. I'm not sure why there isn't. I guess it's just that no one want to do it.

As far as your current MPG, the #1 rule to learn- by far- for freeway and highway driving is Speed Kills MPG. If you were doing 75 mph, 47 mpg sounds about right. Or, maybe you were doing 65-70 with the A/C on. A/C takes mpg down 3 to 7 mpg, too.

65 mph will get you 52-55 mpg, depending on weather conditions. Wind coming from ahead or the side of the car will bring down mpg heavily. Conversely, a tailwind will increase your mpg. Rain/wet road brings mpg down. Cool temperatures brings mpg down.

55 mph and below, however, in the right conditions, will get you above 60 mpg, sometimes well above (I get between 63 and 68 quite often). The slower you can drive this car on the freeway- getting speed closer to "city driving"- the better mpg gets, and it gets better more quickly the slower you go.

I'll let someone else take over for city driving tips.

 

I am not being mean here, just stating the facts. There are many threads about how to get good mileage in a Prius on Prius chat. It seems tedious to repeat the same things over and over. A search of this site and cleanmpg.com will return info on all the hypermiling techniques.

More than one thread in the Prius c forum links to a video which I will link to one more time. It is a good intro for any newcomer and, if watched a few times, will impart a lot of good info for anyone willing to learn a few simple yet valuable techniques. It is not specific to the c, but the techniques are identical. The technology has been around for years now.

 

i'm only getting 45-42 mpg in city and highway. got the prius c 2 tuesday 140 miles later.....

 

Dont fret cadet - Your car is not broken in yet... Tires will break in and improve MPG, Engine will break in and improve MPG, your driving style will evolve over time and you will see what you need to do to maximize MPG if that is your goal. One of the best tools in the Prius arsenal in my opinion is the Instant MPG screen with the minute by minute intervals - you can clearly see how you are doing as you drive and learn what works and what does not.

Things to note that have been addressed above and many many times in the Prius C forums,

Tire pressure - more pressure = better MPG but reduced Ride Quality. I am running 47PSI all around as I dont have a desire for comfort, I like to feel the bumps in the road - many Forum members run closer to 40MPG, be sure to stay under the max pressure listed on your tires sidewalls - Toyota uses several different tire models, so check the max pressure rating on yours.

Speed - Fast acceleration kills MPG Fast, higher maintained speeds will kill MPG, hard braking will reduce the recovered energy - I have found that with favorable driving weather conditions this car's hwy MPG seems to maximize around 62MPH or 100Km/H. Typically at this speed with no wind and decent temps I am getting low 60's for MPG.

Weather - Cold weather kills MPG as the engine stays on to keep the coolant hot, hot coolant keeps the emissions lower and the battery and cabin in a safe operating temperature, cold air is more dense and requires more energy for the car to cut through the air, AC and Heat both have detrimental effects on MPG. Wind can also cause it to fluctuate several MPG depending on direction and wind speed.

 

These are great tips guys. My 1st tank and i got 41.2 mpg. Love this car.

 

I've got a prius c on order (color choice matters, big purchase for me so I have to love what I buy) and have the same concerns from my test drives- the display didn't show more than 35-39 mpg. Previous car was Honda Civic bought new in 1996, always got 38-40 mpg, no spec techniques besides std transmission- but I want a replacement vehicle that outdoes that- I just don't want to spend the extra $$ for little/no improvement.
I have watched the recommended video- and am wondering how the 2010 display differs from Prius c. Seems important since many of the tips are based on watching the display ('keep the line 1/4 " above center" etc).
How hard is it be to translate the 2010 display techniques to the Prius c? And is there a video with tips using the Prius c display?
I have a 70 mile round trip commute, about 75% rural, 25% intense city traffic (Austin TX)
Thanks, this is a great forum.

 

The Prius C has comparable screens - but they are more colorful. It also offers you the option of multiple different screens to assist in your drive. The C does better when driven regularly, my test drive was only 35MPG, but I have found if I go a week without driving it (using my motorcycle instead) the MPG will be in the high 30's and low 40's for the first 10-15 miles. Also once the engine and tires start breaking in your MPG will increase. for your driving you say 75% rural - if you keep your speed in check you will get incredible MPG. I drive 30 miles on back country roads and a stretch of 2 lane 55MPH highway to my weekend job and typically get close to 60 MPG if I keep my speed around 55-65. If I am running late and push it to 70-80 MPH the MPG drops to about 45 - so speed is probably one of the biggest factors I see in your commute.

 

Just got my Prius C yesterday and I get about 50mpg on the round trip of my regular commute. This is a 17 mile commute each way consisting of about a 50/50 mix of 55mph and slow stop and go driving along a hilly and winding road. For the stop and go part, I typically just let the car slowly "idle" (really its simulated idling behavior) a few car lengths behind the stop and go drivers.

For those that are familiar with the SF east bay area, most of my commute follows the Altamont Pass side road.

note: there is a substantial elevation change between my home and work which seems to make it difficult to get really great mileage, as it is very hard to use good technique in portions of the uphill direction. Just for reference, in my old 98 Honda Civic EX (RIP), I got a little over 32 mpg along the same root. Which brings up a second point, I never heard anyone complain that the my Civic EX was a slow car, but it actually accelerated slower than the Prius C.

 

Enjoy! The c will beat the Civic mileage easily if you apply the techniques.