36 Mpg 2013 Prius package 5

Is your commute only 1 mile?

I can get 36 mpg in stop and go traffic in my TSX.

 

Most of the MPG gains are through learning how to properly drive a hybrid. If you drive it like a regular car, it'll get dismal MPG. If I had to guess, you probably had the AC blasting too along with really hard stop/go.

When I had my 2013 Prius 2, I was getting an average of 43 MPG because I have a heavy foot at times.

 

IMO, the good thing about the prius is that you don't really need to learn how to drive it to get good MPG. If you do learn how to drive it, you'll get exceptional MPG.

That being said, 36 is quite horrible. It is hard for us to know what is going on with your car unless we accompany you on one of your trips.

 

Check your tire pressures. It takes five to seven minutes for the engine to warm up and be efficient. If your trips are five miles or less you are not going to get great mileage out of it. I have a 2012 level five. I've aired my tires up to 42 front and 40 rear. In the mornings my trip to work reads out 57mpg. 16 miles highway and 4 miles city driving. On my trip home with a lot of traffic congestion I get somewhere between 48 to 53 depending on congestion. If I drive to lunch from 2 to 4 miles I get in the 39mpg range. There's is probably nothing with your car you just have to give it time to warm up and cruise a little bit. Goodluck and enjoy your really nice car.

 

if you don't drive much, that may be your hole problem.

 

I don't know your living situation but it sounds like you might be a good candidate for a Leaf or other EV or plug-in. But I also notice you live in Wisconsin and the cold weather can really hit Prius performance hard. One mitigation might be to get a block heater installed.

Do you have trouble keeping the 12V battery charged? The Prius 'parasitic' loads that handles the key fob along with keeping memory alive can drain a 12V battery. Just curious.

Bob Wilson

 

pleasure.

 

I think Bob's on the right track. If a lot of those 3,000 miles have been in cold weather, that would skew the mpg lower than what is considered normal. And if those trips are short, the mpg would suffer that much more, wouldn't it?

 

I have a 2014 Avalon Hybrid XLE Touring. I get 38 to 40 in suburban Chicago driving. Check your air filter and cabin filter. Check the air pressure in your tires and inflate to the recommended PSI on the label inside your drivers door. You should be getting about 50 in this kind of weather.

 

What an improvement!!! Just slow down a little and enjoy the nice scenery in Fond du lac. I love it up there. Don't worry too much about the angry drivers behind you. They'll get over it. I'll be up that way this Fall and some of them will get behind me instead of you.

 

Hey, I'll be going through Fond Du Lac next month. I spent quite a bit of time in Fond Du Lac, mostly Lakeside Park, back in the 60's. We also went down for football games. Small world!

 

don't drive it like you stole it. lightly press the gas pedal like it is an eggshell. gently, not sure about your disablilty? you might try taking yous shoes off, you will have much better feel on the pedals. i drive almost 100% barefoot.

 

it is illegal to drive in ma without footwear.