Terrible 3rd Gen MPG ...according to Consumer Reports

To be fair, if you drive a Prius like any other car, there is an MPG hit, and CR shouldn't just test that way. If a vehicle requires a special technique to get the most out of it, it's untrue to say X is your result when you know the instructions for the vehicle says to drive with a different methodology. They should have done both methods and report the results for each and let the reader decide what it means.

 

So many variables to consider! TGIF

 

Well, I know that if I drove my Prius the way I used to drive my truck, I'd not do as well on MPGs.

You can drive a Prius just like any other car, but to get the most out of it, you have to drive it as a hybrid.

 

In Michigan

43 mpg on summer with Ac on
37-39 mpg on winter with heater on
33-37 mpg on winter with heater ON and snow driving.

Never hit 50 mark.

I ride 10 mile in inner roads with lot of stops and high way with higher push to stay in traffic. I know not an ideal Prius situation. I am no ideal slow driver either.

Nexus 5 ?

 

There will almost always a 'normal distribution curve,' called the Bell Curve, in most systems and that is true with Prius MPG. However, the shape of the curve is a function of hardware, software, and people-ware. It is the way of the world.

The Gen-4 has changed that curve, probably made it more narrow and shifted the peak up. But there are alternate technologies that can do even more or in some cases, less. This is basic engineering.

I started my Prius studies at the old GreenHybrid.com and learned there are profiles impacted by climate, topology, and utilization having nothing to do with brow-beating the drivers. So for the most part, I don't get terribly wrapped around the axle about it. Sure we can educate drivers but somethings are beyond their control regardless of the vehicle.

If you are not happy with your Prius performance, get a full EV like a Tesla that meets your normal driving profile. Alternatively, go back to an ordinary car and live with it. I'm not trying to suppress complaints but pointing out we have choices in life and the Gen-3 Prius is 'not for everyone.'

Bob Wilson

 

My commute to work is only three miles....I run around town here and there and was getting 44MPG then I took it off ECO and it dropped to 43MPG....then I ran the air while my daughter was in the car and car was parked and the MPG dropped to 42MPG...think I'll go back to ECO mode

 

As cwerdna alluded to, it's not their job to figure out how to drive a Prius for maximum mileage just so we can brag about the mileage. As I said, I see a lot of Prius drivers here and I've yet to see one, other than me, who drives any differently than any other driver. And AFAIK, most driver manuals advise to avoid harsh braking and to accelerate slowly. The Prius manual might go into more detail, but instructions to drive smartly are nothing new. And CR is not the only testing agency who tries to keep test procedures as standard as they can. Motor Trend also tests vehicles under the same conditions to give viewers/readers a stable baseline for comparison.

IMHO, it's up to Toyota to make the case and I don't see them doing that. For one thing, it would just invite more questions. My experience has been that the Prius is more affected by driving conditions and techniques than any other vehicle I've owned. I consistently got 24 mpg in our Montana van no matter what the road conditions were or what the speed limit was. I consistently got 17 mpg in my 1970 GTO "unless" I was in "racing" mode, then it dropped to 12. The Prius however varies dramatically based simply on conditions; hills, wind, rain, temperature, even traffic flow and tires. Summer has arrived and my mileage has dropped back into the high 40's from the low 50's. Many here at PriusChat are somewhat obsessed with mileage. I've enjoyed learning to drive the Prius a little differently to maximize "my" mileage, but it hasn't really moved the needle that much over the 50,000 miles I've now driven. My mileage runs the gamut from 34.3 to 56.8 and my overall mileage is now 47.6, so seeing the CR number doesn't bother me. What bothers me more is that our van consistently got ~24 mpg every time I filled the tank. And miles between fill-ups and where we drive, locally, trips, etc., were no different than they are with the Prius.

And I don't know how CR can develop a "standard" for hybrids when I suspect they all require different driving techniques to maximize their mileage. Not all hybrids are alike. Some use a regular automatic transmission vs a CVT. Others place more emphasis on battery use. Others see relatively little difference in mileage, like the Toyota Highlander, 27/28 vs 20/25. I, for one, want to know what mileage I can expect just driving the vehicle like I've driven all my other vehicles. Once I know that, I can then try various techniques to improve, if that is my goal, but knowing the Prius gets a certain mileage compared to other vehicles under the same driving conditions is more helpful to me than seeing all the hypermiles people on PriusChat are able to achieve. No matter what I do, I'll never achive those numbers because there are too many variables that I simply can't duplicate. However, I can essentially duplicate the CR tests and go from there. It might be nice if CR would strive for better mileage as one of their tests, but what would that really mean to anyone outside of PriusChat? How would they translate the techniques used to the average driver. And no matter what number they'd ultimately achive, someone would still complain that they could do better. We should actually be pretty impressed that the Prius is at the top using the CR testing procedure.

 

That is why I have moved to a math model using the EPA "Test Car Databse". Using the three roll-down coefficients, we can calculate the drag force at any speed and power required. Add the vehicle electrical overheads and engine/drivetrain efficiency and you can plot mph vs MPG.

Bob Wilson

 

And I'd agree that it would be nice if CR added some data like that to their reports, something that can be quantified. I'm not defending CR, I don't agree with many of their tests or techniques. I've used their Best Buy rating to buy a couple of things and was disappointed both times. I enjoy reading their reviews to some degree, when I was a subscriber, but rarely take more than a glance at most of their data, reliability being an exception. I would never buy a vehicle based on their reviews, but then I don't buy vehicles based on any reviews. I wouldn't have bought a Prius if I hadn't rented one when the Gen 3 first came out. When we buy our next hybrid, we'll again rent the ones we are considering. I will say that any model with a hatchback design will have a big leg up on the competition. If they ever make a Rav4-like SUV with the mileage of a Prius, that will go to the top of the list.

 

My MPG seem to be stuck at 42.6....I think running the air while parked for 30min was the cause of it....I will not do that again soon....little dog and daughter need air in the 100 degree Cali heat.....

 

Some things can not be helped. Good MPG is nice but not required to be happy. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson