New owner? Want MPG help? Read this first.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jan 24 2006, 07:01 PM) [snapback]196627[/snapback]</div>

I am a new owner of a 2007 Prius. It is my understanding that using the Automatic Temperature Control in the Prius does not affect gas milage as it would in traditional cars. The system is run off the electric motor in the Prius and reduces significantly the impact on gas milage. i have read this in the literature and heard it from dealers and service personnel. I do use the Automatic Temp Control system regularly and would like to get some clarification on this. the article says otherwise. Does the newer model operate differently? what gives?

One other thing. The manual gives no useful informtion about the reset switch (touch switch on the energy screen). the manual says that the car automatically resets itself every 2.6 gallons of use (Pg 168 of the 2007 model). That does not make sense. Where can one find good information regards how to use the reset?Does it reset completely or does it just reset milage and the MPG is still cumulative? Anyone have good info on this?

And a last real stupid question. when people talk of their milage figures are they using pump calculations or the figure calculated on the energy screen.?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(squall @ Jan 25 2007, 12:54 PM) [snapback]380656[/snapback]</div>

The ac in a Prius affects mpg much more than my last car. The difference is the ac in the Prius is far more powerful. This is costly but I am way more comfortable. The idea that you get free ac because it is electric is false. All the electricity comes from your gas tank. The Prius ac is variable output which can make it run more efficiently under some conditions than cars with fixed output, but this can be done other ways too than using electric drive. This benefit can be seen on long trips but it still costs some mpg. With hot weather and short trips the ac is running full power and this won't help you.

MY car is a 2005 and the reset occurs every fillup, or when I push the reset button. It resets the mpg and the miles.

Mileage effects for things like ac use can only be determined from the energy screen. The tank bladder makes every mpg calculation for just one tank off by as much as 20% or more. To get true calculated mpg I calculate over at least 10 tankfuls.
The energy mpg readout is what you should use to see the effects of gasoline type tires etc.

One final point I think you are confused on: The ac electric power comes from the generator/motor but it doesn't run off it when it is running as a motor. The AC has it's own dedicated electric motor.

 

Besides the AC portion tomdeimos that correctly describes, running your heater (having temp set above LO and fan turned on) in a Prius esp. during the initial startup phase can definitely affect your mileage. I've started up, driven thru a parking lot and a short distance to come to a stop at the light, yet the ICE was still running due to the heat being on. The moment I pressed OFF, the ICE shut down. I've also had the ICE start up in order to maintain heat. Again, the moment I pressed OFF, the ICE turned itself back off.

With a regular car, when you're idling, the ICE is always running.

Moral of the story: Don't run the heat during the initial warmup phase unless you're driving conditions will make the ICE run anyway (e.g. you're driving >42 mph)

 

For heater I set to automatic when I want to be comfortable. If I want mpg I set to 2nd lowest fan speed. Then set recirculate as long as windows don't frost. And keep AC turned off.

The difference during warm up is over 5 mpg.

Once the car is warm enough I can use the automatic climate setting usually. I just monitor the engine temps.
Still switch to recirc when I have to drive slow or stop.

No heat would be best during warm up but I find the low fan speed a good compromise.

 

Yes the Prius isn't for everyone. I live in Maine and travel 8 miles a day to work. I've had the car for a month now and the temp has been anywhere from -15F to 10F. I don't let the car warm up I just get in and drive like some have suggested. I average around 37 to 40 mpg. I think that is exceptional and on longer trips lets say 70 miles one way I average 44 or better and that is with the same temp readings as before and the heater on full force. We had one day at around 30 degs and I could get close to 50 actually 49.3 on the interstate at 65mph and roads leading up to the interstate at 45mph. This is exactly what I expected and think I can get higher once the warmer weather gets here. Before I purchased the 07 Pkg 6 I read tons of things on Priuschat and it was extremely helpful in making my mind up to purchase one. Although I only have 600 miles on it I find it better than what I hoped for. I had a problem when the temp was around -5F below zero when an attendant filled my tank and I knew it wasn't right that it was full. Knowing what has been said on PriusChat I knew it wasn't the car but the way it was filled. Sure enough the next time I filled it PriusChat way and it shut off just when I expected it to as the bladder needs time to expand so when it's cold I slow the fill down and on rusuming the road trip the gas gauge moved from 1/4 to full in about 15 seconds. I might also add that I had a Crew Cab Silverado 2004 that was getting 14.5 in weather like this and spending $60/70 on a fill up was a little to much. Another thing we have had a few big storms where the parking lots at work not having been plowed and I had no problem getting out. It sort of leaped out on the road. LOL.... I was concerned about the fully snow/ice covered roads but have been there and done that with my Prius and was extra careful not knowing what to expect and still don't but know that it is as good as my 04 Silverado in 2wd. Well I better stop rambling on I just enjoy my Prius.

 

UPDATE:

For some reason, it was only my first tank of gas that came with my Prius that gave me 29 MPG. Once I got past that first tank, my mileage went steadily up.

I am now averaging 42 MPG, which I find quite satisfying.

I did check my tire pressure, and was shocked when I discovered that my dealer had set the front tires to 42 psi, and the rear to 40!! I had no idea that there were dealers now setting the tire pressure this way.

This has been the coldest winter here in Western Oregon since I moved here in 1993. I am unwilling to not run my heater initially, due to feeling cold. July, August, and September are the only months here that we ever need AC And even then, not all the time in those months. I am keeping my AC off all the time now, after turning on AUTO.

We are still running Winter gas here in Oregon.

Lance

 

As stated many, many times, the Prius is NOT for everyone. I do not often fall into the category of the people who get the higher mpg numbers. I drive my kids to school (<1 mile each way, two different schools, two different drop-off times, so 2 trips each morning). I'm a Realtor, which can mean I'm driving 45 minutes to show properties to people, or 2-3 minutes. Sometimes I'm showing properties to the same people that are blocks apart, sometimes in different towns/counties on the same trip. It's very unpredictable.

I replaced my 1997 mini-van for the Prius. I chose the Prius because:
1. I'm still getting better gas mileage than almost anything else I could drive
2. I can fit clients comfortably in the Prius; a common comment is how spacious it is inside
3. Because I do use the vehicle for my business, having one that could produce zero emissions at times was important to me (as I mentioned, I have kids)
4. Simply, it feeds my needs ~95% of the time (there are times I wish I had more luggage capacity with the car full, but the car's hatchback capacity is not really the issue; it's my tendancy to overpack :lol: )
5. The Nav, bluetooth, etc., are essential to my business needs

An unexpected benefit (for my business) is that the car seems very hi-tech (ok, it IS) to my clients - it kind of completes the package, since I do listing presentations on my laptop, use a smartphone, try to do e-newsletters instead of bulk mailing, etc. Several clients have commented that I seem to be using the latest technology in my services. I will say that (and this is a generalization) it seems that younger clients (<50) seem more impressed that I drive a hybrid than older clients.

 

Wow, mileage for my 2007 Prius just jumped 4 MPG this week! I have gone from 42 MPG the previous week, to 46 MPG this week.

Two things have happened in the last week:

#1: The weather has been way warmer. Highs have been in the low 60's, instead of high 40's

#2 I fueld up, and noticed a BIG 12 cent increase in the gas price. Could I be getting a new blend of fuel now?

In any event, with this new 4 MPG increase, I am now quite happy getting 46 MPG

Lance in Orygun

 

I got my 2007 Prius a month ago, and was concerned I was only getting between 36-38 mpg
on my daily 30 mile roundtrip commute. Finding/reading this article was priceless. It answered
so many of my questions - thanx!

 

Evan wrote an excellent article and it is full of useful advice. One other thing to keep in mind, however, is that it has been long recognized that the EPA's method of calculating fuel economy ratings was overly optimistic. Few people acheive EPA mileage ratings for their vehicle, but because Prius drivers are more concerned about fuel consumption (and we have the MFG in front of our face), we are more aware of it. For the 2008 model year, the new EPA ratings take effect. The Prius, assuming there is no change to the 2008 model, will be rated at 48/45/46 city/highway/combined; versus the present rating of 60/51/55 mpg. That is more in line what most Prius owners report here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dr._Feign @ Aug 7 2006, 01:27 PM) [snapback]299194[/snapback]</div>

My folks in S Texas had a gradual decrease in MPG with no easilly discernable reason. Finally, the dealer looked at the air filter. Upon removal, a flood of dried feed corn fell out! Turns out an enterprising mouse found it a handy larder. Sans grain, the mpg went back up.

 

I've been staying off the freeways lately, testing out the routing features of the GPS/Nav system. This allows me to drive on 40 MPH roadways utilizing pulse/glide at times, and this tank I'm averaging about 51 MPG while the last tank (mostly freway) averaged 46. I was at close to 60 MPG, but my partner took the Prius out for a spin and he drives it like a regular car -- riding the accelerator to the end.

If you can route yourself off the freeways and don't mind the 50% increase in commute time, you'll improve your mileage considerably.

 

I often take back roads with lower speed limits and most times they are actually shorter distances. At least twice I've been able to average over 70 MPG one way on two different routes at mostly 40 to 50 mph.

 

Hi all, well as you may sumize from my id i am looking very seriousely at purchasing a Prius b/c i recently started a job that require me to drive about 65 miles a day. most of this is on a high way with traffic going anywhere from 70 to 80 with some portions 15-25MPH due to construction. So i would have the same question, am i a good candiate for a Prius? my curent car (spyder convertable) gets about 23 MPH on premium and i have to fill it up twice a week. it is my hope the Prius will only need to be filled up twice a month and will get me around 45 to 50 MPH. can anyone tell me if this is realistic?

Thanks,

newbie to hybrid land

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcH @ Mar 17 2006, 10:22 PM) [snapback]226243[/snapback]</div>

 

Not enough information was given to accurately determine the difference between your current car and a Prius; such as number of miles driven per week, how many miles you go before filling up or how big of a fuel tank you have. The Prius has an 11.9 gallon tank, estimate using no more than 10 gallons effectively (save some for reserve) and try calculating. Mostly driving at 70 to 80 and some construction I would try to guess you might average anywhere from about 42 to 52 MPG depending on your driving style. There is a lot of information on this forum to maximize your fuel efficiency, most importantly conserving your momentum. There are several websites with calculators that can help determine your savings, you might start with Toyota's Prius calculator:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/...t_sav_calc.html
I'm sure you'll enjoy it, good luck!

 

I have been driving my new Prius for 3 weeks now. I have a 25-mile commute (each way), and once got 81mpg -- but that's because it's mostly downhill, and I've been gliding and anticipating stops much more than I did with my old Corolla. Now I try all the time to get only yellow or no arrows! I take a big hit on the way home, though (mostly uphill). I've been averaging around 48, but I will try to shut down AC to see if it gets better.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(new2hybrid @ Apr 12 2007, 08:40 PM) [snapback]422327[/snapback]</div>

Any way you look at it, you will save money at some point driving the Prius. First off, you dont need Premium, that saves you upwards of .40 a gallon. With good driving habits you can theoretically double the MPG for that drive. The main thing is if you are comfortable driving it, and if so, it is a good choice. It is taking me some time to get used to it, since my other daily driver was an F350 Dually Crew Cab, with LOTS of interior room.

 

My old car got 28-30 mpg, and I thought I was lucky. But it was going through a quart of oil every 500-600 miles. My new Prius has been averaging 48-50 mpg since I bought it 3 weeks ago and I'm luvin' it! Around 500 miles per tank, but have not had the REFUEL NOW display on the screen, level just got down to the first indicator on the gauge. My commute is (one way) 22 miles and it's basically non-stop going in (5am) so I can get away with 50mph. Mostly I cruise at the speed limit.
Now you say mileage will get better over the next 5-10,000 miles? Anyway, I think it's soo coool owning the most technically advance, most fuel efficient, mass-produced car by a major car manufacturer on the planet!

 

Thanks to all for your candid and quick responses to my inquiory. in response to the following comment, i drive about 65 miles per day 5 days a week so that's about 325 per week. i have a 12 gal tank and average about 23 miles per gallon (premium). it is a convertable so it is noisy esp when a large truck runs by. i sat in a Prius last weekend with a JBL premium sound system and it sounded great! i will test drive one or two this weekend and wife seems ready to say, ok. i am sure a Prius will be quieter than my convertable and rid better as mine is more of a sports car and i feel every bump.

One question, i want good handeling but not a rough ride (i have that now) so any recommendations between the standard supsension and the new sports suspension?

thanks again for all your help, can't wait to get my own Prius!

jon boi


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ilusnforc @ Apr 13 2007, 12:51 AM) [snapback]422406[/snapback]</div>