EPA changing its estimate for the Prius WHEN IT SHOULDN'T!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Jul 16 2007, 12:59 AM) [snapback]479460[/snapback]</div>

You don't need to be conservative at all to get 46 MPG. In fact, on a recent trip, I averaged 48 MPG driving in the mountains with 3 other people in the car, all while averaging 75 MPH and having the A/C on the entire time. Any driver should be able to get 46 MPG.

 

That sticker number is nothing but a number to use to compare to the sticker numbers of other cars.

When will people realize this.

 

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My last vehicle had an EPA of 22/26, and it varied between 18 and 31 over it's lifetime. It was, in effect, the tanks that only gave me 18 that caused me to look at a Prius instead. The EPA estimates were an attraction, though I'd noted many users reporting they were not getting near the EPA figures. So I took a couple of Prii out for a drive -one from a city dealership and the other from a rural one- and watched the numbers for myself, and was getting over 50mpg on both.

On the car I bought I am getting 55.4mpg over it's lifetime, which has included city, highway and interstate driving, much with AC on. As a consequence, I'm very happy. The more so because the car's display not only gives enough feedback to actually help improve fuel efficient driving techniques, but the car itself is far more relaxing to drive as a consequence.

I'd recommend an extended road test if you can. It is easy to get above 40mpg, not at all difficult to get 50 and with a little adjustment of technique, neither hard or rare to get 55 or above. Unlike most other vehicles, the Prius responds dramatically to your driving techniques, so if you want to achieve good fuel efficiency and take note of what the car tells you, and you're driving more than 5 minutes at a time, you can get close to the unrealistic EPA figures. The Prius is, if nothing else, a car that allows the driver to control fuel usage.

 

Well, I've owned my Prius for about a month and got about 45 on the first tank. On a recent vacation trip to Maine with 5 passangers, luggage and doing 75-80 on the highway I averaged 55mpg.

You cant beat those numbers. I could care less what the EPA numbers are.

Cheers,
Jim

 

I agree the EPA values are not hard to obtain. Lately I have been getting around 65 MPG, but I am a conservative driver. The wife who drives like she is a NASCAR driver gets around 50 MPG.

I bought the car for the high fuel economy. This is not my first car so I knew that the EPA estimates would not be close but they are standardized so that I could use them to compare different vehicles to each other. Our last car was a Honda Civic that got 28.5 MPG but they advertised 32 I think, granted the wife was the primary driver.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boulder Bum @ Jul 16 2007, 01:23 AM) [snapback]479495[/snapback]</div>

Conditions: 95% of the trips are about five miles (or less) - This is the REAL killer on my MPG.
Hills: Not very steep or very long, but very frequent.
I'm now getting an excellent 45 MPG, but when the temperature dipped to the single digits, I'm seen 32 MPG over 25 miles (and obviously even less when the tank was fresh).

 

"Yeah but you plug it in at night when it's a lot cheaper. "

California residential electric pricing does not vary with time.

The "cheaper at night" theory is that, over the long run, shifting power demand to nighttime, off-peak hours reduces the peak loads, and avoids the need for new power plants, which saves the capital costs. But in your Edison/DWP/PG&E/etc bill, it does not matter what time it is.

Oh, and online, ALL CAPS is "yelling."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KTPhil @ Jul 16 2007, 10:19 AM) [snapback]479666[/snapback]</div>

It depends on where you live. The Los Angeles DWP does offer variable rates, but you need to get multiple meters to take advantage of that program.

Residential Time-of-Use Rate

 

Wow, waytogo DWP! Edison doesn't offer it to us (also in the LA area), and who would think the City would be first?!

 

...just think of how many existing Prius drivers will be happy to finally exceed the stated EPA values... I am averaging 51.x mpg (per MFD value at each fillup so far) in my normal daily driving (which I guess I'd call City, as I don't get above 50mph at any point, and all roads I'm on are 45mph or less.)

So, been a little bummed that I don't see those 60mpg averages... But I was already happy to see that I've tied out exactly with the current EPA Highway value of 51. (And that, still, is 2.3 times better mpg than my last car!)

Now, if EPA City (or Combined) is reduced to 46, I'll be like "Whoa! Beating the EPA numbers by 5mpg!"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KTPhil @ Jul 16 2007, 12:19 PM) [snapback]479666[/snapback]</div>

Yes. We have a tiered system. You pay more depending on how much you use, not when you use it. But I'm putting Photovoltaic on my roof. It will generate during peak hours. I can plug in during off peak. At the end of the year my bill still zeros out.

Now what *I* need is the power company buying my excess production. If they did that.....I'd put up 10 more panels. But until they pay me for excess, I'm not going to produce any more than I personally need.

And that is the short-sighted, stupid part of how the system is set up in California. If Arnold wants his million solar roofs, it needs to provide support for people that don't have the money up front for a system. And it needs a better incentive for after it's in. If the power companys would pay for excess power, then people would put in as much as they could, rather than just what they need. And there is no way for people who don't have the money up front to put in a system. That makes it only for the wealthy and middle class.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusTouring07 @ Jul 15 2007, 07:23 PM) [snapback]479304[/snapback]</div>

YEA !!
Stupid EPA ... Stupid C / R
My best mileage was no where near 60mpg either!

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They missed it by over 10mpg !!
I hate those liars ! !
Oh ... never mind.

 

Seriously this was news 6 months ago. The new estimates have been known for at least 60 days. Most Prius drivers will be able to exceed the new EPA values by about 10%. Consumer Affairs ( Joe Benton ) loves to rag on the Prius but they just lost a ton of potential clients for their principals. See previous sentence. I am thinking of going on Consumer Affairs website and filing a complaint that my Prius does not meet the current EPA values just published. I want their principals to investigate filing a class action lawsuit against the EPA and Toyota for advertising too low FE values.

This is all very very silly.

 

I am with hill on this. The EPA needs to fix there numbers I am not getting anywhere near their new numbers either.

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LOL and look at the temp I was even using my AC.

 

One thing not mentioned: If you drive a Prius you absolutely will be visiting the gas station a lot less often and you will be paying a lot less since the gas tank is on the small side. This is definitely not on the sticker but will become addictive real quick.

 

I guess the rub for me is that folks don't go wah wah wah if their gas chugg'n Tahoe only gets 17, or less even though the EPA states it'll be up in the 20's for them ...
You drive your Tahoe like a bat out of hell, get worse mpg then the EPA states, and that's ok, but drive the Prius without the same gentle techniques that let the Tahoe get in the 20's and the lead foot Prius buyers go ape. Oh well.

 

I'm willing to bet that the worst mileage you're going to get over a long stretch without REALLY aggro driving is in the mid 40's. I got 46 MPG on my one day I-5 from Los Angeles CA to Sumas WA (I had to get to Anchorage AK in a hurry). Had to use the AC due to high temps in the midday and kept the speed I-5 high the whole time. I didn't accel or brake hard but in the high 70's-low 80's speedwise you take a big hit just from drag.