PRIUS GAS MILEAGE SUCKS

I filled up the Prius yesterday, and then got on the Interstate. @66 mph indicated, I got 50.8 mpg, with the AC on, set to 74F on a trip 50 miles each way. All I did was steer the car.

If your Prius isn't coming close to this, do as others suggested "D" mode, not "B," and tires inflated properly.

I bought a used Civic a few years back. When I got it home, all four tires were inflated to 20 psi. That's an old car salesmen trick, to make a car seem to ride better on test rides.

Harry

 

One thing I have found is that driving the vehicle somewhat hard can sometimes yield better results than driving it like a normal car.

For example, there is a spot on my commute which involves acceleration, then a left turn where you never stop, then a light that is always red because of a sensor.

My neighbor, when he drove my Prius, would accelerate a little on the approach to the left turn, then slow for the turn, then accelerate through the turn, then brake at the light. I've learned to accelerate briskly as I approach the left turn, take the turn at what is still a reasonable speed, and then coast towards the red light. The difference? The engine runs in one longer pulse instead of two shorter pulses.

I have also found that flooring the accelerator away from light, then letting off when I reach 60, then letting it coast uptowards the next light is more efficient than the gradual acceleration up to 75, then braking at the last minute.

Nate

 

getting 60mpg city on a prius with 110 miles on it. i can't wait until the break-in period is over

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(westex39 @ Aug 19 2007, 06:39 PM) [snapback]498829[/snapback]</div>

Question: What vehicle have you owned that got exactly what the EPA estimated it would get?

The 60mpg estimates come from the EPA, not directly from Toyota. If someone from Toyota told you, then they were misinformed or you misunderstood.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ Aug 21 2007, 09:59 AM) [snapback]499744[/snapback]</div>

I know this isn't directed at me, but my 2000 Malibu got exactly the EPA estimate of 22 city/30 hwy.

Soooo glad to have Pablo and double my FE!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ Aug 21 2007, 10:59 AM) [snapback]499744[/snapback]</div>

My 2000 Bonneville SSEI, my 1996 Saturn SL2. my 1989 Ford Probe.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ Aug 21 2007, 07:59 AM) [snapback]499744[/snapback]</div>

I would have to say that nearly all of my vehicles achieved their EPA ratings. Now one must consider that 16mpg is fairly low so a 10% swing in either direction is barely noticible. The vehicle with the best MPG prior to my Prius was a 2000 Corvette C5. It regularly got 28-30mpg (avg.) on the freeway and achieved it's EPA rating. My 2001 GMC Z71, 2000 Trans Am, and 2002 Chevy truck all got within 1mpg of the EPA ratings. Like I stated earlier, 1mpg change at 15mpg is like 7mpg change at 50mpg.

 

1) Inflate your tires. Makes big difference
2) Try to not drive faster than 65mph
3) Try to use the "no arrows" situation easily attained by feathering the accelerator
4) Avoid short trips. There's nowhere around this. The engine absolutely has to warm up to be efficient.
5) Slow down.

I've had my Prius for 4 months now here is my perception of my tank averages:

42 > 45 > 48 (2x) > 52 (2x) > 58 > 60 >58 >57

The only jump I noticed was from inflating the tires but I've also slowed down.

 

For real world driving. The Prius is not that good. I got better MPG with my Toyota echo. I drive the prius around the city of SF and get an average of 38 MPG. When I drive to L.A. going at 80MPH I get about 41MPG.

My car has 50k miles. So the mileage like many say would improve it is not so true. It might improve very little. The biggest factor is your location and lenght of trips. SF is a tiny city, 49 square miles. Most of my trips are less than 2 miles. The engine does not have time to warm up.

People will post asking if my A/C is off and if my tires are at 42/40, pulse and glide....yes, yes, yes. My A/C is off in cold SF and my tires are at 42/40...still getting 38MPG since day one.

I was getting about 40MPG with my echo is the exact same driving manner.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ovni @ Aug 21 2007, 10:11 AM) [snapback]499796[/snapback]</div>

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/bu...s-206/index.htm

Yes, driving in SF is likely killing you due to the slow speeds, lots of traffic and lots of stop signs and stop lights along w/hills.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Aug 21 2007, 08:55 AM) [snapback]499767[/snapback]</div>

I have no doubt that many people can meet or exceed EPA highway ratings on most cars. I've exceed the EPA highway rating on my former 02 Maxima as well on very long continuous highway drives. Consumer Reports in their testing frequently meets or exceeds EPA highway ratings on their highway tests.

The shortfall is generally w/city driving. They discuss it at http://autos.msn.com/advice/CRArt.aspx?contentid=4023460.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scm2000 @ Aug 21 2007, 12:32 PM) [snapback]499761[/snapback]</div>

Hi Scm2000,

I was never able to achieve EPA mileage in my 2000 SL2 combined. While I easily beat the EPA in the Prius. I think the difference is the constant slow and go congestion sections on the highway in my commute. In the SL2, that is part throttle cruising, in the Prius its gliding or stealthing with the engine off.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ystasino @ Aug 21 2007, 09:23 AM) [snapback]499777[/snapback]</div>

I understand that installing a block heater will decrease the time the engine needs to run to warm up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(doubleg2005 @ Aug 21 2007, 11:03 AM) [snapback]499745[/snapback]</div>

Same here,

Virtually every car I have owned got within 1 mpg of the EPA Highway milage estimate.

My Prius is rated 51 mpg highway and I avg. 50 combined.
My VW GTI was rated 28 mpg highway and I avg. 27 combined.
My VW Jetta was rated 31 mpg highway and I got 30 combined.
My Nissan Altima was rated 30 mpg highway and I got 29 combined.

 

I appreciate people responding how they have achieved at and/or close to the EPA estimate. The reason for my question to the OP is he/she seems ready to return the Prius for not achieving 60mpg. I was curious if he/she had other cars and what the EPA rating was for those cars and if they thought it was a reason to return those other cars.

Make sense?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ystasino @ Aug 21 2007, 11:23 AM) [snapback]499777[/snapback]</div>

Tell me about it. Do you know how your first bar is always really lousy, then the second one is OK, and the third one (and all subsequent ones) are great?

I don't, because I almost never see that third bar (hell, half the time I never even see the second).

Still getting 45 MPG though, which is a helluva lot better than I'd get with any other car.

 

I've been dissappointed with the gas mileage in my Prius. I've put 16,000 miles on it and averaged 40 mpg. That's better than most vehicles on the road, but there are a lot of cars that get 30-35 mpg without paying the hybrid premium to purchase. The vehicle that I had before was an all wheel drive Subaru Impreza which got about 28 mpg and I only paid $13,000 for it.

 

I commute in a city which has the 10th worst traffic in the nation. Before I mastered P&G I was getting 48 to 52. Now having mastered P&G I get 59 to 63 without any trouble. My A/C is always on (78F, Low). Highway I was always/still getting 49 to 53.
If I can do it anyone can do it. So stop your whining and learn how to drive your car, is all I can say.

P.S. My wife still gets in the low to mid 40s. Some people never learn.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(feemia99 @ Aug 21 2007, 06:37 PM) [snapback]500004[/snapback]</div>

Hey, you could buy a brand new Hyundai for $5.999 and you'll probably get mpg in the low 30s! Go for it!.....