22.8 MPG

That's easy to do. If I wanted, I could reset my MFD after fueling the car, start it, and move it 10 feet to a parking space. I would then have the shockingly low figure of 2mpg to spout to the world on how hybrids suck.

It's just a BS article made by an anti-hybrid loser bent on forcing his "viewpoint" on everyone else.

 

he is from detroit, he probably get fired if the article even hinted at positiveness for the Prius... hmm positiveness... is that a word?

 

My absolute worst fuel economy, according to the MFD average, was 10 L/100km. That's around 28 MPG using Imperial gallons or around 25 MPG using U.S. gallons.

It was -40, Max Heat and Max Defrost, snow routing after a blizzard so cars were stuck in this inch-n-stop traffic.

Under similar conditions my 2000 GMC Sierra K1500 got around 5 MPG.

The anti-hybrid crowd will believe this character, the more open-minded folks will do the research and realize most folks report at least 35-40 MPG in city traffic.

 

David:

It is now!

 

The article was originally published in the Detroit Free Press. Mr. Thelan was flogged by a number of us, as was his editor, after this less than forthright article. He then did a follow-up using some data many of us submitted to challenge his experience which was still not great but much did allow some to see his experience was not typical. The Free Press has done a few highly negative articles on hybrids unless they make mention of the "wonderful GM Silverado hybrid." The Free Press offers no comparative data when publishing these articles and has lost all credibility with me and I am sure others. I informed the publisher that as a result of these highly biased articles they has lost my business. I no longer purchase that paper.

 

When you consider the source - the Detroit "Free" Press - you shouldn't be surprised. The Big Three - thanks to their incompetence - are taking a beating and the DFP is trying to take the attention off the Prius and off those blunders made by the Big Three.

Never mind that the Prius represents a miniscule fraction of total car sales. The fact that virtually every Prius is sold with long waiting lists does not bode well for GM or the others. If gasoline hits $3 a gallon or more, the spotlight will really shine on the Prius.

The same gap-toothed rednecks who drive Chevy or Ford or Dodge pickup trucks with an American flag window sticker will believe the article as it reinforces their beliefs. Which is ironic when you consider where most of those pickup trucks are assembled (Canada or Mexico!).

The Detroit "Free" Press story was just like The National Post here in Canada running that anti-hybrid story by David Booth. Of course, Mr. Booth just gushed the praise for a Jag he was test driving that cost more than the average Canadian home.

Every news agency has an agenda, usually hidden. Never believe *any* news agency that claims to be unbiased or "fair."

 

The same gap-toothed rednecks who drive Chevy or Ford or Dodge pickup trucks with an American flag window sticker will believe the article as it reinforces their beliefs. Which is ironic when you consider where most of those pickup trucks are assembled (Canada or Mexico!).

Was that REALLY necessary?

 

Well, sometimes the truth hurts.

Based on the DFP article the average person with more than half a brain will think "hmm if that *was* true then how come so many people buy them and why does the Prius win so many awards?"

OTOH the dimwits will rest soundly "knowing" that GM (Or Ford or Dodge whatever) has their best interests at heart. They'll also feel better about getting 12 MPG since they "know" the Prius will barely do better than twice the fuel economy.

The DFP article was rather mild compared to the s*** that Canadian David Booth cranked out for The National Post. Among other things, he called Prius drivers a bunch of "enviro-weenies."

I special ordered a 2000 GMC Sierra K1500 to pull my trailer and haul stuff. I deeply regret not getting a Tundra instead, that GMC was a putrid unreliable piece of s***.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"76560)</div>

Or perhaps he is simply reporting his experience. If you use all the accessories, the ICE does run a lot more than otherwise. The weather is getting warmer here, and I've been using the AC quite a bit, and the MPG does suffer.

 

C'mon guys this is old news. Except for Dan - who nailed it.

The Free Press followed up on this story two weeks later with opposing viewpoints from several Prius owners, including moi. We all were getting MPG in the low 40's when it was -9F in Detroit.

I exchanged a few emails with the author and he's not anti-hybrid, anti-foreign-car.

He drove a pretty-new (not "broken in") Prius, here in stone-freakin'-cold Michigan, exactly like he drove his current vehicle. He stomped on the gas at the green light and stomped on the brakes at yellows, just like every other red-blooded American driver does.

He reported his facts based upon experience and credit the Free Press for allowing Prius owners equal time.

BTW, the Freep is the "liberal" of the two Detroit newspapers.

 

the mileage does suffer with the air on, but not nearly as much as driving in the cold. the higher temps, lower humidity, and better formulation of gas will still get my EPA despite losing 1-3 mpg when cruising in cool comfort.

last summer was one of the hottest on record for the pac northwest and i like it cool, had air set to 68º with fan on low except at startup and still got 5 tanks in a row over 55 mpg. i noticed that at the end of summer when i didnt need the air, that i was getting 57-58 mpg. i can live with that!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusham\";p=\"77815)</div>

Well, city driving *is* the best way to break in a vehicle, as the speeds always vary.

I still take exception to the slant that columnist gave the Prius. If you compare to *any* other car or pickup truck out there, the results under similar conditions (Not broken in, winter, jackrabbit starts, etc) are the *same*.

When my special-order 2000 GMC Sierra arrived in August of 2000, I was just in the process of selling my home in the Burbs and moving into my high-rise condo. Rather than rent a U-Haul I was putting all the bulky - but light - stuff in the truck. Not having rain helped a lot here.

Under similar driving conditions in *summer* with that brand-new Sierra I was getting 4 MPG. That's right: 4 MPG. Yet I rarely hear of magazine writers and columnists bemoaning the absolutely s*** fuel economy of a pickup or SUV.

In city driving during winter at -40, Max Heat and Max Defrost: 5 MPG.

So far the lowest I've gotten under similar conditions has been around 10 L/100km or 28 MPG. That's very low for a Prius, but still almost 6 times better than my Sierra.

Right now with temps consistently +8 C up to +10 C, I've been able to finally take off my winter tires and slap on the Michelin Harmony 3-season tires again. On a non-congested drive I'm getting 4 L/100km or 70 MPG. The Sierra would have gotten around 20 L/100km or 14 MPG.

 

Hey Jay-
How much do you think the GMC would have gotten if you had driven it exactly like the Prius?

 

I don't know about a GMC but when I drive my old Ford Explorer like my Prius I gain 2 to 5 m.p.g. I look around me and gas prices are not high enough yet. People speeding to a light and braking at the last moment. Exceeding the speed limit so they can stop at the next light. Gas prices will be just right when the parking lot at the local high schools are empty of all those one rider cars and the school busses are full instead of running around with freshman and a few sophomores (darn few by this time of year)!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ray Moore\";p=\"77876)</div>

Ray:

I tried that a few times but in summer city traffic I only gained 2-3 MPG. Never more than 15 MPG. Once on the highway with the cruise at 90 km/h and no A/C at +20 C (68 F) I got 24 MPG.

When you consider the Prius happily exceeds that by many times without me even trying, it's a huge contrast. When I *do* try hard, my Prius never uses more than 4 L/100km in city driving.

Jay

 

24 MPG? Wow! That is higher than I thought. In '87, I bought the first '88 F-250 with a 460 cid fuel injected engine. Fuel injection allowed that monster to get 11 MPG on flat empty highway with no AC and the cruise set at 70 mph. I only saw it that good once. It sure could haul a hell of a trailer load. In 4x4 low range with the auto tranny, it could pull a house. I used to haul demo loads with it where we would put almost an entire house on one trailer. What a different mindset I have today. Sorry I'm rambling.

 

24 mpg??

my F 150 would only dream about those numbers. my best was 21 at the most. didnt have air conditioning... in fact... that damn thing didnt have anything. thats what i get for buying a truck new off the lot 14 months after the model was introduced. was cheap though.

 

"The same gap-toothed rednecks who drive Chevy or Ford or Dodge pickup trucks...."


My teeth are not gapped!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ray Moore\";p=\"77892)</div>

Ray:

That only happened once: cruise set at 90 km/h on perfectly flat terrain, fresh pavement, calm, no A/C, etc. Usually 16-18 MPG highway, empty. Towing 6,800 lbs around 8-9 MPG.

I ordered the GMC with the optional Vortec 5.3, 4.10 gears, and towing package. It actually wasn't bad until all those nagging things went wrong with it.

My mindset has changed too, must be my advancing crotchety old age. Hard to believe I drove and even tried to park that beast in city traffic. My Prius easily fits in parking spots I wouldn't even think of with the GMC.

Jay