46.3 is all I can muster

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FireEngineer @ May 3 2007, 06:36 AM) [snapback]434672[/snapback]</div>

I'm going to have to concur w/others on this thread, It is *NOT* the minimum. It IS the RECOMMENDED pressure.

I had an argument w/someone else on a Yahoo Prius mailing list about this same subject... They kept calling the MAXIMUM pressure on the side of the tire the maximum recommended pressure, kept saying they'd go w/the tire manufacturer's recommendations..blah blah... despite the car and tire manufacturer's official statements. He then went onto assert that by inflating to 42/40 he'd "enjoy the improved handling, better tire wear, longer tire life, and improved mileage..." He'd definitely get improved mileage, but I'm not so certain about his other assertions.

Per http://www.goodyeartires.com/faqs/Inflation.html:
"The inflation pressure on the side of the tire is the MAXIMUM operating pressure. It is not necessarily the right inflation for your vehicle. Always use the inflation recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. You can find it in your owner's manual, posted on the edge of the driver's door, on a door post or on the inside of the glovebox door..."

That said, I do overinflate my tires a little but keep them all below 40 psi.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ystasino @ May 4 2007, 04:34 PM) [snapback]435674[/snapback]</div>

Hills are great for pulse and glide, particularly if the traffic flow is below 45 mph (you're averaging less than 30mph, but that might be mostly lights). With traffic of course you can't annoy other people by noticeably going thru long pulse and glides, but you can definitely glide down a hill, and then maintain traffic flow going back up with a bit of a buffer space in front of you, catch up at the top, and glide back down.

But give it time, after a few months it will be more natural, and you can't really gauge it that well on your first gas tank anyway. As you note, the engine breaks in over time as well (>5K miles). I saw that with my '99 Subaru, and I saw it with the Prius, as have others.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(splashback @ May 3 2007, 02:46 PM) [snapback]434646[/snapback]</div>

I can only manage 44.5 MPG

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lowlander @ May 6 2007, 12:48 AM) [snapback]436278[/snapback]</div>

so i guess the 36.6 we're getting doesn't indicate there being anything wrong with the car - just a product of the type of driving?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alleyooptroop @ May 8 2007, 11:21 AM) [snapback]437630[/snapback]</div>

Maybe... there could be an alignment problem or underinflated tires. Have you read http://priuschat.com/New-owner-Want-MPG-he...rst-t15311.html and http://priuschat.com/index.php?autocom=art...rticle&id=3 first?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alleyooptroop @ May 8 2007, 02:21 PM) [snapback]437630[/snapback]</div>

There are many things to consider when looking at your milage results. The previous poster listed a couple of good links to get you started on ideas to improve.

If there is one thing I've learned over the course of ownership its the car is what you make of it. If your willing to tone down aggresive driving tactics and hover closer to posted speed limits you should do better.

If your willing to learn how to make the car glide properly, your going to do even better. If however you prefer to just go with the flow of traffic and drive it like a normal car your still going to do better then most and help the environment at the same time!

Let's face it, it's a well made sophisticated car that gives your more flexibility then any other vehicle I know of....for now..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jeffelectric @ May 3 2007, 05:25 PM) [snapback]435010[/snapback]</div>

Over the last 615 miles ive gotten 50.2 MPG living in boise idaho and that includes commuting to work 40 miles a day combined and i dont drive special AT ALL, i just dont drive like a freaking idiot. I also accelerate fast when its needed to get around slow folks and and i peel out alot in normal traffic when i need to get in a lane quick. I do alot of city driving when im not going to work but most of my commute is work, and when its not im getting MUCH better mpg.

BTW PRIUS OWNERS... Did you know you are probably getting more MPG than what the computer says or have you not figured out that the computer only goes to a max of 99.9 meaning your avg is probably much higher than the computer states, at least thats my opinion, i will test this mathimatically when i have the chance to completely drain the gas from full.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alleyooptroop @ May 8 2007, 02:21 PM) [snapback]437630[/snapback]</div>

WOW, there must be something wrong with your prius Or your stomping on the gas every time you want to move the car foward. I dont see how getting 36.6 is possible unless your driving just crazy and your in freezing temperature, no offense. When the speed limit is 35 i go 40-42, when the speed limit is 65 i go 65-75 when the speed limit is 75 i usually go 75-80, all i do is keep it as one solid speed and if i need to slow down i let the car glide and then gently but firmly accelerate to the desired speed. Im 20 and my friends are sometimes scared to drive with me sometimes, or they used to when i first started driving. Still, i dont know how 36.6 is possible. Ive been getting 50.2 over the last 615 miles. Highest i reached was 51 and i think the lowest was 44, and that was when i first got the car, and that was in the winter, and this is my first car as well ( i think ive posted this information about 3 times so far, sorry for anyone who has read my other posts in the last few days).

I dont drive slow either, im usualy get 11-15 MPG when im accelerating from a slow speed, like 0-30 or going climbing up to 65-75 entering the highway. So like i said, i dont know how this is possible.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndreJ @ May 10 2007, 06:27 AM) [snapback]438936[/snapback]</div>

Andre, congratulation on your excellent results. But as a previous poster said, short trips -- especially with the AC on -- are MPG killers. You might reconsider immediately jumping to the conclusion -- and possibly leading others to believe -- there's something wrong with the car.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndreJ @ May 10 2007, 06:14 AM) [snapback]438935[/snapback]</div>

Again, you might not jump to conclusions so quickly. In fact, you posted this as a question in another thread, which is fine. But it was answered and refuted there.

With a little searching, you can get answers to these and many other questions.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimboK @ May 10 2007, 05:01 AM) [snapback]438967[/snapback]</div>

On the other hand, the OP indicated 45 minute trips each way. I wouldn't call that short trips. The air conditioning does drop it some, but unless full blast all the time, I would doubt it would drop it to 37mpg.
I've only gotten mileage that low in the middle of the winter and driving trips of less than 5 minutes.

I have gotten that low once when fighting head/cross winds at highway speeds. We'd have to know more precisely what the OP is doing to draw valid conclusions either way though.
OF course, that was only for that part of the trip. The total trip was more like 44 mpg.


Dave M.

P.S. Sorry, I was mixing up posts. Although original poster said 45 minute commutes, it was also 46.3 and not 36.6 mpg.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nerfer @ May 7 2007, 02:44 PM) [snapback]436982[/snapback]</div>

Now that I inflated the stock tires to 46/44 I get about 55 to work and 49 back with little if any A/C on for the last 5 days. I'm driving more slowly than I used to, it is safer if a bit unnerving. But then again the temperature is perfect for high mpg now. I toggle between the energy and consumption setting and think that Toyota could have provided the number of miles traveled every 5 minutes above each consumption bar (minor thing).

I hope that by the end of the summer some tire wear and engine break-in will boost the mpg. I'll be happy when I get the advertised mpg.