Alter your route to avoid highway for better MPG?

Certainly... I have a ~15 mile drive, of which about 1/3 is freeway where people drive 75-85mph. On days when I have time to kill I'll avoid the freeway. Tomorrow I am excited because I have an errand to run and don't have to go on the freeway! This takes me from 55mpg max on the freeway to 75-100mpg on side streets. Current tank average is 64mpg.

 

I always got the best gas milage on a drive from Bellevue to Mt. Ranier, or Mt. St.Helens, where the highways go 40-55mph most of the way. I got 40mpg many times in my old Civic or Corolla. I am very interested to see how the Prius will do on this trip. Hopefully 50mpg+

I was in stop-and-go traffic on the way to a baseball game on the freeway, max speed 30mph. I got more than 50mpg on this trip.

Seems like if we're willing to give up some time, we'll save money and use less gas too. Nice!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Malarkey @ Jul 23 2007, 08:53 PM) [snapback]483956[/snapback]</div>

Yes. I rerouted to avoid the freeway and cut the distance from 9.2 to 8.8 miles. I also find that I can achieve nearly 10% better mpg using the city route. Additionally, I actually find much of the new route almost relaxing since it travels through some nice tree lined areas.

 

I routinely average 50+ mpgs with 99% freeway driving. The speeds are almost always in the 70+ range. I don't see why you would want to avoid the freeway. I get my best mileage on the freeway, contrary to some popular opinion. I commute 45 miles each way through the Pasadena mountains on the 210, and drive mostly with trafffic. There are some long down hills, where the mpg maxes out, but also the same opposing up hills. When I spend lots of time in the city at lower speeds, my mileage drops. The balance of 50+mpg at my speed vs. the time wasted going slower but maybe getting a few mpgs doesn't interest me. Good luck to you though on finding a route that works for you.

 

I do try to avoid anything that will take me over 60mph. If I took the 70mph limited highways I would be stuck in the low 50s vs. 60mpg that I'm starting to get used to. (Yes, spoiled.)

Since you're from CT I'll give you some details. I used to commute from Vernon to Windsor down 84, 291, and 91. That was good for maybe 55mpg. I wound up ditching that route in favor of a straight shot through the back roads of Ellington and East Windsor to get to the other end of 91 to head south. That wound up being several miles shorter and I did bang out a 60mpg tank before I moved out of state. So yes, you should gain fuel economy. You may find that staying off the highways is a bit less stressful, too.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Malarkey @ Jul 23 2007, 11:53 PM) [snapback]483956[/snapback]</div>

The obvious route to work for me would take me on 25 miles of Interstate highway, which usually includes slow-downs and stop&go stretches, and otherwise the traffic travels 65-75+. I've been taking an alternate route for 15 miles of that which is secondary roads; several traffic lights and a few steep up- and down-hill sections. The routes is a couple of miles less (the interstate makes a huge sweeping curve, and this route, albeit winding, is still shorter), and despite the generally slower speeds, I make about the same travel time since I avoid the freeway bottlenecks. I still have about a 10 mile stretch on the same Interstate to complete the route. My gas mileage is significantly better when I take the back roads.

I also take all back roads for the 60 miles each way to my boat (always have), and my mileage on that trip is always very good. In fact, this weekend I reset the consumption meter when I got fuel on the way down, and when I got home it was showing 57+ MPG. My overall tanks have been about 52.

So in my case, I get much better mileage off the freeways. It probably has a lot to do with driving style. I generally try to maintain a constant speed (on any type of roads) and maximize my regen braking. Maybe the ones getting better highway mileage are using better techniques that I've been for that type of driving.

 

If you slow down and average around 60 mph you should up your mpg average to mid-high 50s depending on how good you are with the throttle on rolling terrain and traffic.

If you're averaging 49 try to keep the ife above 50 at all times, if you're at speed accelerate while ife is over 50, then slightly back off until ife is max 75 and hold that throttle position until you bleed off a few mph, then repeat. if you have scan gauge I do this between tps 21 and 24 +/- 1 depending on the road and can beat cruise control by 2 or 3 mpg.

To answer your question.. I have a 45 minute route (27 miles) which I can average about 60 in this weather (25 miles highway 2 surface). I have a 25 mile 1 1/2 hour route all surface roads and can get 70 on the way there and 75 coming home.

The train/bus route takes 1 3/4 hour so I'm driving 45 minute route twice a week, and taking public transit twice a week.

 

I have a part time job across town, about 25 miles one way. I used to take the highway and would get 50-60 MPG for the trip. Now I go through town, and using high-mileage techniques I get up to 80 in warm weather with the right traffic conditions.

 

I have a 7-8 mile commute one way and I get better mileage taking the surface streets now than when I took the freeway. However, the freeway is mostly stop and go traffic.

 

Yup, I am guilty of avoiding the highway. Although I don't do it if it will lengthen my trip by any big amount. An example is my commute I can take 395 or either rt 12, 117, or 32 the alternate routes (depends on time of day and traffic) adds about 4 minutes to my commute. And to add to it, I don't feel as though I might get mowed down on one of the alternate routes and usually there is little to no traffic, only a few traffic lights. And my last tank was 55.7 MPG!!!!

 

I certainly avoid the highway as much as possible. Usually it's because it would add a ton of time to my trip. Having to go places during rush hour isn't too great, though. Usually by taking the highway out of the equation I can save over 3 miles. Even if it turns out to be a bit longer I get less milage on the car, which means less gas overall AND I get better gas mileage. That's a win-win in my book.

Only time I use a highway is to go downtown, and I don't do that very often. Maybe 1-2 times a year. If I took backroads downtown I may increase my mileage, depending on the traffic conditions, but it would take a hell of a lot longer, probably twice as long. For the 2-3 MPG increase I might see, that's not worth it.

 

I tried to do the responsible thing. I looked up tps in my Scan Gauge Manual = Throtle Position Sensor.

As a reward, can you please enlighten me as to ife 50 - 75? Search for ife on Prius Chat yeilds way to many hits.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(douglas001001 @ Jul 24 2007, 03:44 PM) [snapback]484380[/snapback]</div>