Am I doing something wrong?

I purchased my 2011 prius II last Saturday night. (5 days). I realize I drive a lot. (100 miles a day most days). However, I just filled up with my third tank of gas. I'm seeing everyone on here mentioning close to 500 miles per fill up, but so far I'm only averaging about 250 miles per tank. Is there a secret??

 

Usually when I fill up there is only one or two bars left on the fuel gauge and I'm getting close to 9 gallons each fill up

 

It's two 50 mile commutes, but it's about half and half interstate driving and in town driving.

 

That's super helpful, thanks! I'll work on getting that filled out, but I did also contact my dealer to schedule a time to get it checked out.

 

Have you read This Thead Yet?
Yes, I have now!! Thanks


What fuel economy are you getting and how are you determining fuel economy? (trip computer or manual calculations)
My trip monitor says that I'm averaging 45.1mpg for the last 119 miles (since I filled up this morning). Manually calculated I filled up with 8.8 gallons and only traveled 284 miles since my previous fill up, so 32mpg. On my first fill up, my manual calculation was 27mpg, so at least I seem to be getting better.


What fuel economy are you expecting and why?
The dealer said 50mpg, so I was expecting at least 40.


What are the approximate outside air temps?
90(F) in the afternoons, 60-70 during my morning commute some days


How long are your trips?
About an hour commute back and forth to work. 30 minutes just to go to the store.


How old is your 12v battery? What is the voltage reading of your 12v battery after sitting over night? (Method Here)
Just purchased the car so unsure on age of battery, will check when I get home.


Have you had your alignment checked? Any pulling or abnormal tire wear?
I have not, but tires are in good shape with no uneven wearing.


How much of it is city vs. highway? Roughly what's the average speed in overall and and of each segment? Is there a lot of stop and go driving?
50 miles, 1 way. Approx half of that is rural city driving, 20-45mph with traffic lights. The other half is interstate, 75-80mph


What's the terrain like of your drives? (e.g. flat, gentle hills, steep hills, etc.)
Flat. All of Florida is flat.


What are your tire pressures?
Will check, unsure.


Is your oil overfilled? (i.e. above the full mark on the dipstick)
No.


Make, model, year, engine and transmission of <u>previous</u> car? (e.g. 08 Honda Civic Si 2.0L 4 cylinder, manual transmission) What did you actually get on the same trips/commute? (Please give us actual numbers, not EPA ratings.)
'05 Pontiac Sunfire. 2.2L 4 cyl automatic. 19-21 mpg average


What region/state are you in? (if you haven't set your location)
Central Florida


How are you trying to drive (e.g. trying to stay in electric only?) and how hard are you braking?
Now that I'm getting used to the vehicle, trying to stay within the “eco" line, and t trying to avoid hard braking.


What modes are you using, if any? "normal", EV, power, eco?
I drove my first tank entirely on normal. The second and third I have been experimenting with eco mode to attempt to improve my gas mileage.


Are you "warming up" the ICE (internal combustion engine) by letting it idle after powering on?
Not really. A minute or two maybe.


Are you driving using D or B mode?
D only


HVAC settings? Are you using the heater, AC, auto mode, etc.? If using auto, what temp is it set to?
Auto mode, 75(F)


Are you using the factory tires and wheels? If not, please indicate tire make, model and size (e.g. Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max 185/65R15).
Factory


If reporting a mileage drop, did anything significant change on your car (e.g. accident, hit a curb or big pothole throwing off alignment, oil change/other maintenance/repairs, changed tires or wheels, etc.) or your commute?
No drop, just purchased vehicle 5 days ago, already used three tanks of gas.