Car and Driver: Mileage? No, it's Your Gallonage that Really Counts

Not limited to hybrids. I've seen the same while in the HHR. With snow blowing off the roof. They still came up close, probably even had to brake, before shifting over a lane.

 

Curious, if a car is rated 47, gets 34, drives 70 miles a day, burns 2 gallons of gas. Is that acceptable? I suck at math, how many fewer gallons would it consume if it actually got what it is rated at?

 

Roughly $45 a month more in gas.

 

I agree with your comments. My wife and I drive approximately 6 miles per day + a 25 mile trip to my mom's on weekends. We are not seeing huge savings in fuel economy - but we love the car.

 

Can you explain how debadging your car cuts down on tailgaters?

 

Drivers are pretty stupid, if they see it's a Prius driving the speed limit they will intentionally tailgate. Most likely they don't recognize the C as a Prius, so by de-badging people don't realize it's a Prius and will pass you instead of tailgating first.

 

This segment is an old discussion. People tailgate a Prius driver for not going with the flow. Took me about 2 months to get over the MPG game and start driving "normal". The change was instantaneous and the mileage suffered maybe 2 mpg. I only got 48 mpg last tank, this car is a piece of...

 

Thanks for the clarification, I haven't changed my driving habits. I drive the speed limit. If someone tailgates me I quit watching the mirror.

 

My motto is, "If I can't see your headlights, I don't see you."

Only time I don't follow it is when I can kick up ciders and grit from shoulder.

 

I drive in the dark a lot this time of year, the headlights of pickups and suv's are hard on my eyes, so I adjust my side mirrors to shine their headlights back at them. If they want to ride my butt let them look at their own headlights.

 

Correct. It is not my job to drive at a speed that THEY are comfortable with.

 

UNLESS you are well UNDER the posted limit.......
and/or you are in the left passing lane on a freeway.

Believe it or not, both those things are actually against the law in a lot of places.

Travelling at a speed that is significantly different from the prevailing flow is NOT a safe thing to do.
Whether or not you have a legal right to do it should not be your biggest concern.

 

Legal speed where I officially signed at 40 to 65. (No cop has pulled me over Being between those values.) I'm one if those who drives a longer distance to get higher MPG. I don't like stopping, and taking the slightly-lknger interstate is faster than driving straight through the city.

The guy who commented on the Kia getting only 1liter/100 km less than a Prius (or any hybrid) hit the nail on the head. The Kia is 7-10,000 less dollars, and only loses ~1 dollar per 100km driven. The Kia is cheaper overall.

The car I was looking at to replace my insight was either the Zprius or Volt or Fiesta three-cylinder. The fiesta only costs 15,500 and yet still scored 70mpg on the interstate. About 55 in the city. The Fiesta(like the Kia) would be cheaper overall.