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December MPG Averages<img alt="" src="chrome://easygestures/skin/xLink.png" style="border: 0px none

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by jimofdg, Dec 7, 2004.

  1. bcool

    bcool New Member

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    Re: December MPG Averages

    I know this is old news, but I'm really amazed at how much cold weather affects the mileage of the Prius. (A side comment: Are other cars affected this way, too?)

    I'm only at around the 3,000 mile mark, so I still have plenty of breaking in to do, but when it got down to the 20's here (and below), my current tank was averaging 38mpg. Now that the weather has warmed up to the 60s (that's crazy St. Louis for you!), I'm back to 46mpg.

    I'm eagerly anticipating summertime & my psychological target of 50mpg :D
     
  2. ggalanti

    ggalanti Junior Member

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    Venice, California
    I've had my car since Dec. 2. I'm on my 2nd tank of gas. So far, I've been getting around 35-36 mpg. Not great. But I've been doing lots of stop & go driving. (Drive 1-2 blocks, stop at a stop sign.) I'm looking forward to getting better mileage once I do more long distance driving. Of course, as disappointed as I am, I have to remind myself that I used to get only 22 mpg in my Camry ... on a good day.
     
  3. FloridaShark

    FloridaShark Member

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    Orlando Florida
    Re: December MPG Averages

    Just filled up on my second tank today.
    My average has been running around 51.5
    I'm amazed how well this car has preformed with less
    than 1000 miles on it. Haven't done the tire pressures either
    same as what was delivered to me from the factory. I've
    got a 12v pump coming so I'll see if I increase the pressures
    I'll even get better mileage. :)
     
  4. Speedracer

    Speedracer New Member

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    Location:
    Nagoya, Shanghai
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Re: December MPG Averages

    Tank Miles: 650km or 38liter
    Total Miles: 1754km
    Tank MPG: 16.5km/l
    Lifetime km/l: 19.4km/l
    Avg Temp: 7c
    Price of Tank: $4000yen ($38 or Ave 37liter)
    Price per liter: 110yen ($1per liter or Ave $3.75 for gallon)

    Fuel milage is dropping so BAD :cussing: past few days its like 14km/l!
     
  5. Prius3Q3

    Prius3Q3 New Member

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    Dec 1, 2003
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    Indianapolis, Indiana
    I have experienced the same drop in mileage. I have about 22k miles on the car and I believe it is the fuel not the car. At 20 degrees saw 37 mpg. When temp went back up to 50 degrees it went back to 45mpg. Car seems to run the ICE more often to keep the cat. conv. hot so that it does not pollute. Also the winter fuel does not have the same BTU rating but has increased volitiity. I am still convinced that this is the best car I have ever owned. Poor mileage or not.
     
  6. wb9tyj

    wb9tyj 2017 Prius Prime Advanced

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    Indiana and Nevada
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Re: December MPG Averages

    Ok...the verdict is in for December...seeing how we varied in temperature from -29F to +61F in 5 days...a 90degree(f) change...no wonder the prius goes bananas...we went 2310 miles with with 50.3 gals(us) which equates to 45.92mpg...not bad given my neighbors blazer is getting a big total of 8-10mpg...
     
  7. Speedracer

    Speedracer New Member

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    Nagoya, Shanghai
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
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    N/A
    Re: December MPG Averages

    MPG dropping likea no tommorow!
    Now it seems alike around 14km/l! :cussing: and if 4passenge with 4 golf bags drop to 12km/l!
    this is bad rally bad
     
  8. rwithop

    rwithop New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scott\";p=\"60121)</div>
    Scott, sounds like you have to learn how to drive this car. It's a bit different. The first tank tends to be off anyway. I started out at 35 mpg and worked up to 49.8 mpg thus far.

    Some tips:

    #1 Take your foot off the gas.

    Make long coasting stops. Anticipate them and glide into them with your foot off the gas.

    Get up to speed quickly but not rapidly. Then maintain a coasting speed where your foot is mostly off the gas. You can easily maintain "99.9 mpg" in electric mode at around 35 miles per hour. You can do some great cruising around 72 miles per hour as well, but overall the message seems to be maintain speed. Don't keep accelerating to catch up with the pulsing of the traffic in front of you.

    Hope this helps and that others have ideas to add/revise to this.

    Ryan
     
  9. scott

    scott New Member

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    Long Island, New York
    Re: December MPG Averages

    Ryan, thanks. However, I am doing exactly what you describe. I was told this car does better in local driving. I do ALOT of local driving and I got much better mileage on a long highway trip with my in-law's prius.

    I find that 40-50 mph has no decent efficiency. If I go 58 I can get good mileage. I'm telling you, this is WAY disappointing.

    I'm holding out, however.
     
  10. rwithop

    rwithop New Member

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    Re: December MPG Averages

    Yes, the 60 mpg number sets a high (impossible) bar.

    I think you will see a few things improve. When the weather gets warmer there should be a significant jump in mpg. Additionally, it will take several tanks of gas before the bladder starts giving you more accurate mpg numbers.

    Until then, if you are doing a lot of driving between 40-50 mph, I would recommend not trying to race from light to light with the rest of the traffic. Get to 35 mph then gently work your way up so you minimize your acceleration periods.

    I can understand how you may be disappointed, but I am actually encouraged by what I have seen from other Prius owners. The potential to hit 52-54 is there. Trying to get the high score makes my bumper-to-bumper commute more like a game than a pointless waste of time.
     
  11. scott

    scott New Member

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    Long Island, New York
    Re: December MPG Averages

    i can get those higher mpg numbers, but only for brief portions. I don't race light to light. In fact, I try to feather the accelerator so as to go on electric for as long as possible. I find it a game to see how well i can get the mpg #s, but it's a game i'm losing.

    A patient of mine got a Honda Civic Hybrid last month and she's averaging MORE than me. I'm not lead-footing it either. When I told her she was so surprised and had a faint look like "phew, I knew I didn't need to spend the extra on the Prius"
     
  12. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

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    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
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    N/A
    Re: December MPG Averages

    Scott,
    You may be defeating your own cause by trying so hard to maximize Stealth/EV driving. If you tire pressure is OK, Oil level is OK, then this is probably a driver related issue. It can't hurt to have the dealer check your alignment if you're still in your 1 year adjustment period as that can be a factor.

    I suggest you quit trying to maximize EV...accelerate briskly (50-60% throttle) when you leave a light and try to anticipate traffic. Change your game to one where you use the brakes as little as possible...see how few regen/car icons you can get on your usual drive. When possible get to the speed limit and set the cruise control, then cancel it a full 1/4 mile before you need to stop and 'glide' into the light.

    Be sure to read the ARTICLE I have written in the Knowledge Base for other tips.
     
  13. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

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    Re: December MPG Averages

    Thought you all might be interested in another comparison of December MPGs:

    Dec. 2003 (2nd full month of ownership):
    Miles--1426 Gallons--33.064 MPG--43.1

    Dec. 2004:
    Miles--2136 Gallons--42.227 MPG--50.6

    That's over 17% improvement. There were some very warm (near record) tempertures during at least 2 tanks, but we also had some very cold (teens) weeks in there too. I don't think the difference is due as much to the weather as in improved driving technique and break-in.
     
  14. Ray Moore

    Ray Moore Active Member

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    2017 Prius Prime
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    Prime Premium
    OK Ya'll, I know we don't get cold here, but today's temperatures were between 34 and 38 degrees all day long. I put 108 miles on my car with two long commutes and three short trips. I averaged 52.4 MPG for the day. My best all time tank was 763 miles at just under 60 MPG in mixed driving. I usually average around 56 MPG in moderate temperatures. I don't think we have winter blend gas here. The cold temps cause the car to run for warmth when it would otherwise be off, so mileage does suffer but I think the biggest difference is driving style and the type of commute. All of the mentioned factors come into play. One thing you can do is to turn off the heater when you are stopped and turn it back on when you are moving again if you really want to play the mileage game. It really is a game though as the difference between 45 and 55 is not that significant and the difference between 53 and 55 is just for pure sport.
     
  15. av_in_bc

    av_in_bc New Member

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    Re: December MPG Averages

    2001 Prius
    Snow tires
    Vancouver BC

    Fuel/Gallons 63.83
    Distance/Miles 2854.71
    Display Mileage 47.26
    Actual Mileage 44.27
    Total Cost $178.70can
     
  16. jane_emley

    jane_emley New Member

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    I, too, have recently passed the 15.000 mile mark. I live in the S.F. Bay Area and have noticed an strange and sudden dip in mileage. I'm getting a disappointing 45 mpg average on a tank down from 49-50.
    Anybody have any ideas why?
     
  17. Newman

    Newman New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 25, 2005
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    Tank Miles: 409
    Total Miles: 409 (First tank)
    Tank MPG: 50.2
    Lifetime MPG: 50.2
    Avg Temp: 60
    Price of Tank: Dealer 1st tank free
    Price per Gal: $2.19 (current cost at pump)
    Bars remaining: 3
     
  18. driveprius

    driveprius New Member

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    Delaware
    Sorry I haven't keep as detailed record as most people do in these postings but here's roughly what I've experienced in my coldest weather mileage to date. Keep in mind I'm still under 2000 miles on my 2005 Prius.

    Region: Delaware
    Temperature: 14 to 45 deg F
    Tank Average: 40.1

    I should mention that achieving 40 mpg this time of the year TAKES SOME EFFORT. If I were to drive like a normal car I'd probably get in the mid 30's. To start things off I decided to intentionally get terrible gas mileage. I started my Prius cold in 14 deg F weather. Drove 1/4 mile to a gas station to fill up the tank and reset the mileage computer. Then drove on a short 6 mile round trip drive to McDonalds and back with heater on. The gas engine never got a chance to shut down. I floored the Prius a few times for maximum acceleration. My average was 29 mpg. After that terrible start I managed to pull my tank average in at 40.1 mpg.

    As long as my commutes were around 20 minutes or longer than I could always eek out just around 40 mpg, while keeping in line with the surrounding traffice that generally likes to drive 15-20 mph over the speed limit. When caught in a traffice light I'd hessitate starting so that the car in front of me gets a bit of lead. The car behind me doesn't get too annoyed as I just seem like a sluggish driver. Then before I feel just on the edge of becoming a bit annoying I accelerate fairly hard (accerator about 1/2 way) with the goal of closing in fast on the car in front of me. As soon as it feels like I'm about to be tailgating the front car and I'm going about as fast as the fastest car in traffic, I lift off the accelerator completely and milk out as much of the 99.9 mpg as I can before the car behind starts catching up again. I keep doing this as much as I can. In tight traffic I might be accelerating hard for 3 seconds, coasting for 3 seconds, accelerating hard for 3 seconds and coasting for 3 seconds. What this translates into is 3 seconds of 7 mpg and 3 seconds of 99 mpg. If you do the math the average is somewhere around 50 mpg. To the surrounding traffic I look like a erratic stressed out and inattentive driver that makes jack rabbit starts and stops. But there are so many people that drive this way that I just blend in.

    One big rule that makes the difference between staying in the 30's and crossing into the 40's is if you are on top of a big hill or long descent and there are no cars behind you, you absolutely need to take advantage of the coasting opportunity. There have been times where I'd coast along at 30 mph in a 45 mph zone with cars passing me downhill at 55 mph headed straight for a red light! Using no gas or electric I'd pick up speed to 45 mph, watch the light turn green and catch up and have to put on my brakes because they are all moving too slow for me.

    The other habit I adopt is when I'm getting ready to park, I try and stay in electric as long as possible. Parking is the pay back time for getting your mileage back up. This is the time to accelerate with a feather touch and avoid triggering the gas engine. It's true that you may end up draining your hybrid battery so that you won't be able to make use of electric the next time you start your Prius. However, in cold weather the odds are the next time you start your Prius you'lll never get to take advantage of a fully charged battery. On a cold weather start, any empty battery will get charged up during the time the gas engine is trying to warm up.

    Oh yeah one more thing. When stopped at a traffic light, if your gas engine doesn't seem to turn off, consider shutting off the heater. And then turning it back on when you start moving for an extended period. You are not going to freeze if you turn the heat off a few minutes, especially if you're like most people who drive wearing their winter coats.
     
  19. HybridVigor

    HybridVigor New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2005
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    Location:
    Chandler, AZ
    December Miles: 1873.9
    December Gas (gals): 32.67
    December MPG: 57.3
    Avg Arizona December Temp during drive: 60 degrees F.
    ----------
    Total Miles: 7122
    Price per Gal: $2.12 (current cost at pump)
    General strategy: pulse and glide to 1 tick remaining, then
    refill to pump auto-shut off. 70% surface street driving,
    30% hwy driving at 60-70 mph.
     
  20. treiber

    treiber New Member

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    Apr 7, 2005
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    Vernon Hills, IL
    Nice post, driveprius. I've had my Prius since May. I've been on this site several times to look at mileage posts but I've been meaning to look into the drop in gas mileage during the winter months. I live in Illinois. We've had a particularly cold December (betweeen 0 - 40 F with the average around 25 F). I've seen my summer and fall numbers drop from the low to mid 50s down to the low 40s. When I started thinking about it, I realized that a 20% drop in mileage due to colder temps is a big deal for a hybrid owner. A friend of mine just purchase a hybrid Highlander. He's fretting about a drop from 27 to 21 mpg. So, I guess I shouldn't complain about a 10 mpg drop in these cold temps. I've read Evan's post in the Knowledge section about mpg. Lots of good tips. It is amazing how one's driving habits change from the Consumption "biofeedback."