Fuel Economy rationalized...

Obviously the vast majority of Prius owners are keenly interested in their vehicle's fuel economy. There have been lots of posts along the lines of 'I can't get more than 42 mpg' or 'How do I improve my mpg?' or 'So-and-so managed to get 80 mpg' etc.

In my opinion, the performance of your car with respect to fuel economy should be measured compared to the alternatives. For most of us that means comparing the fuel economy of your Prius to that of a regular car that you might otherwise drive.

I have a Honda Odyssey minivan (EPA 18 city/25 highway) in addition to the Prius. In situations where I get less than the EPA numbers for the Prius, I also get less than the EPA numbers in the minivan. A typical week driving around in the minivan might get 16-17 mpg (short trips, A/C on etc.). Those exact same conditions in the Prius will get mid-40s mpg. Both vehicles fall short of EPA estimates, but the Prius is still way more economical than my other vehicle, and the % shortfall of both vehicles is comparable.

If you've read this far then thank you, and just let me pontificate for a few more sentences...

So in summary, when a Prius beats EPA estimates, a regular vehicle driven in the same conditions will beat EPA estimates, and when the Prius falls short of EPA estimates, so will a regular vehicle in the same conditions. Many of the driving techniques proposed in this forum to optimize fuel economy can be applied to a regular car.

If you evaluate your Prius' fuel economy in isolation you are not being fair to yourself or the Prius.

OK, I'm done.