gas mileage

There was a post a while back from a two-Prius household. There was a 10 mpg difference between the leadfoot driver and the featherfoot driver. I get much better mileage driving with a feather foot than I get driving "normally."

Further, temperature and trip distance are very big factors. With very short trips and without changing my driving style, I got low to mid 30's (mpg) in winter in Fargo ND (temps generally 10 below to 30 below F) but mid 40's (mpg) in summer (temps 60's to 90's F).

The people who get very good mileage generally accelerate VERY gently and brake very gently.

The EPA mileage estimates are not realistic. Some folks have met or exceeded them, but it requires ideal road conditions and Zen driving.

 

You are getting 46 mpg and you want to know if your car is a lemon?!?!

What did your previous car get?

 

We're working on our third tankful and starting to appoach 42 mpg. While that seems low for the Prius, it's double what our other Japanese cars get under the same circumstances - cold, hilly and short trips. Can't wait for a nice spring day to take a short trip and see those 50 mpg readings.

The flow-through ventilation setting won't make a difference. It is said that less heating and no A/C will make a little difference as will increasing tire pressure. See those other threads. But if your driving conditions match mine, you may need to wait for warmer weather. As one learns more about the car you will also see how to acheive better mileage by slightly altering driving habits. I am now regularly achieving a mile or two on electric alone with a small change in my route and a gentler foot.

 

I've been impressed to see how quickly my driving style is changing with the Prius. I've only had mine for four days, now, but I'm already learning to relax and take things a lot more gently, and just trust the car to get me where I'm going.

My last car was a 1995 Sentra with manual transmission, and I drove it rather aggressively.. after all, it wasn't going to drive (shift) itself.

I've never driven an automatic transmission for more than a day or so at a time with rental cars, so I expect what I'm describing would apply for any automatic that I went to, but the Prius's E-CVT does feel very calming, somehow.

And it does help with gas mileage. I've got 240 miles on mine, and it's been averaging 46.5 mpg.

 

First off I suggest reading this article on mileage. That explains a bit.

Short answer...mileage is affected by temperature, tire pressure, season of the year, distance driven, type of road, knowledge of driving a Prius, break-in and other factors.

 

I am averaging 51 MPG both city and highway. Sound strange? The window sticker says 51 MPG HWY, 60 MPG city. I use the accelerate briskly/set cruise at desired speed/coast well in advance. I generally drive 1-5 MPH over the speed limit. As long as I get at least 50 MPG or more I'm happy.

On a side note: My 6 cyl. Honda Accord gets about 3 more MPG using the same driving techniques. My last car got 19 MPG/city 23-25 MPG/Hwy. I average about 75 MPH on the Hwy. I use the cruise as much as possible.

 

Consumer Reports got 45 mpg for the Prius. That should be your benchmark rather than the EPA figures. But read the articles and study at the feet of the masters, and you can do better.

 

I think the lack of shifting feel: the lag then jerk when accelerating and jerk then lag when decelerating manual and 'normal' automatic transmission vehicles might account for some of the calming feel

Perhaps everyone who gets a speeding ticket should pay a fine and 'have to' drive a Prius for a month. Maybe a little Zen will stay in their system when they go back to their regular vehicle (until they get their 'now that I drove it I have to own one' Prius!)

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/kb.php?mode=article&k=23 here's an article posted by one of the folks in the "Fuel Economy" forum, maybe this will give you some food for thought.

i've had my prius for a week now and everyday my mpg gets better. i got 47.3 on my way in to work this morning. 35 miles in 23 degree weather. i'm lovin it.

 

My lifetime Avg (actual gallons/miles) is just over 45 MPG. If I leave out the Nov through March numbers it is over 50. As others said, winter cold drives it down. Thus in the winter, if I'm seeing 'current MPG' over 45, I'm one happy guy. Conversely, seeing anything less than 50 in the summer is a downer! It is all relative. I can easily kill it even in the summer with 1 mile to the store then home again trips.

 

I've filled up 3 times since I got my car on 2/15...

one actual tank was over 50mpg..

Usually on the way to or from work, I end with the mfd over 50. 53, 51, etc...

Tonight the mfd was unusually kind (or just a bigger liar)... it was 58.2mpg over 64 miles.

I find that the mfd mileage climbs the further I go. I leave home at 25 to 29mpg, and climb constantly the entire 64 miles. If your commute is shorter, I'd guess you stop before you get the average very high... then, it looks like you only get 42mpg or something lower.

I'm not sure why it doesn't have a lower mpg for the first 5 minutes, then level off at some known constant mpg for the rest of the trip.

http://spicher1.home.comcast.net/02_2006/28/a.htm