here is my driving technique

I would not use B except on a steep hill. Just use gentle pressure on the brake or better yet anticipate and just coast to a stop when you can. There are times when such behavior will pixx people off so my advice is use judgement. I will sacrifice a few tents of a m.p.g. for that. People rushing around and driving aggressively cause accidents and you might get involved and your baby would get hurt. Not good. I have begun to learn when I am going "over the top" in traffic. Too bad everyone does not drive like a Prius driver. I think every car should have a MFD in their face giving them the information we have plus lifetime m.p.g.! It should be a law.

 

efusco have we lost your 4 stages of Prius driving. Repost it was truly an incite in to the development of the technique of driving of the Prius.

 

I used B mode the last couple of days in slow'n'go traffic. It's like having a stick shift but with a stall clutch. It's a lot easier than heel-and-toe since the pedals don't quite line up for that. I used to have to brake and accelerate and that gets tiring in traffic! B mode, if used gently, solves the problem of blending in without having to brake, and I regenerate. My ankle/calf are no longer sore!

 

i don't accelerate briskly. nowhere near 50%. i would say more around 40%. electric up to about 17mph.. and electric tends to kick in back around 40 if cruising light enough.

if you drive like me, you must piss a lot of people off. not because you're passing them either.

I thought i would be happy with whatever mpg i achieved after getting a tank with about 60mpg.. nope.. new wheels are causing me 43. grr.

my technique is to take it easy and cruise. at most times never use the brakes. It's a clear indicator that i accelerated too hard, wasting gas. use "no arrows" going down a hill slows you down normally but now arrows keep syou at the same speed or allows you to coast faster. no arrow between lights after electric acceleration.

i'm a very good driver. I just have a speedy side to me that's trying to die off... slowly.. very slowly. great traction with these new tires really are not helping.

 

i dont accelerate "briskly"... i actually plan my drive to only accelerate on the downhill slopes, some of which are very steep causing a rapid rise in speed...

but seriously though, i dont think B mode is a good idea either. i think it is only designed for steep downhills where brakes might be overheated.

for a brief period of time last summer, i tried to use B mode for all my braking needs to see if it made a difference in my mileage. it didnt seem to change anything and it was harder to gauge when B mode should be engaged. also in many cases, coasting for several blocks gave better mileage anyways since most of the time extended coasting only reduced my time waiting at the light.

 

Hey Evan.... how do you get such good numbers? I've been a prius driver for almost 2 years and I can't touch your numbers. I'm in Los Angeles so weather isn't much of a factor for me. I try to be as efficient as possible. I try to get up to speed and then maintain my speed, with cruise control if possible. I often will try to anticipate stops, so I can coast or use the brake pedal lightly.
I do mostly city driving... maybe 70% city 30% freeway. I usually go 70 on the freeway (to keep up with LA traffic. Do you go slower on the freeway? In the city.. I do have a large hill to deal with every day. But going down I can pretty much coast all the way down... so that should help right?
I check my tire pressure every few weeks. I run it a little higher than spec. 38front/36rear. I don't really haul anything extra in my car.

My numbers in my '04 prius... Average around 48MPG (computer calculated). I'm at 19000 miles.

Would love to get your feedback... or some suggestions.

thanks,
Peter

 

"I would not get to speed "as quickly as dontcheff can". "

Sorry? What do you mean by that?

 

b mode is such a drag!! like they say up north fagetabout it! if you are slip sliding down a hill great other than that refer to sentence number 1. i like brisk acceleration (especially since my engine is nicely broken in at 10,000 miles) to slightly past the speed i want. then i slightly lift and watch the instantanious mileage go to 99 mph. even though we are vastly superior to the common little people, never, never, never drive at a speed that interferes with the traffic around you. neither too slow nor too fast a prius travelor be (hey a rhyme!! 8) )

 

Top 'o the Mornin', Dr. Fusco.....

I can't imagine how I got "honored" by being quoted regarding getting up to speed.... but thanks.

Evan, I DO much appreicate your informative posts, keep up the good work!

I usually start with accellerator at about 50% until I reach the desired cruising speed (IF you could call it cruising in city), then either lightly feather the accellerator or, conditions permitting, engage Cruise Control. I do love the accuracy of the Prius Cruise Control.... usually within 1 MPH of the set speed. As had been posted numerous times, Cruise Control does a lot better job of fuel economy than my nervous foot.

 

For once I agree! Regarding use of B mode that is.

As for my driving I will be going much slower now. I heard on the news this am that MA has
lots of new laser guns! I can't afford all the speeding tickets you folls must get.

As for my acceleration techniques keep in mind that when I do it slow on electric I am trying
to get good mileage not just 50 to 60 mpg. I can accelerate any which way and get
over 50 mpg except in our cold weather where nothing much helps. The car will do most
of what is needed automatically for you in spite of what you read here.

 

Damn you command!

My mom's mpg is so much better than mine. She speeds, uses cruise in the city, rides the rear bumper of the person in front of her & brakes very last minute. So my advice, drive poorly and you'll achieve the perfect mpg!

(Not really, but I'm at a loss)

:?

 

ah helio.... cruise control will help... try it sometime. i use cruise control nearly all the time.

 

I use it on long trips & on the interstate, but in the city it's hard with all the stop and go traffic. As for feathering, I suck at it so I've given up on it... and with braking, I can't determine whether or not I should brake last minute or start braking early? Either way, I need a Prius driving coach I think. My mom swears she doesn't know what she's doing that I'm not.

 

So you slapped on nice wheels and tires, I'm guessing +1 or +2 sized, and you lost what, 10 MPG? That is *not* acceptable, I don't care how good the tires are.

Even with my winter tires, I only lost 4 MPG. I'm willing to give up that for much improved traction on snow/ice, but to *always* lose the fuel economy like you are??