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Is 41mpg ok for my v?

Discussion in 'Prius v Fuel Economy' started by Zach Grove, Jan 5, 2015.

  1. Zach Grove

    Zach Grove New Member

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    ok so I live in northern Washington state. Currently the average temp is 45 degrees. Fir the past couple of months the average fuel economy per tank has been around 41 to 42 mpg. We drive an average of about 17 miles to town once per day on roads ranging from 50mph to 25mph. During the summer the best mpg I ever got was 47mpg. I have had my v since March btw. Tires inflated to 42mpg. A/c rarely on. Any input would be helpful. Is this normal?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think it's excellent. what does the maroney say?
     
  3. Zach Grove

    Zach Grove New Member

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    Yeah I know what the maroney says but so many on here appear to be getting better mpg then this.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    in the v? well it all depends on your driving style and speed. tough to compare yourself to anonymous drivers, unless your going for the hyper mile record.
     
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  5. alekska

    alekska Active Member

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    Sounds about right. Mileage in winter really depends on how you use your heater, amount of snow/ice on road, traffic, short trips, hills, wind - and many other variables.
    - Alex
     
  6. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    I drive without doing anything special to achieve high mileage beyond a little moderation. You can see from my fuelly figures below the MPG I have achieved, 41.8 over 20.5k miles. Close to the EPA's 42.

    If you go to fuelly.com you can see the average MPGs for a specific car model like the '12 Prius and see a nice graph of the reported MPGs. I did it just now and for 298 '12 v cars the average was 39.4. Samples from 34 to 53 with the most clustered reports around 42.

    Posters with high MPGs posted here are likely people who live in favorable climates, drive on favorable terrain, drive in light traffic with few stops for traffic lights/signs and/or use a series of techniques to try to achieve max mileage.

    After all, who is going to post that my number is smaller <grin>.
     
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Don't confuse 'v' results with the significantly better results of the more common Liftback. According to the user numbers posted to fueleconomy.gov, your results are squarely in the middle for your model.

    If you can post answers here to as much of this questionnaire as practical, we may be able to provide more substantial feedback:
    Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new
     
  8. Emcguy

    Emcguy Member

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    Do the same trip in a similar sized vehicle and you'll see how good your results are.
     
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  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Sounds about right (actually pretty good, given my 2010 is lighter and I'm around 40mpg but with shorter trips in hilly terrain).

    EPA combined for the Prius v is 42mpg IIRC. 47mpg in the summer is fantastic for a v!

    Temperature plays a role in fuel economy (like it does on any car and hybrids and electrics are not immune to it).

    In the winter, you're using winter blend fuel which as more additives (and thus less gasoline per volume than summer fuel), colder temperatures mean longer warm-up times for the engine and the use of the heater will extend that time.
     
  10. ems2158

    ems2158 Active Member

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    Exactly. The Chevy Equinox I traded for the v was getting 23 MPG compared to 42 I get with the 2013 Prius v. Both have nearly the same capacity, same driving conditions.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Are the mileage numbers you've mentioned displayed or calculated? It's pain to have to ask, but Toyota insists on fudging the displayed numbers. Hey, you're just down the road from us, small world.

    Grill block is a good idea, and you might consider getting the block heater. The latter will get you through warm-up faster. If you get the BH part and install yourself it's under $100. Don't even see it offered as an installed accessory on Toyota USA.

    Toyota Canada offers installed on Prius (hatchback) for about $250, but for the v it's over $400, not sure why the big difference.
     
  12. Flyman

    Flyman Junior Member

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    We live in Packwood, WA so if you are familiar with our State you know it is in the foothills of the Cascades. If you leave here heading East you start climbing from the start. I have noticed that during this super mild winter we are getting 40 in our almost daily trips to town and back which consist of about 2-3 miles and a to a "big city, around 170-190 round trip) every two weeks. In the summer we show 42-44 and if we go to Yakima and hit all the big stores there we can get 47. The car really likes Yakima in the summer.
    The best I ever got was on the way to Chehalis, WA and that was 49.9 on the computer. The damned thing just would not hit 50 and then started down, averaged about 47 that trip though. If I do the math on a tank of gas I find it is about 2-2.3 mpg less than the computer says. I say shame on Toyota because in this day and age I think it could be far more accurate.
    Now when the winter temps around here are like normal winters seldom leaving the 30's and with studded snow tires we have gotten as low as 32 using a pencil and paper or hand calculator, :(.
    We are not hyper-milers' as you can see, my wife is of the punch it and don't put the brakes on till your close to the stop sign type of driver :eek: and I am far more mellow at least on the stopping. Now when we take our old 98 Mustang Cobra out the roles seem to be reversed! :rolleyes:
    At any rate I'd say your probably in the real ballpark, I hear all these 45+ avg. mileage claims and either they live in an Arizona, Yakima type of climate or dare I say it, "figures lie and Liars figure". :ROFLMAO: I usually run 38 lbs. of tire pressure in the summer and 32-34 depending on the winter weather, on the stock 17" wheels and tires. Studded snow tires in the winter if warranted. We love our Prius and have a small 4x4 Pickup that will go just about anywhere we want We will most likely replace our v with another one when the time comes if we can afford it. We only have 28,000 on our 2012, so it will be a while.
     
  13. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    That is your problem right there. Inflate your tyres to 50 MPG.

    OK, joking aside. Your MPG is low (meaning EPA), but it might be explained by poor condition or wet roads. If not, then you the driver are the cause because you have driving habits typical of US drivers.
     
    #13 SageBrush, Feb 18, 2015
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2015