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Mileage on Touring, does it differ?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by SW Prius, Feb 11, 2008.

  1. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    Hello - I am new at this chat room (or any for that matter) so please forgive any goofs I might make!

    I have a 2008 Touring with 1100 miles on it. I wound up with the Touring somewhat inadvertently (the dealer was a nightmare). I am just wondering about mileage - I am averaging 42-44 for mixed driving. Much of that was during a cold and rainy spell in California, but I was getting that mileage while my friend with an '05 was getting 49-51 mpg.

    So I am wondering how much can be attributed to it being a Touring vs. regular Prius? I am a pretty careful driver and follow many of the tips to get good mileage. I do notice mileage seems to better the first 50-100 miles after I rest the meter so maybe that is what folks are doing to get consistently high mileage??

    Thank you
    Elizabeth, Happy Newbie Prius Driver
     
  2. Steamboatsig

    Steamboatsig Member

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    I have a touring and I am also averaging 42-44 on mixed driving. My tires are inflated to 42/40. I have been trying really hard to get the mileage up, but maybe my efforts are counter productive to the car's technology.

    Btw, which dealer did you get your car at?
     
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The Touring model gets slightly lower mileage than the standard Prius. This is due to the Touring tires and wheels. If you switch back to the OEM wheels and use LRR tires, you will get identical mileage to the standard Prius, but it's not enough to worry about.

    Tom
     
  4. patrickindallas

    patrickindallas Shire rat

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    I'm rolling an '07 Touring.

    When the temp is above 50F or so, I get 50mpg in mixed driving.

    Of course, I drive like a granny.

    And the tires stay at 44/42.
     
  5. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Notwithstanding the 195 width of the Touring tires (the Standard Prius in the US has 185 width tires), the mpg on the Touring should be exactly the same as the Standard. In 2007 and again in 2008, Toyota has given the same mpg figures for the Touring and Standard:

    Toyota Prius - 2008 Performance & Specifications

    The difference in milege figures between your Touring and your friend's Standard is due to other factors.
     
  6. narf

    narf Active Member

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    The Standard Prius doesn't use LRR tires either.
    I have owned both standard and touring versions and get the same mileage under the same conditions.
    There are so many factors affecting mileage that it is often hard to tell what causes the change. Crosswinds or headwinds are a big factor, as are top speed, acceleration rate, terrain, outside temperature, trip distance, etc. The first 5 minutes of any trip on a cold engine will have abbismal mileage (low 30's probably), so if you just take short trips your mileage will always suck.
     
  7. HardCase

    HardCase SilverPineMica, the green one

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    As others have stated, the only difference in specs between the touring and the standard is the wheel diameter, 16" versus 15", girth (195 versus 185) and a few suspension upgrades. Curb weight is identical according to Toyota's brochure, and everything else appears the same.....as do Toyota's claimed mileage figures, identical.

    From my reading it does seem that the Prius mileage is fairly sensitive to wheel/tire changes. I don't know what tires come as OEM on the touring model, but other posters have experimented with wider tires and larger wheels and it seems to invariably result in a mileage 'hit'.
     
  8. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Another point is that Touring owners are probably more aggressive drivers, otherwise why buy the Touring package. This may be a self-selected group that produces slightly worse mileage by their driving habits.

    Tom
     
  9. fed123

    fed123 Member

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    I have a 2007 Prius Touring and in ultimate driving conditions (flat surface long ride, mild weather) I have been able to get 59 - 60 mpg. Its not about the car but the driving conditions.
     
  10. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    SW Prius,

    Welcome fellow Newbie to Prius Chat. I too drive a 2008 Touring. I second the comments on expecting virtually the same MPGs as the base model.

    Don't freak out about not getting the mega-mileage just yet. The mechanicals have to be broken in, likewise the tires, and you have to broken from many years of, if not bad, at least sloppy driving habits. Take the time to read everything here at PriusChat on anything having to do with fuel efficency. (Sounds simple doesn't it? Not so fast Cricket, you'll soon learn that many factors that you are not yet aware of contibute to those stellar MPG numbers.)

    I suspect that, like me, the first mod you might want to do are floor carpet protectors. OK. But the second should be a ScanGauge II. (Both available from the company store.) Virtually all of the high-zoot mileage techniques rely on engine data you can't get without a SG or more expensive tool. Pump your tires up to 42/40. If it's less than 50 deg F where you are, when you get the SG, put in grill blocking. (Oh yes, read all the SG and blocking threads!) Implementing these three practicises has improved my FE from 42 to 49 MPG.

    Lastly, you might note from the info on the far left of a posting that most of the folks talking about 50+ MPG right now are from southern locales and/or flatish places, and/or are long-time owners who are well versed in the hypermiling tactics. Relax, winter is a good time to learn the tricks.

    Spring with its warmer temps and rising MPG -- oops, I almost forgot about flowers and all that! --- is creeping northwards, albeit slowly, even as we speak.
     
  11. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    Got it at Capitol Toyota in San Jose. They just about held me hostage, I had just gone in to look at 4 pm, I was going to return my leased van in April. At 9 pm I was still there - it was freezing out that night, I hadn't eaten, I kept saying "I'll come back tomorrow to finish". They did some pretty questionable things with the paperwork and how they worked the numbers in my van return (NOT to my advantage). Luckily I was able to nail them on it and get it fixed, but it was at the very best deceptive and more likely purposely evil. I won't buy from them again

    I did get an aftermarket burl trim package out of them for free!

    I have gotten up to 49 mpg if the driving I'm doing is really optimal for good mileage, but driving to work 15 minutes surface streets and hopping from errand to errand trashes the mileage. From the rest of the thread I've read, the difference in mileage shouldn't be that significant.

    For a final irony, when I first went to the dealer I was interested in the touring but changed my mind. They ended up selling me the touring model and I didn't even notice until the next morning, the model and "touring" was not prominent in the paperwork, it was when I pulled the mfr sticker off I noticed it. Guess I was meant to have it :)
     
  12. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    That is good to hear. I'll check the inflation. I only have 1200 miles but haven't been hoping for too much improvement from "breaking" it in more

    I bet you feel EVERY bump in the road!
     
  13. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    Thank you, I had noticed the mpg figures were the same. I am pretty good with a light foot, coasting, etc. I think it is the mixed "errand" driving a do a few times a week that kills the mileage. I just did a round trip on the freeway going 65 and got 49.5 mpg in the 100 miles, and I'm down a little bit since going back to city driving.

    What do you think are the 2 most common things drivers who get lousier mileage do? I' have a light foot, I'm cognizant of getting to coasting speed and maximizing it, etc.
     
  14. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    Do you have an idea how much of a "hit" would be expected? I sure wouldn't expect it to be 6-8 mpg! And a number of posters has said it should be almost insignificant...
     
  15. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    I can see you thinking that but in my case totally not applicable. It was actually "accidental" that I got the touring package (they had shown me it because it had the color and leather package I wanted). I had told the salesman I wanted a regular Prius and thought that was what I was getting. I was so tired and rummy by the time they finished the deal at 9 pm I didn't realize they had sold me the Touring! The dealer was so horrible it wasn't worth trying to fix the next day.

    I am actually a bit embarassed by the bigger spoiler, I'm not a sporty type gal and a very sedate driver.

    Now I'll feel doubly judged - the truck drivers will think I'm a tree hugger, and the Prius folks will think I'm aggressive and racy. OUCH
     
  16. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    Thank you for the kind help. I do live in Northern California where we think 45 degrees is ccccooold, so my Prius doesn't have to do harsh duty.

    I'm not even on the radar with floor carpet protectors, is that for a functional reason? Just to keep carpets clean? I have a dog, and we doggie folks are a bit fatalistic about carpets and mud :)

    Do most Priuses come without carpets? I didn't really look at that, I wanted leather (they gouge you for it but I am a 100% leather gal and didn't want to mess with after market leather) and got a lot of upgrades I could have lived without

    I will pump up the tires and do my thread reading. Honestly I wish I'd gotten the good ole' regular Prius!! it was a mixup at the dealer (probably on purpose on their part) that they sold me the touring instead of regular. I was so tired and exhausted I didn't even notice - if you've read my threads you'll see I was held hostage there. They kept on saying "just a little while longer" and hours elapsed, it was a form of torture I'm sure and it worked...
     
  17. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    What is your take on a standard vs touring Prius? Has the Touring made any difference to you? Are you a more aggressive and "racy" driver??

    I have discovered the more popular they get the more bad drivers can be found in them, weaving in and out of traffic and being dorks!! Quite a disappointment.

    Somebody who was being derisive about Prius said did I know what type of customer bought them? that they had postgraduate degrees, made X amount of money, etc. and I was trying to figure out why it was bad to be educated and concerned for the environment!
     
  18. pmanza

    pmanza Fernsmom

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    don't sweat the mileage yet. I am in Sacramento with a regular Prius and am getting 44-45 on the MFD as compared to 50-52 during the warm fall. It's that crappy gas we get here in Cali in winter.

    At the pkg 6 level, you won't have paid much more for a Touring than a basic, and at least you got decent sized tires, the plain prius rides on tires that look like bicycle wheels!

    My advice is to try and forget the horrible dealer experience (don't ever go back!) and enjoy your new baby. I just wave at the truckers and smile as they zoom past me:rolleyes:
    Fernsmom
     
  19. SW Prius

    SW Prius New Member

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    I'll be looking forward to seeing what happens in summer. At least we know they don't melt in hot weather, I could never take a Sac summer!

    You are right, the touring wasn't so much more $$ that I was motivated to go back and fight with the dealer. I had leased a car from that dealer and was turning it that was over-miles, so I was using buying another car as a bargaining chip. It worked but it was an unpleasant experience and I will NEVER go back there. I would have walked out if I didn't feel between a rock and a hard place because of my lease return.

    I bought this car so I don't have to go back and see a car salesman in 4 years whether I want to or not! Hopefully when my 16 year old grows up some and values gas mileage over looks, I'll be able to give him my Prius and buy a new plug in!
     
  20. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Ask your friend if you can swap cars for a tank and see if that changes things.