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MPG under Short Distances

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by boricua, Dec 20, 2015.

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  1. boricua

    boricua New Member

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    New Prius buyer, hopefully within 3 weeks or so, not sure if regular or V type.
    I really like the Prius for the high MPG record but saw a post about the MPG not being as effective for trips under 5 miles, is this true?
    I understand the V gives less MPG than the regular Prius but the short distance is what I am most curious about?
    Thank you.
     
    #1 boricua, Dec 20, 2015
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    correct. it maybe less than 5 miles in warm area's like florida. it's because it has to go through the warm up cycle the first few miles. the colder the climate, the more gas gets burned until the unit reaches operating temp. and if you have the heat on, that raises the max temp it has to reach.

    when you test drive it, reset the trip meter and watch the average mpg's climb, the longer you drive.

    the good news is that all gas cars suffer from this, and the prius is still the most efficient, even for short trips. of course, once it's warm, multiple short trips suffer less.

    ideally, if you only commute a few miles, you're better off with a plug in hybrid, or electric car.

    yes, the v is larger, and the mpg's are slightly lower than the lift back.
     
    #2 bisco, Dec 20, 2015
  3. boricua

    boricua New Member

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    Hi Bisco and All,
    My driving pattern every other eek changes quite a bit.
    One week I drive maybe 60 miles of short distances from 5 to 15 miles and the following week I drive around 125 miles.
    You think a Prius plug in /hybrid would work best since for the short drives full electric mode would be the primary source?
     
    #3 boricua, Dec 20, 2015
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    depending on you acceleration and speed, the pip can get you 10-15 miles each time after you plug in, and gets better mpg than the non plug in when you need the engine. if you can plan your trips accordingly, it maybe a good vehicle for you, and i have heard they are very reasonable in florida.
     
    #4 bisco, Dec 20, 2015
  5. boricua

    boricua New Member

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    very helpful, thank you!
     
    #5 boricua, Dec 20, 2015
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    pleasure, all the best!(y)
     
    #6 bisco, Dec 20, 2015
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  7. lifehouse

    lifehouse Junior Member

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    Welcome to the club mate, sounds pretty normal to me too for V's!
     
    #7 lifehouse, Dec 21, 2015
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  8. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...I hear the v is good at warming-up more quickly (better than Gen2 or 3). Right now on our Gen2 our MPG is down as we stopped our work commutes and now mostly shorter trips. I am thinking we might be able to shift to v and not see too much MPG hit, assuming v is better MPG cold than a Gen2.

    I assume the Gen4 (2016) Prius will be as good or better than v when cold.
     
    #8 wjtracy, Dec 21, 2015
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  9. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    With short trips, if you have a series of stops in a short trip, with the Prius, go to the one that's the greatest distance from your start and work your way back, gives the car a chance to heat up properly and stay warm on all the trips home.
     
    #9 Munpot42, Dec 22, 2015
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  10. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Consumer Reports or somebody ought to devise a short trip MPG test. I am thinking Prius is not necessarily the best as Toyota chooses to make all Prii CARB certified. Presumably a hypothetical non-CARB Prius (better known as a FORD Fusion Hybrid) might do better MPG when cold, but not sure without data.
     
    #10 wjtracy, Dec 22, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2015
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  11. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    For me, short trips, bumper to bumper, hitting all red lights gives me 50 mpg. Going on the freeway gives me 47 mpg.
     
    #11 Montgomery, Dec 22, 2015
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