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My MPG is back! or did it ever leave?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by F8L, May 31, 2009.

  1. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    *Note this is not super informative. I just need to tell someone who understands. :D

    Last year I swapped from the factory Integritys to a set of Nokian i3 of the same size. At first they seemed to perform as well as the Integrys with regards to MPG but over time I felt like I took a 3-4mpg hit and since that time I felt like I had never recovered from that hit despite the tires been fully broken in.

    Last week I decided to drive home from my 2nd job at 65mph instead of the usual 70-75mph and I would take it easy on passing other cars. I had reverted back to this more agressive behavior when my MPG dropped and it felt rediculous to try for MPG when I could only pull off 45mpg if I tried. With the Integritys I could get 50-52mpg without really trying (as long as I stayed 65mph or below). At the end of last weeks trip of 64 miles of 90% freeway driving I was rewarded with a hope-giving 48mpg. I had not reset the MFD prior to the trip so it likely could have been higher had I done so.

    Yesterday I had the car aligned and decided to reset the MFD and see how well I would do on the trip home from the 2nd job. Driving at 65mph (CC on) with the occassional slow down due to traffic and some 70-75mph passing, I parked the car with 52.6mpg! I know that doesn't sound like much but for me to get over 50mpg again is happy moment. :)

    Why did my milage go down over the last 8 months you ask? Because my commute changed and having to drive up a long low grade every day to my 1st job incurs a negative hit on my milage and since I only work at the 2nd job once a week instead of 4 days/wk I could never recover from the hit on the 1st job commute.

    SO in a nutshell, my 1st job commute is not good for MPG so I just have to deal with lower milage AND I really do like the Nokian i3 tires afterall. :)
     
    #1 F8L, May 31, 2009
  2. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    Yes, your terrain and time of travel makes a huge difference for mileage. Most of the time I'm under 50 because of short trips, but I know that my car is capable of better mileage.

    My best tank commuting to work was the last week that I worked at my old job last Oct (no hurry to get to work on time since they had already laid everyone off :D ). I got 54 mpg on that tank.

    I was hoping to get a job that I interviewed for in Davis - I went from 47 to 50 on one trip down and back, so I know that I would get low to mid 50's on that commute - but unfortunately they hired someone else.

    My worst tanks are always due to my GF's garage sale addiction - the car doesn't even get warmed up and she wants to stop for a yard sale - that pretty much kills the mileage for that tank. The other thing that killed my mileage this spring was taking classes at ARC - its too far to walk, but not far enough to completely warm up the car.

    A week ago last Wed, we went to SF for the day (my GF's birthday) and I got 54 mpg on the round trip - max speed about 68, hit some traffic on the way down which kicks the mileage up as long as we keep moving.

    So, the car is capable but the driver isn't. :madgrin:
     
    #2 dogfriend, May 31, 2009
  3. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    LOL I feel ya man :)

    I can just imagine the look passed between you and Digby when the GF "asks" you to stop at a garage sale just when the current tank was looking good. Haha

    The section of I-80 from Sacramento to Fairfield is nice for decent MPG other than the fact that everyone wants to run you over for doing the speed limit. :( Your commute to Davis would have been nice... As long as ddarell wasn't throwing eggs at you from the overpass on Mace like he said he would do to me. :p

    My 1st job commute is from Rocklin to Auburn. I can never seem to recover the lost mileage from going up the hill no matter how much I coast down the hill.

    My 2nd job commute is from Rocklin to Fairfield. Nice, mostly flat freeway and enough lanes to safely travel 65mph... Usually ;)
     
    #3 F8L, May 31, 2009
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