NEW fuel economy ratings for Prius

The Prius dropped about 16% is I recall. 46MPG combined is pretty fair I think. Now it's really easy to do considerably better than the EPA. My combined avg over 21K mi is now just over 51 MPG so I've exceeded the EPA estimate by 11% and my mileage is nothing to write home about. I think it's better this way because people won't be hearing about so many underachievers and will hear about more people exceeding the EPA numbers on a regular basis. I wonder how often people are able to exceed EPA numbers in other cars in normal driving conditions. Seems like it would be a lot harder to do, especially the old numbers.

It seems like most cars took an 8-12% hit just from the random sampling that I did of the FE site. So 16% is wildly different.

 

And then there's this:

CNN: The real truth about hybrid cars

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ May 24 2007, 07:16 PM) [snapback]449519[/snapback]</div>

I suspect that most people in non-hybrids don't even pay attention to their actual mileage.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ May 24 2007, 10:27 PM) [snapback]449530[/snapback]</div>

Starting last March, before my wife and I got the Prius, we kept a log book on both her 2003 Intrepid and my 1997 Tacoma. We traded the Intrepid for our Prius, but we still keep a logbook.

 

People believe a lot of crap to rationalize their decisions. So if they want to believe 33mpg from Edmunds.com so be it.

Meanwhile I enjoy 50+mpg

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ May 24 2007, 09:25 PM) [snapback]449528[/snapback]</div>

Where the hell did Edmunds get 33 MPG? You'd have to drive 100 MPH constantly to get that bad!

 

You'll find that many of the reviewers that claim the ultra low mpg for a Prius are using the car for lots of very short trips. I usually get about 30 to 35 mpg for the first 5 minutes of driving in my Prius, then it jumps up to 50 or so for the rest of the trip. Just like any car, when it's warming up it's not nearly as efficient as it is once up to operating temperature.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ May 24 2007, 07:27 PM) [snapback]449530[/snapback]</div>

I guess I'm not most people, but I have always tracked not only MPH, but all expenses for my past vehicles in order to come up with a yearly cost per mile. But, you are probably right, the average non-hybrid person does not.

Also, the Prii isn't all about MPH, it has other low emission features, but MPH usually gets the attention.

 

I looked up the 3 vehicles we have. I would say the new ratings seem to be pretty accurate, although on a trip we got about 28 -29 with the Avalon at 70mph. The Explorer rating is dead on, unfortunately.

[attachmentid=8314] [attachmentid=8315] [attachmentid=8316]

 

50 - 60 mpg on the sticker, why not just say 90 - 100 mpg?

At least the 40 - 50 mpg is a little more realistic. 50 - 60 mpg is just false advertising. I can't figure out where they got those numbers from unless the got them from Japan where the speed limit is 45 mph.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kcoruol @ May 24 2007, 11:17 PM) [snapback]449643[/snapback]</div>

Do you know what the original EPA testing procedure was? It's not a far cry from 45mph speed limits in Japan. lol

I wouldn't say the new rating is a "little" more realistic. I'd say it is VERY realistic for most climates and driving conditions in the U.S.. My winter milage is around 43mpg and my summer milage doing speed limits and 98% freeway driving and no hypermiling is:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kcoruol @ May 25 2007, 01:17 AM) [snapback]449643[/snapback]</div>

all vehicles are tested the same by the EPA. The old EPA tested their hwy at least to my knowledge at 55 mph without wind resistance. Those methods have been revised to represent more real world driving. HWY speeds are now tested at 80 mph with much faster acceleration. The reason that the prius and civic did so well in the old tests was because they are optimized for 55-60 mph constant driving. While more powerful cars like the bmw and lexus are optimized for much higher speeds. Thus, at 80 mph the prius and civic hybrid work well beyond their efficiency, thus wasting more gas relative to the more powerful cars. Which take a ~negligible hit going from 55 to 80 mph

 

My Prius runs great at the 70 - 80 mph range; it's the 0 to 35 mph that it is so horrible! I have to step on the gas while the stop light is still red, by the time it turns green my Prius is actually moving, slowly but it is moving. From a dead stop the kids in my neighborhood can beat my Prius through the intersection on their bikes. The acceleration is so slow I had a guy in an electric wheel chair run into the back of my Prius one time. Then the Highway patrol responds and I get the ticket for impeding the flow of traffic. I tried to fight it in court but the guy shows up in his dented electric wheel chair and the Judge made me pay for his repairs, the foot thing was a little dented!

 

Ever since I have owned my own car, I kept track of my gas usage and mileage in a logbook. Just something I have enjoyed doing. Many, many people I have asked what kind of gas mileage they are getting, and they have no idea.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kcoruol @ May 25 2007, 12:17 AM) [snapback]449662[/snapback]</div>

I'm really starting to wonder about you "southern" folk.

 

I dont know, I find my prius gets exactly what the ratings say, 51 highway, which is what most of my driving is, and it beats 60 city, I usually get 70 or better in 40mph and under traffic. Thats when I drive by the MFD, for the most part I am getting just a hair under 50MPG actual hand calc by tank, mainly due to bubba on my bumper, but when I can cruise without someone behind me, I can get current EPA.

 

The EPA tests are useful only to the extent that they provide a relative measure of one vehicle against another. The old testing methods were outmoded by the hybrids and artificially inflated the MPG numbers. The new method is closer to reality.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kcoruol @ May 25 2007, 12:17 AM) [snapback]449662[/snapback]</div>

This is interesting situation. I've not experienced this type of poor acceleration, even at 5000 foot elevation.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusincc @ May 25 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]449849[/snapback]</div>

Me either. In fact, last weekend we took the Prius from Sac to Lyons Creek Trailhead which is 6628 ft elev. I guess that's why my mpg is down to 44.8 on this tank.