Newbie with ton of questions (hacks, recommendations, etc)

All uphill?

If that was my mpg's, I'd be at the dealership, 'because in the 30's, on a regular basis, is definitley an outlier: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-fuel-economy/

I didn't go through every post, but the vast majority seem to be in the 50's (during warmer months) and in the 40's during the Fall/Winter months.

 

Based on a prior post, I don't think that is the issue.

But even so, I've looked at my mpg's on the 5 minute bar graphs, and I don't see anything that low (ie 25mp's) when first leaving my home/work...

 

Look at the 50mph figure as realistic only if you drive exactly the same patterns the EPA does, in exactly the same temps and other conditions. Most drivers seem to be beating the EPA numbers over the long haul (balancing winter months with summer months), but it's easy to fail to reach this number under certain conditions - and if those conditions are the bulk of your driving, then you'll never see 50.

Really bad things for MPG:
->Trips under 5miles but at higher speeds (i.e.: depending entirely on the gas engine, but never giving it enough time to warm up).
->"Stomp" and go driving - zooming up to 40-50mph then having to stop at a light a half-mile later.
->Long trips at high speeds (over 70mph). Remember that the EPA 48mpg highway is based on their model, not on a cross-country freeway trip where you drive 6hrs non-stop at 75-80mph.
->Snow tires. (guessing 2-3mpg, although some "performance" snow tires may have better rolling resistance and only lose 1mpg or less).
->Heavy snow/slush/water.

Cold temps knock off another 2-3mpg, but should be balanced out by gains in warmer months - but if you buy in December, bear this in mind.

ECO and PWR affect more than just the throttle response in the first half of the pedal, but that's where you'll notice it the most. There's no official detail from Toyota about what exactly is different, so anything you read here is either from experimentation, deduction, or assumption. But in any case, ECO is more aggressive about shutting down the engine (even when it isn't warmed up) and limiting cabin comforts, while PWR tends to do the opposite (far more willing to kick in the gas engine, and is more generous with creature comforts). Not sure if anything different might be happening with the transmission, and at least one poster has suggested that the full power might not be available in ECO even with the pedal floored - haven't spent much time flooring mine, so I can't say for sure either way.

 

2) The navigation. Does anyone have the hack to allow passenger to input destinations while driving?

You mean as in telling the Nav to go to an existing preset desitination? Yes, this can be done while moving. No hack required. No, I mean a completely new address.

You can do several things with the TALK Button on the steering wheel. Give it a try..and you can see what options you have available. Quite a few. If you are stopped, say sitting in a garage or Driveway, you get detailed help. Check out the Nav Manual for the shortcuts as well, You can hit the TALK button and access those while driving....

Lot's to learn and Good Luck and welcome to the Prius Chat Forum and Family :welcome:

 

Everytime I drive in eco mode I feel like I have a flat tire or I am driving through mud. Power mode is really my favorite mode. I'm still getting 45 mpg on a tank. I am usually driving at low average speeds due to heavy traffic. Mostly about 10- 20 mile trips, Infrequent trips under 5 miles distance.