OMG - Cracked 40 MPG Average - FINALLY

Congrats on the tank, however you can do much better than that. (well depending on your driving terrain). I have 1132 miles on my new prius and so for my lifetime average is 56.25mpg. Try to refine your pulse and glide techniques. From 47 mpg you should be able to pick up at least 5mpg more fairly easily.

Keep practicing and keep up the good work!

P.S. You may also want to check your tire pressure. 42F - 40R psi seems to be the optimal pressure within the tire recommendations. If you're running a lower psi this will also increase your mpg.

 

Get up to speed quickly, but don't gun it. You want to get to cruising speed quickly. That's where you'll get your best numbers. While you're accelerating your MPG will be lousy, whether your gunning it or babying it. Either way you're looking at sub 20 MPG. You want to squeeze that acceleration into a small distance so that you can maximize the distance over which you get really good MPG (cruising and maintaining a fairly constant speed).

You've got your tyre pressure in a good range. I think he had a typo in there.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jun 2 2007, 11:19 PM) [snapback]454189[/snapback]</div>

Some of just have short 8 mile 20 min trips and then we have to power up or down. It's clear that the Prius will just do better in, low traffic light, long, 50MPH roads.

I have 20 traffic lights during these 20 min trips to work and back. There's not much I can do about that. Yes an engine block heater would help but we're not even in winter. Yes I hope further break in after 5-6kmi would help but there's nothing I can do about that either.

Currently on a 49.7 mpg tank with 1500 miles on the odometer. I will not drive any slower that I currently do, I'm already driving much slower than I used to, I already hold some people up by pulsing and gliding in this traffic and I don't like it, it's asking for trouble.

I won't be happy unless I average 55-60 mpg by September.

 

In Florida, at this time of year? The Prius *EATS UP* that kind of
weather, and should happily deliver 70+ mpg segments if you ask it
even semi-nicely.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bigmahma @ Jun 2 2007, 07:05 PM) [snapback]454076[/snapback]</div>

I feel your glory, my brother . . . after 3 years almost, of driving our '04 ... I'm less than half way through the tank ... have over 350 miles since the last tank refill ... and will hopefully / finally crack a 700 mile tank. The mpg display reads, 70.9 mpg.
crack ... baby, CRACK !!

try killing your A/C ~ sweat can be a beautiful thing

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Jun 2 2007, 11:13 PM) [snapback]454284[/snapback]</div>

It sounds like you've got a good chance.

Are you currently in Montana or California?

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bigmahma @ Jun 3 2007, 07:39 AM) [snapback]454353[/snapback]</div>

It depends what you mean by negligible.

Certainly, if you're parked and leaving the A/C on, then it's going to reduce your mileage. Overall, the loss in mileage isn't great enough to make me turn it off. It's 88F right now at 6:30 p.m. The high today was about 94F. That's unusual for this area in early June. We don't usually get that kind of weather around here until August. Fortunately, around here it's dry when it's hot.

It should be noted (as others here have done) that keeping the A/C set at just slightly below the outside temperature still makes it seem cooler, without too adversely affecting the mileage.

Dave M.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ Jun 3 2007, 09:21 AM) [snapback]454326[/snapback]</div>

CA ... where the afternoons are mid 70's and mornings low 60's
Whoo Hoo ! !
Just went down to half the pips left ... and the mpg's are inching up

[attachmentid=8529]

It feels like the 1st time I bench pressed over 300

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ystasino @ Jun 2 2007, 11:54 PM) [snapback]454206[/snapback]</div>

This is an interesting thread.

Since I bought the Prius in late April, I'm also driving a bit slower than I used to on local roads, but safety is more important than mpg so there's a limit to how much I will alter my driving habits. There's just too much traffic around here. I'm currently getting about 42 mph on my 4-mile trips to and from work (with lots of red lights and stop signs plus a couple of steep hills). If it never gets better than that, I'll still be happy because it's better than I was getting with my old car and I'd rather have a short commute than a long one with higher mpg.

As for highway driving, again I'd rather keep up with traffic than risk getting rear-ended or antagonizing some idiot who is in such a hurry that he's willing to cause an accident to get me out of the way. So on my first long drive a couple weeks ago I averaged over 70 mph for the better part of the trip. I still got 52 mpg so I've got no complaints.

As for air conditioning, when it gets hot, I'm turning it up as high as necessary to cool the car down. I'm wondering how many of you folks who turn off the A/C or set the temp high are guys -- as a woman just this side of menopause, I gotta go for comfort in my car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nybiker @ Jun 4 2007, 10:05 PM) [snapback]455384[/snapback]</div>

My wife is just shy of 50yrs & when she's in the car? Air Air Air .... MORE AIR ! !

Another MPG trivia thingie I recently learned: Each 50lbs reduces MPG by 1%. So at 6'-5" and 225lbs, this is the first time I ever wished I was built like Shumaker the jocky.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Jun 6 2007, 12:41 PM) [snapback]456607[/snapback]</div>

Nice motivational quote to put on the refrigerator. Now I can obsess about MPG and #'s at the same time.