Weather and Mpg

2 miles is much too short to be making meaningful MPG measurements. Variabilities in engine warmup, cabin cooldown, waiting time at stoplights, small elevation changes, battery SOC changes, etc., seriously monkeywrench your measurements.

 

100's of 1000's of owners have noticed that over the past 19 years of Prius ownership.

Unfortunately, most traditional-vehicle owners still haven't.

Engines in general feel the impact of temperature & humidity. You'll discover just how much of an impact warmth and moisture make a difference as you continue to watch the vital detail the screen tells you about the real-world driving you do. It's too bad the guzzlers don't also convey that level of information.

 

You're absolutely right, Rachael71 - "California weather" is the sweet spot MPG-wise for most cars. just wait until your first winter to see an even more dramatic effect!

If you click through my Fuelly results in my signature below \|/ , you will see the dramatic effect of weather on MPG

 

Pl

Please get your average by your tank fill up numbers. Sometimes driving 2 miles will cause you to run on the electric motor only, sometimes ICE only, sometimes both.

 

Up here in the NorthEast corner, there are seasonal changes to the gas formula, and I've noticed over the years that my gas mileage is affected (as much as 10%) by not only the weather, but also the chemistry of the gasoline (…but, of course, YMMV!! ) - Wil

 

fill up around 2 pips to be safe. divide you miles by gallons for tank average. keep a record so you can have a running average. the more tanks, the more accurate = lifetime average.
if you want someone to calculate and keep records, join fuelly.

 

Yes, and add your gallons to a running tally, too. A spreadsheet makes that easier, but isn't necessary.

 

Yes to all the above. I just divide the miles driven by how many gallons I fill up. Usually fill up with two bars showing. Or 400 miles, whichever comes first.