Will Prius save money only for short commutes?

Actually you will see the BEST results from the Prius for just your use. The ICE does stay on alot but don't forget the electric motor will be HELPING the gas engine alot so your mpg, will be greatly increased. Just because the ICE is running doesn't mean the electric motor aren't doing anything they are helping the ICE to prpel the car plaus all the other functions, A/C, power steering ect.

Good Luck you'll love your Prius and won't regret your decision!

 

On the contrary, short commutes is what kills mileage. The car has a short 'warm up' period in which the engine runs at startup - it makes sure the battery is charged enough, warms the engine, and so on. During this period, your mileage won't be the greatest - but it'll still be better than what you get now, near guaranteed. However, once the warmup period is over, and once the car gets into "S4" (do a search for topics on here for "Stages of hybrid operation" for more in depth technical info), that's when the mileage is great.

It does depend on how much of your commute is highway, how much is city/suburb. But, not nearly as much as if say you only had to drive 1 mile to work everyday.

I drive 30 miles each way to work, which takes me a full hour - I'd say no more than 40% of my commute is highway driving. Without short weekend trips, I'm able to achieve MPGs in the 53-55 range. Of course, other ways that can help/hurt mileage includes the terrain (hilly or flat), the climate, tire pressures, oil levels, etc.

I think you'll find once you get this car you'll be suprised on how much you pay attention to those little details in attempts to increase your mileage. Of course, it's completely possible to "drive it normally" and ignore all those different things to help your mileage, and some people do that too, and are still getting mileages in the 40-50s.

Regardless, I'm sure you'll enjoy this car! Hope this helps some and welcome aboard!

-m.

 

Sorry for the spelling errors, i was typing too fast.

 

If you need any more testimonials: I get 45 MPG in my daily 5 mile (one way) street commute. On a recent 200 mile highway round trip I got 52 MPG. You should have nothing to fear.

 

There is different for commuting environment but this is my input.
I commute 60miles round trip and I'm saving alot gas money. I only fill up every 2weeks thats around 580miles per tank. My commute route is both city road and turn pike.
If take it easy on accelation and speed will save more milage. I like to drive first(75mph) on freeway so loose some milage. If I drive only on city roads I will loose average 2km/L.

 

CalliAnnie
I don't drive too far, to the store a couple of times a week and short drives... my long drive was to Wyoming about 360 miles one way.. on that trip I filled the tank before leaving Denver... filled before coming home... I had a Dodge Dakota that had to be gassed in the middle of Wyoming, both ways... at 1350 miles I am averaging 52 mpg... can't complain compared to the 18 mpg in the Dodge.. the Prius can run with the fast cars if you need it to and I think still be over 45 mpg...

I think that your relatives will get in the Prius line, as soon as you get yours... and see how much fun you are having as well as the money you will save..

Bob Andersen

 

The Prius saves money on short and long commutes...Case in point...i drove from Ft. Wayne to West Lafayette today...the average MPG was right at 50mpg...at 55-65mph with headlights on and a few hills to conquer...the old 1990 ranger truck got 19mpg when i did the same route...now on city driving,...i dont care what the EPA numbers say...your mileage will get killed in stop and start traffic...in Ft Wayne, some dumb traffic engineer fouled up the sync on the traffic light pattern, so the bottom line is you hit every light RED...Acceleration kills gas mileage...the average mpg i get is 45 in the city( old truck it would equal 12MPG) and 50 on the highway,mind you i dont jack rabbit start...never have...but acceleration is the most inefficient part of consumption. With the Ft Wayne Gas cartel influencing the Traffic engineering dept...Big oil is getting its way... at least with everybody but me...i just laugh at the turkeys idling away at a 3-4 minute red light... :guns: :wave: :wave:

 

i am constantly surprised at the consistantly negative opinions by so called "experts" on the drawbacks of the Prius and laugh at their claims of disbelief and gradual acceptance of what a great deal my Prius truly is.

no need for me to say anything. by the time you stop at the gas station for your first ever fillup you will be completely convinced as i was that you did do the right thing on so many different fronts...

You will discover that the Prius is complete, no compromise, green, fuel efficient solution to your transportation needs.

 

My commute is 38 miles each way (total of 76 miles per day.) The 1st mile and last mile are city streets. All others are interstate. I have had the car for 10 months now and consistently average over 50 mpg. I have no regrets on my Prius purchase.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wb9tyj\";p=\"43366)</div>

:mrgreen: thats a Ft Wayne they dont have brain come to traffice flow... :roll: like stuck on traffic around Coldwater at Coliseum

 

So why are you listening to your relatives? :lol:

Just kidding. I commute about 105 miles round trip, every day. My commute has country roads, Interstate highways, heavy stop and go rush hour traffic, and urban driving. I've been getting 55 mp average during the summer. As temperatures drop for winter, I expect the mpg to drop a little.

At highway speeds unless you're on a long downhill, the ICE runs. But if you can ease up on the pedal a little, you still get great mileage (but don't go over 65). Having the ICE on doesn't mean you're getting low mileage. Sure 60 or 77 or even 83 mpg ain't as good as the imaginary 99.9 with the ICE off. If you keep the pedal down, you get 45. If you're going up a hill, it can drop to 20-25 or even less. But then you get a downhill - usually. Head and cross winds also kill mileage - get next to a truck in a cross wind.

I can change the mpg over a full tank as much as 8 mpg just on how I drive. Don't pay too much attention to synthetic vs. organic oil, trans fluid etc. These can get you maybe 1 or 2 extra mpg. But coasting a 1/4 mile to a stop sign instead of a couple 100 feet will save a lot more. Ease up a little going up a hill without losing too much speed. You can get the speed back on the downhill using gravity.

There are other reasons to get a Prius besides mpg and saving gas money. EMISSIONS. Or lack thereof. When I'm sitting in a rush hour parking lot on the interstate, I'm not breathing my exhaust - because I don't have any. And even better, the car is SMOOOOOOTH without the ICE runing. And QUIET. That 6 disc CD changer sounds so much better without engine noise.

You're getting negative comments? I don't think ANYBODY who owns a Prius can think of anything they don't like about their car. There is always room for improvement, but this car is by far the best one I have ever owned. (I'm 46 and have seen my share of cars so I'm not comparing it to 1 or 2).

So tell your relatives they don't know what they're talking about. No, don't do that, just smile and realize you know more than they do. I hope I answered your questions and gave some useful tips for when you get yours. Trust me, you'll love it. And you'll find cool things to do with it. Try this trick if you get the smart entry system: I love to have the car locked, stand back a few feet and tell somebody to open the door. They can't because it's locked. Then I walk up, say abbra cadabra, grab the handle and open the door. Jaws drop every time. And it sure is nice not to have to fumble with keys when you've got your hands full of groceries.

 

Re: Prius contributes to positive air quality

It is not just about lower fuel consumption. The Prius has much lower emissions, meaning better air quality. Toyota products in general are built to last a long time and keep on working. Quality of product speaks loudly - personally, nationally and globally.

The prius design form models aerodynamic efficiency - slipping through the air, not pushing the air with a massive square front. In essence, Prii are "form follows function" - a basic principle Detroit continues to ignore.

 

When I am cruising around at 70 mph. with the A/C on I average 50 mpg. I have owned a camry and currently own three toyota's. The Prius by far gets the best gas milage of any Toyota. It is even better than my 1982 Starlet and it would get 40 plus.

Ben

 

i guess if i thought about it hard enough i could probably think of a drawback to Prius ownership...

like umm...uhh...hmmm...like for instance...ya know...ok for one thing... its become pretty obvious to me that i will have to drive the speed limit in any hopes at all of getting 60 mpg...

 

CalliAnne: The amount of time the ICE is running is not the issue, nor is the fact that the MG is "constantly helping."

The real point is that the ICE is much smaller and more efficient than in a conventional car. This is possible because the MG is there to provide the torque needed for acceleration. A conventional car requires an ICE big enough to provide the torque needed at the times of highest demand, which may be 1% of the time. So 99% of the time it is extremely inefficient. Before hybrids there was no way around that. The ICE had to be able to meet the peak demand, just as electric power plants have to be able to meet the peak demand for electricity to avoid blackouts or brownouts.

But the Prius (as well as the Insight and HCH) can have a much smaller ICE, sized to meet the average demand, which is much less. Thus it is much more efficient, regardless of your driving conditions. During that 1% of the time when you need more torque, the MG provides it.

However, no new car will save you money. The Prius is the coolest car in the universe. It is comfortable and fun to drive and one of the safest cars on the road. But if you need to save money, any recent-year used economy car will be cheaper over the life of the car.

You will love the Prius. Everybody does. You will be burning less gas, and putting much less pollution into the air, while having fun driving the most technologically-advanced car around.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CalliAnne\";p=\"43331)</div>

Have any of those relatives ever driven or owned a Prius. I doubt it. Relatives and friends are often "full of good advise" which is totally wrong and those opinions are freely given.

You relatives probably wont be paying your fuel bills or buying your car, so say Thanks and go and get your Prius!