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Wow, crappy gas mileage on a 260 mile round trip from Charlotte to Asheville NC

Discussion in 'Prius c Fuel Economy' started by Brad K, Mar 7, 2014.

  1. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    Drove to Asheville last night for a concert, my first trip in the Prius C that exceeded 30 miles one way. Mostly been driving around town and getting an average of 51 mpg with some trips as good as 80+ mpg. So that was good. I expected to get at least 46 mpg or with hope near 50 mpg. On a couple 15-25 mile local expressway trips at 60-70 mph I seemed to be getting 48-49 mpg. Leaving CLT through rush hour I was doing near 60 mph for about 30 minutes it showed 48-49 mpg good so far. Once I picked it up after getting through the heavy traffic and going about 70-75 mpg it quickly dropped to 41.8 or so and stayed that way the duration of the trip. I had been getting 54 mpg in the city according to the computer but this trip averaging only 41.8 when i filled up in asheville I only got 47.8 mpg for the tank (half expressway and half city). Same story on the way back even though I went down the mountain. Didnt seem to matter if I went 60, 70 or 75 mph, it stayed about 40.8-41.9 mpg average the entire way. Car only has 1400 miles on it, I hope it just needs to be broken in.
     
  2. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    It's probably a combination of the temperatures, speed and all those hills.

    I usually measure my mileage by the tank, otherwise I could log a 999.999 MPG "trip" by shutting the car down and letting it roll down a looooooong hill (****.) or I can get Hummer-like mileages by letting my car warm up in the parking lot for 20-minutes while going nowhere (####.)
    So yeah, an interstate road trip through the mountains in early March will yield lower mileages than...say a bunch of leisurely 35-mph drives along the beach in May.
    Don't get too exited about the hills. You may get a false high MPG going down a hill but you had to get the car to the top of the hill first. ;)
    The C-type is a good frugal car.
    One of the Prius gurus said that if you have to drive a Prius 'different' than a 'regular' car, then you're missing the whole point of the car.
    FWIW?
    41MPG was probably VERY efficient for your route at this time of year.

    Good Luck!


    (****) Don't do this. It's against the law, it's moronic, and we have to share the roads.
    Don't Neutral glide either. That's close enough to being the same thing.
    (####) It's not against the law (yet) to do this, but make sure that your car is equipped with a proper remote start, and you're not.....say, warming your car up inside a closed garage. :)
     
  3. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    it was 32-37 degrees or so the entire trip and constant rain. It just that my old 1995 Honda Civic VX with 220,000 miles could get 42+ mpg at 80 mph any time of year
     
  4. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    The combination of cold and rain was a large impact. The cold, wet air is more dense and this directly impacts mpg. I typically average 47-48 mpg per tank but this week with the cold and rain I am down to about 45 mpg. This is in the flatlands of the coast and averaging 60-65 mph!
     
  5. DKTVAV

    DKTVAV Active Member

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    Sounds like you've spent a lot of money to buy a new car not saving much on MPG instead of keeping your old Civic at 42+ mpg at 80 mph any time of year. The commercial for new Cruze is 42 mpg but I'm sure not at 80 mph any time of year.
     
  6. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Yeah.
    I had a Metro XFi that got 55-60 all the time, in any weather, at interstate speeds.
    The trouble is?
    It only had one airbag, no anti-lock brakes, no traction control, the rear brakes were actually drum instead of disc, and it probably was a little bit dirtier than Priuses are.

    Priuses are supposed to be GREEN(er).
    That isn't always the same thing as being fuel efficient, which is probably one of the reasons that they diddled with the "official" MPG ratings a while back.
    Weather will impact fuel efficiency in a Prius, at least it does with my G3 more noticeably than with my other vehicles.

    Good Luck!
     
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  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    prius Citycar. my wife's hycam averaged 42mpg at 70mph thru the carolina's.
     
  8. Hi !!
    It sounds like your hybrid is doing what it should: getting 48 mpg overall while driving fast on the highway.
    I usually go 55-60 mph on the highway and I get about 55 mpg.
    The prius c is designed to not use the hybrid/traction battery all that much on the highway anyway, but the car has some nice aerodynamics.
    So it sounds like your car is operating like normal.
     
  9. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    well it was time for a new car, the Civic was worn and needed a new home. I actually sold it for $2400. It was EPA rated at 53 hwy and used to get 47 mpg at 80 mpg every time until about 190,000k then dropped to 42-42 hwy at 80 mpg. It still got 38 mpg in the city.
     
  10. DKTVAV

    DKTVAV Active Member

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    My co-worker used to have that Geo Metro and when I asked about MPG he said he got about mid-30 in mileage, so either he's full of sh.. or something was wrong with his car.
     
  11. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    I dont consider 70 mph to be fast as the posted speed limit is 70 mph.
     
  12. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    the Prius C blows away the Civic in the city, averages over 50. Ive had trips in the 60s, 70s and even 80s. Also trips in the high 30s and 40s and 50s. Average for my City driving tanks is 50-52 mpg. I knew it wouldnt be as good on the hwy but expected at least 46 mpg at 70 mph, maybe when its warmer, dryer and broke in?
     
  13. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    The Prius C blows away the Civic as its not a 5 speed, the AC works, better stereo, power steering, power windows, clean, new, better ride, climate control, etc. The only area the Civic bested the Prius (so far) was cost, it cost $5500 used lasted me 11 years and I sold it for $2400.
     
  14. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    Brad, the rain creates puddles of water in the grooves trucks gouge into the highway. Trying to overcome the drag this water causes takes energy. Then the temps have been cold which is another issue altogether.

    Sounds like your car is doing well. Once you get some miles on the engine and the weather finally warms up, I think you'll be quite surprised at what kind of mileage it's capable of.

    Enjoy that new car smell :)
     
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  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    epa doesn't test highway mpg at 70mph.
     
  16. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    Well an update. I drove to the mountains to go backpacking. The Prius C was loaded with 2 Adults, two 60 lbs dogs and 2 large backpacks. About 118 miles each way. The Prius computer said we got about 51 mpg until I hit the last 20 miles, go steeply up a mountain road at 40 mph. I quickly dropped to about 46 mpg. By the time I got to the parking lot was about 47 mpg for the trip. It was sunny and dry so look like the Prius can get 51 mpg on the hwy doing 70 mph. Just needs to be warm and sunny. On the way back since the first 20 or so miles was down the mnt I got 99.9 mpgs according to the computer. The car said I got 57.5 mpg for the 118 mile trip home. I filled up today, including the 50 miles or so of city driving (54 mpg), the 130 miles back from Asheville (41.8 mpg), the 240 or so round trip miles backpacking, hand calculated, the trip gt me just over 45 mpg. It sure rides well on gravel forest roads, just not the 8 inches of snow that were still on the BRP as the car is so low it scrapped against the bottom. All in all, seems the trip computer is about 2 mpg above reality for the who tank as it said I had 47.5 mpg for the tank and hand calculating said 45.5 mpg. I think it I dont drive in cold, rain or the mountains Ill easily exceed 50 mpg for the tank, hwy or city.
     
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  17. col127

    col127 Member

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    I understand your frustrations - I'm hardly ever happy with my Prius C on the highway speeds regarding the MPGs I get. Driving out to Chicago the other day (200km trip) with temps around 30F and wind, I netted about 36MPG - driving at around 71-74MPH. Pathetic.

    I would not have gotten this car had I known how many factors would impact it's MPG rated. Would have rather owned a pure gas car that could get 40MPG on highway at normal speeds.
     
  18. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    the question is could a pure gas car get 40 mpg in the same conditions?
     
  19. GeoZoo

    GeoZoo Junior Member

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    My first road trip with my PC3 was up to Kelowna and back (google Coquihalla highway) and it was horrific! 37mpg! Then back up and down at christmas with snow tires+packed snow/ice along the coquihalla peak and merritt connector - 42mpg. Next time up and back with no major snow/ice and snow tires (and a slightly heavy foot I admit) 44mpg.
    Just took off my snow tires yesterday - car now at 10,000km and noticed a big difference with snow tires/steel rims off - gone 43-47mpg to 50-53mpg coty/highway driving.
    All the toyotas I've had - hybrid or now never reached their good fuel economy until after 10,000km.
     
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  20. Brad K

    Brad K Member

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    another update....just got back from a 1000 mile round trip to/from Florida. It was sunny and dry the entire trip. Did 70 mph with CC on the way and got about 47.5 mpg. Did about half 70 mpg and half 75 mpg on the way back and got 46.5 mpg. I found it drove ok on the hwy. I also did 60 mpg for 20 miles after a fill up just to compare and the computer read over 58 mpg. But the posted speed limit was 70 mph and even semis wanted to blow by me. Next trip Im going 80 mphs when I can like I normally would, time is too valuable to me

     
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