How bad can it get????

My v at 75ish would return about 38-40 so I'd guess maybe mid to high 30s at 80. I tried high speed for a lot of a tank and was in the 40ish realm. Around here 80 will get you pulled quick being the speed limit is 65 at most.

We have 2 v and drove the first tank as new normally would and both were in the upper 30s which as I understand it improves a little in time after several thousand miles.. The WV winters will probably take roughly 3-5mpg off that average in cold temps. W

 

If that is the question, I would say mid- to high- 30's should be expected in a v. The WORST mileage we've gotten on our v3, which involved lots of hills and highway miles ~75mph, not being intentional about mileage, was ~38mpg on the dash display. Someone who really wanted to accelerate hard from every stop, and push top speed to 80mph, could I'm sure push it a little lower.
HOWEVER - there are two big notes I'd like to add.
First, someone who likes to drive hard probably won't be very happy with the v. It's just not that fast, and just doesn't corner like a racecar. Is it adequate? Definitely. Does it feel safe getting onto a highway? Sure. But it's not a sporty car. Standard Prius accelerates a little better, due to smaller size/lower weight. But some other smallish car could get similar mileage (low 30's?) while returning more fun per gallon. Mazda3? Scion tC? But I'd suggest that nothing else with the cargo capacity of the v even approaches the same mileage, even when driven hard.
Second, I agree with all the other responses that suggest that the v (and Prius in general) makes it very easy to adjust your driving style to optimize mileage.
Just my 2 cents...
Andy

 

Was just thinking the same thing; the max posted speed limit in WV is 70, and he's setting his CC at 80? ALSO: just saw the follow-up post about all the warnings received. Please excuse me for NOT laughing ...

 

Have to discagree with anewhouse.

V does corner like a racecar.
Was fun to drive on curvy hilly roads. V takes curves like locomotive.

 

It's WFO, not WTFO. Wide Frickin' Open, not Wide The Frick Open. The term originated with moto-crossers in the 80's, or at least that is where I first heard it.

 

That's because it has a rear sway bar, which the regular Prius does not.

 

I thought she was saying "what the! F off!"
Either way it means a lot of the time either the brake or fuel pedal is mashed to the floor.

 

Hm - I suppose that depends on what you compare it to. If you're used to a large squishy domestic car, a minivan, or even a large SUV, the v is indeed going to feel like a racecar. If you're used to a small car with a decent suspension and a stick shift, I have to say the v feels pretty bland. :mellow: (Though I'm sure lower-profile tires would help a little...)

Please don't assume I'm bashing the v - I still believe it's not only the best value in it's class, but that it's really the ONLY option in it's class (largeish cars with good gas mileage). Given that, I'm absolutely willing to deal with the merely "adequate" acceleration and cornering! (Clearly - I BOUGHT one. ) But I maintain my position that if one of your primary criteria in a car is "fun to drive," the v shouldn't be at the top of your list.
For example - I have a friend who really enjoys driving - probably in the style described by the OP. He says he won't buy a car that takes more than ~6 seconds to get to 60mph. He loves his WRX (in which he claims he gets 35mpg highway), but he simply wouldn't be satisfied with a Prius.
BUT - if a driver like this needed to fit two rear-facing child seats in their vehicle, I believe the v is the best choice until you get to something with a V6 that gets 20mpg... :nod:

Andy

 

I just remember reading about crazy expensive speeding tickets in that area, though I just looked it up and it's mainly Georgia and Virginia that are/can be $1000+. I think I remember WV having a lot of undercover cops on the highways though (Mustangs?). Bottom line is I wouldn't speed like that there. I've received a number of warnings/lesser citations after being pulled over for speeding, one of which I believe was in WV. Several were in New Jersey and a PBA (Police Benevolent Association) card saved my nice person.

 

Seriously doubt you get 20 mpg in your Edge - likely closer to 15-16. IF you are getting 20, then you should be able to get at least 40 mpg from a V and 50 mpg from 3rd gen Prius.

 

I wonder if the OP still cares. It's been 4 days since her post and PriusChat Forums - View Profile: oliviasmom5683 shows Last Activity: 04-13-2012 11:31 AM.

It may not be worth discussing any further until we hear back/see some new activity.

 

Good to see you may have more fuel efficiency in mind. If you do opt for a gasoline powered engine, go to pure-gas.org to find stations selling 100% pure gas, so you can retrieve the best mpg AND power from your engine. There are a few stations in your region, but across your borders in other states.
Also, you need to drive the VW diesel. Should provide you 40+mpg, at least on the highway. The diesel has a wide power band, has lots of pull, & is wonderfully responsive, even with the Dual Clutch automatic transmission. The manual transmission will give you the best mpg, tho.

 

Maybe you should stop telling people they HAVE to change how they drive to own a Prius.

You don't HAVE to do anything. The car might make you WANT to change your habits but you can easily drive like a complete lunatic in one and still do better than any other gas car out there.

This is the reason people get scared away folks.

 

One of my biggest challenges in life is to mellow out and not be combative. Every time a vehicle passes me and I don't cut them off or race them to the light, it's a victory.

The Prius is an enabler of mellow. If I can't stand it any more I can just hop into the Z28 and find myself.....still driving mostly slow. Slow is habit forming when used often.

 

Hey, I consider myself an aggressive driver, however in my Prius V I am slow and steady - fun to play the mpg game. Am saving up for a Porsche 911 to express the other side. But to be fully expressed in a Prius is not going to happen so don't try. Just get a 911.

 

When I learned to just chill out on the roads, my level of stress while driving plummeted. I haven't had a speeding ticket in over 10 years, have only been pulled over for speeding 2x in that time (one was letting my GTI breath a little on a long onramp... I was back under the limit by the time I was on the interstate... cop was surprised how quick it was, the other was me missing a sign where the speed dropped at 2:00 AM in a deserted town... I think the cop was making sure I wasn't drunk.) I haven't been in any collisions in that time either. When someone makes a ridiculous driving maneuver to get ahead of me and I end up beside them at the light, I just smile knowing they pissed away gas for nothing. I have my mountain and road bikes if I want to push the limit. Cars are for getting from A to B safely. The Prius v is perfect in that regard.

 

Soooo true.

My dad is in his 70s, drives a BIG Chevy Silverado extended-cab with a topper, and rides the tail of whatever car he's behind.

He is ALWAYS either on the gas or the brake. He even rides the *** of a vehicle we have already observed to have an erratic driver, and then he seems surprised that the guy takes a left without signaling!

My dad has HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE! He's on blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds. and has already had surgery to correct a 7 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm.

And then he complains about his gas mileage, and he's screaming at every other driver on the road for any perceived slight. He even yells at other drivers when I'm driving and another driver does something that is absolutely legal, doesn't cause me to have to slow down, and yet he still perceives it as a slight.

And I even consider myself a fairly aggressive driver. I *have* gotten into a rare pissing contest on the road when another driver is enough of a jerk. But extreme jerks are rare.

You would think that as a 70-year-old he could connect the dots and realize that his blood pressure and his gas mileage might improve if he were to calm down a bit...

 

You've obviously never driven in POWER MODE. Fun to smoke the unsuspecting lifted pick up at the light.

Hey Dude. Just doing my pulse and glide.

 

Another reformed GMC Suburban cut-em-off if they cut-you-off-aholic here. Got our first Prius (used 2009 on 2/1/12) and by 5/5/12 had our second delivered, a 2012 Prius V Three. I have to say that my 2009 feels a little more peppy (and gets better gas mileage), but the room, ride and comfort of the 2012 is so much better it is eye-opening.

I think if you get the Prius, it will naturally start working on you to reign in the power driving demons, to the point of finding yourself driving 70 in an 80 mph zone (we have those here in Texas) to squeeze another 7mpg out of it. Even if you still want to drive like a bat out of XXXX, you'll still beat the gas mileage of about anything out there. My only real suggestion, in town, learn to get off the accelerator and the brakes. You don't have to get it up to 40 between stop lights, and surprisingly, when you keep it near the limit, you'll get pretty good at timing and missing red lights, and getting where you are going even faster.

:rockon: