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Can't get above 35mpg- something wrong?

Discussion in 'Prius v Fuel Economy' started by rabadia, Apr 16, 2012.

  1. rabadia

    rabadia New Member

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    I have a Prius v, level V with tech package, factory tires, one month old with ~500 miles on it. I, for the life of me, cannot get my car to average above 35 mpg! We live in a hilly area of Portland, OR, but I have been driving my Honda Civic Hybrid for 8 years and consistently get 39-40mpg. I am very aware of acceleration/coasting/etc. while I drive and notoriously do not have a lead foot.

    Is the Prius just worse on hills?

    I keep trying the Eco/Normal/Power modes to see if any of them do better on hills. Anyone else find that one is more fuel efficient on hills?

    Could something else be wrong??

    I am really bummed about the mileage. Everything else I LOVE about this car.

    Thanks for any advice!
    Robin
     
  2. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Your HCH didn't have 17" wheels nor have to push so much weight up hills. :) Your HCH should have been getting 45+mpg so if you were getting about 5mpg less than I would say you are in the ballpark for the v Five given your driving conditions.
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    spot on.^ 'nuff said.
     
  4. anewhouse

    anewhouse Active Member

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    Hey, sorry you're disappointed! My wife and I also live in a very hilly area (central NY), and my mileage isn't as good as many reports I've seen on this forum. I can usually keep it around 40, but even with very careful driving we can't average 44mpg on a tank. Most of our driving is either hilly country roads (55-60mph) or highways (70+mph), neither of which is optimal for the Prius. We intentionally moved here to AVOID city driving - succeeded at that, but means we can't quite get ideal Prius performance. Still almost double the mileage we would have gotten on our second-choice car, though... :D
    On the other hand, we haven't seen an average below about 38mpg, so I find your 35 to be pretty surprising. Will you have a chance in the near future to do any extended driving on flatter highways, or anywhere outside your normal hilly routes?

    Andy
     
  5. Absolutly Red Hot

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    I live in Thousand Oaks CA. We have our share of hills. I commute and have found three or four different ways to go. I pick the flatest vs. the shortest. I also crack the window rather then use the A/C. Yes I have become "That Guy" turning off lights when no one is in the room etc. Check out my Photos as I have been posting some of my short trip mileage readouts. I got 84.0 mpg going to the sandwich shop today. I am loving it.
     
  6. Dark_Prius

    Dark_Prius Member

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    You have a lemon. my sister and i both bought a prius III two years ago at the same time. Where my sister's prius constantly get 55mpg and my prius struggle to get 35mpg.

    I tired so many ways, even took it to the dealer and no fix. They drove my car for a 120 mile round trip and got 50mpg. Where a normal prius would have easily get 65mpg. So the dealer conclude that it make the 50mpg bench mark.

    I got so frustrated with that piece of xxxx, so i traded it in for a Porsche.

    GT-N7000 ? 2
     
  7. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    hmm.

    Lots of hills and wasted kinetic energy might (might!) explain OP's results, but 35 mpg sounds pretty low. I'd take the car out of town and see how it does on a 20 mile return trip on flat land at 65 mph on the highway.

    A trip to the beautiful Columbia Gorge is in order!
     
  8. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    I wouldn't be so quick to jump to such conclusions about the OP's car and yours. Your sister and you have the exact same commutes? Did you ever swap cars and reset the trip computer before each test?

    OP would be served by answering http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-answer-these-questions-esp-if-youre-new.html. She may be driving it "wrong" for mileage.
     
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  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Unless their round trip took 3 hours to go 120 miles then a "normal" Prius would not get 65mpg. A normal Prius would get between 45-55mpg on a 120 mile trip depending on speed. 65mpg is way out of line as are your expectations. It is very likely you suffer from a terrible commute or terrible driving.
     
  10. Wanderer

    Wanderer Hybrid neophyte

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    Does the car idle a lot? I noticed that killed my mileage quick. W
     
  11. Dark_Prius

    Dark_Prius Member

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    I put 10k miles on my prius before give up and conclude it is a lemon. I swap cars, drive the same route, anything you can suggest i have done. It is a piece of xxxx

    GT-N7000 ? 2
     
  12. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Surely you are not using B mode?
     
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  13. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Dear Mr. Troll,

    If you could only get 35 mpg, while your dealer could get 50 mpg in your car, then it is pretty clear where the problem lies.
     
  14. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    I looked back at Dark_prius's post history. It clearly shows that he has 17" wheels, likely with aftermarket non-LRR tires.

    When I swapped out my factory tires for a set of performance touring tires (while maintaining the same size), I lost about 10% in fuel economy. I never got more than low 40s in town but was still able to get 50 on the highway.

    Since dark_prius also added 17" wheels, the reduction would be even greater. His inability to get more than 40 in town does sound about right given his wheel/tire combo. So, there was probably nothing wrong with his car.
     
  15. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Damn Inspector Clouseau! LOL

    Yeah, you know my opinion on aftermarket 17s and non-LRR tires. :D
     
  16. Dark_Prius

    Dark_Prius Member

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    you guys clearly making comments when you dont know the facts.

    After i sold that piece of xxxx, my 17inch goes to my sister's prius and she now has over 60k miles and never got anything less than 45mpg. I am talking less than 35 mpg and i said i have tired all the possible methods.

    It doesnt take a Genius to drive a prius and get 50mpg.

    this is kind of funny that everyone try to come up with an explaination. Come on, i am getting 32 mpg constantly, no hills, you need to try really hard to get that with a normal prius.

    I mean whatever, i dont need anyone to believe me, it is a piece of xxxx that i got. I would be loving it and still driving it today if it wasnt a lemon.

    GT-N7000 ? 2
     
  17. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Too bad you didn't swap cars with your sister for a week.
     
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  18. Dark_Prius

    Dark_Prius Member

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    I did, and i got great mpg driving her car. At the same time, she gets horrible mpg driving my car to work.

    like i said i tried everything and try to proof that it is not the car, but it is the car.


    GT-N7000 ? 2
     
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  19. catgic

    catgic Mastr & Commandr Hybrid Guru

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    Rabadia (Robin) – Let us stand back, look at things, and review the bidding.

    Your old “Serial Hybrid – Integrated Motor Assist (IMA),” 2004 (8-years old) Honda Civic Hybrid (HCH) is an EPA Size Class: Compact Car w/ 1.3-Liter I4 & Automatic Tranny, and an Official EPA Fuel Economy of 39 City/40 Combined/43 Highway (you report 39-40 MPG, which is 3-4 MPG off EPA Highway)

    Your new “Parallel Hybrid – Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD),” 2012 (months old) Prius v Hybrid (Pv5ATP) is an EPA Size Class: Midsize Station Wagon w/ 1.8-Liter I4 & Automatic Tranny, and an Official EPA Fuel Economy of 44 City/42 Combined/40 Highway (you report 35 MPG, which is 5 MPG off EPA Highway)

    While I see you report you are “…very aware of acceleration/coasting/etc. while driving, and notoriously do not have a lead foot,” --- All you were able to do in driving around Portland, OR’s hills and dales with your Serial-Hybrid HCH, which has a smaller-displacement, “Less Petrol Thirsty” gasoline engine, and lighter curb weight than the Prius v, was to match the HCH’s Official EPA Fuel Economy. It appears that this and your driving profile and techniques are what you are continuing to do with your new, larger-displacement, “More Petrol Thirsty,” and heavier curb weight Pv5ATP.

    35 MPG is essentially the average fuel economy delivered by Toyota’s 1.8-Liter I4 when it is bolted into a conventionally-powered Corolla. This tells me that the gas-fuelled power plant portion of the HSD in your Pv5ATP is running and consuming fuel, a lot more than it is shut-off and not consuming fuel.

    Miles Driven Divided By Fuel Consumption Over Those Miles Traveled Around Portland tells the MPG tale. Unless you have a fuel leak or your neighbor is surreptitiously siphoning gasoline from the tank of your Pv5ATP, than you need to work on “tweaking and optimizing” the part of the Prius vee’s HSD “Advanced Technology” Human-Machine Interface located directly aft of the Pv5ATP’s steering wheel.

    IMHO, your Pv5ATP “AIN’T BROKE.” There is no data you shared here, which indicates to me that your 2012 “Caddy In A Kimono” is operating any differently than mine would be if you were driving it around Portland, OR.

    Put the following “Prius v (vee) Minimum Energy Use/Max Fuel Economy Mode Hierarchy” to practice in motoring your Pv5ATP around Portland and you will eventually start seeing MPG Fuel Economies in the 40s.

    • 1. "Free-Wheeling" Pure Coasting Mode: "Vee" - ECO Leaf Symbol & ECO Light Illuminated on HSI & MID. No Arrows on MFD, No Lines on ECO/EV/PWR HSI & 99.9 iMPG on MID. No Motor Fuel Being Burned or Traction Battery Electricity Being Used. No Electricity Being Generated. THIS IS THE MOST FUEL EFFICIENT, "FUEL-SIPPING," ENERGY CONSUMING MODE!
    • 2. "Free-Wheeling" Regenerative Coasting Mode: "Vee" – ECO Leaf Symbol & ECO Light Illuminated on HSI & MID. "Regeneration" Arrows Flowing on MFD, One (1) White Line Illuminated in CHG Zone on HSI & 99.9 iMPG on MID. Reclaiming Energy Via MGen1. Traction Battery Being Charged.
    • 3. Regenerative Braking Mode: "Vee" – ECO Leaf Symbol & ECO Light Illuminated on HSI & MID. "Regeneration" Arrows Flowing on MFD, Two (2) or Three (3) White Lines Illuminated in CHG Zone on HSI & 99.9 iMPG on MID. Reclaiming Energy Via Both MGen1/MGen2. Traction Battery Being Charged.
    • 4. EV-Electric Vehicle Mode: "Vee" – Both EV Car & ECO Leaf Symbols on HSI Display With ECO Light Illuminated on MID. Lower-Half "GREEN LINES" Illuminated In EV Zone on HSI & 99.9 on iMPG on MID. Arrows From Battery To Wheels on MFD Monitor. Running Only On Electricity & Discharging Traction Battery.
    • 5. ICE ON Consuming Fuel & Charging Traction Battery Mode: "Vee" – ECO LIght OFF. Operating at or Around the "GREEN LINES" Mid-To-High Point of ECO/EV/PWR Display on HSI & Less Then 99.9 iMPG Displayed on MID. Propulsion Energy From Gasoline Engine To Wheels Along With Steady Arrows Showing on MFD Monitor Going Into & Charging Traction Battery.
    • 6. ICE ON Consuming Fuel & EV-Electric Vehicle Boost Mode: "Vee" – ECO & EV Symbols on HSI NOT Illuminated. ECO Light On MID OFF. Operating On Upper "RED LINES" PWR Section of the ECO/EV/PWR MID HSI Display --- "RED LINE AREA IN POWER ZONE ILLUMINATED." Engine-Powered Electric Charging Arrows Flowing Into & Charging Traction Battery on MFD & Much Less Then 99.9 iMPG Displayed on MID. THIS IS THE MOST INEFFICIENT, "FUEL THIRSTY" ENERGY CONSUMPTION OPERATING MODE!
    :plane:
     
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  20. wizzard

    wizzard New Member

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    I don't get above 35mpg when driving in "Eco" mode. In normal mode I am getting near 40mpg. My V3 is mainly used for city driving (no hills) and weekend shopping trips to Costco. Even "Power" mode gave better mpg than "Eco".
    I found that my mileage is better when coasting over long stretches without signals at 45-50mph. On "Eco" mode I found that I had to accelerate for a longer time to get up to speed and that reduced my instantaneous mpg as displayed to single figures. Strangely my coasting range was reduced also in "Eco" mode ( while keeping a constant pressure on the accelerator). In "Normal" mode I do see the 99.9mpg display more often.

    I have always switched the driving modes using the buttons. In normal mode are they supposed to display automatically? e.g. showing "Eco" when it switches automatically to "Eco" or "EV" when it automatically switches to "EV" mode? Mine doesn't.