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Fuel Economy for newspaper route

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Chris54, May 29, 2014.

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  1. Chris54

    Chris54 Junior Member

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    I guess I'm gonna have to learn my prius terminology. Its kinda like a whole new language.
     
    #21 Chris54, Jun 4, 2014
  2. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Don't feel overwhelmed. Just a few pretty easy ideas to gain a lot more from your Prius.
     
    #22 SageBrush, Jun 4, 2014
  3. Chris54

    Chris54 Junior Member

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    I've got to say, I love this site. The prius isn't like any other car out there. And this site is a great place to get good information from actual owners. I did a lot of research when I was looking to purchase my prius and a lot of it came from this site. Then, when I did my first test drive I knew a whole lot more about the prius I was test driving than the salesman that was sitting next to me.
     
    #23 Chris54, Jun 4, 2014
  4. Troy Heagy

    Troy Heagy Member

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    Having worked with military products, and not understanding the acronyms, I learned not to use them. I always say the whole word: "pulse and glide" not P&G. "electric mode" or "EV mode" not stealth.

    When I am in stop-and-go situations, or mountain driving, I fill the tank just 1/2 full. It reduces weight which reduces fuel burned when accelerating, or climbing.
     
    #24 Troy Heagy, Jun 4, 2014
  5. Chris54

    Chris54 Junior Member

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    That makes sense to me, but it seems like I get better mpg with full tank. But there are probably other things contributing to it. And, I've only had it a week now. So this is a very short study so far.
     
    #25 Chris54, Jun 4, 2014
  6. engerysaver

    engerysaver Real Senior Member

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    #26 engerysaver, Jun 9, 2014
  7. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Actually Chris, I think you are on the money, as I have observed the same despite the convention wisdom that says to remove all unnecessary equipment to lighten the car. Going on road trips loaded with three adults and their luggage, I have got some really respectable consumption figures that are improved on my empty average. And this is not just on flat terrain either. I wouldn't go as far as to say mountainous, but definitely hilly and/or undulating terrain. My feeling is that the HSD is quite efficient carting the extra weight going up the altitude and the extra momentum coming down yields a higher efficiency compared to when the car is lighter. That's just my theory based on my observations.
     
    #27 dolj, Jun 9, 2014
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Worth a patent. The first example of a machine that breaks the basic laws of thermodynamics.
     
    #28 SageBrush, Jun 10, 2014
  9. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Ha ha, don't be like that, you misunderstood what I was meaning. (If I could invent such a machine, i'd be over the moon!) Perhaps I wasn't clear. I was meaning comparing lighter verses heavier going up and then down, there seems to be a better efficiency. In other words, when comparing the up/down cycle of the lighter vehicle vs the heavier vehicle, the heavier vehicle yields a better net efficiency over the lighter one. Does that make what I'm trying to say any clearer?
     
    #29 dolj, Jun 10, 2014
  10. Zac5556

    Zac5556 New Member

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    Hi chris, I purchased a 2006 with 156,000 for $5300 in June for my paper route. My route is about 100 miles a night and I'm getting around 39.4 mpg. Any tricks you've learned along the way to increase gas mileage?
     
    #30 Zac5556, Sep 11, 2014
    Chris54 likes this.
  11. Chris54

    Chris54 Junior Member

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    Hi Zac. Sounds like you got a better deal than I did if your prius was well maintained. I really don't think I have any good advice for you. At first I was very mindful of the way I was driving, trying to get the best mpg. I think the highest I ever got was 46 mpg. But then I just stopped trying and started driving. I found that I valued taking less time to deliver more than I did a slight increase in mpg. So really I stopped trying. I'm still getting around 40 mpg.

    I do believe that the prius is the perfect car for newspaper delivery. It sits low which makes some of the shorter tubes easier to reach, its so easy to maneuver, the breaks don't wear out, and the gas mileage means more money in your pocket. Oh, and I also love that the side mirrors fold 90 degrees which helps when you need to get close to a mailbox for tubes that sit further back.

    If you look here on priuschat there are lots of threads about increasing fuel mileage. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here also.
     
    #31 Chris54, Sep 11, 2014
  12. Scallywag

    Scallywag Member

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    Zac, I'd recommend taking a look at this thread over here Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new | PriusChat and making a new thread in this forum with that questionnaire. That will give us a good idea of how to help you.

    That said, assuming your route has much starting and stopping, it's likely that somewhat low mileage may be the norm.
     
    #32 Scallywag, Sep 19, 2014
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