Mileage in-town vs. highway

I do not remember Toyota doing that though. Ford was well known to inflate numbers.

 

Toyota inflates displayed mpg, but that's a bit different. And I guess I'm nudging things further and further off-topic. As usual.

 

The Prius is primarily a low emissions vehicle that secondarily gets good mileage on all but the shortest trips. The engine runs to get to and maintain optimum running temperature to minimize pollution.
Today while sitting at a traffic light my warmed up engine started for a while because I had cabin heat n which cooled the engine. That is much better than the engine running all the time when stopped.

 

Those particular numbers are not a marketing decision, they are a legal requirement defined by the feds, and required to be posted on the Monroney sticker.

Manufacturers are always working to push both numbers up, but it isn't their decision to specifically set the City number higher than the Highway number. That is an artifact of the federal regulations defining and governing those numbers.

 

The Prius mpg gains are in large part due to the ability to run short periods in electric-only, and this only happens below certain speed thresholds. Not sure of the second gen threshold; with 3rd gen its around 45 mph, and with 4th gen higher. At higher speeds it's still very efficient, but not as much. Also, as with any car, higher speeds are less fuel efficient, with higher rpms and more wind resistance.

 

Is ethanol free better for these little 1.5l ICE?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Theoretically 3% or so, better mpg.

Still I wonder: we tanked up in a small town once and it was the magic tank, more or less the best tank, without breathing hard.

I suspect it was ethanol free regular, but not sure. Have to go there again and see if it repeats, lol.

I've read that sometimes small towns, out of the way places, can't get ethanol laced gas. Too bad...

 

On Vashon Island we have a couple of ethanol free pumps. Most people use it for small engines, generators and marine applications. We already pay a premium for gas and the ethanol free is +20%. I use it in my old 1978 Evinrude 70hp 2-stroke outboard motor (mixed with synthetic oil). Old timers swear by it (and swear about the price, lol).

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.