I need Prius driving lessons

@#33 ksstathad:
actually, the mountains may be better than straight and level. It is a built in pulse and glide, but at faster speeds. The engine is in a "better place" (efficiency wise) when powering up the hills even though the MPG number is low. The glide down the other side is all gravy, bringing the number way back up!

 

Nah, up hill sucks. I get better mileage going TO Boston than coming home. Now ROLLING hills might be a different story but you never recover the 'cost' of climbing a 6% grade.

 

Ah, well then, they aren't actually enforcing the speed LIMIT then are they?

But you are right, back to YOUR regularly scheduled thread

 

I think you need a bit more information on how to cost in D... so if you just let off the gas only the car starts to regenerate juice and slow your vehicle down, if you apply brakes you will generate even more juice. Not sure how to explain gauges in 2010 car. But on a 06 you let the gas up all the way and just lightly hit the gas to where the display would go black the same as if you put the car in "N" while driving... from what I have seen on-line the best screen to be able to review is the one with the long bar that goes left and right. The further to the right the bar goes you are doing bad, further to the left is good. If you have 0 rpm and not generating power no bar should be on that screen. It takes practice, get on some road that speed limit is like 40 with no traffic. After letting up on the gas press and hold very small amount of gas pedal (very light pressure) if you go to high you will see the bar sometimes if you just hold steady with that light touch of gas the bar should go away, slight delay to turn engine off. If all else fails just put car in "n" at 40 to 45 mph so you can see what gauges do and you can see what effect you want when costing. Changing gear during drive is not an issue. I tried on a rental to put car in reverse going 20 and the car just beeps at you. Go have fun.
Note if you have lots charge already then cost as much as possible. Once charge on batteries go down a bit you want to go with low RPM and charge batteries and then cost some more. It’s a game.

By the way car average start at 0 so you need to build up some history with your car for it to report correct MPG. Any time you reset your computer you build up from 0, it not like it think you have an average of 55mpg and you are going + or – of that starting out. Give it some time I think you are fine. I do think it is funny, because my wife just drives the 06 Prius car normal and does better than you,(LOL) she could care less about good gas she is always behind and just wanting to go J , however she is starting with my history (or Average) so she brings down my average some almost every time she get in the car. I would kick her but if she rest my computer (not really but don't tell her), so I have no idea how bad she really is. Hope this helps.

 

Coasting in neutral is illegal in most states.

 

Okay, I would be very surprised to see someone get a ticket for this. When you glide in the Prius it like pushing in the clutch on a stick shift. If you push the gas in a little it goes back into power mode. I would just say prove it and laugh. FYI the glide method is for speeds under 46, it was under 42 on older cars. Speed above that you would need to physical put car in “Nâ€, don’t like to do that unless condition are correct.
Have Fun!

 

I agree with you Lottamoxie! No offense to anyone here so please don't take it personally, but I find it amusing the great lengths people go through to get a few more MPG. Engine heaters that you plug in during winter, putting the car in neutral when going downhill, turning off the A/C in the summer (while you sweat your a$$ off), etc.

Being that this will be my first Prius, I will be elated if I can get mid 40's without having to alter my daily driving patterns! I have a diesel Mercedes (very good MPG) and a Mercedes E500 (big V8), which gets about 18 in the city and 24 on the HWY so I am surely looking forward to 40+ MPG out of my 2010 Prius!

Scott

 

Ha! Same here. I plan to not change my driving habits at all. If i get 40mpg I'll be happy.

 

Well, this will drive the hypermilers crazy. Here's my commute today. First picture is going, 2nd is coming back. This is all 25 to 35 mph city streets, with a short stretch of 50 mph parkway. Hit some lights on the way in this morning, didn't hit any on the way back. I could probably work a little harder at this, but with only a 7 to 10 minute commute, there's probably not much I can do. Note the only 41+ total MPG I have going on my first tank.

 

Too Funny! LOL

 

I'll bet I still use less gas than some of those hypermilers with longer commutes!

 

This^^^

You'll need several tankfuls with carefully kept records each showing miles-driven since last fillup and gallons pumped since last fillup.

 

I didn't know you were a Scot. ound:

 

LOL. I think I've been slammed.

(I actually had to google that. It's amazing what you can find out on wikipedia...)

 

I don't have my hybrid yet, but with pre-hybrids, I've always done better in the mountains as long as the descent does not require much friction braking or a downshift for extra compression braking. Yes, 6% is too steep so you lose. But 1 - 3% produces a win, from the natural pulse & glide, the reduced air drag at higher altitude, and the reduced pumping loss at high altitude in the traditional fixed-valve-timing engine (not applicable to Prius).

 

Sorry, I don't have time to read through this whole thread, but I guarrantee that if you continue to punch the accelerator to see what it will do and then drive uphill all the time, you can continue to get the excellent 40 MPG.