Something wrong with my Prius II - It takes more gas than it advertised.

A co-worker and I had to both go to the Hospital to get shots for overseas travel. Since it was likely that we would be there for a while and head straight home from there, we took separate vehicles. At every light, he was off like a shot, I accelerated slowly and would glide so as to catch the next light without having to stop. He was stopped at every light, except the last one. The last one I got caught at, while he slipped through.
The net result of him jack rabbiting at every light was that in a 20 min drive clear across town, He arrived about 30 sec. ahead of me.
Sometimes slowing down isn't nearly as costly as you might think, and honestly the not being stressed and worrying why that guy is in the fast lane blocking you etc is priceless. I think I may actually live longer from stressing less now

 

Being aggressive will be a good test too. Let us know how that works for ya. I just can't do it but I want to. POWER mode is peppy.

--Mickey

 

Maybe cause I am finishing up my 3rd tank and finally moved up to 47.2. I probably have 2 more trips to work and back. Hope to be close to 48. So the answer is that I keep trying to do better. However what I may do just grins is run the next tank for a couple of days on POWER mode and see. Then go back to ECO or NORMAL(been running most of this tank on normal and taking it easy). I suspect I will still be very conservative on Power mode but this mode is less forgiving to with pedal fluctuations.

--Mickey

 

Most times all that is required is to download and install a patch upgrade rather than a full replacement of the component.
Seems to have been successful in this instance.

 

Two math examples. You were stating you had a 36 mile commute.

Example 1 = 36 mile commute, all highway - straight to 80 mph from your driveway to your parking space, no traffic (a fairytale, worst case scenario).

Speed 80 mph = 27 minutes
Speed 60 mph = 36 minutes.

So your absolute WORST case scenario is that it would take you 9 extra minutes on your commute. What would you do with the extra 9 measly minutes?

Example 2 = 36 mile commute, 2/3 highway (24 miles). We will assume that once on surface streets, that the commute time is equivalent as you will drive them at the same rate of speed and hit the same number of red/green lights. Also assumes that there isn't any traffic on the freeway.

Speed 80 mph for 24 miles = 18 minutes.
Speed 60 mph for 24 miles = 24 minutes.

That trip took 6 minutes longer. If you leave for work 5 - 10 minutes earlier, you will arrive, roughly, at the same time.

It seems like it takes a lot longer when you drive slower (especially when everyone else is whipping by you) but the math doesn't bear it out. Relax, take it easy, you'll get there in the end.

 

One thing we might not have mentioned is route planning:

Using a Google map, I worked out several alternate routes from home to work and back. Then over a one week interval, at the time I was filling upon Fridays and Sundays, test each route for:

• elapsed time
• mileage
• traffic lights (fewer are better)

What I found is I can often take a shorter distance at a slower speed and not lose much time while making big gains in mileage. It also turns out I'm not 'stressed' because unlike many other drivers, I know the alternate routes. If I see an accident blockage ahead, I can easily take an alternate route and still arrive home with very little lost time.

One other thing, an iPod solves the wasteland that is broadcast and even satellite radio. I load up my content and then use the commute to catch up on what happened the day before. . . . Then I've got this podcast on "Learning Japanese."

Bob Wilson

 

I have to smile. When I first started to investigate Prius, and I first found Prius Chat, I was amazed at other threads where Prius owners would "complain" about "only" getting 44-50 mpg. I thought, "I want the automobile where getting 40+ MPG is considered "not good".

Now that I've hung around this forum long enough, I guess I've gotten to the point where my expectations are higher. The bar has been raised, expectations are now 50mpg or better.

But I'd simply go along with the majority advice to the OP. The mileage the OP is getting isn't devastatingly bad or really bad at all. So it doesn't seem indicative of a mechanical problem. Check all the easy things, keep driving, see if the average doesn't improve.

 

Nicely done with improving your mileage, we'll soon have to ask the admins to retitle this thread, Something is wrong with my Prius, it uses LESS gas than it was advertised.

Tell me about the testosterone robbing effects of being passed by everyone. As a heads up, I drive 55 mph on the freeways in the Bay Area. Yes, I get passed by everyone. Yes, I occasionally get "the look" or "the finger". I drive in the right lane and seldom stray from there. I don't have my Prius (yet), but one day I will. I'm expecting great things from it (and I'll be targetting 60 mpg).

 

I like that but I don't put bumper stickers on my cars. Maybe that will be my signature though.

Hey - back on subject here. I filled up today with one bar left. 9.1 gallons. Car said I had 47.4 which was ok but not my best work. I calculated to 45.8 so there is a small difference as advertised.

However. I put in POWER mode and headed towards the house. I drover it pretty hard during acceleration from stop signs, red lights etc...I had to pull out on the high way so I pushed it really hard to 65, I ended up driving around for 25 miles with a 13 mile and a 8 mile of 65-70 highway. The short story is that I was at the mid 30s till I hit the highway. I quickly came up to 45 and that is where I ended my trip. I was really surprised that it just didn't matter at the end of the day as the Prius really lines out in stead speed no matter what mode you drive in.

And my last observation was the fact that turning off the car sets mode back to NORMAL from Power, thus you would have to set everytime you drive.

I really think I will probably just leave in normal mode for a while and see how that works out.

--Mickey

 

I believe that if you floor it there is no difference in power out put in any of the three modes. Unless I'm wrong "power" makes the pedal more sensitive is all, and of course allows the AC to operate at full power, I believe ECO mode tones the AC down.

 

Sorry about that - let me be clear. My target speed was 65-70. Actually the acceleration was better than my Honda Civic(actually the wifes now as she now drives it). The MPG recovered quite nicely from "dogging" it. I guess I am glad it doesn't stay in Power mode as I would probably leave it there. I just like the responsiveness it offers even when putting around.

--Mickey

 

True - you are correct from what I have observed. The ECO mode does lower the A/C juice. I have started running at 78 in the afternoons which causes the blower to lower itself more quickly but yet still be really comfortable.

--Mickey

 

hschen,

BEWARE. You are on the precipice of the dark side, where tanks below 60 mpg will annoy you. Read the threads on radiator blocking and engine block heating before winter sets in, or suffer, you will.