I just discovered a way to go from 43 to 50 MPG (I know, more than 10%). Using the cruise control and the graph showing MPG you click up the speed 1 MPH at a time on the down hills when the graph shows 75MPG and click down the speed on the up hills when it drops to 25 MPH. This shouldn't de done in heavy traffic because it involves varying the speed between 5 to 20 MPH and it involves looking at the graph when you should be watching the road. After a while you learn to anticipate the changes and you don't have to watch the graph as much. If the hills are too long or steep it obviously doesn't work well. It's best to vary the speed the most on the steeper part of the hills. Some times if the down hills are steep enough you just click off the cruise control and coast. Have fun, let me know how youv'e done. Mike F
Can you review MPG vs MPH in the above post? I suspect 25 MPH is supposed to be 25 MPG, but what do I know? Oh and :welcome: to Prius Chat! (now if I only had any hills in the Delta)
You're far better off doing this with your foot than the CC, as it applies more integrated body kinesthetics and better prediction of what's coming up ahead, and is overall safer since you're not fighting with some little hand control. . But what you're doing is essentially constant-power driving, and yes, it's much more efficient over rolling terrain. . _H*
Hi Hobbit Thanks for the feedback. I find the CC better because the 1 MPH incriments gives more subtle control. We have a lot of gentle hills here in Westchester. Of course if I've got a semi coming up behind I'll hit the pedal and MOVE. Maybe because I'm a guitar player and carpenter I'm used to doing things with my hands. Anyway you can also think of it as training until the ideas become more ingrained and natural. I never thought my wife would complain about me going too slow! It's all new to me. I'm learnin'
You are right! It's 25 MPG. All I checked for was misspellings. I'l new and I'll use that excuse for as many miles as i can get out of it. Now I'm gonna try to learn about pulse and glide.
Speaking of cruise control. How many mile should the car have on it before I engage the cruise control?
Doesn't matter. just don't buy it and set cruise for 50mph and drive on a trip. You should vary your speed for 500 of so miles.
Oh course this advice only applies for flat roads. The Prius engine speed is entirely independent of the car's speed, so cruise control doesn't directly force the engine to run at a constant speed as it would with conventional cars. Mostly you don't have to worry about break-in with the Prius. Try not to floor it, and avoid panic stops. That's about it. Tom
