Loving my 2010 Prius II... I notice my milage has gone down somewhat from where I started. My dealer told me tire pressure can make a huge difference, and with the cold hitting, I'm wondering if that's true that it can make 2 to 5 mpg difference? Anyway, it's a great car, albeit with a learning curve, but I'm just geeky enough to enjoy that part. Glad this forum is here!!! All the best, Wade
Yes. Many Prius owners, including me, set the tire pressure to the maximum rating on the sidewalls but keeping the 2 psi difference. That is, if the maximum pressure is 44 psi, then they run 44/42. After you become familiar with the Prius, it's pretty easy to tell when one or more tires are low because the mpg goes down and the Prius feels "heavy". You might also want to invest in a Scangauge from the Scangauge site or the Priuschat store. Driving to the ignition timing on the Scangauge when accelerating helps mpg (I estimate that it's helped by about 5 mpg on my 2004 Prius--the lifetime average is 57 mpg over 115,000 miles).
Welcome aboard! Yes, you will have a drop as the temps drop. I normally run about 52 mpg in the summer and about 45 mpg in the winter. But that is still a terrific number. Enjoy the ride.
