MPG averages in Northeast

The block heater would still help even though you're in a garage...

Think about it:
Outside: engine cools down to ambient overnight- let's say 3C at this time of year, colder later..
Inside: engine cools down to room temp overnight- around 20C
With a block heater: engine warms up to around 40-50C

When you start up the car, the "warm up mode" still has to get the engine up to 50C before it begins using a more efficient valve timing, and it won't allow the engine to shut off until it gets to 70C.. Garaging the car buys you 17 degrees (probably a bit more combined with the thermos) , but the block heater all but eliminates the warm-up: if your engine is already at 40C, it greatly shortens the warm-up period and the interval before you have full stealth available..

 

I picked up my Prius Sept 1st and have consistently averaged 50mpg. My last fill up was 50 and my running average is 50 as well. The only fluctuations I've had were likely due to the bladder, but it's all balanced out.

So, I've seen no change due to weather yet.

 

Hokkaido has a similar climate to the northeast, and I too, am wondering what to expect this winter. The town I live in actually has the coldest recorded temps in Japan alomst every year. It gets down to minus 33 C several days a year.

My old '99 prius would somtimes go as low as 29.5 mpg in December. On the other hand, my best tank in that car was 46.6 in November.

I've only had my '05 since July, so I'm interested to see what I'll get this winter. (this summer I averaged just over 50 mpg) I'm also planning putting a ski rack or maybe a box on my roof. How low will my mileage go...?

On thing- I put on my studless snow tires yesterday and did not see a significant decrease in my mileage for the trip. That's good.

 

My mileage has dropped of quiet a bit from a high of 58 this summer to an average 43-45 :blink: now.

 

Just got my Michelin Xice on for the winter. Another thing I plan besides the radiator blockage is to insulate the bottom of the oil pan with something. I still need a warmer engine even at the current 40 degrees!

Looks like a heat wave next week so my mpgs may get above 50 mpg again!

 

Thanks for starting the thread! I had the same question. We've had our Prius since August and had been averaging 51-53 MPG, but have seen it drop to 47-49 with the cold, wet weather.

 

I've definitely seen a decrease in the past few weeks with the wet weather and the dropping temperatures. It's about 43 degrees now in the mornings when I go to work, and i'm averaging 49 MPG on the tank I'm working on. Tank before was 51. Tank before that was 53. I think it has something to do with the relatively short distance i live from work too... my warm up period every morning is becoming a bigger and bigger fraction of the distance to work now.

Today (Saturday) is supposed to be quite cold in the Northeast again... i fact I hear it's going to snow in some places in New England. But Sunday and going onto Monday, we're going to see temperatures rise back into the 60s.

Should be interesting to see some nicer driving weather again. .

 

I drive between Southwestern CT and Cape Cod every week so my driving pattern is as consistent week to week as it gets. I drive about 650 miles a week and my mpg per tank was 51 in September and 46 in October. Overall, I am at 48.4 (18,000 since the end of April 2005). Mileage is now dropping each tank as the weather gets colder (it is snowing on Cape Cod right now!!!). The winter additive in the gas may be part of the problem as well. I dread what will happen when I put my Michelin XICE tires on in a few weeks. Guess I was spoiled by the great summer mileage!

 

Note that wet weather really aggravates the effect of cold weather. Not only due to the obvious extra drag on the tires! From watching my scan gauge temperature readouts I have noticed up to a 20 degree drop in engine temperature from wet weather for commutes in rain when the ambient has not varied. I think the cold water just helps cool the engine even when we want it warmer.

 

Thanks. This is what I was wondering -- the lowest you could regularly expect. My trip is about 50 miles to work at 55-65 mph so I hope to do okay. Appreciated!

You know, I'll bet the press is just itching to write something about that winter mileage. "Prius Owner Gets 20mpg" sounds good.

Thanks to everyone else, too. My car's not due until January so I'm starting at the worst time. I read a review that said my TDI Golf and the Prius get the same winter mpg so this helps me prepare.

 

That still sounds good to me. When I do 65-75 mph in my TDI I only get 44-46 mpg in any weather. And I use coasting and cruise a lot, too. This is going to be a nice step up and since the winter TDI numbers are in line with the winter Prius numbers it won't be too shocking. Good thread, maggieddd, thanks.

 

OK I don't want to butt in too much but as a exMidWest boy and resident of the rainy PNW I am here to tell you when the wet stuff is coming down, no matter what the temp, milage will suffer. I do not know if the tires, or all those rain drops hitting the car, but your millage will vary downwards. Sorry. :huh: