How does everyone Average 50 MPG

Wow lots of questions - The ride is fine and no the snows do not seem to loose any traction due to higher pressure.(am running Blizzaks) A scangauge is really useful to limit hp to 20 or so whenever the ICE is on (assuming traffic allows) . 55 mph is my top speed . The big difference I think, is that you are running shorter trips. It takes a lot to warm up the engine and even a restart takes a lot of gas extra vs continuous running. My tanks AVG mph is about 40 , I do make a lot of runs to Boston - 100 miles or so and that brings the average up. For short stops I may leave the car powered up and set both parking brakes - the engine seems to pick right up where it left off instead of doing a restart. Even in cold weather and short trips, tanks have never gone below 52 mpg. I have the lower grill 100% blocked. If I am running back roads keeping it under 45 mph will allow running a lot on elec., with the ICE completely off. The scangauge shows when that is true, but the HSI does not. I run a lot on electric, whenever the road slant will carry the car along. I start driving as soon as the car starts up and use an antifreeze windshield cleaner to clear frost from the glass, while I drive with the heater off until the engine has a chance to warm up to good mpg territory. If a quick lift off the gas pedal to start a glide, leaves the ICE still running I shut off the heat so the ICE will go to full off. I thought that the hills around here were going to be a mileage killer, but not so . I regularly climb a 1000 ft hill and the return trip is free all the way down, so I can coast and electric glide 6 miles , making up for the gas used going up. Those are the things the car has taught me so far. Ted

 

We don't get 50 mpg in our Gen III Prius on average. Sometimes in the hot summer months it will reach 50 briefly, but most of the time it is around 48. In the cooler winter temperatures it drops to 44 - 46.

We just drive it like a car. No special techniques.

 

Hi Alfon,

Do you have any basis for your comments? I mean, did you track the mileage in the previous cars, and if so, do you have evidence that the percentage change in mileage during cool rainy weather was any better than in the Prius?

Over the years, people who have done this have seen the nearly the same percentage change in mileage. So, the Prius is no more a "fair weather" car than any other car....

 

Hi W..D...,

The Prius is different, so are you driving it differently? That does not mean special (ie extreme hypermiling per Cleanmpg.com) - it means appropriate for the differences (braking within the power capacity of the electric regeneration, etc..).

 

The 17 inch tires, and the lack of repetitive (where you can learn day to day) routes is the main reason your not seeing 50 mpg.

 

Get tire pressures up 44 or 42 front and 2 lbs lower in the back. I almost never use climate control in the winter here (Dallas) where temps are 30s/40s in the morning and low-high 50s in the day. If it is cold I use the seat heaters and turn on defog if needed. Don't baby your starts and glide, coast, glide. I average 50-55 without much work at all and have gotten as high as 72mpg. Also 75 highway will knock mileage down fairly well, so go for 65 or 70. Also even at 75 if it is really 70-75 I can get high 40s if I keep the acceleration on the highway in check and avoid the cruise ramping the ICE on big hills. Go to YouTube and search on hypermile techniques there is a great video up there and even if you don't go crazy on the techniques it helps you understand what effects mileage high mileage numbers. Also I hate to say I have had tons of SUVs (6 and 8 cylinders and Mercedes diesels) and 22mpg is not the average of any of them unless it is a 4 cylinder. The only time I have seen 22mpg in an SUV is highway drives without lots of congestion. Point in take I had a Mercedes M320CCDI and real average combined mpg was 18-20. Long highway drives with modest speed 24-26mpg trip average at best.

 

Everyone is not averaging 50 mph. Some are, some are not. I am not, but I am totally satisfied with my high 40's.

 

This was a first for me. I just averaged 55 MPG on a 26 mile trip. 2010 Prius V/ATP, Standard driving mode, 2 people in the car, climate control set to 72 degrees. Tires at standard pressure. The car was cold when I started. 36 degrees outside. How? Well I was very careful to pulse and glide as much as possible. I used the HSI display making sure that I stayed in ECO mode when I accelerated. I kept the display in that little spot between charging and battery operation as much as possible.This was not highway driving but rather back roads and state highways, rolling terrain, speed limits between 30-50 MPH. My overall average since winter temps arrived has been around 43 MPG but generally that's errands around town and an occasiona highway trip so this was a bit of a surprise. Maybe my Prius driving skills are improving a little too.

 

How many miles on the car now?

 

You are on your way, Get those tire pressures up, pick up a scangauge to limit/keep your hp at 20 for hills and pulses. My last trip to Boston was 58 in below freezing temps and 4 snows on. Last tank was 54. Lifetime average for 11,000 miles is 57.1 lmpg actual. Only 4 lmpg below my old tiny Insight 1 with 262,000 miles on it

 

Staying outside of the PWR red zone is sometimes just not tenable. Even accelerating up a mild hill takes a dog's age unless the PWR band is hit. It's unfortunate but likely has a reason behind it that the electric motor can give a lot more acceleration in EV mode than in normal mode before the ICE kicks in to assist.

 

i tracked previous mileage in a 1988 Corolla, 1990 F 150 and a 2002 Focus and it really all depends.

for short trips, the standard ICE did MUCH MUCH worse. gas mileage drop greater than 60-70% in some cases. now the longer the trip, the less the difference. for a trip to Salem about 180 miles, the difference from summer to winter was only about 12%. but only had the one trip so not much conclusion there

 

2010 G3 under 2k miles getting 35 mpg 380 mile round trip 100 is 60 mph 280 is 75 mph some hills interstate driving temperature 36-55 F. Why is mpg so poor?

 

Because 36-55F is some cold-a$$ driving.

 

Hmm, that doesn't sound right. Did you have the emergency brake slightly depressed? Major headwinds or rain? Your temperature is not the problem. Even at 75mph for the entire trip you could still pull off mid to high 40mpg. I did it last weekend in a lowly GenII.

 

Howdy All,

I just filled up for my first time the car was on the last pip and it was not flashing and the DTE was 50 miles. The MID read trip A 473.1, constant 57.7, avg. spd. 28 MPH. I put in 8.741 gallons when I divide the numbers it comes out to only 54.12 MPG. I am happy to be getting over 50 MPG especially with a new car on its first tank of fuel. My daily commute is about 25 miles one way of mixed driving with the last part going to work being up hill on the freeway for 9 miles. Going home it is reversed with the first 10 miles being down hill. I have been not driving faster that 55 MPH yet, until the break in period is over. I have been using the DRCC as much as I can during the freeway driving portion.

Are my numbers the norm?

Thanks,
ED

 

Original tires? Tire pressure? How are you determining/calculating your mileage?

I take it this is a 380 mile continuous trip with few stops and almost all highway?

 

Not at all bad for a new car!
After it has "broken in" a bit, say 1000 miles, your car and tires should give you a little better than that with your commute.

Welcome

 

If you live in warm, dry weather conditions, this means dry roads, you will always obtain better MPG than a similar driver, and vehicle living in wet cold climates.

I know for a fact that after 42,000 miles on our 2010 Prius, cold, wet roads, takes a noticable toll on MPG's.

In summer, which last only about 2 months here in the Northwest, we usually get in the low to mid 50's. Now with winter raining on our heads, yes it rains for weeks not days here, our MPG's is around 43-46 mpg, consistently. Of course the gasoline here is always, 365 1/4 days a year 10% Ethanol.

 

ave for the year since bought was 52.7 including a 5000 mi trip. commute to work is approx. 10 mi and on tanks where there is little other driving my ave. spd. is 20-23m mph if you can believe that..pulse/gliding between many lights..tire pressure 36 front and rear