Last week I tried a little "experiment". With the same weather (-5C) and traffic conditions (the commute is in (somewhat fast) city traffic with max speeds of 60km/h), I drove to work driving "normally" instead of "Prius Eco". That is: - setting the mode from ECO to normal - not necessarily staying in the right lane to accelerate as slowly as I wished - accelerating like all others (even when not really necessary) - keeping actively the traffic's pace, staying in the left lane when it looked "better" (though I knew there was a traffic light coming and the savings in terms of distance would have been really minimal) - setting the A/C to 18C instead of 16C and from the beginning of the trip - using whenever I wanted the read defrost (not when it was *really* necessary ) - disabling the HSI bar view from the head-up display to keep an eye on the "eco" light... - on the 1.5km highway that I have, accelerated "normally" (i.e. following traffic) to 130km/h, instead of accelerating slowly to 90km/h (the distance is so short that driving 130km/h and getting to the speed "quickly" is truly idiotic....I am obviously always in the right lane... ) Well, what happened is that: - I arrived at the office 1-2 mins before than usual (overall trip ride is 25-30 mins typical)... - I arrived at the office stressed out, rather than relaxed - I consumed >1L/100km more than normal (6.5L/100km instead of 5.2L/100km, if I remember correctly) - I noticed the same weird behaviour from other drivers, which means that having or not a Prius in Munich traffic is irrelevant - they are simply aggressive with everybody - I was a bit warmer inside the car So, I would say that I can drive again as usual "Prius eco". Now - your results may vary - I am pretty sure that for this type of traffic and route, the results above make sense - if you have a commute/trip on a more regular, constant speed type of traffic, you might notice no difference, or even consume less. For me it does not do the trick (consume the same or less, quite the contrary). I also tried the following day to drive "Prius eco" and setting the A/C to 18C (definitely more comfy... ) and the fuel consumption did not change, always a nice 5-5.3L/100km as with 16C. So - driving a Prius normally for me in town, gives the fuel consumption of a normal small sized gas car (e.g. 1.3L Yaris). By driving it the "Prius eco" way - I get the fuel consumption of a Smart.... and I get to the office relaxed... What are your experiences in adopting different driving styles in relation to traffic/route and fuel consumption?
You've hit on a largely overlooked advantage of the Prius: less stress if one adopts a Prius driving attitude. Even better, driving a Prius for good gas mileage improves driving safety because following other cars less closely is also safer--although I'll admit to some aggravation when other cars pass me to fill in the gap I've purposely left.
I did my own little experiment for a few days, very similar to what pakitt did and I can confirm the result of his experiment with mine. Other than less fuel efficiency I also was quite clearly more stressed out when driving. So from now on, always drive in Eco mode, be gentle on acceleration and be gentle on the breaking, the result will be more gentle on fuel economy and your wallet as well.
I've recently commuted in both my sports car and my Prius. I've noticed that even though I'm more concerned about my fuel economy in the Prius, driving in ECO mode, coasting more, spending more time in the right lane, not passing people as much, etc, it really has little effect on my commute time because it's largely dictated by traffic. However, I'm not overly aggressive in my sports car because I don't want to be a jerk on the road.
I learned from PC, that in extreme summer heat when the A/C is on, the "Eco mode" cuts back on fan/compressor consumption to help deliver good MPG's. This is normally not a problem unless you have A/C and temp cranked to maximum because it's so hot, humid outside. The "normal mode" does not do this. It keeps A/C and temp at full settings.
I've noticed (actually my wife and kids pointed out) that I have become a calmer, safer and more efficient driver in the short time that I have owned by Prius. I don't do anything other than follow the common-sense rules about driving this car, but for whatever reason don't feel the need to keep up with the speed-demons around me. I don't drive slow and create an obstruction, but I don't feel uncomfortable about driving the speed limit either because I am now so much more in tune with the immediate repercussions of aggressive driving. My daily commute is 45 miles each way, most of it on a 65 mph highway. I used to drive in excess of 75 mph most of the way, but now I drive 65 mph. My Kia Sorento averaged 25 mpg and got me to work in about 45 minutes. My Prius is averaging 46 mph right now and only adds a few minutes to the drive.
Some of us have been following this Prius motto for an entire decade already: JUST DRIVE IT That's always good to hear newer owners are trying the same thing. .
Also I would offer even in Prius mode don't accelerate slowly. Most will observe if you accelerate nicely (ie not crazy but definitely get up to your speed) and focus on gliding you will avg a little faster travel, stay less stressed and get even better mpgs. Many discussions here on PC point out the "inverse" logic on acceleration
Yea, let the technology take care of it for you. Enjoy the exclusive hybrid premium feature. You paid for it.
Sounds like you're enjoying an awesome commute. Help me understand something you said. Your average MPH is 46, but I think you meant, your average MPG? Sounds like you're sitting back, enjoying the technology and benefiting from the MPGs!
