mpg prius v less than epa

Thanks for the exchange of views. But just to clear up the main thing, I never said we were not happy with our v. We are very happy and we traded down to get it. A $40,000 car to a $30,000 car. It is just my opinion it's rated mpg is tougher to achieve with the v than with any other car we have owned. And that's over a 50 year period.

As an example let's take the 2012 Camry. A non hybrid. It's average EPA rating is 30 mpg. According to Fuelly the average of the Camry owners reporting is 32.2 mpg. Two mpg over while the v owners report 2 mpg average under EPA rating. Are the Camry owners not driving normally, but hypermiling?

As I said we're just finding out that very conservative driving will not get "us" to the EPA mpg average. Something we've always been able to achieve with other vehicles. I feel for us the main reason is the ice. I sure can't help it if the ice is running while I'm stopped simply because it's cold out effecting gas mileage. There's just too many factors to getting the best mileage that you can't control with driving habits.

So I just think it's rating is harder to achieve and is a couple of mile too high. Just my opinion considering owners of many other makes are able to collectively reach their car's EPA rating. Heck so we're not yet able to achieve 42 mpg and are currently averaging 37.7. That's almost twice the mpg of our previous car. We wanted better gas mileage and we got it. We smile ever time we pass a gas station.

Again, enjoy the exchange of opinions and all posters make very informative comments. I learn from each of you with every comment I read. We'll just may never agree on everything and the v's EPA rating is one of them. Over time that might not be so. I just hope we can all agree we love our v's

 

i think new model in 1st yr so i have been obeserving all mpg from 34-40(calculated) on this forum

2012 toyota camry hybrid ....on test drive on you tube,,,,35-36mpg also......

just remember when prius II come ,they published higher mpg but toyota corrected this issue later on.

i did not buy prius v because of new yr model ,some correction will happen next yr model for sure




thanks
hp

 

As I mentioned before, it is definitely technique. My first fuel up with my Prius v, I was driving like I drove my Nissan Sentra and got 33.7 MPG. When I changed how I drive and also trying to use EV when I can, coasting as well... My next fuel up 38 mpg. So definitely need adaption of how to drive the Hybrid to get the most out of it versus just being cautious, as you can still be cautious, but still doing things that won't take advantage of the hybrid, such as riding the gas and hitting the brakes instead of, the better example, starship driving, where you put enough power to accelerate to your desired speed, then let momentum do the job with minor 'pushes' on the accelerator to compensate for drag.

I believe in catgic's entry, getting more out of the mpg comes also from using the momentum and prolonging your 'braking' as well, IE: trying not to hit the brakes too much, but let the regenerative braking naturally decelerate your car, then apply brakes a little more. It's basically like trying to being a rollerblader without trying to skid to a stop.

 

Wait, so you have not driven car throughout a full year right? So your basis for comparison is fall through winter driving only?

Toyota did not change the GenII Prius mpg rating. The EPA changed their testing procedures and then changed the Prius mpg rating.

 

Just to point out though, Catgic is also getting higher than even normal mpg on both Prius and Prius v vehicles, some people are also hitting EPA or better consistently. The thing is, that there are a lot of variables that can affect your MPG and has also still affected the current as well as past prius vehicles as well.

 

A lot of v owners have not driven the car beyond a few tanks and are still in winter conditions which may include winter fuels. MPG goes up in the warmer summer months. All of this combined makes for lower mpg and lots of complaining. I complain in winter too.

 

I agree hp2009. If I remember correctly originally the v was going to be rated two mile an hour lower but was later revised up word. I think a 40 average would have been a little more realistic for most of us. But regardless if it's 38, 40, or 42, it's still a fantastic machine.

 

Before you all panic, look at john1701a's graph of his Gen 1 Prius:
http://john1701a.com/prius/documents/Prius-2001_MPG_Graphs_Lifetime.pdf

Every owner of a Prius V took delivery in winter, and has driven every mile in winter. Once spring temperatures arrive, they will bring better mileage.

 

Check out my stats on fully.com (see signature below). I am getting a very good 43.4 mpg. Al of my driving has been in the congested streets and highways in and around New York City. I rarely drive the car faster than 60 MPH. I drive with a light touch but am definitely not a hyper miler by any means.

It would appear that the Prius is really perfectly suited to my conditions. Several people on this forum have also commented that the Prius loves congestion and I can fully agree. Just yesterday, when driving on Route 3 in Secaucus NJ, we got stuck in slow bumper-to-bumper traffic. While crawling in traffic, I enjoyed watching the avg MPG display creeping up since I was mostly in EV mode.

 

That is why I am saying there are still a lot of variables. I'm not going apecrap over my current MPG yet cause I not only read about the Winter MPG thing, but also simply because I'm driving a different beast than what I was used to and the MPG estimates are not going to reflect the hybrid way of handling the engine given its unique behavior in comparison to the standard ICE. I have yet to do a long distance travel versus short commutes to see how it balances out, and of course, 2 fillups isn't a good basis for my situation.

 

I am very happy with my new "V". I purchased it just after Thanksgiving and have 4200 miles on the car. I live in southern California and drive on city roads and freeways everyday. I'm getting 42.0 to 42.3 mpg so far. The car has 17" tires and has everything except the sun roof package. I paid $33,000 out the door.

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html

The two test cycles where they start from a cold engine are 31.2 minutes long. The highest average speed of any of the test cycles if only 48.4 mph. The EPA tests don't call for driving on a real road, but rather a dyno (rollers) and they don't measure actual fuel usage, but rather tailpipe emissions. Even in the newer "high speed" test, the vast majority of the time is spent driving at <70 mph.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/most-fuel-efficient-cars.html shows what CR got. Last page of http://www.consumersunion.org/Oct_CR_Fuel_Economy.pdf describes their tests and the old EPA tests.

 

Could someone please give simple instructions for running HVAC "fresh air vent only" mode (instead of auto AC)? We are finally getting the sort of weather where I might benefit from that... I did read all of the multiple manuals originally but that info wasn't relevant at the time ....

Hoping to improve mileage now that "winter" is mostly in the rear-view mirror....

 

Apparently you "cautious" drivers aren't nearly as cautious as you thought. My wife who is Mrs's cautious driver, has her V locked in at 46.8 mpg after 2,800 miles and that average hasn't budged up or down in over 800 miles.

I bought my 2012 Prius II a week after her and have slightly less miles and my mpg hovers around 49 and she calls me a lead foot, for not getting 50!

 

I'm getting better (my first Prius on a second tank) and the computer is showing 4.7L/100km (US 50mpg) city driving; though this is computer calculated (manual calculation will most likely be about 47mpg).
I think the trick to higher MPG is to stay in Hybrid ECO area (the first half green area of the HSI). When accelerating going slightly above the green center (one or two bars) or even power mode is OK but as soon as one reaches 35mph speed get below green center; it is possible to go on battery alone at 35mph and utilizing battery mode permits getting higher MPG.

 

Many of us do the opposite in regular Gen3s, minimizing the use of electric mode. When practical, fire up the ICE for a bit for thrust, then drop the HSI bar back to or near zero for a glide. This works well at speeds up to 45 mpg (in a regular Gen3, the v has different gear ratios), especially when matched to gently rolling terrain (thrust up the hills, glide down) or crawling traffic.

Using battery mode means borrowing against future gas needed to recharge that battery, creating extra energy conversion losses. Some of the energy gets scalped at each conversion stage. The car already knows when it is best to use electric instead of the ICE, and usually we cannot do better by tricking it into more electric mode.

 

Glide, mode is very hard to get into on prius v, it mostly goes into ICE mode and charges the battery or "coasting" when battery is charged and ICE is OFF.
The point where ICE is OFF and no arrows goes into or from the battery are almost impossible to see.

Can anybody educate me how to get pirus v into a "glide" mode?

 

SysCon – Logging 4.7 L/100km (US 50.1 mpg) in chilly Alberta, means you are doing very well at operating your Petrol Warfighter “Hybrid $mart.” As you discovered, operating in the “ECO Mode,” and staying in the Hybrid “ECO” zone on the Hybrid System Indicator (HSI), delivers high fuel economy dividends. The vee’s HSI, MID and MFD triple combo and my operating in Florida’s Hybrid Friendly weather, have facilitated me achieving and maintaining a nominal running average of 55.9± MPG (4.21 L/100km) with excursional blips into 56 MPG territory. I am extremely happy with these stratospheric levels of fuel economy from a "v"ersatile, multi-functional "Caddy In A Kimono."

The Toyota engineers did a masterful job with designing the HSI, as it delivers much intelligence to a Prius Purest like me who relies solely on the Prius v’s OEM instrumentation to operate it to maximum MPG (L/100km) advantage.

FWIW FYI: The GREEN LINES on the HSI are very useful for aiding a driver in “Becoming AT ONE with the HSD.” In my particular, current 60°F-80°F (16°C-27°C) Outside Ambient Temperature (OAT) operating-driving environment, I can comfortably stay within the lower five GREEN LINES Zone portion, just below the centerline mark. If my deft foot throttle and I can manage to cruise-travel at the “Green” flickering “ragged edge” there at the centerline mark before departing the “ECO Zone,” I start seeing periodic 0.1 MPH inreases added to the running average MPG. I travel on mostly flat and level Florida oceanside terrain, and can usually maintain a travel speed of 38-40 MPH (61-64 KPH) with a 50-ish iMPG number on the MID.

In my particular driving environment, 38-40 MPH is a tolerable-to-other-drivers, non-obtrusive right lane (slow lane) travel speed on the Florida Beachside Highway State Road SR A1A Two-Plus-Two-Lane road I use a lot. SR A1A has a posted speed limit of 45 MPH. Additionally, the other beach side single lane main artery roadways where I live and travel are posted at 35 or 40 MPH.

Here is a golden MPG-FE nugget for you on the optimal place to put the GREEN LINES on the HSI when accelerating from a dead stop. Depress the foot throttle so the 10th GREEN LINE is illuminated and then hold it there until you approach your intended travel speed before easing off (feathering) into an ECO driving posture-profile to maintain your desired travel speed. This 10th GREEN LINE correlates to the most desirable, optimal ICE POWER BAND vs FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE “$weet $pot” comparable to the iconic 2G and new 3G acceleration “Rule Of Thumb” of MFD displayed iMPG = ½MPH on the Speedometer.

As far as getting the Prius v into “Free-Wheeling” Pure Coasting “Zero Fuel Use” Mode (i.e. “Black Line Gliding”on the MFD) MOST FUEL EFFICIENT, "FUEL-SIPPING," ENERGY CONSUMING MODE, I think Toyota’s Software Troops, for whatever reason, have tweaked the HSD Software so as to make achieving that operating state very hard to do, I would say nearly impossible for all useful intents and purposes. I have "feathered" into it here and there, but not for any practicably usable and sustainable period by me, as regards my regularly being able to use it to bump up the AVG MPG number displayed on the MID.

As far as “Can anybody educate me how to get pirus v into a ‘glide’ mode?” it is all done with deft feathering of the foot throttle (which have previously stated you know how to do). That is, “Lightly Release The Foot Throttle Just Slightly, Then Re-Depress/Re-Apply It To the Original Throttle Postion.” Do this, and with much luck, your Vee-Mobile will go into “BLACK LINE GLIDING” operation.

 

Thank you for the hints. In Edmonton traffic is not that heavy so I can accelerate sometimes with two mark past the center green line.
10-mark line on "vee" is just one line below power mode zone - good to know it.
I agree with you regarding “Free-Wheeling†it is almost impossible to see; I was able to lock it in this mode but only lasted for maybe 5sec.

Isn't "Free-Wheeling" = "glide" mode?
What is “BLACK LINE GLIDING†?
Is it a state that ICE is OFF and engine is using small amount of battery power?

 

Read and applied catgic recommendations -got 50.5 mpg on short trip. Drove 25 mile (23 mile highway+2 miles on residential streets) trip. I was driving 50- 60 mph, close to 55 (average speed 51).
Drove without ECC, "feathering the throttle".
I'll tell ya, my leg was hurting ) when i was climbing the hill. But got 40mpg uphill with Power mode on.
ODO is about 2100, just put 5th tank of gas. Average is 40 mpg per tank.