Hi all! I'm new to this board, but I don't have a Prius yet I keep hearing the term "agressive driving" and bad gas mileage. What is considered agressive driving? thanks in advance! Henry Hoping to become one of you soon.
Hard accelleration to get to speed, cutting in and out of traffic, braking late for lights and signs, exceeding the speed limit. Essentially anything that requires hard acceleration or braking rather than maintaining a steady modest speed at all times. Anything you can do to minimize stopping and starting by anticipating lights and coasting to them and hopefully not even having to come to a full stop (when practical) is much more likely to improve mileage. I think low 40s are possible even with pretty aggressive driving. Don't worry about this too much. I'm a die-hard type A personality, consistantly drove 10mph over the limit and cursed:guns: every other car on the road that wasn't doing that. Go my Prius and it was like someone starts a Valium infusion every time I get in there. It's like a video game trying to maximize mileage and the desire to hot rod just seems to evaporate. I've heard of a rare few that continue to drive the Prius hard, but I think a quick search here and you'll find many more just like me that just seem to 'chill out' when you get behind the wheel of a Prius. I find that I'm much more relaxed at the end of trips, the other cars on the road suddenly are much better drivers, it takes little if any more time to get to the places I'm going, and I have the satisfaction of seeing MPGs in the upper 50s and driving 500+ miles on a tank of gas. 8)
Glad to hear that because I was beginning to wonder whether it was pathological. I was driving the Prius with my wife earlier and she made a comment that I was going 5mph under the speed limit. I can recall doing that, well, ZERO times in 30 years of driving and I've driven just about every type of vehicle out there (with the exception of an 18-wheeler). Strange how this car has already had an effect on my attitude and behavior.
My whole family makes fun of me driving the speed limit now and coasting up to stops. I too am calmer at the end of a drive and I really hate getting out of the car. The only time I drive it hard is when I give someone a test drive and then I do my Mario Andretti impression with the quick takeoff and no brake corners. It really blows away peoples pre-conceived notions of what a hybrid car can do. I love this car! When they see the screen in the high 50 MPGs it is so cool. Some guy in his 60s ran across the parking lot this morning to ask to see under my hood. Some day it will just be a car. Ray
Agree with all of you........it's amazing what a little mpg and regen feedback will do to you......it's certainly changed me. Unfortunately, I can't agree with efusco about the other drivers.....my Prius doesn't have the same effect on them (sure wish it did, though). If only it would make them use their turn signals........
