Well oh well, I have been fuming because of the ridiculous review Consumer Reports tendered of the Prius C. Fortunately, they are the solitary exception as many other sites post appropriately balanced reviews of the little car, noting its superior economy whilst acknowledging its faults. Mpgomatic is a pretty good reviewer. This is his preliminary review; a more comprehensive review should come out in a couple days.
2012 Toyota Prius c Road Test - Consumer Guide Automotive Consumer Guide is also very informative as well!
kind of nice to see a long review from someone who owns and likes their c. very informative. thanks for the great effort!
Seems like the test is bias toward downhill and flat roads at slow speeds. I would like to see his MPG on the return trip back up that big hill he coasted down near the beginning ride. None of the hills he went up was as long and steep as his earlier downhills. That would give a better idea of real world MPG. I would tend to believe a report showing daily commutes from home to work and back as a more accurate showing. Still, very informative.
I agree. However, on the other side, he wasn't driving all that conservatively when he was using gas. He was in the red part of the power bar quite a bit, which I avoid like the plague (only in absolute HAVE TO situations, like, will end up going below 40 up a hill on the freeway if I don't). Further, he was coasting instead of gliding almost the entire time. That coasting, when not actually wanting to slow down, wastes energy as compared to gliding by contributing to loss of momentum. If you can avoid making that energy transfer from the wheels to the battery, you want to (gliding). In other words, with a little more skill he could have gotten even better numbers.
"The mileage rating drops when not in town (the opposite of traditional drivetrains), because the Hybrid Synergy Drive's 1.5-liter engine is providing propulsion instead of the electric motor." I don't think they got that right...
That's part of the reason though. On the highway, you get no electric only bonus, so you basically ride at the fuel economy of the engine on its own. In the city you get periods of full electric and no gas which is what really gives big mileage. A different factor that plays alot into the mileage difference is the significant increase in wind drag at highway speeds. The car glides very efficiently at 25-40 mph.
Lower mileage on the highway is more about the weak ICE, in my opinion. You don't *need* to be in EV mode to get amazing mileage around the city. The C can comfortably cruise at 45-55 mph with the ICE on and get 100mpg.
Found this one to be interesting. It addresses some of the CR comments while giving a better look at hypermiling potential: Toyota Prius c: Should Allowances Be Made For Cars With Special Needs? | The Truth About Cars
