I've owned my 2012 3rd Gen Prius 2 for almost 2 months. I'm on my third tank of gas, and my dealer who sold me the car said it would "take a few tanks" to break in the MPGs. On my first tank, I got 471 miles (combo of highway and city, mostly city) and my second I got 463 (with 1 bar left on fuel meter display). Can anyone clear up this fact/myth that it takes "a few tanks" to break in the MPGs? I use Eco and EV mode when appropriate too.
I don't have enough time to go into great detail, but I figured I'd chime in really quick. Over time as parts of your vehicle wear in (tires, engine, etc...) your mileage tends to go up slightly. So, what he said does have some truth to it. It's usually, in my opinion, the driver that leans how to drive the car better within that time that makes the most impact on the mileage. Driving techniques and methods do make a huge difference in driving. I got 62.5 MPG on a highway trip a day ago just from using certain techniques (still going the speed limit). I'm not sure if there is a better video than this one out there, but it's a good place to start I suppose. I'd stick with NOT using EV mode, because you're going to have to generate that power that you drained from the battery back one way or another. Others please chime in.
Thanks! The video was really helpful. I mostly use EV for backing into my garage or moving from the driveway to the street. But the tips on the video were things I was unaware of, so I'm looking forward to trying them out this weekend on a roadtrip!
I agree, one might get close to the EPA just driving the Prius like a "normal" car, but using some techniques unique to hybrids and the Prius, one can surpass the EPA mileage numbers.
Was the delivered tank of gas really full? The 1st tank is generally low. Inflate the tires, block the grill & learn to drive the car. Most of the techniques aren't Prius specific.
Don't measure mileage via "tanks". Better to note both indicated mileage on the trip computer and do manual calculations of mileage. There's also a little bit of increase due to tire breaking in. See Tire Tech Information - Tire Rolling Resistance Part 3: Changes to Expect When Switching from Worn-Out to New Tires.
100% agree with Big Steve here. I'm at 2,350 miles on my 4th week of owning my new 2012 3rd gen Prius and filled up 6 time so far (5 times out of pocket - not all at empty, usually around 3 bars) and average around 48-53 mpg per fill (according to the Prius/Fuelly). I still drive it like I drove my old RSX, lol. If I drive it more gas-conscious, then I'd get much better mileage. I tried once and got 67 mpg on a 80 mile road trip to Santa Barbara. But then again, it's hard to acclimate after 7 years of owning the RSX, hehe
Always remember to take weather into account when comparing gas mileage. When I bought my car in early March it was cool and rainy. I struggled to get 50 mpg. Now with summer temps I see high 50s and even higher if I try hard. I was not a Prius noobs when I picked up the GenIII but it took me awhile to figure out how to drive it efficiently.
