:-( How do I teach my dad to drive more efficiently?

You can't make people do anything.

Unless he is unhappy with it and wants to improve, he won't. Simple as that. Music and emotions play heavily into driving style as well. Next time you guys are out driving together, try listening to Radio 3. He will probably drive a little more calmly and efficiently then if her were listening to 1Xtra or something...

 

Explain to him that he doesn't have to pay for new brakes if he uses the regen brakes instead. Maybe he will like that

But honestly, if he drove a typical ICE vehicle, he would get much worse MPG than advertised in that car as well. So at least he is getting the 39.7. In other "fuel efficient" cars he would probably get about 18 mpg or something in the city. Some people dont want to drive slow.

 

What was he driving before the Prius?

 

Nothing you can do or try to do other than what you did, get him to drive the most fuel efficient car possible.

He must floor it, drive fast and brake hard to get that low a number for a car rated 45 mpg in normal driving.

 

What type of driving does he do? If you're driving a Prius for only 5-10 minutes at a time the engine never really warms up and you're barely gonna get 30mpg in the winter... Besides, 39mpg is great gas mileage compared to almost every other car on the road and it's good enough if only because you can't teach an old do new tricks.

But if you want to impress him ask him if you can drive next time you're with him and reset the mpg meter once you get up to between 43 and 53 miles per hour and make sure the trip is primarily at those speeds and then when your done driving show him how you can get 65mpg / more than double what he's getting... And if that doesn't inspire him nothing will...

 

Advise him not to use "B". Other than that, only time and making a game of watching the Energy and Consumption displays will change him. Don't worry, be happy :_>

 

I think if he does not use B mode, the only thing you can cherish is that MPG wise, a prius is better than a Hummer for him. Dad is Dad, whatever makes him happy, that is all you care.

 

lol when I saw the title I was gonna enter that you should charge him £50/$90 to fill the car, thinking you were would of our American friends. But as you're from this side of the pond you'll already be paying that.

So how do we slow your dad down? Hmmm, tricky one. He's not an Audi driver is he? If he still drives too fast despite the cost of fuel then I fear he's beyond redemption

 

As a dad of a son who has been inspired to play the game of higher mpg's, I would say being an example as someone else said is a good approach. My son and I are helping one another learn how to drive more energy efficiently. It has come from conversations about the benefits of lower costs for fuel and maintenance/repairs and being ever aware of the current mpg/driving conditions, and the overall average mpg for the trip or the tank.

I absolutely love filling the tank with $25 instead of the $70-80 it took in the Explorer. It has been liberating knowing my monthly gas bill is a third of what it was. The fact that the efficiency of the car contributes to less pollution was not my primary interest but I quite happy it is a benefit that comes along with saving me money. And my early twenties son has transitioned from being a gas hog minded driver to a mpg warrior preferring to drive at 55 mph while seeing the 52-55 mpg readout and then watching it run up to 99 mpg while slowing sooner for a turn or stop.

Watching the mpg bars or the current mpg readout gives instant feedback to driving behavior that I believe quite naturally motivates one to play the game, unless one is intent on getting the worst results he can, which the readouts can also indicate. With the kind of results your father is getting, this could be possible. But he is still getting much better mpg than he would in anything else driving the same way. Maybe it will just take time for him to come around, especially if he feels at all pressured. The pleasure of saving money is a powerful motivator that most cannot resist.

 

I don't think there is anything you can do other than showing him the car is capable of much better results. Its then up to him to embrace the possibilities and want to learn. My wife is just fine with her 41-45 MPG she gets in our 2005, even though when i drive it I can get 47-50. To her its not worth the time or effort.
Go on fuelly and just show him some of peoples mpg averages with the same car and let him decide if its something HE wants to achieve

 

I wouldn't worry about it.

If your father has seen that you can get better mpg on the car but is not motivated to figure out how you do it, then why should you care?

 

If he has shown an interest in improving his fuel economy and has asked you for advice, give him your advice. If not, lighten up.