What is your Real World Fuel Economy

The 0.4 factor is my typical experience as well, average error 8%, over 2 years of calcs. One reason I can think of for a single tank anomally is just that the pump shut off a little early, something like that. I mean, if there's one thing you can always count on, it's Toyota's displayed mpg or liters/100km being very optimistic.

Actually, I'd heard the c and v were better in that regard, more accurate. Maybe not?

 

Thursday we drove 430 miles, from home to Pigeon Forge, all interstates with several mountains. Calculated mileage was just a shade over 50. Drove posted speeds with headwind for 150 miles. Temperature was 50 degrees with unblocked grille. Will head back home tomorrow. I am always happy being on the north side of 40 mpg. 50 plus is like eating good ice cream.
Dan

 

yup, 49mpg all highway here and bad roads, hilly, some wind and still below freezing. Pretty happy and can't wait for summer.

 

That is quite possibly the longest sentence I have ever read . Thanks for the information though, and to all who have responded on this thread.

 

Approaching 10,000 miles - getting the "maintenance" warning.

Average MPG via Fuelly is 50+. I still smile every time I see the MPG on my display - even if it is a trifle optimistic.
Fuelly averages approximately 3 miles lower than the C's display.

 

Wifes 2001 Voyager with all in town driving/commuting...13 mpg, 2011 Prius...49....the mpg differences has the Prius saving enough fuel to make its own $280 a month lease payments when gas is $4 a gallon.

I took her car for a 170 mile trip with the cruise set at 55 and got an incredible high 60. The same trip at 50 mph netted an even high 62! Needless to say, she does not drive like me. I never did those trips by sticking it in N to coast either, so I am sure I can do better yet. I hypermile a 95 Neon and if I coast (about 10% on the highway) it jumps from 43 mpg to 46! The Neon has some simple mods to get better mpg and better 1/4 mile times. It started at 39 at 55...a slightly larger exhaust with cheap V8 chevy muffler and home made CAI got it to 40...43 removing the power steering and then 46 while coasting. Now, if I could engineer a 50 hp electric wheel motor at the back to move it at low speeds and away from lights I could get better, but the extra wt would slow the car down.

 

Too bad I was relying on my not so great memory on my real world mpg...my 60+ should have read 62.1 while my 62+ should have read 63.7!

 

So may be I am an exception. My computer tells me 46 to 47 MPG. The actual MPG is usually 2 to 3 miles lower, i.e., 43 to 44 MPG. My driving is 50% city and 50% highway. I got Prius last October, so I have yet to experience summer MPG. As a Chicago driver, I had to run heat pretty much all the time this winter.

Prius is definitely more than twice better than my V6 Highlander, but other smaller cars, e.g., Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra, are getting pretty close to Prius MPG and they don't have hybrid premium attached to them.

 

That is not correct. Those non-hybrids can't even match the Prius in highway mpg let alone combined (city and highway) mpg. Their city mpg is still in the high 20s so their average ends up being in the high 20s to mid 30s at best for most drivers. If you live on a freeway and do a LNG commute then they can be very efficient. Then again, the Prius in summer weather can be downright outstanding on the freeway at 55+mpg.

Check Fuelly.com for comparisons or visit the respective forums. Especially the Cruze forums. lol

 

Rameses, slow down and you'll start to see much more of the real world difference. It sounds like you're doing 80+ mph all the time to be getting 43 or 44 mpg, or at least 75+ mph in really cold weather. At the speed you're going, a Civic or Elantra wouldn't get anywhere near their EPA estimates, either, which you're probably using for comparison. They'd be lucky to get 30 or 32 mpg.

 

In all honesty, Prius has really changed my driving style. I usually stay between 55 and 70 on highways; usually, on the lower side. In city, there is no way I can do 40+ mph. I am hoping to get better mpg this summer. I honestly don't understand how people get 50+ mpg consistently on Prius.

 

Lots of different factors involved, including speeds, tire inflation, wind, driving style. Your freeway travel is going to decrease your average since the C was designed more for City driving.

 

As a non-hybrid owner, who's combined MPG average is about 26-28 MPG, I can and have always said, Prius drivers have it great.

I think you do become spoiled. On my best day, full highway, I'm NOT going to get what Prius drivers would be upset about on their worst day.

And that's the reality of full ICE vs. Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Keep in mind and perspective that I'm driving a Honda Fit, which IS considered an economical and fuel efficient vehicle.

 

The Prius C has it easier than the Prius in the city and slower highway. But at a true 55 mph you should easily see over 50 mpgs, unless your temperatures are consistently below 55 degrees or you drive uphill both ways in the snow barefoot. I have noticed that when the temp is above 50 my mpgs start shooting up quickly.

 

I hear you man. I used to own a first gen honda fit. Bought it new in 08, 5spd sport model. Sold it 4.5 years later with 200,00okm on the clock. The last couple of years I kept better track of fuel economy with the car I could manage 38mpg on road trips in the summer. My average day to day half and half hwy/city was closer to your 26-28. I did tend to drive that car with my foot on the floor all the time though as it seemed to like it that way, always begging to go faster in the corners.

Since purchasing my prius v i've completely changed my driving character and feel much more relaxed and happy to drive along in the slow lane. And on a bad day in the nastiest of city traffic i'm still beating my fit's best mpg, lovin it!

 

Had a lovely in-city drive today - running errands - 36 miles - light traffic, lots of P&G, averaged 61.9. And it was cold to boot! And frankly I am worried because I added some aftermarket wheels that might be messing up my mileage!

 

Since 75% of my driving is done on the highway, my city driving doesn't affect my mileage. I noticed that in medium temps, around 65-75 degrees, I will get around 53 mpg if I stick to 60 mph. Dropping to a max of 55 mph nets me around 58 mpg.

There are certain areas on the highway where I see my 5 min consumption showing 70 to 80 mpg doing 55 to 60, much better than any city mileage I've ever gotten.

 

The numbers you are quoting ring very true to my experience.