Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon...) Wagon (only) MPG - Please Post Your Results

Last week I took the snow tires off and this week I changed my oil and my mileage went up to 46.6 mpg on my last tank of gas.

 

Have had my snow tires off for a couple of weeks now, had an oil change, and the weather is much warmer (not below freezing like it was all winter) and my mileage has increased substantially. Now averaging 4.8 L/100km (about 50 mpg). Now with the good weather I expect even better. Loving by "V".

 

41.1mpg for our first tank
90% highway

 

Year of vehicle: 2013
Date: May 13, 2013
Miles driven: 7300
Gallons Pumped: ?
Hand-Calculated MPG: ?
Displayed MPG: 42.7
Average Speed: 58
Tire Size / Wheel size: 17
Tire Brand / Model: ?
Tire PSI (Front / Back): Factory
Seasonal Conditions: (please include A/C usage and temp setting if applicable) A/C on all the time, 75-80 degrees
Commute Length: 70 miles
Hypermiling Techniques: none

 

Driving my car from the dealer in Atlanta to my home in Canada: some 1300 miles, average MPG was 38.6.

Obviously, I drove 95% highway and using gas-to-go, brake-to-stop usual driving technique.

Until I came to this thread, which linked to the " 10 Hybrid Basics & Best Practices Tips Guide To "Hybrid $mart" Prius Ultra High MPG
EcoDriving & Pseudo-Hypermiling
For Non-Hypermilers" website.

Am I to believe that I really need to inflate my OEM 17" Toyo tires to their maximum PSI of 51?

I'll definitely look into that and changing my driving habits. I have to admit that I didn't particularly enjoy the writing style of the author; it could have been more concise and to the point. I'm not really sure where to begin. What I was able to grasp so far is:

- that I should opt for 71 MPH cruise control on the highway with AC off;
- maximize 99.9 MPG coasting
- brake ever so lightly

Any other tips welcome.

 

I don't do any of those things and am still in the mid 40s

 

Argh! So close to that magical 600 mile tank!

Year of vehicle: 2012
Date: May 14, 2013
Miles driven: 22,000
Gallons Pumped: 10.614
Hand-Calculated MPG: 55.6
Displayed MPG: 58.9
Average Speed: probably 50mph - highway speed limit is 60mph, but traffic precludes me from going that fast.
Tire Size / Wheel size: 16
Tire Brand / Model: stock
Tire PSI (Front / Back): 41/40
Seasonal Conditions: 65-80 degrees
Commute Length: 100 mile round trip
Hypermiling Techniques: Econ button on most of the tank. Try to keep it at ~40mph on the back roads to maximize electric time.

 

Very nice! Did you drive past 0 Miles remaining? Is so, by how much? I'm on track (405+165) for 570 miles the next few days. But, I'm only averaging 55.9 mpg.

 

I drove about 4 miles past the 0 mile range. I'm guessing I could have gone 600 since I only put 10.6g in, but really would hate to run out of gas -- the last pip when dark just as I pulled into the service station.

My tank right now shows 105 miles travelled and a 500 mile range remaining so maybe this one will be it.

 

Nah. Grandma driving is keeping it as low as it goes to get the best gas mileage consistently, driving other drivers nuts. Iwent down to 39 when flooring it, I get 39 now. When she is in the 40's, she tends to stay around there.

 

iPhone ?

 

PAT767 - I am disappointed that you you did not enjoy the writing style used in my 10 Tips Guide. However, I am pleased you took the effort to plow through it and obtained some instructive and useful information. Part of the excuse for the style is that it is partly a homily and partly instructive. I shall not apologize for it because I warn the reader at the beginning of the treatise.

It is your call on Up-Pressuring your Low Profile Toyos to the Max Side Wall PSI spec of the manufacturer. Doing so will give you incremental MPGs. However, the higher numbers will come along with "Feeling The Road Much More." My wife would prefer that I would opt to keep the "Cold PSI" at the Toyota Door Post PSIs because of the cushier ride that comes with the lower PSIs --- But she is a tolerant Darling Bride, and permits me to run at 51F/50R PSI. However, she does demands that HVAC A/C Cooling be used when the ambient temperature here in Florida creeps into the mid 70-degrees fahrenheit and above --- Alas, a catering to a cool and comfortable wife is a small price to pay in added fuel consumption.

>> Opting for a 71 MPH Cruise Control Set-Speed when driving on nominally flat and level terrain will deliver you improved incremental fuel economy. 71 MPH is a nominalHigh Speed Interstate Travel "$weet $pot" that permits running at 1 MPH above 70 MPH Max Post Legal Speed on the Interstate Highways, while running at an Optimal Fuel Burn Rate. Running "Dead On" 69-70...72-73 MPH will probably give you similarly acceptable "$miles Per Miles" driven at Interstate travel speeds.
>> As I write, anytime you see 99.9 MPG displayed, you are getting "Infinite" MPG Fuel Economy (i.e. Zero Fuel Consumed Per Miles Traveled).
>> Using "Light Touch/Braking Ever So Lightly" keeps you in REGEN Braking and out of FRICTION Braking.

In closing --- A reminder of one useful Driving Technique Tip for you that I regularly use to save incremental fuel: Assuming you have the necessary reserve of Traction Battery Charge displayed on the MID, when you stop for a Red Light or Stop Sign, etcetera, push "EV Mode." Then when you start again, accelerate displaying 10-11 Green Bars. At 25 MPH the Hybrid Synergy Drive will switch out of the EV Mode, and keep you accelerating in the GREEN BAR Eco Zone. This technique permits you to tap into and use "FREE" Traction Battery Charge that you reclaim and obtain from Regenerative Coasting & Braking during your regular on road travel without having to fire up the ICE (i.e. use fuel) to get you from 0 MPH to 25 MPH.

Have Fun... You Are Becoming "Hybrid $marter."

 

I apologize for not using the format however I don't have enough info yet since have only had to do one fill up thus far.

We have a 2013 Prius V Wagon Three, so far i have taken it on one trip that was 200 miles round trip, it was on mostly secondary roads going 55-60mph, 550 lbs of people on board including me, 15 percent stop and go and 30 percent ac use. I managed to get a displayed 49.9 mpg trip average on that trip. It was mostly in Eco mode, and I drive conservatively coasting when I can and trying to maximize the regen braking.

This tank thus far I have driven 252.4 miles, a mix of highway and a 5 mile commute and trips to town ect. Some ac use, my wife is driving it to work as well and im not sure how she drives it yet. This included one trip about 40 miles by highway where I drove 68-75 because I was late and one 5 mile trip to work where I floored it a few times. The rest was conservative driving. Well anyway we are getting an indicated 46.6mpg since last fill up. I am so excited to see how it hand calculates.

I did a 13 mile trip thru the country, no traffic hypermiling to the best of my ability, coasting to a stop going 35- 55 and I got an indicated 70mpg on that 13 mile trip. Elevation was within 75 feet at my destination however there were hills and whatnot along the way. I would love to see what I can get on a long hypermiling adventure!


We have a 2005 Sienna Awd which is a "Gas Guzzler" to me but many people I work with who mostly drive trucks and suvs always tell me They would love to get 22- 24mpg highway. Oh my...... Now anything under 40 will be terrible. I cant believe I was excited about getting 42.5 in my civic at one time!

 

No apology needed, whether you warn the reader or not. Your page contains a wealth if information and the reader comes out a winner, should he take the time to read it.

Being a technical person, I usually prefer straight instructions or information. Once I get the gist of it and I confirm it works, then the curious nature in me surfaces and I want to know more. That's when I enjoy reading more opinionated texts like yours. I shouldn't have said that I didn't enjoy your reading style. I didn't express myself correctly and for that I apologize.

I guess I was expecting a "Driving-a-HSD-for-the-First-Time" guide for dummies 101, with simple step-by-step instructions.

For example, I still don't quite understand how to "pulse and glide" correctly.

When I'm at a red light, I should go beyond the EV threshold and fill up all the green bars, staying clear of the PWR zone, until reaching desired cruise speed?

Then, I'd let it coast for a while with one regen chg bar lit up and apply some throttle as needed, keeping it in the EV range?

What about the highway? Same procedure maximizing green bars until reaching 71 MPH then set cruise control?

Thanks again for the initial coaching. So far, I'm averaging 49 MPG and I still have not adjusted tire pressure.

Also, for the initial start heat up period. Is there any way to go around that? I mean, it's been between 50-70 degrees outside in the last few days. Does the car really need to heat up that much?

Thanks again for your informative guide and once more, I apologize for the way I expressed myself.

 

Not as good as Marlon's but it will do...


Year of vehicle: 2012

Date: 5/18/13​

Miles driven: 570.9​

Gallons Pumped: 10.68​

Hand-Calculated MPG: 53.45​

Displayed MPG: 56.2​

Average Speed: Unknown -- 2012 doesn't keep track of it.​

Tire Size / Wheel size: Original 16"​

Tire Brand / Model: Original Yokohama Blue Earth S34​

Tire PSI (Front / Back): 48/45​

Seasonal Conditions: Temps in the mid 70's one week and mid 60's the next week. No A/C. Heat once in a while but only while in motion. ​

Commute Length: 65 roundtrip. 80% (25 of 32 miles) highway driven at the speed limit (60 mph)​

Hypermiling Techniques: Glide as much as possible for as long as possible (while maintaining 60+ mph) on downhills.​

Other: Ideal dry weather. Rush hour on one commute on the way home helped get 62 mpg for the trip. Otherwise, no traffic either way.​

 



PAT767 - Pulse & Glide (P&G) had its beginnings in Hypermiling Conventionally Powered Cars, before Hybrid Gas-Electric Cars were even around. The whole purpose behind P&G is as a technique to get a car quickly up to speed, then shut the engine off, and coast down the road with the engine off and consuming zero fuel while moving forward. While applying P&G to a Hybrid Car has some value in delivering incremental MPGs, it is a lesser important contributor to delivering extra MPGs with a Hybrid than it was and is to a conventional-powered car. 

The Hybrid Synergy Drive in the Prius lets you execute "Mini-Versions" of P&G when you are rolling-down-the-road-at-speed and see a reason up ahead, like a changing light, slowing traffic, etcetera to cause you to Coast-Glide, which I call "Pulse & Coast." Pulse & Coast permits you to "Pseudo-Glide" because the HSD Control Software in the Prius v(vee) HSD implementation is not really amenable to letting you get into a "True Glide Mode."

Whereas, the HSD in the old GEN II/2 2004-2009 Prius would permit you to easily put the iconic Prius into what I refer to in my 10 Tips Guide as " 'Free-Wheeling' Pure Coasting Mode – All Black Lines on MFD," it is very hard, if not impossible, to have the v(vee)'s 1.8-Liter Mit HSD let you get into a "Free-Wheeling, Gliding Mode." I would recommend that you try to utilize "Pulse & Coast" and not fight with the v(vee)'s 1.8-Liter HSD to attempt to achieve pure "Pulse & Glide" because achieving "Gliding" in a Prius v(vee) is very elusive.

Accelerating in EV Mode with all GREEN BARS illuminated is the way to go. After 25 MPH is reached, the HSD will fire up the ICE and keep on accelerating. I usually stay 1 or 2 GREEN BARS off MAX GREEN BARS because the HSD transition from EV Mode to ICE ON Mode can, at times, bump you up into the RED PWR (POWER) ZONE.

As far as Open-Road, Freeway/Interstate Driving goes, driving in ECO and staying in the GREEN ZONE is the MAX MPG ticket. In this “HIGHWAY” travel-criuse mode you are nominally running with the 1.8-Liter Engine Fired Up & Burning Fuel 99% of the time.

You are entering the “Hybrid Friendly” Temperatures Season up there in Canada. Stick with Driving & Thinking “Hybrid $mart,” and you will be breaking through the 50 MPG Barrier in no time. I am regularly running mid-50s MPG Tank-Fulls here in Florida’s "$uper Hybrid Friendly" High 50s-To-Low 80s Springtime Temperatures. Your 50-70 degrees Outside Ambient Temps will have you right behind me on your fuel economy numbers.

 

Interesting. There's no more "gliding" in the v? I've driven the gen3 once and i could still glide it. What's toyota's reason behind changing this characteristic when the gen3 and the v have practically the same HSD.

If one has a ScangaugeII installed, one way of identifying if a glide is happening (at least on my Gen2) is that "BTA" (amps in/out) is any number between 0 and +6 depending on the speed (higher speed, higher BTA). This will be alongside the "gps" (gas pedal pressure) reading of anywhere between 0 and 12 (again depending on speed) and, of course, depending on the SOC. A higher SOC would permit more pressure applied but still on a a no-arrow, glide state. So these two readings would coincide with the MFD's Energy screen showing the "no-arrows" state. But in reality, with the BTA gauge, there really is still some pack assist going on in a glide. The only way to really glide is to put it in N at speeds below 40mph.

So even in ECO mode, is it difficult to get it to glide? Maybe Toyota decided to narrow the sensitivity range for pack assist to happen due to the heavier body (?).

 

My Vee glides. I see : 0.00 GPH , 9999 mpg, arrows kind of jump back and forth, SOC decreases, and finally you can feel the ICE join in once the gas pedal is pushed. All of this at 60 MPH.

Isn't that a glide? I think that the Energy Display may be more finicky in sensing. Energy Display aside, it still glides.

 

I believe that's High Speed Warp Stealth where the ICE spins a bit (~960 rpm) while travelling above 41MPH with the MGs doing the work and keeping the momentum going.

Maybe one needs to be in ECO mode for the gas pedal to be less sensitive to inputs. That way, one can hold a glide better if the foot is not yet accustomed to glide pressure.

 

I've been getting around 46.6 mpg too. I do notice if the temperature goes higher I get closer to 50 mpg one week it got near 80 degrees. Lately Seattle weather has really sucked it hasn't even reached much above 50 degrees and my mileage is closer to 43 mpg this week.
I just wonder why the temperature effects the Prius so much?