new Prius V owner here. I was wondering, is the official expected MPG based on Normal mode? Does Toyota give an expected MPG for ECO mode? If not, what is the typical observed improvement if you always use ECO? Also, for fun, has anyone here experimented to see what you'd get with a tank using only Power mode? Thanks! Thor
I didn't notice any difference between ECO and normal. Could be in very controlled conditions there's some advantage, but switching back to normal from an initial stint with ECO didn't impact our mpg at all.
welcome to priuschat! epa testing is not done like that. as far as what your mpg results are, it depends more on how you drive than it does what mode you use. if you have an uncontollably heavy foot, ecomode may help you. there are many threads on the differences in the modes and how they work. congrats on your new v, all the best!
Aside from the limits imposed by the ECO mode on heat/airconditioning (which will affect mpg), the biggest impact is the mapping of the throttle position. While climbing a hill, I turned off the ECO mode while keeping my foot steady on the gas pedal. The difference between Normal (no mode selected) and ECO was about 300 rpm. The gas pedal gets touchier as you move from ECO to Normal to Power and it's easier to get into higher rpms while climbing hills and therefore lose more mpg's vs. ECO mode. In ECO mode, I feel that I can more accurately use only the right amount of throttle (rpm) to maintain the speed. So, to answer the original question, it all depends on how accurate you can be with your foot. It all depends on you. As an aside, some people don't like ECO mode because it makes car's acceleration feel slugish. In the end, you still have the same amount of power available in all three modes but at different gas pedal positions.
Is it better to manually select eco mode? I have just been driving with a light foot without turning on any mode, but almost all the time I see either ev or eco lit up on the left of the screen. Didnt mean to hijack your thread, sorry.
Eco mode tries to moderate your A/C. if you use A/C year round, Eco mode will keep it from using as much energy. Other than that, the modes just effect throttle feel, not energy use.
I think ECO mode is only effective for a short period of time because you quickly adjust to it and end up pressing the gas pedal down further to build up speed. It's only effective if you choose to use it AND go slower as a result. You can accomplish the same thing in NORMAL or PWR modes.
What only ECO does accomplish is improved MPG in the winter... real winter, like Minnesota. It changes when the engine restarts while using the heater. Normally, the coolant threshold is 145*F. When you switch to ECO mode, it drops to 114*F. That makes a noticeable difference when driving using only electricity or waiting in slow/stopped traffic.
