I am a new Prius v Five owner, I have had it for 3-1/2 weeks and have put about 800 miles on it. I was very excited about the 40/44 MPG advertised but the average MPG displayed in my car is 38 and has been at that for a while (that is the highest it has been). I live in San Diego, CA with the temperature usually in the 70's - I drive with the windows down most of the time - and in a hilly neighborhood. I drive approximately 30% city & 70% highway. Any ideas why my MPG is not higher? Thank you!
You can check your tire pressure, but most of your mpg results is how you drive and your driving conditions. When it comes to mileage, the driver is the biggest variable, no matter what you drive. If this is your first hybrid, there is a lot of information in various PC forums that discuss driving tips and techniques.
The tires are the second biggest part of the formula. Minimum 38/37 PSI. But mostly you need to get used to driving it for best MPG, so give yourself some time. Also be aware that there are at least 3 different "average MPG" displays available to you, be sure you know which one you're looking at and how to use them all.
I question having the windows down. Much of the Prius advantage at higher speeds is aerodynamics, those are better with the windows up and A/C above 40 MPH. Will rolling down windows save fuel or not? As a driver, gentle braking, lots of coasting, and combining trips are good plans.
One recent poster said his v came standard with Michelin Energy Saver A/S which is a primo MPG tire. That would help.
The following questionnaire was written for regular liftbacks, but ought to apply to other models as well. It will give us more clues. Fuel economy complaints/queries? Please copy, paste & answer these questions, esp. if you're new
As already stated steep hills are a killer against your avg mpg. I have some pretty big hills (6~10% grade) that I deal with on some of my city travels. I try to find alternate routes that might be a bit more distance but are flatter to help fuel economy. Try and keep the speed down on the freeway if possible.
Thank you all very much for your feedback, tips, and ideas! My house is up a steep hill so I am driving up the hill frequently, which of course means I am in Power Mode. And San Diego is hilly so it's not just my neighborhood when I am forced to go into Power Mode. I checked my tire pressure and it's at 37 PSI now, though the tires say they can be a max of 51. I think I am going to add about 10 lbs and see what happens with my average MPG over the next week or so. My brother owns a Prius and advised me to be gentle on the gas petal and try to stay in Eco Mode as much as possible, which I have been focusing on lately (though it hasn't changed my average MPG from 38, unfortunately). I will keep working at it! Thanks again everyone.
Power Mode is a personal preference, not something forced by any hills. The available power does not change, only the feel of the gas pedal changes. The car will climb the exact same hills in PWR, ECO, and Normal modes. Some of us, especially those of us with less precise motor control, do better with ECO. (It also alters AC and cruise control in ways that should slightly help mpg, in theory.) But others do better with Normal or PWR mode. It is your choice, don't fret this factor too much.
Not sure if this was mentioned, but have you reset your A and/or B trip mileage meters? I do this at every fill-up so I can see how my mpg average is holding up from one tank to the next. Also register and record your mileage and gas used on fuelly.com to track your progress.
Very good point in resetting Trip A or B. Also, the OP may be looking at the average MPG while in the ODO setting which will always show the lowest average MPG.
Terrain can also be a big factor when talking about average MPG and hills are the worst case scenario. Check it out in the flats and use cruise control. See what you'll get using trip A or B.
Brake evenly on your way down the hill instead of all at once at the bottom. You'll regen way more power that way and save your friction brakes.
