Well i have a 06 prius package 8. I bought it the first week in january and it has almost 2,000 miles on it. Ive been reading around about the mpg. mine has recently dropped to a all time low of 36.1 is that bad? i was talking with my mom and she said that there is a way that you can turn off the car by starting or turning the car off with out pressing the break is that true? and i dont understand about the auto AC thing and the heat. I havent read through my manul yet. any tips you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure im getting the best out of my car.
We can help better if we know where you live for climate and terrain issues. Also, do you drive a lot of short trips or longer trips?
You don't say where you live. Weather/temp can effect mileage. Also tire pressure. Also driving habits. Read the manual. And then do some searching and reading here at Priuschat. If you do a lot of hwy driving....try 60-65 mph for a while. If you do a lot of city driving...start a longer coast to stoplights and a gentle acceleration when it turns green. Your search will eventually bring up "pulse and glide". You may not be ready for that yet. Find the consumption screen, relax and let the car teach you how to drive more economically.
You can turn off the car without pressing the brake or the Park button. Automatic A/C Means you set a temperature and the car will automatically adjusts the amount and location of the air flow to match that temperature. 36.1 is not bad. it depends on a lot of factors: commute, tire pressure, temperature, driving habits, etc etc. my 1993 Audi 100 got 17.4 mpg. Now that's bad.
Well im from Minnesota. and Im 18 and ive been driving since october so im not the best driver. I drive a lot in the suburbs i guess, so there is a lot of stop and go. i go use the freeway probbly a couple times a week. Ive foudn that the coasting helps. so i was also reading as the more miles the car gets, the better millage it will get. When do you guys find when the battery kicks in, so you are just using the battery?
another quick question. what do i need to hook up my IPOD and where can i buy it. I thought i had the right plug but i dont. and does the ipod like show up on the screen? and can you change songs with the steering wheel?
It's an 1/8" stereo to 1/8" stereo cable. Radio shack has it for about $5. It won't display on the screen, and you can't change it from the steering wheel. They compromised such controls in order to make it work with any MP3 player, not just the iPod.
Well, I am no expert on driving the Prius since I just purchased mine a week ago. I have been going back and forth between watching the consumption and energy screens. Passengers seem to dig the picture of what is going on with the engine/motor/battery the best, but I find it distracting under most circumstances. I live in a completely different climate than you do and am getting an average 45.5 MPG thus far. I have read here on PC that cold weather and "winter gas" can seriously lower the MPG. Given your age and time behind the wheel and the winter conditions, my advice is to concentrate on improving your general driving skills for now while you read more here. Come Spring/Summer, you'll be ready to practice specific techniques for the Prius. ENJOY YOUR CAR!!!!
Clipper: 1. Read the manual, at least the sections of it that apply to your option package and situation (you may not care about child car seats, etc.). Walker1: 2. Why do you want to turn the car off without using the brake?
Mileage goes down on all cars during the winter months because it takes more energy to run them. Most cars don't have a display that tells people that their mileage sucks in the winter. The heater stays on longer, the engine block gets colder faster. The cold weather can also affect tire pressure. Being 18, you may be driving too fast and acclerating too quickly from stops. The Prius is a great car to teach you how to drive as effectively as possible, from a mileage viewpoint. Drive slower, anticipate stops and work at not reacting to other drivers. I've been getting 46-47 mpg this winter which is quite a difference from the 55-56 mpg that I got during the summer.
Minnesota? Wait 'till May. MPGs go up from there. You are fighting a losing thermodynamic law: cold weather affects you and EVERY gas-powered vehicle out there. No fault of your own, just realize not everyone has access to how bad their mileage is. You stare at it every day on the touchscreen! Just enjoy the car...work on MPGs when it warms.
The Prius seems more sensitive than our other cars to cold. Perhaps this is because it is more battery power dependent and the battery is colder, thus lower capacity? FWIW, we're at about half full on our second tank and had been doing a pretty steady 40.5 mpg in local stop and go driving (40-50 outside). Temps have plunged and we're now at 38.5 in just two day (maybe 20 miles) of driving. Lost another 15 degrees last night, and expecting worse tonight. Sounds like I'll be in the 36 mpg range soon. So the cold does have an immediate negative impact. Any other Washingtonians seeing mileage plummet along with the temps?
---------------------------------- <It's an 1/8" stereo to 1/8" stereo cable> Please tell me: Where does the plug go in on the dash? I have a new 06, pkg 6 I did try the manual, print to small for old eyes. Wish the manual was on the net I could enlarge it. Thanks Bill
Open your center console--- front side, bottom right corner, small jack. Near 12V power. I got my cord for my Zen @ Walmart: $4.50 or so, Belkin. I got 6' cord so I can leave Zen pretty much anywhere in the can connected. Once connected, press AUX on stero- should be aux/DC button.
Hi Clipper. There's a few things to consider here. It's winter now, and the cold weather has a negative effect on mileage, just like any car. You're in minnesota, which is much colder than most other parts of the country... Another thing to remember is that all gasoline in Minnesota is really E10, which means 10% ethanol and only 90% gasoline. This will manifest itself as lower mileage all year round than if you were running on 100% gasoline since ethanol doesn't carry as much energy. I think you should check out this site: http://john1701a.com/ John is a fellow minnesotan who's a very seasoned Prius driver. He's been through a bunch of harsh winters, and knows what to expect when it comes to mileage. Even with all of the experience, you can see that this January, he's only getting about 44 MPG, so don't fret. Your mileage will go up as it warms up, and it will go up as the car breaks in and you learn how to drive it better. Good luck.
Ya gotta read the manual. Gotta. Gotta. Gotta. That's step one of getting the best out of your car. Then you'll want to use the Search capability here at PC to find posts on specific questions. You do know there is a whole forum dedicated to mileage? There might be a zillion or so posts there on getting good mileage. I'm not busting on you, just reminding you that many people have asked your questions and they've gotten good answers. Reading those good answers is a great thing. Enjoy your Prius. It's fun. Btw, go ahead and update your profile to indicate your location. Everyone should do that.
Heck, today alone was enough to qualify! It was -6F, along with a fierce wind. Just slowing down from 70 to 60 MPH on the highway was enough to put the charge-level for the battery-pack into the green. That never happens when it is warmer. Anywho, it was still green when I exited into the city... which pushed the stored electricity even higher. That (after turning the heater off, since I was at my destination) allowed me to climb *UP* the parking ramp 5 full levels entirely in stealth. It was pretty sweet! The Multi-Display currently say 42 MPG. That's great considering the fuel and the cold.
