My 2012 Prius v getting worse gas mileage now than when I bought it last Nov.

Did you check tire pressure?

 

I've been having the same issue the past couple of months, i've decided its the heavy ac use. Pumping my Michelin energy saver tires up to 42f/40r did not have much effect. i drive 90% in city/urban.
Try turning up your temperature dial to 78f and running in eco mode, this will prevent ac compressor from running at full speed and draining the big battery, resulting in the gas engine having to work harder to recharge it. if 78f feels too warm turn it down gradually until you reach a comfortable temp. I usually run auto climate control with ac on all the time, letting the ac come on and off as it needs to and adjust the temperature as needed.
I'm thinking the prius v ac compressor has to work harder as well to cool the larger interior space.

 

AC will cost you 3-5 mpg. You also must have changed your driving style, distances and/or destinations. Short trips will kill mileage. Learn how to "pulse and glide".

 

welcome to priuschat! how many miles on her?

 

C A Stark – Welcome to the Hybrid “Hive,” and the Fight In The War On Petrol Terrori$m, One Gallon Of Motor Fuel Not Consumed At A Time.

It would be helpful if you shared what geo-location you are operating your fuel-sipper in, and the summertime ambient temperature conditions there, and your normal City%/Mixed%/Highway% driving-operating profile. For openers, I shall assume you are a Newbie who "Just Drives It" rather than "Drives It Hybrid $mart."

First, do not take anything personal in the comments and tips-suggestions that follow. Over the years on this forum, we have heard many "My Prius Must Be Broke 'because I Am Getting Yadda, Yadda...MPGs" anecdotal reports that end up finding the source of the problem is located directly rearward of the steering wheel.

If you are up for a studied read, I invite you to visit the 10 Tips & Best Practices Guide linked in my signature. It is worth a visit, and you spending some time to sit down and plow through it to do a little Hybrid Fuel Economy homework.

FWIW FYI: I am piloting a 2012 Prius v(vee) Five ATP. I drive it “Hybrid $mart.” My lifetime Per Tank-Full MPG Fuel Economy is running at 130±% of Official EPA Fuel Economy. My odometer is reading 15,000+ miles, and I am half way through my second Summer Season of operation here in Florida, where Air Conditioning use is a necessity for staying cool and comfortable. I never had a need to use the HVAC Heater Mode during the Winter Season.

Here is my Pre-Operative Set-Up, A/C Settings, and a Thumbnail of my Driving Profile: Tires Up-Pressured to 51 Front/50 Rear (51 PSI is Manufacturer’s Max Sidewall PSI). I operate in the ECO Mode 99.9% of the time. I operate in the “GREEN Lines” portion of the HSI 99.9% of the time. I use the EV Mode to accelerate from Red Lights/Stop Signs up to 25 MPH, where the HSD then automatically switches back into ECO, and continues in GREEN Line acceleration. I coast and brake REGEN whenever I can. I anticipate Traffic Lights, and drive accordingly. I drive at or just below the Max Posted Speed Limit. I run the A/C at 70°F w/ 3-4 Bars On The Fan.

I think one has to work hard to get the Prius v(vee) to deliver MPGs in the 30s. The inherent full economy of the 1.8L I-4 98hp 2ZR-FXE engine is in the mid-30s. Therefore, the 37 MPG you report tells me that the 1.8 Liter ICE is running almost full-time. That could be because you are driving and operating in such as way so as to cause the Hybrid Synergy Drive “Gremlins” to turn the engine on for propulsion power or to charge the Traction Battery more frequently or for an energy related sumthin’ compared to operators like me who drive to keep the ICE shut off and its operation minimized as much as possible.

Catgic says: ICE RUNNING… DECREASED MPGs. ICE OFF… INCREASED MPGs… THERE IS “NO FREE ENERGY LUNCH.”

Give your Pre-Operative Set-Ups and A/C & Fan Speed Settings a quick review, and transition to “Driving Hybrid $mart,” and away from the Gas-To-Go/Brake-To-Stop driving habits you used driving the conventional vehicle your Prius v(vee) replaced.

Do this beginning on you next Tank-Full Fill Up, reset the Trip A or B, drive it and (hopefully) report back to us with the news, “The MID is now showing MPGs in the 40s.”

 

Hi All:

If you follow Catgic's recommendations of "hybrid driving," you will be surprised at how well your Prius responds and the great gas mileage it can produce.

I never touch the "drive" buttons on the seat divider and set my a/c at 80. My home setting is 78 and seems about right, but when I first set my Prius to 78, it was too cold. The 80 setting seems fine and is not a sacrifice to save fuel. I live near Sacramento, CA. and our summer temperatures are between 90 and 100 degrees. At present, I am getting 44.6 mpg by following what Catgic recommends, especially checking red lights well ahead to avoid a lot of braking and start up to recover lost speed.

Coasting along without a heavy foot reveals a lot of 99.9 mpg dashboard readings and, in the end, produces some very acceptable gas mileage results.

Happy driving,

Jack

 

Climates vary as well as comfort levels obviously. In my locale summer temperatures rarely break 90 and overnight summer temps average not much more than 60. Maybe living so far north my blood is thicker than the average SO Cal resident, i get uncomfortable if my cabin temperature is any more than 78f. In my experience it seems the climate control system does not just react to interior cabin temperature but also senses outside temperature as well and adjusts climate control accordingly. I've noticed this especially on road trips where outside temperature varies by several degrees along the way, the climate control system will react by adjusting vent/fan settings even before a change in cabin temperature is felt.

I agree on the driving methods, though i have not dedicated time yet to fully read catgic's driving lessons i have picked up tips along the way, and driving without brakes, anticipating stops is one of the easiest techniques to master in my opinion and seems to carry over to all vehicles. Drove the company work truck(Ford F450 diesel) today to a job site and back and managed to boost its average mpg from 8.6 to 8.8mpg.

 

I had my first oil change going on 12,300 miles and I am getting between 53-60 mpg. My advice go easy on the take off at stop lights and stops. Acelarate up to the speed limit and let it cruise by releasing the pedal. I notice I get the best mileage running between 30-40 miles per hour. On the freeway I am getting 47-48 mpg not going over 70mph if you could drive at 60mph you will get near 50mpg. Aircon at 68-70 degrees haven't take much mpg out of my car except during freeway driving in which I get 44-46mpg.

 

Is 37mpg showing on your ODO average? Try going to Trip A or Trip B for your current mpg average. I was fooled too with this and thought, what!. Then I switched to Trip A or B and the mpg was higher. In the ODO average mpg, it just gets you the whole odometer reading thereby decreasing the mpg average instead of just getting the average in the last 2-4K miles. Like Catgic said, reset trip A and B.

 

Yeah, try that and I still get very good mpg's. Except when my wife drives the car. Maybe you live in a place with lots of hills? or mainly freeway. You need to make sure to take off slowly and release the gas pedal, taking advantage of cruising. I know its a pain in the nice person but going fast will bring down your mpgs to around 40. You may want to have the car check as well by the dealer. Also, have you replace the tires or rims? Some people make that mistake and end up reducing the mpgs by 4-5 mileage less.

 

First reply, hope I can help. I consider myself still somewhat of a newbie, and driving the Prius takes a while to get use to, and even longer to see the incredible mileage it is capable of giving. I ramble about in life in the central ohio area, and split time 50-50 between highway and city driving. Stop and go traffic will take its toll if not done the, 'Hybrid way'. I too excelerate much slower than before, sometimes irritating those behind me that need to leave for work maybe a few minutes earlier. I often find them wasting gas with jack rabbit starts only to pull up behind them at the next red light, again, wasting gas as their ICE continues to idle. With the Prius, I have also learned to drive more... intelligently. Finding a crosswalk signal which would indicate a light is about to turn red way before it even turns yellow. (Although unfortunately these are not standard even in my own community about the time of progression, but running the same route frequently will pay off.) This in itself tells me when to back off the gas sooner to allow the traction battery a chance to recharge, or to coast so I will not lose momentum by coming to a dead stop. Keeping an eye on the bar in the HSI is a real learning curve. As mentioned before, check out the many ways to gauge when to use the ICE, the battery alone, or just coast. It really takes effort to get great milage, I have been averaging ~ 63MPG this summer as opposed to ~ 54 last. The car is way too technical for me to try to diagnose a problem that may be occurring, so I would take it to the dealer personally. Good luck and may your MPG continue to rise rather than fall.

 

If you follow Catgic's recommendations of "hybrid driving," you will be surprised at how well your Prius responds and the great gas mileage it can produce.

I never touch the "drive" buttons on the seat divider and set my a/c at 80. My home setting is 78 and seems about right, but when I first set my Prius to 78, it was too cold. The 80 setting seems fine and is not a sacrifice to save fuel. I live near Sacramento, CA. and our summer temperatures are between 90 and 100 degrees. At present, I am getting 44.6 mpg by following what Catgic recommends, especially checking red lights well ahead to avoid a lot of braking and start up to recover lost speed.

Coasting along without a heavy foot reveals a lot of 99.9 mpg dashboard readings and, in the end, produces some very acceptable gas mileage results.

Happy driving,

Jack

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I have just returned from a road trip to northern Georgia from Tampa. I always use non-ethanol gasoline. My highway average was 53 mpg especially through that crazy Atlanta) and in the mountains (coasting down is fun) I averaged 64 mpg. The gas station attendant in Valdosta shared a story of a woman who complained her (older) Prius got 46, until she started using non-ethanol. Now, she's getting 52. Look it up on the internet and find a station close to you. Rarely will you find it in standard stations, more likely you'll find it at "mom and pop" stations. Call first, some are not open on Sundays.

Happy motoring!
Charlie

 

Often it takes two or three tank fulls for the correct mileage to surface, but 40-38ish for air pressure is a good start, then simply drive the speed limit and relax.

 

I believe it. Unfortunately pretty hard to find the stuff anymore. Only place to get it in my locale are a few premium gasolines, chevron 94, shell v-power, etc which costs 15 cents more per liter than regular so kinda would cancel out the ethanol free savings.

 

Same here. The best I've got out of it is 42..on freeway. City drops to between 36-39. Have had it for 20+ months.

 

I have to go out in the cold to see what the heck my tire pressures are now. When I mounted the snows, it was milder last month, and temps are now 20's and low 30's. I do have a compressor with gauge, so it won't be that bad.

During the winter we could have a temperature range of between minus 20 degrees and as high as near 50 on rare occasion. I'd hate to have too much pressure in the tires that would promote wear, less footprint, and possibly something worse.

I see someone has 51/50 in theirs. Mostly what I've read is somewhere around 40/38 is good. Do most people get the tp up to around 40?

 

I recently completed a round trip from SC to NY for Thanksgiving. I'm still on the tank of gas I filled up with in NC, but I was impressed with my mileage I achieved during the trip. Not including my current tank, I drove 1364.4 miles on 32.29 gallons of gas = 42.25 mpg! What's impressive is I didn't hypermile at all and kept speeds mostly between 60 and 75, depending on traffic and speed limit, and saw a high of 81 mph passing slow vehicles or keeping with traffic flow on I-95. I estimate just under 100 miles were "city" and remainder was all highway speeds. Temps ranged from 28 - 50 degrees and I had full grill block applied. I suspect the v is less influenced by cold weather than the liftback. I was disappointed on the first tank at just over 38 mpg, but temps were in the 30's and I was heading into a stiff headwind. After that things were back to normal. When I finish this tank is a day or two, my average should creep up a bit for the trip. I did remove the grill block since temps have been warmer with some 70+ degree days. Looking at the extended weather forecast, I plan grill block again by mid-next week.

 

Impressive highway mpg's