Improve braking Score?

I'd pay more attention to MPG than the score. I got 85.7 driving to work the other day, yet it only gave me 76 points. I don't even look at it any more.

 

I had the same issue (and I drive a Prius since 2009....); another user gave a tip and I experimented and it works: you need to really brake slowly and long. Essentially you push the brake pedal a bit more than regen will already do when releasing the gas pedal, and come to a stop. This is often not possible for a few reasons:
- sudden braking necessary
- not enough distance to come to a stop with so little braking
- you simply forget to do it and break as usual

Essentially the best braking is very slow, generating low constant currents. Braking with a full CHG area would lead to believe that is something the HSD likes, but clearly from the score one gets when doing that, not really....

 

If you go to the topic in this forum "Dashboard setup for economical driving" (sorry, can't post a link for some reason) if you setup your car to use the gauge on the right you can monitor regenerative braking. If it goes below the dotted line you are on friction brakes. It's a fantastic training tool.

 

5 months of driving, and only one time did I get the best braking "score." Like others have said, I don't think it's that important. I get more enjoyment by just driving my Prius like a regular car.

 

Generally, the longer you coast before applying gentle brakes, the better the odds of getting a 5 star score.

Conversely, I live on a hill and never even touch the "go" pedal to get up to speed when leaving the house. Yet, it will never award me with more than a 4 star acceleration score in this circumstance. Go figure.

 

Exactly. I think that "score" thing is somewhat of a gimmick. I think Toyota could have left that out.

 

If you are increasing speed while off the accelerator I believe the car considers this coasting. So you score good/bad is when you are directing acceleration via the pedal... and I think that most of that score is the initial acceleration since the last stop.

 

I'll go with that. Funny how we game this car and try to figure out what makes her tick.

 

Amen - I see no utiliy in the score. My mileage does not correlate at all with score. I bought the car for mileage, not as a gaming system.

Now - if the score was sophisticated enough to pick out where you could improve mileage, consistently, and overall for your trip, then it could be a useful tool. But as it stands, it appears to be only a gimmick.

 

Interesting discussion.

 

I know nothing.

I drive 100% of the time in the PWR mode.

(61 MPG)

 

About the dotted line, I didn't know that and it is not mentioned in the user's manual. In Gen3 if you were braking more after filling the CHG area, that would mean "friction" braking.
I have been driving the car now for 6000km // 3700mi and for braking I still don't get it what it wants us to do to give us a 5. Honestly I am not watching it much anymore I am more concerned about overall consumption which is easily around 58MPG, if not more, and on the highways at EU speeds, including traffic jams, and going faster when possible (around 150km/h // 90mph), I get easily 45-48mpg.