That's what I figured from seat of the pants observations. Not just in the Prius, either. Murder on a motorcycle.
I had to go to another office then past two weeks -- 35 miles each way ..... was getting 61mpg in city ... medium traffic on the highway. Going over 70mph .. cuts into mpg.
Apparently due to my high elevation 4500ft (or my crap driving skill) I cannot mange to get more than 540mi out of a single tank and keep in mind that once I had to fill up 10.2 gallons once. I get you need to keep it out of the red but I mean I can't justify obstructing traffic to do so. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Never mind the miles per tank. Different people have vastly different definitions of 'tank' without actually running dry. Instead, what is your MPG? That elevation in itself doesn't hurt MPG at all, it should actually help a bit. Terrain and conditions, including those often associated with mountains, are a different matter.
My miles to empty estimate and the fuel tank gauge both are synced to be wrong. Once it has passed zero point barrier (lol) I'm not sure how long the car will go and don't want to find out.. I travel several mountainous roads and such so cruise only helps sometimes. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Toyota has a built-in buffer so the low fuel light comes on when there's a few litres left. It used to be 10 litres (approx 2.5 gal) but I think that has shrunk to 8 litres (2.1 gal) for Gen 4. 540 miles on 9.2 gal is pretty impressive given what you described as your commute but yes with a Prius, you're always gunning for the high score . (esp. those in flatter places or longer commutes that average out the terrain/traffic/warm-up period can get over 650 miles).
Someone ought to re-run Bob's Gen3 tests on a Gen4 to see how much is really left when you see those low fuel warnings: [WARNING] Running out of gas | PriusChat Because MPG varies enormously according to conditions, the Miles To Empty estimate cannot have any consistent accuracy. It cannot know the conditions ahead, so can only forecast based on recent past performance. Very often, that will not be accurate, sometimes wildly so, especially in foul weather or mountains. [Remember the standard investing advertisement disclaimer: Past Performance does not guarantee future results.] Thus, a significant buffer or safety margin must be built in, in order to avoid a flood of angry calls to Customer Support, with claims of "... but the MTE said that I have enough range to get there. It is Toyota's fault that it went dry and stranded me in the middle of nowhere on a dark and stormy night!" My Subaru takes a different tack. Its MTE is fairly accurate, but it displays three warning stages, using contrasting colors, starting about 2.5 gallons out. Its very last warning, at about 1 gallon remaining, is to blank out the MTE display number, showing just dashes. While elevation alone (e.g. high plains or plateau) doesn't hurt MPG one whit, mountainous roads with significant slopes often do hurt. While cruise control helps average drivers, it doesn't do as well as great-MPG drivers. For the very best possible results, avoid cruise control, except on perfectly flat level roads.
I still find it amazing that my Gen2 (2004) still manages to get high 40's with 282,xxx miles! What an excellent vehicle! I did not buy the gen4 because I just did not like the rear end. I see many of them around and still cringe. The Prime has a different look altogether. I hope they adapt that look for the entire fleet! Meanwhile, I leased a 2016 Civic Touring which I love. I easily get low to mid 40's on the highway and the car feels very sporty. What do I dislike about it? After driving nearly 14 years in a Prius and NOT wasting gas at stop lights becomes second nature. Now I get anxious at lights when I drive the Civic. I still LOVE my Prius!!!
for my 2 cents on this topic I am pretty happy with the MPG. I had 2014 and 2015 model 2's. Traded them in for a pair of 2017 model 2's and was surprised at how much the mpg went up. Did not care for the body style at first. but the features and mileage changed my mind. These things get better mileage than my motorcycle,and I get air conditioning or heat! I consistently get 50+. like 52 to 55 , and a nice 475 per tank, I could probably get 500 on a tank but usually not willing to risk running out.
Congrats! Be sure to update your user profile here. Your car gets air conditioning or heat while your motorcycle gets heat or air conditioning depending on the weather. Your car does not have the motorcycle's shower feature though.
