Hey all - I'm very happy with my Gen 4 (2017.5) Prius Two. Was getting more than very acceptable gas mileage (mid to upper 50 mpgs) prior to the bitter cold snap that we're experiencing most everywhere in the north USA currently. Alas, my commute is less than 4 miles so the internal combustion engine (ICE) is barely warmed up by the time I get to work. With 4 snow tires I also take a hit. Still getting better mileage than a significant number of other rigs on the road. I think the trip mileage meter is showing barely 40 mpgs by the time I pull into work or home. I "just drive it," mostly, and don't get bent out of shape about the lower readings. It is what it is....
yep, think about what non hybrids are getting in those conditions, probably 20 mpg in a corolla or similar.
Prius owners... when getting the mileage of a Yaris in the summer is "poor" On my Gen 3 with winter tires on steel rims, I use an engine block heater and fully block the lower grille (but I guess the Gen 4 has active grille shutters that mostly close in the winter). I run in ECO mode and keep the interior temperature low (I use my heated seats to supplement). Oh and ensure your winter tire pressures are properly set. Other than that, yeah you just have to live with it. My commute is 6-7 miles and I get decent heat coming out of the vents around the 3 or 4 mile mark. 40mpg too... maybe high 30s if the temps stay around -30°C for extended periods.
As an owner of a regular ICE vehicle, I can tell you 40 mpg, on a short trip, with snow tires, in winter conditions....is very, very good.
I think if you compared notes with your friends driving regular cars under the same conditions, they would be pretty jealous of you. Assuming they even have a clue what their gas mileage is. Unless they are driving SUVs; those folks think of MPGs like golf scores.
A friend with a 2011 Grand Cherokee with the Hemi V8 was getting 15mpg in the same winter conditions and his commute is slightly longer. When he changed to an F-150 with 3.5 litre EcoBoost engine, it went up to 17mpg in the winter. Another with an Xterra was getting 15mpg in the winter and 18 mpg in the summer. (city driving).
Yes unfortunately that is the reality. My Ford C-max is been getting mpg right at 40 or slightly under this week. Only one day this week has had a high over 32 degrees. So much for fuel economy in freezing weather
Block heater helps. Not night and day, but good for the engine, mpg and to heat up the cabin faster. Speaking of cabin heat: turn it right off at red light will improve the chance of the engine shutting off, a lot. Tick it back on once you're rolling again.
The Prime may have the advantage in these conditions because it won't be trying to heat the engine block, getting the numbers over the first winter is always painful after seeing what the Gen 4 does in warm weather. I think that the grille shutters don't do as good a job as the diy foam blocks although I haven't made any changes as yet.
The automated grill shutters stay open below a certain low temp threshold, due to concerns they might freeze in the shut position. As long as the foam tubes aren't impeding the shutter's action, I'd think they could work together.
I don't bother being jealous. But... Neither do I dwell on the fact that I think I'm doing pretty good in these winter conditions if I'm getting 25-28 mpg. I'm driving a sub-compact Honda Fit....if I start to feel too bad? I just talk to my big truck driving friends. That always cheers me up.
Temperatures are getting back to normal here, but I dress like an onion. I can avoid using the heat in the car. Also, my workplace is cold. For some reason, they have the air conditioner on cool at 68° F even when the outside temperature is lower. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
There is a law in UK that employers must have office workspace raised to not less than 22°C (I think), by the time an office is occupied in the morning.
It makes me laugh when the truck/SUV vehicle drivers always use the summer, long journey figures when they quote their personal mpg, then are extremely quiet during the winter.
Maybe it’s the tires? I’m running Michelin ice snow tires. They are low rolling resistant type and have noticed no significant change in mpg. Still averaging mid 50’s with little effort.
Another thing is living up north and it's bad enough dealing with the cold and snow but when you have hills with snow on them your car doesn't roll down the hills very easy. I don't miss driving in the hills in the winter in Pennsylvania.
I will look into a those when I need new snows, though I think the main culprit is my short commute. My car is barely warmed up when I arrive at work, approximately ~4 miles from home (stop/go driving, and short distance). If I increase the distance traveled by even a few miles the MPGs improve significantly, certainly to mid 50s if I'm at highway speeds.
