Better than EPA mileage

The EPA testing doesn't use proper prius-type driving techniques for extending the MPG. They drive it like any car. Techniques that increase MPG on other cars can actually hurt MPG on the Prius. Suggest you read up around here on "pulse-n-glide" driving, tires, etc., if you want to push it further.

 

I live in an area that has gently sloping hills on all of our interstates. Extremes of heat (105) and cold (5). And drivers who consider 5 miles over the speed limit to be lane-blocking and worthy of rude behavior. I also accelerate from a stop ahead of most other drivers lest I give Prius drivers a bad name. Thus my MPG. And my MPG is not from the display but calculated from the fuel I actually burn. I drive ECO and Auto. I've averaged better by 2 to 5 MPG when the weather is better. Or when on a trip. Most of my actual miles are just several miles between start and stops with multiple stops before I'm back home. While warming up the ICE after I leave my house I have several hills of several hundred feet in height that force ICE use immediately.

I congratulate you on your MPH, Much better than average according to fuelly.com.

 

Different routes, speeds, trip lengths, traffic, driving styles, pavement conditions, weather, fuel blends, tires, tire pressures, climate control settings, ..., and plenty more uncontrolled variables.

 

I've had my 2012 v Five for a couple months and averaging around 35 mpg. I live in LA, where there are a good number of steep hills/mountains, and I drive fairly "aggressively," not in a road rage / tailgating sense, but in terms of accelarating pretty hard from stops and/or to keep up with traffic / shift lanes to find gaps and bypass slow drivers (rather than keeping as far right as possible unless passing, people drive in all lanes at all speeds with no reasoning/awareness). I live in northern Glendale, which is sort of at the base of some mountains, so a higher elevation than most of the city of LA, and I work downtown, so usually going to work (downhill) I can average 40-50 mpg (or more if I'm particularly lucky) but on the way home (uphill) it's usually 20-30. Hence the average of 35 overall. Ironically, yesterday I inched home in stop-and-go freeway traffic instead of taking streets to avoid it like I usually do and got 39 mpg going home, much better than usual. More time in EV range and coasting small distances at low speeds I guess, as opposed to getting up to 40-45 mph quickly between stop signs/lights and coming to full stops. LA doesn't get very cold, but colder than Florida I imagine...it's been in the 40s-60s the past couple months. I have noticed that on longer sustained drives (like driving to Anaheim and back) without a lot of traffic where I'm able to maintain steady speeds, I am averaging in the 40's, which seems fine.

Anyway I've done everything I can find from a maintenance perspective to maximize mpg, such as checking air filters, using fuel system cleaners, etc., but at this point I'm thinking my mpg is attributable to driving conditions / habits. Unless it's a result of the dreaded recall software update fix that happened before I owned the car.

 

I always found that when I think I am running late for work or an appointment or have several things I need to get done my MPG suffers.