Bad review, oh wow

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(paprius4030 @ Oct 19 2006, 09:36 PM) [snapback]335355[/snapback]</div>

Dude. I hope you weren't putting E85 in your car. That's ethanol and the Prius shouldn't be fed it. That would explain the piss poor milage though. 85 octane which you'll find in Utah and Colorado (high altitude areas) is different. But you won't find 85 octane in the midwest.

Don't put E85 in your car though.

 

Don't put E85 in your car though.
[/quote]

I seem to be getting lucky as my 05 is getting 56 mpg on average. That's including daily trips 18 mile one way to work, on highway and back roads. On a long highway trip to Ct. I got 67 on the way up, I then goofed and put ethinol in and milage dropped to 47 on the return trip. All long trips on open highway seem to be the same @ 67mpg. I checked that mpg on paper, to confirm the computer reading. from what I understand of driving out west E85 is the norm. and reg gas is none exsistant.

 

Wow, you guys don't get near as good mpg as my dad does. His prius is currently getting 55.7 MPG.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ Oct 19 2006, 03:53 PM) [snapback]335246[/snapback]</div>

I found it interesting that guy had $5000 worth of damage to the car, but the fire department was concerned about a battery leak.

$5000 worth of damage and you'll probably end up driving it home. If you wreck it hard enough to total it, maybe you start thinking of battery leak...

The guy's making up that crap.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Subsailor @ Oct 20 2006, 07:17 AM) [snapback]335460[/snapback]</div>

Uh, no. That is not true at all. The refueling infrastructure for E85 is nowhere close to the extent you're talking about, mostly because there aren't many cars on the road that are designed to run on E85. I think I have yet to visit a station that sells E85. Here is a website that will tell you where you can find E85 (not that you would want to put it in your Prius!):

http://www.e85refueling.com/

There are only about 1,000 gas stations in the United States selling E85, compared to about 167,500 stations selling regular unleaded.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ Oct 20 2006, 09:59 AM) [snapback]335501[/snapback]</div>

I have never been west of Chicago and only that far in 74 for Boot Camp and A school. I got my information from a friend that traveled out west last year on a Hunting trip. If it was E85 or not, that he was talking about I can not say. He just told me he got rotten milage in his Pick-up from the Fuel once he got west of Chicago. But I was sure he knew what he was talking about about as he is a car mech. I stand corrected.

The gas I got in Ct, the sign said it had Ethinol in it but nothing that said it was E85. Most stations I visit in Penna the pumps say it contains some amount of Ethinol but doesn't seem to affect my Prius as the gas I got in Ct did. I'll assume it was something else maybe just watered down.

 

This review and the subsequent posts below it are a joke. It's hardly scientific or comprehensive. On top of that, all of the negative comments regarding the Prius below it are obviously made up. Some of them look like people took every negative comment made about the Prius and put it into the same story.

All they are trying to do is get a rise out of Prius owners, and it's working.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ Oct 20 2006, 08:59 AM) [snapback]335501[/snapback]</div>

300 of which are located in Minnesota... which has experienced a very interesting twist lately.

Up until recently, it was only the metro area that offered E85. Driving up north away from the cities, you could clearly see the drop off in numbers of stations that offered it. In fact, I remember hearing complaints while on the Hybrid-Road-Rally from FFV owners about how after years of promises they still didn't have anywhere to buy E85 from. Now the tables have turned. With so many rural ethanol plants popping up in farm country, buying E85 has very much become an endorsement for the local economy.

So now, you see photos like the one below. They really make the fact that they offer E85 stand out. And of course, the lower price will promote people to think about the efficiency trade-off... hopefully enough to raise awareness enough to get some to actually track MPG and crunch numbers.



Anywho, the efforts to increase the production yields and decrease the energy required for the production itself are well underway. Heck, there's even one plant here that uses waste sawdust as a power source. And all of the gas here has been E10 for years already. We're helping to build an infrastructure that is truly viable. It's pretty obvious too, just by the count of all the Prius on the road here. Our local population definitely supports change.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sl7vk @ Oct 19 2006, 08:56 PM) [snapback]335378[/snapback]</div>

sl7vk, do you put 85 octane in your Prius? I also live in SLC and put 85 octane fuel in mine because I heard it is the same as 87 in lower elevation states. I emailed Toyota and asked them if it was OK and they said to use 87 even though it is considered mid-grade here. I use 85 anyway and don't notice any pings or knocks.

Anyone elses thoughts on the subject?

 

By the way, that 34 MPG average reported along with the E85 comments sure put things in perspective. We've obviously got a long way to go now... so far in fact, it make discussions about hydrogen pretty much pointless. Way too many issues things still need to be addressed before a monumental infrastructure change like that stand even a remote chance of succeeding.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Oct 19 2006, 07:11 PM) [snapback]335329[/snapback]</div>

Yes, but you're in California, he's in Chicago, at temps of 30-50'F. That's the same mileage I would see for short trips in cold weather. It's just that he happened to be in a worst-case scenario for getting good mpg, and didn't really realize it, and then reported it as real-world numbers. Lots of people posted on his site though giving evidence of 50 mpg or better, so I think he's gotten the picture now.

See TonyPSchaefer's spreadsheet for the effect of temperature on mpg values (it's a link on his user page or any of his posts...is he on vacation this week? haven't seen him posting lately...)

 

As cheap! showed us a while ago, the engine is rather resiliant... even with E85 it won't ping or knock (although seals and hoses and such will wear a heck of a lot quicker, so don't take this as an endorsement for E85, because it's defiantely NOT).

So with that in mind, it's not surprising that there aren't any pings or knocks with the 85 octane. However, it's possible that the lower octane could give you a lower MPG for the tank (we know that higher octane doesn't do much, since the Prius is designed for 87, but lower could lead to worse mileage). It would be interesting to see MPG numbers from tanks with 85 and tanks with 87 - obviously all factors won't be the same, but i think on could get a general idea if the difference relates to a difference in MPG.

So in short, 85 octane should be just fine at higher elevations. the only question is if it effects your mileage or not.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 20 2006, 09:42 AM) [snapback]335572[/snapback]</div>

I have generally been getting around 48 mpg, although I am still breaking the engine in - only 2200 miles so far. My best tank was 53.6 mpg but that was before the temperatures dropped here in SLC. Currently, I am getting 48 mpg on 85 octane (not E85) fuel.

 

i think there's some confusion between an octane rating of 85
and the 85% ethanol blend termed E85.
hopefully that clears it up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Shane @ Oct 20 2006, 11:34 AM) [snapback]335565[/snapback]</div>

Do I put 85 Octane in? Absolutely, Costco doesn't offer 87 . No point in paying a nickle more, considering 85 has more energy then 87 or 89 in it. But 85 Octane shouldn't be confused with E85 (Ethanol) that is sold in parts of the midwest.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Shane @ Oct 20 2006, 11:34 AM) [snapback]335565[/snapback]</div>

I'm a Salt Laker as well and 85 octane is all I run (usually Maverik stations). As you can see from my signature block, mileage is right where it should be...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 20 2006, 11:42 AM) [snapback]335572[/snapback]</div>

Altitude has a lot to do with how Octane affects the engine. 85 Octane at 4500 Ft is the equivalent of 87 octane at sealevel. That is only why a few of the Rocky Mountain States offer the 85. Stuff is gold plated dynamite though, and it's all I've put in any of my cars. I'm getting close to 53 mpg on 85 octane and couldn't be happier.

 

The key to the bad mileage is in the short commute. I average about 36 mpg during the week but I only commute a couple of miles to the office. On any other kind of driving it is up over 50.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bee13 @ Oct 20 2006, 11:56 AM) [snapback]335583[/snapback]</div>

Jeez, we need to get a Salt Lake City Prius club going. Maverik?!?!?!? :blink:

I would almost recommend E85 over Maverik!