Is my mpg low? Or about average

Best not to take much notice of the first fill. Nor the dash gauge. Get a notebook - or Spreadsheet, record every fill and compute the economy. Or use FUELLY - its easy.

 

1) "My gauge inducted 57" -> reset the "gauge" each fill-up by holding the Trip button until it resets. No telling how long it had been accumulating.
2) MPGs vary for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, it's kind of like the "fish story" -- "I caught a fish this big", etc. I wouldn't be too upset with avg mpg of 50-ish.
3) Yes, new tires will impact it, perhaps a lot. It seems ours dropped about 5 mpg on our new Conti TrueContact from the OEM Bridgestones. Also, we have the 17-inch for a Touring model. 15-inchers should give better mpg than 17-inchers.

 

It looks like you're getting pretty normal gas mileage. Here's our trip to Ohio back in October in my wife's 2017 Prius which was full of stuff. (She packs heavy. )


She actually gets not a lot better in day to day drivings since she makes mostly fairly short trip. I think she gets about 54. If I take it on a 20 mile or so trip in town at 45-50, I'll get over 60 mpg.

Setting up a spreadsheet will help you track just about anything you want to track. One thing, for example, is how your mileage will vary with the seasons.

 

My overall average since August 2017 is 55 mpg.

 

Trying to "force" EV mode is sometimes not helpful. Yes, in certain circumstances, like where I know that I've got a long downhill coming up, I might do that - then let it regenerate. But doing it in other situations could mean that you get to a traffic light with only 2 bars of battery - so it kicks the engine on while you're just sitting for 2 mins waiting for a green. Mostly I just let it make its own mind up.

What I've found with a hybrid (and 2 economical diesels before it) is that it encourages a light right foot, and anticipating traffic and traffic lights.

 

On my 22 mile commute I drive slower than other traffic and can get 60-65 in the colder months, or 70-75 in the warmer months.

Drive slower if you want to see some really big numbers.

 

I'm at 56mpg lifetime with 33,333 miles total and I never plug in with 2020 Prime base model carrying about 120lbs of assorted junk and I'm about 250lbs.

 

Lifetime avg. 61mpg (indicated)......63000 mi. ......yes, I drive like an "Old/Man" cause I are one! .....

 

The first few fillups will not be real accurate to your driving since the car has several years of the previous owners history data. Hybrids have a way of adjusting to the drivers style of driving a lot more than gas / ICE cars have. If you want better mpg rule one is go slower and learn howto feather the Go Pedal.
It's not as important how you get from O to 30 mph as it is how you get from 30 to 60 mph. Although, if you like to go slowly up to 30 mph, the car will eventually adjust to your driving style and try to be as efficient as possible the way you drive the car.

 

I've got an average MPG of 40.3. Doing the math showed me that any vehicle above 33 or 35 MPG has a pretty steep diminishing return on MPG savings. I've more than happy at 40 MPG. I put on better, more capable and comfortable tires on it, and I am not a dangerous road block doing 70 or 71 MPG on the highways.

Please, guys, the age of being the stupidly slow Prius driver on superhighways needs to end for everyone's sanity and safety. Stop giving us a bad name. You have a Gen4, use the power to go with the flow of traffic. Here, that's often 78 or 82.

 

Just curious:

What’s the posted speed limit in that scenario?

How does that “go with the flow” work when you’re pretty much alone; you just keep accelerating lol?

 

The only time I recall driving nearly alone was May and June 2020. I did slow down to cruise at 78 to 80 MPH at those times. Posted speed limit is 65 there I believe.

Now, though, that isn't enough to warrant being in the passing lane (which is the left hand lane for you lane sitters).

 

I think I see why you only get 40 MPG.
Around here the only people going that fast are the LEOs and those who wish to meet them. Vast majority of drivers are in the 68-74 mph range.
At our posted 70 mph (remember, it's a speed LIMIT, not a starting point), I pull about 54-56. Above that it drops quickly though I've never been above 75.
More commonly for me, a trip to Tampa (50-60 mins) or Ft. Myers (close to 90 mins) I'll run 68 on the cruise and pull it up to 58. Sometimes I get all cheap and drop down to 65 and just squat in the right lane unless I have to pass someone (it happens) and push 60 mpg.

P.S. I seriously hope you aren't driving that Mack at those speeds as you'll give the rest of us Class A drivers a bad/worse reputation.

 

Yep, we've seen MPG's from the low-40's to 65 in our two Priis. Depends on a ton of factors, actually.
Slow Prius drivers? Wow, not in Colorado for sure. We actually have a reputation of driving like bats-out of-hell around here! Folks have even asked me why we drive like that. (I don't) I've seen those drivers, too...where's the fire, pal?????

 

I live in Florida like you. You and I both know that the average speeds are far higher than the speed limits on the highways.

Commuting to work this morning, all of us - all three lanes - went past a speed trap on a 65 MPH road doing 83 MPH. He didn't pull any of us over. And there you are doing 68?! You are very likely why people forcibly attempt to get around Priuses.

68 on the turnpike, here, would be putting many people in serious danger as a road block. Please, you save enough at 45 or 50 MPG to not be a @%#@ on the highways.

 

Yeah. Everybody drives like Grand Theft Auto. I go 82 in the middle lane and regularly get passed by people going 90+

 

Your MPG is a bit on the low side.....substantial improvement is possible. First, I would visit http://www.cleanmpg.com and read about some hypermiling techniques. Over 198,000 miles in my new 2020 Prius, I have averaged more than 80 mpg. It was even higher, until recently I have been forced to do much more freeway driving. There are MANY methods to maximize your efficiency....