Really bad gas mileage on 07

I think it's the weather, and those short trips are killers. A couple of days ago I filled up at a station about two miles from home. Then yesterday I went on a bunch of errands, all about a mile apart. Result: 10 miles, 27 MPG average (today I had to go further, so it bumped to 20 miles, 35 MPG. Tomorrow I drive even further so it will hopefully be back at its regular 43 MPG when I get home).

 

Since the weather turned cold (10 degrees this morning!), my mileage has dropped... from upper 40's to lower 40's. Note that short trips will give you horrible gas mileage, as the car is still warming up.

You also said something about letting the car warm up... do you mean letting it sit there running before you get into it to go? Cause if so, that could be one of your problems. Sitting there burning gas while doing nothing is horrible for mileage - if you bundle up and just get in and go from the start, you'll see poor initial mileage, but overall your mileage will be higher.

 

The warming up is probably what's killing your mileage. Since the Prius stores the coolant in a thermos. You are pretty much ready to go as soon as the car is on.

 

the problem is you're burning a lot of gas by trying to let the car "warm up"... if you had purchased the car in the summer, you would have gotten great mileage, then come here complaining about how it suddenly tanked when it got cold.

We've all pointed out why you're getting poor mileage: short trips, warming up the car before going anywhere, cold weather requiring longer warming up.

There's no use complaining about it - there are environmental reasons for your mileage, and no dealer ever promises a given mileage for any car.
*Your mileage may vary*

If the winter mileage is really that much of a deal breaker, then go sell the car and get something else.

 

Let your Prius teach you how to drive - more glide and anticipation in advance of stop signs and stop lights, less substituting oil for knowledge, more "becoming one" with your 2007 Prius.

I'm on my second 2007 tank of fuel (just turned 600 mi on the odometer), driving with 30k experience on my 2005. The vehicle is new, the weather is turning cold and there is a long way to go to the 10k to 12k mile break-in point. The MFD is showing 47 mpg - not quite the 60 mpg I experienced with my 2005 and warm air temperatures.

If you live in a cold climate, look into installing a block heater and timer. Use synthetic oil. Be patient, continue to read PC and learn from your vehicle. Your goal is long-term fuel economy, not short term. Keep track of your driving using a spreadsheet.

 

I bought an 06 in July and I live in a temperate area... SF bay area. My first tankfull was 52 MPG. WOW! Now, in winter, I'm averaging under 40 MPG. The winter fuel, the car not being broken in fully, and the use of the front and rear defroster each morning <It's parked outside each night> and constant heater use really make the economy go down fast.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

"Prius happy" ??

From these posts, it sounds like this Prius owner has MIS-NAMED himself.

In all of my efforts I have NEVER been able to achieve <30 MPG averages except for brief 5-minute periods on the Consumption Graph. I am in my 3rd year of Prius ownership and have just traded my 2004 for a 2007 Touring Edition. Even with the Dealer's tooling around on my new Prius and some minor adjustments in his Service Department [a visit to the Service Department ALWAYS lowers your MPGs], the first tank mileage exceeded 42 MPG average.

I must ratify previous comments about "warmup." The Prius does not really need "warmup." The ICE coolant thermos keeps coolant hot for well over 24 hours. I find that today [30º in Dallas] my 2007 Prius produced warm air into the cabin within <5 minutes and 2 blocks from home WITHOUT a "warmup" - that's better than our Camry does.

Prius happy will probably learn how to drive and enjoy his Prius and to stop using old driving habits which are 'leftover' from previous experiences. The Prius is a very different car and suggests a learning curve to take advantage of its features.

 

Also consider what other cars on the road are getting for mileage right now. If the Prius is experiencing lousy, winter econonomy, think how bad it is in other cars!

 

Probably one of the most noticeable things about 'warming up' is that it depletes your battery. On a 70degF day, with the AC off, you'll notice that the battery can go from 71% (2 bars from full) to 49% (2 pink bars) in approx 30 mins just by leaving it on. With an empty pack, there's a pretty steep mileage hit.

In ready mode/park, the car still has to run stuff that draws approx 120-200W. Eventually, the engine will just kick on to recharge the pack.

Although running the defrosters is a necessary safety issue in your case, so there's no real solution.
If you want to reduce warmup time, you could probably get a block heater as others have suggested..

 

Prius Happy... I have 650 miles on my 07 and winter officially hit me yesterday with an ice storm and a 50 degree temp swing in two days... And my mpg tanked. I was at 45 mpg and in one day of cold weather driving (a few trips -- none longer than 10 miles) it dropped to 39. I figured the big culprit was that I had to let the car warm up -- not for the car's sake but to get the half inch of ice off the window. With 5-8 inches of snow on the way today, I'm sure it will get worse.

Don't worry. Be happy. Spring will come. I too will never by a new car before winter again. The dirtiness is killing me.

 

Here in LA its about 50 degrees now. My mileage has dropped from 50+ to under 49 for the past week or so. Those bitter California winters can be murder on the MPGs.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Nov 30 2006, 03:11 PM) [snapback]355857[/snapback]</div>

Come to New England. With our hills and twisty roads, my first five-minute bar is ALWAYS around 25 MPG, and lately my second one has been, too (and it's not even that cold yet!). Fortunately, the ones after that hover around the 50 MPG range, but those first bars kill the average.