I have a 2013 Prius 2 model. I've owned it about 2.5 years now and Its MPG seems to be going down for some strange reason. I have been running tests to see what could be the contributing factor but seem to be stuck as all have been negligent in change. The car has 97k miles and I test the Hybrid battery health every few months. Each time tests come back great. No issues, battery at 85% health. A few factors in consideration below. PO lift installed at right after purchase - lift did NOT affect MPG Larger 205/70/15 All Season tires installed. Always kept just below Max PSI - Did affect MPG, decrease of about 7 on both highway/city Roof rails & loaded basket installed - reduced average MPG by another 7-10 I have tried the following to help increase MPG: Removing roof basket/unloading it - little change Removing roof rails & basket completely - increased by 3-5 Driving in Eco mode, and at or below speed limit/hypermiling - I have always done this Intake/cabin filters brand new Did EGR/Intake & Cooler cleaning at 90k miles - no change Weather - car is kept in climate controlled garage. Cold winters are a bit rough, but change is quite negligible unless trips are short. Same with summer. I need the roof rack/basket for long haul bi-montly trips. I'd absolutely love to remove it, but I need extra cargo space. Seeing as this only seems to reduce my highway MPG slightly, I'm not sure if it's a major contributing factor as explained below. Is there any other factors I could be looking into? Even after multiple tests, with this car completely stock (aside from slightly larger tires) It only gets at best 38-40 MPG city and 33-35 MPG at 70 MPH, and obviously worse with the rack attached. Appreciate any insight or recommendations!
These will have less revolutions per distance, misinforming the car about distance travelled. In other words: you’re going further than what’s displayed on the odometer. Are you considering that as well? from this site: Tire Size Comparison considering 767 versus 808 revolutions per mile, that alone is 5% odometer error, on the low side.
What is "PO lift"? Also, if it was done "right after purchase", maybe difficult judge mpg impact? Summarizing: 1. Lift of some sort, details and amount unspecified 2. Oversized/heavier tires, which will increase rolling resistance and under-report distance travelled 3. Roof rack 4. Cargo, unspecified weight
Though 32MPG sounds low. The upper end of what you stated (37-38 MPG) doesn't sound too low, especially with mods. My 2010 (completely stock) with 219k miles can average as low as 38MPG depending on the speed/temperature over a 150 mile trip.
I'm planning on installing a 2" receiver hitch later this summer and will definitely try this! My only concern is garage parking. Depending on how far it sticks out while folded, I might have to remove until I have to use it for trips. a little annoying, but would be much easier than removing the rack, that's for sure.
PO lift is the Prius offroad lift. I installed it and new larger tires at the same time, roughly 1k miles after purchase. I did not take in account for size comparison revolutions, so that makes sense! Cargo is lightweight (<50lbs) but require bins that are larger in size. I guess my concern was even after removing everything for a 1500 mile test, I was still receiving pretty low MPGs. I guess the tires alone are the major contributor.
