Touring Edition and fuel economy

I'm getting between 40-45MPG on each tank, after driving my Touring #6 for the past 3 months (2k miles). I'm told this is pretty normal for winter, for a 13mi commute, for a new Prius driver, for under 6K miles or so.

You're an experienced owner, but others who read this may not know that the worst MPG happens during the first 5-10min while the car warms up. That will skew the average if you only drive for 19mi.

I doubt it's being a Touring makes much difference -- it's certainly not reflected in the EPA ratings.

But what did you think about the feel of the Touring? I find the suspension to be noticably different and better.

 

I recently took delivery of a 2007 #3 touring edition Prius. I have put approximately 1000 miles on it - with mostly highway driving. I commute 250 miles each way to work. I have averaged 44mpg on the first 3 tanks of fuel. I live in the cold north - so the winter mileage is better than I expected.

I am pleased with the car and the mileage. I notice it goes up during in town stop and go driving. I picked the Touring for the larger wheels and firm suspension. I am still trying to get used to the sensitive steering which I only notice at freeway speeds. I plan on having some toe in adjusted into the front end on my first visit to a dealer. That is reported to help the steering.

 

Welcome to PriusChat, bepilot. Dang! That is a LONG commute, you NEED a Prius!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bepilot @ Mar 24 2007, 09:47 PM) [snapback]411722[/snapback]</div>

:blink:

You must really like your job.

I assume that you're not doing that everyday.

 

Bill, thank you for the warm welcome. Fortunately I don't have to make that drive every day. I am a corporate pilot and find that I am gone many times for a week or more before returning home to make that drive back home. I traded a 2006 Ford Focus that had accumulated almost 30,000 miles in a year making the drive.

The technology of the Prius was one of the things that first interested me in test driving the car. I have been impressed with the fit and finish of the car. I have been reading the forums here for many weeks and enjoy the information and opinons from the other owners.

 

Hi All,

Claypot2 seems to me that a faulty temperature sensor might result in the effect you saw. The car would stay in warm-up mode, ad infinitum. If there is a catalytic converter temperature sensor, and the car was driven centered on a gravel road, the wire to it might have been snagged, would be one possible such scenario.



Another possibility would be E85 fuel. Do you have that there in Florida?

 

E85 has less fuel energy, but with the proper engine can have similar energy output as a gasoline engine per gallon. This is due to being able to run at a higher compression ratio with E85, and recouping better thermo-dynamic efficiency. Unfortunately, none of the socalled Flex-Fuel Vehicles sold today have this capability to change the compression ratio, based on fuels. And the Prius, although it has the capability of variable compression ratio, probably does not have any kinda of sensors that can tell it it can run higher compression ratio based on the fuel. So, it would get worse mileage on E85.

Its been a mistake, that some people have made, that thinking of the Prius as an eco-car, have put in bio-renewable fuel. While not damaging for the one-tank mistake, the car apparently does not like it, and lights up a warning light when running E85.

As you did not indicate a warning light - I am leaning towards the faulty temp sensor on that demo car as the cause of the poor mileage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(claypot2 @ Mar 24 2007, 05:13 PM) [snapback]411671[/snapback]</div>

Our 2007 Prius Touring package 3 is currently showing 48.1 mpg. It currently has about 3,300 miles. It started out in the low 40s and has been climbing slowly but surely here in the Seattle area.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(claypot2 @ Mar 24 2007, 08:13 PM) [snapback]411671[/snapback]</div>

Hi Claypot2, your experiencing what I went thru with my 07 Touring. I couldn't put my finger on it but the car was different from my 06 prius. I understand the wheels and suspension scenerio but something was wrong with the picture and I couldn't put my finger on it. I thought that maybe toyota hadn't taken the size of the larger wheels into consideration etc. etc. I've had the 07 alittle more than 3 weeks now and have approx 2000 miles on it. My everyday driving is averaging 47 mpg thats around town and some interstate. I'm use to the touring edition now and although there still seems to be a difference I can't explain, its working out just fine.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(claypot2 @ Mar 25 2007, 12:40 AM) [snapback]411794[/snapback]</div>

From what I have read on these forums the new car needs to break in b4 it will get great milage like your old one, 3000-5000 miles.

 

I have about 2K miles on my '07 Touring, and the last three tanks have averaged 46 mpg. That's with a combination of coastal mountain, freeway and very little town driving. And I haven't really changed my driving style much, accept going to "B" on the long downhills. Generally run at posted speed + 5...
I love this car.

 

I assume when you refer to E85, you mean E15. E85 is 85% ethanol, which can only be used by flex-fuel vehicles. The highest concentration that is recommended for most gasoline engines is E15 (15% ethanol). I don't know if that recommendation applies to the Prius but I would think it's OK. Ethanol has lass BTUs per volume than gasoline, so going from 0% ethanol to E10, or from E10 to E15 might result in a noticable (although slight) decrease in fuel economy. We went to E10 in Rhode Island a year ago. I didn't note an adverse effect on fuel economy, but as my Prius was breaking in and the weather was getting milder, I'm sure the effect of the ethanol was masked.
I don't know what the state-by-state ethanol differences are- does anyone live in a state where they are using E15?