I just picked up an 07 prius and HATE it!

Glad to hear you're enjoying your car. Welcome to the club.

 

It does a lot better on long trips; like, for example, from Tulsa to Compton.

 

Start here http://priuschat.com/New-owner-Want-MPG-he...rst-t15311.html and http://priuschat.com/index.php?autocom=art...rticle&id=3.

I personally would not expect mileage in the 60s unless you really overinflate your tires and use some hypermiling techniques. Since we know nothing about your drive, my best guess is that if you had a Camry, you'd get on the same drive in the low 20s or mid to high teens. In CR's testing, they got 16/36, 24 overall in a 4 cylinder 07 Camry vs. 35/50, 44 overall in a Prius. (You can see that at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/mo...w-4561-5473.htm but you need a subscription.)

See:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/ne...onomy-tests.htm
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/bu...s-206/index.htm
http://autos.msn.com/advice/CRArt.aspx?contentid=4023460

 

Welcome to the club and I'm sorry that you're not happy with your new purchase.

I don't mean this in a bad way, but if it causes you that much stress, sell it and get a Camry.

I originally got low figures (low 40s) when I first got it, but that was mainly because my commute as all city. My job changed locations and that upped the mileage. It also take a bit of time (about 5,000 miles) to really see a difference. This is partly due to wearing in the parts and learning how to drive it.

Also check your tires. Many have upped the pressure to about 42 in the front and 40 in the rear. Check the oil level as well. If it's too high, mileage will go down. Temperature can effect the mileage as well.

 

Inflating the tires 42/40 front/rear helps a lot (just as aaf709 says).

Don't drive in B; it should never be used, except for something like coming down Mt. Wilson when you might otherwise overheat the brakes.

Don't worry about driving in battery only. It isn't designed to do that for more than a few seconds at a time.

 

Short trips really kill the MPG. I've had my Prius for 15 months now, with most of my driving being 15-20 minutes to and from work on back roads with speed limits of 45 or less, and even shorter trips on weekends to run errands 'in town'. The first 5-10 minutes the ICE is running to warm up the catalytic converter, so my first 5 minute 'bar' is maybe 25 MPG and the second one is maybe 40-50 MPG, and the others are higher.

A lot of people say that the MPGs get better over the first 5 - 10 thousand miles. I have just under 10,000 miles on mine. I couldn't notice an improvement over the first 5,000 miles because that's when we hit colder temps (I got around 40 MPG in the coldest weather). But my last couple of tanks have been around 52 MPG compared to 47 MPG a year ago, with comparable driving and weather, so I assume it's a 'break in' effect.

 

"34 at best" means there is something wrong with your car or something wrong with the way you drive. Had mine 7 months and the worst I got even when hotrodding it was 42. Now I get 51 to 53.

 

I think this sounds kind of ridiculous.

Where does a 19 year old get $30,000? Wouldn't they do a little research on the car before buying it, for example, learning about pulse and glide and such?

I say this is a troll.

 

I was managing to get 52mpg this spring (after finally learning some techniques), before the weather got hot. Then using A.C. brought it down to 46 last tank. AC drains the battery a lot making the car less efficient & use more gas to recharge. You may have to change your driving habbits to get the full benefit but it only gets so good. When I haul nice person to the mountains in winter it gets 40 or less. I could go on & on but I'll let you get your beauty rest.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lenjack @ Jul 1 2007, 11:09 PM) [snapback]471306[/snapback]</div>

I have been unable to keep up with this list for a few months, maybe because the effect of it is to make me worry about the Prius all the time, yet I realize that the value of all of the advise is something I would not want to be without.

So today, I came back, and read about whether or not I need to change my CVT fluid at 60 or 100,000 thousand miles, detected that maybe I have destroyed my paint by waxing my car, began worrying anew aboutg the fact that I let the 2nd oil change occur at a 7000 mille interval rather than a 5,000 mile interview, wondered anew whether it is life theatening if the oil change results in 3.6 quarts of oil, rather than 3.5, or even 3, wondered about whether I was right to change the cabin filter at 12,000 miles, since I would not be getting a 15,000 mile checkup per se, since 5k plus 12,000 is 17, 000. Sigh.....

Anyway, this thread is something I can comment on with full authority.

Yes the car breaks in. Yes it only gets 25 MPG for the first 5 minutes. After the first five minutes it does substantially better, but its peak MPG happens after a bit more wamring up.

Our MPG report.

November 06 43
December 06 44
January 07 46
February 07 47
March 07 48
April 07 49
May 07 52
June 07 58 (once and only once, but an average of around 53 to 55)

So, its warm now. I know this will decline in Fall/Winter, but am expecting to get 48 in winter and 52 in the Summer if we aren't trying hard. If we are trying hard, we expect we might break 60 on a perfect day under perfect driving conditions. We don't have overly inflated tires and we have a Touring, so it probably isn't as great at the non Touring for MPG.

Do we love the car? Oh yeah! You bet!!!!! I am mainly writing to see if there is some good deal to be had on the OP's car?

jen

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(liznowen @ Jul 1 2007, 10:15 PM) [snapback]471310[/snapback]</div>

I'm a little suspicious, too. He's claiming nearly impossibly low mileage, says he's 19 and just bought a $30,000 new car, and admitted he's not telling the truth about living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He's probably some random person trying to illicit a response from the PriusChat folk.

Regarding the mileage, my worst tank was 42 MPG, and I was intentionally trying to get crappy mileage to see how aggressive driving affects mileage. I don't think I could get 34 MPG if I tried.

I now average 55 MPG.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(liznowen @ Jul 1 2007, 11:15 PM) [snapback]471310[/snapback]</div>

Ditto

 

Definitely a troll.

Noone who actually owns a Prius could feel that way.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patrickindallas @ Jul 2 2007, 01:29 AM) [snapback]471353[/snapback]</div>

I have had my prius for 2 years (before the hoopla) and currently at 34,000. I average 41-42 mpg. I got 48
mpg once when driving to Fresno from LA. Never saw that number again. Yes, I do drive mostly city around town less than 5-12 miles. I did not expect mileage of this car at this low level either.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius23 @ Jul 2 2007, 02:00 AM) [snapback]471367[/snapback]</div>

I agree that Toyota should be *clear* that the mileage is such on longer trips. Have you looked at the documents attached earlier in this thread to help you at all?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius23 @ Jul 1 2007, 11:00 PM) [snapback]471367[/snapback]</div>

On the other hand, what else could you drive that gets 41-42 mpg under the same conditions? No car is good at cold short trips. You need an electric car, or a bicycle.