New owner? Want MPG help? Read this first.

With that information... your current car uses approximately 14 gallons a week, a Prius would consume almost half that over the same distance. That's roughly 1,500 miles/month so you could drive just over a week before filling up.

Current car: 23mpg x 10gal = 230 (miles/fillup)
Prius: ~45mpg x 10gal = 450 (miles/fillup)

325 (miles/week) x 52 (weeks/year) = 16,900 (miles/year)

Current car: 16,900 (miles/year) / 230 (miles/fillup) = ~74 (fillups/year)
Prius: 16,900 (miles/year) / 450 (miles/fillup) = ~38 (fillups/year)

Current car annual fuel cost (at $2.80/gallon) = ~$2,057
Prius annual fuel cost (at $2.80/gallon) = ~$1,052
An annual savings of over $1,000 in fuel costs. Hope that helps.

 

Hello, I am a brand new Prius owner and am really enjoying the ride and this website as well. However I find myself confused half the time because people are using all of these acronyms and jargon that I am unfamiliar with. In regards to the fuel economy, I see people talking about P&G and "stealth" and glide, etc. what do these all mean? thanks for the help.

 

"stealth" or "stealth mode": driving on electric power only, (possible at speeds below 42mph), so-named because the car is incredibly quiet at low speeds.

"warp stealth": driving on electric power only at speeds of 42mph or above. generally you can't do much more than sustain a glide (i'll get to that next) but if battery state of charge is very high the car will apply more power. so-named because 42mph is the speed above which the engine must be spinning at all times. in warp stealth the engine spins without using any fuel.

"glide": coasting free with the engine off, no battery power and no regen. the energy display shows no arrows going anywhere. a glide is accomplished below 42mph by just barely touching the accelerator enough to cancel regen. it takes a little practice but becomes very natural over time.

"P&G": pulse and glide. a mode of driving where you go between the "pulse" (acceleration using engine power" and a "glide" (see above). you basically accelerate to one speed, glide down to a lower speed, and repeat.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jan 24 2006, 07:01 PM) [snapback]196627[/snapback]</div>

Ok, feel a little bad posting this, since it seems alot of us newbies experience this. I believe my situation may be a little different tho, as I USED to get great MPG. I've only had my prius since 1/24/07, but for the first almost three months, I was getting 53-54 MPG, consistantly. Everything I've read says you will get even better mileage after the 5,000 mile break in period and also in the warmer weather. So now I'm at over 5,000 miles and the warm weather is here. Several weeks before it became necessary to use the AC (use it on low only now) my mileage took a nose dive. I've read all the posts on gliding, I can glide with the best of them. But suddenly my mileage is 46 to maybe 48 if I work it constantly. On my drive to work, places I used to cost nicely at the 39 "sweet spot" no longer work, as soon as I take my foot off the pedal the indicator goes right down to about 25. I thought maybe it would change after I got my service done and the tires checked, but it didn't. So I'm not really has happy with my new little Prius as I initially was. Also, when I had my car serviced, there was nothing on the statement about checking the air filter. I called the dealer to ask why and was told it isn't necessary at 5,000 mile check. I live in a rural area and drive on soft dirt roads frequently, so it was important to me, I never would have guessed it wasn't standard on every service. They also put a sticker in my window indicating I will need an oil change in three months, aggravating as when they were SELLING me the car one of their selling points was how much money I'd save because the car only needed oil changes every 5,000 miles. The service people said that was untrue, that it needs to be every 3,000, just like any other car. You would think the sales/service at the same dealership would be on the same page. I'm feeling a little disillusioned with the whole Prius deal. :mellow:

 

Have you tried it with the AC off to verify it is the AC causing it? The AC runs off the batteries, not the engine, so you will wind up using battery juice that normally wasnt being used. Also ALL, and I mean ALL service centers push 3000 mile services even though they are NOT needed, it is how they get you in to make money, I know did it for several years. Todays cars and oils are 5000-7500 mile interval changes, 3000 miles is so '70's as back then oils broke down quicker and needed to be changed more often, today oils and gasoline have added packages that keep the oil cleaner and longer lasting. Changing oil every 3000 miles wastes oil and creates more hazardous waste. I am almost due for my first change at 5000 miles, and will do an oil analasys to determine if it really needs to be changed at 5000, if it comes back run longer, especially after the first change will be full Synthetic, then I will run to 7500 and have it checked again, and if it come back run longer, then I will go to 10,000 and check it. Less oil being used the better for all. I currently do this for my F350 diesel, which hold 14 quarts of oil, if I changed that out every 3000 miles, that is nearly 4 gallons every 3000 miles going to a landfill or somewhere that it shouldnt. I run 9000 miles between changes in my truck and every sample has come back you can run longer, with little wear on the engine. In fact I am getting a filtration kit so I can filter the used oil to the point where I can use it as fuel for my Kubota farm tractor. A 20% mixture of waste motor oil and diesel or bio diesel fuel will in a way recycle the used oil, and help reduce useage of new stock.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Atwork @ May 16 2007, 01:59 PM) [snapback]443508[/snapback]</div>

One thing at a time:

1) What were the outside temperatures when you were getting 53-54 mpg? I notice you live in AZ 53-54 mpg on a new vehicle is exceptional so I doubt it was particularly cold.

2) Have you checked your tire pressure since your service?

3) Screw the service people they want your $ Toyota says 5000 miles in the book and even that is too soon given the fact that the ICE works about 70% of the time unless you're on the highway all the time. Leave those service people now. They know nothing.

4) Check whether your motor oil is grossly overfilled, some suggest it can decrease efficiency.

I use the AC at 78-Low though I realize in AZ your requirements are higher. I do not think that explains your problem. I realize that you say your problem appeared even before the service but that could have been a case of bad fuel. Most people here (myself included) like shell gas.

Let us know if it works out for you and keep the faith.

 

Ok, this is probably going to seem totaly unbelievable but there are several people here who know that I'm not fibbing. Tony Schaefer for one, Brick, Dan,FireEngineer, and some others. I got my Seaside Pearl '07 last Saturday and, when I got home, I topped off because of the "dealer fill syndrome." I then proceeded to drive 248 miles and I never lost any pips on the guage. I also noticed that my Scanguage2 always showed a lower instant mpg readout than the FCD screen even though the mileage driven was the same. I realized that I had forgotten to reset the tank correction from when it was in my Saturn. So, thinking there may be something wrong with the fuel gauge and knowin the SG was off, I decided to top off and get a fresh start. Now both readouts are pretty much the same with the Sg still being slightly lower but ok for now. Anyway, I was only able to squeeze 3.3 gallons in, while being careful not to hose myself with the gas burp. The 3.3 gallons had the fuel at the top of the filler but none ran out. The calculated mpg came to 75.1 mpg :blink:
I consistemtly get 70 and 80 mpg segments and have gotten some 90 and 100 segments with the highest being 118.


My commute allows me to P&G pretty much when I want without significantly holding up traffic; what little there is anyway. Let the flaming begin.

 

I have been heavily considering purchasing the prius or the civic hybrid. After reading these boards i'm not as certain anymore...

Must one drive like an old lady(or a sane person ) in order to get this MPG? I drive approximately 400 to 600 miles per week for my job! But i really can't travel under 70mph

Thanks everyone!

 

So far I have done 350 miles of driving, most trips are about 15 minutes from home to the office. Mileage is about 45 MPG, more than double that of my old Lexus GS 300. I am really thrilled with this car and am getting ready to start adding some cool mods. (auto door lock, stealth mode, stereo upgrade, whatever else I can do to it). You won't regret getting a Prius. All my fancy car owning friends call me crazy for trading in my Lexus until they actually drive my Prius. I find it incredibly rewarding driving this car knowing the benefits regarding air quality and Geo politics.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smartersean @ May 28 2007, 06:15 PM) [snapback]451139[/snapback]</div>

I was torn between the same two cars. You need to ask the Honda folks to let you take the civic for an extended drive, say 30+ minutes. You will find the seat will kill your lower back. The Prius is surprisingly comfy. The ride is a little more exciting in the Civic but the mileage is not as good both for city and highway. The electric motor in the Civic is quite small, only 20 hp I believe or in that range. Also with the Civic, you can never have electric only except in rare cases when coasting at 30 mph, still the ICE will continue to turn over. I can generally drive my entire neighborhood with electric only. Also, don't underestimate the convenience of a hatch back with seats that can fold down.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smartersean @ May 28 2007, 05:15 PM) [snapback]451139[/snapback]</div>

Short answer NO.

Long answer;
What you will find yourself doing though is driving calmer, knowing that all those fools zipping past you doing well over the posted speed limit are wasting gas. I normally drive 5-10 over the posted limit on the highway, maybe 5 over in the city, and averaging 50 MPG. The only thing I have found so far that I sort of dislike is the A/C, in city traffic, having it on hurts mileage to the nth degree, but once on the road where I can maintain a steady speed I dont see a change. In 30-40MPH roads with lights, I loose about 30MPG with the A/C on. The other day on the way back from the dealer where they replaced the shift knob(scratched), I was able to maintain a good 40-45MPH and saw the economy jump to over 70MPG for a good 25 minutes of driving. I did have a tail wind though, so that may be considered cheating! The Prius has surprisingly good passing ability on the open road, and if driven normally like any other car can get decent milage, but driven to get the best takes patience and practice, which in my case, I normally dont have the chance due to bubba on my bumper, so I sadly have to live with only getting 50 MPG. (sad sad world)

 

is there anywhere online where one can view the owner's manual? Hopefully for the 2007
You all have been EXTREMELY helpful with my research! thank you! oh yeah, and thanks for that whole save the environment thing too! B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lockjaw @ May 28 2007, 10:48 PM) [snapback]451271[/snapback]</div>

It was also a toss-up between the Prius and the HCH for me. The hatchback was the deciding factor. I've found the Prius to be very roomy, and when I have to carry guitars and stuff, the hatch is very convenient. The Civic doesn't have a very large trunk; its smaller for the hybrid version due to the battery placement, which also precludes the rear seat from folding down. Also, the Prius has a lot more room for the rear seat passengers.
But if that isn't important for you, I'd say that the Civic is also an excellent choice. I found that it had a slight edge over the Prius when it comes to handling, although the Prius has better acceleration. Styling is subjective; I think the new Civic is a great looking car. I drove one for about 20 minutes and the seat felt fine to me, but I have heard that about the front seat. I always make sure to take an extended drive (or two) in any car before I buy it.

 

:blink: All very well, but unrealistic for most drivers. Our two 2007 Prius Touring models average 42 mpg overall. Highway 44 mpg and city 38 mpg. There is no way that city driving, short-trips, is going to be better than Interstate. Also, Virginia has hills. I wonder if most of the exhorbinant mileage claims are from anyone east of the Mississippi? There are no Bonneville Salt Flats in Virginia. Secondly one of the features of the Prius is the automatic ac/heat, so to do without is silly.

I "pulse and glide" and have reduced my overall road speed. However to no avail. Yet we love both Prius and are very glad we bought them. 42 mpg. is much better than any non-hybrid and better than all other hybrids. We also do not want anymore of our money to go to terrorists than need be.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PLM @ Jul 19 2007, 10:43 AM) [snapback]481574[/snapback]</div>

Check out the MPG figures in my sig. Sorry to be contrary, but city driving normally will give better mileage than interstate. Most of the miles I report in the databases are city miles. Coincidentally, however, I'm currently in the midst of a 1000 mile highway trip to Hybridfest. The best I've done on any segment for this trip is 56 MPG.

Short trips will kill mileage in any circumstance. And if you're running the AC or heat on those short trips, that will kill it faster.

Where are you in VA? If you're close to Richmond, I'd be glad to show you how to get the best results possible for your driving situation.

 

I'll help too, if I can find the time. If you're close to Roanoke, which I frequent often, I might be able to create some time for some driving clinics. My mileage isn't as high as JimboK's, but I've been getting above 60 MPG the past 3 or 4 tanks.

 

This posting was very helpful. As a new Prius owner I have been disappointed to get "only" 40-45 mpg and was ready to complain to the dealer. But I used the information in this article, did the math, and found that my car is fine and the mileage is about right based on the kind of trips I take. Following is what I learned, with the hopes that it might be instructive to others.

I commute about 15 miles to/from work each day, mostly on the freeway. With my new-found knowledge about the energy display screens I noted the following:

- I get about 25 mpg during the initial five minute warm-up segment, just as described in the article
- I get about 50 mpg during the next 2 five minute segments on the freeway - exactly equal to the EPA highway mileage!
- my average for the 15 minute trip is about 42 mpg, which is about right based upon the above numbers!

 

Hi all. I've had my 07 Prius for 6 weeks now, and I've already put 6,512 miles on it. I drive about 200+ miles a day in my line of work. I keep reading about this so called "break in period".
Well I have noticed a loss of MPG after the first 5,000 miles. Before I was averaging 46-48MPG, now I'm seeing 44-46MPG. Can anyone explain that. I have not changed my driving habits(I following the advice in the article at the begining of this thread). I took my Prius in at 5,000 miles for the oil change and tire rotation. So I think I'm doing all the right steps. Why am I getting LESS MPG after 5,000 miles.