New contender for worst tank

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Zzyzx @ Sep 28 2007, 05:21 AM) [snapback]518931[/snapback]</div>

That's about all I've EVER gotten. I try to be so careful and yet I can't get beyond it. Does anyone know if a touring model gets worse gas mileage than the non-touring?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Panacea @ Sep 29 2007, 03:02 PM) [snapback]519128[/snapback]</div>

Yes, most report that the touring model gets slightly worse mileage. Some people have traded the larger wheels for standard for a slight boost in mileage. Most likely the type of driving you do has a bigger impact on mileage than the type of Prius.

Tom

 

Ehh, some of my winter tanks last year were worse. There's something about week after week of sub-zero morning startups and daytime highs barely above 20F that will drag ones mileage down, down, down. Glad I moved south.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Sep 29 2007, 12:32 PM) [snapback]519137[/snapback]</div>

I live in Southern California, and my neighborhood doesn't have one flat spot in it! :-( Most of my driving is on the freeway, and all of it hilly. My usual commute is uphill to work (elevation change only about 850 feet, though) and back. I drive usually around 65 mph (the speed limit here) but lower if I can without someone getting hostile on my rear bumper. I try to make as much use of glide and electric power as I can, and I'm constantly keeping an eye on the arrows on my screen. Still, I can't seem to break a 45 mpg tank. The non-freeway routes to work are just as hilly, with lots and lots of stoplights. I don't know what else to do to make my mileage better.

 

How much are you people using the brakes?

 

I know how 'Zzyzx' feels. My lifetime average is about 47mpg, no matter how hard I try to baby our 07 Prius, which is at 6500miles. I p&g, I glide to all stop lights waaay waay ahead, etc. Even on the freeways, I set the CC at 62 to 63mph and the consumptions screen very rarely goes up to approx 80ish, but sure goes back down below 50 easily. From our house to San Diego and back, we can make it around 46 or 48 and thats the best we ever had. Surely, by 10,000 miles we can get into the 50s. Also, reading up on Hobbits "warp stealth" was interesting and the next trip I will try keeping my rpms around 2000 unless some 18 wheeler runs us over. Zsyzx--keep trying, there are better days ahead.

 

What sort of mileage did/do you get from a conventional car compared to the government figures for that car? I guess if you had a 2 litre engined car that achieved 15L/100km but the government figures said it should get 10L/100km then your not doing to badly.

My car spent the first 60,000km of it's life in Sydney which is quite hilly and it was a company car, (they are the fastest cars) yet the brake pads are worn less than 10% at 66,000km.

I have said it before and no doubt I will say it again, the brake pedal is your enemy, if your front wheels are getting brake dust on them you are using the brakes too much. More planning and thinking ahead required.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Panacea @ Sep 29 2007, 03:02 PM) [snapback]519128[/snapback]</div>

That's what I was getting BEFORE I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE ALIGNMENT on my touring. When it was properly aligned, and I hit 3K miles, increased the tp to 42/40, got more experienced in proper pulse & glide use, I got into the low 50's. Another 4K miles, upper grill block, and keeping tires at 44/42 got me to the mid 50's, with one 60.0 tank! This is on the 16" Bridgestone Turanzas, and 6.5 months driving experience. Now it's time to add a Scanguage and start blocking the lower grill beginning at the top for winter here in New England. What kills my mpg is a very very short commute to work Mon - Fri and going home for lunch every day

Keep working on it, and try to watch a more learned Prius driver (in your local area at a group meet) drive for a while, then you drive with them watching you, giving you tips as you go along. That last part is what helps the most I think. Thanks to Hobbit for the driving lessons!

 

I got you beat there, but I don't know if it really counts. It was my first tank about a week after driving the car off the lot. Now, I know all the pips were on when I drove off, and assumed it was actually full. More likely, it was just about to knock down one pip, I don't know. Anyway, I did my first fill up after 255 miles, put 8.479 gallons in for a whopping . . . 30.074mpg. Since I got the Prius in July in Arizona, I'm guessing they let it idle at the dealership while they prepped it.

Most of my tanks have been between 42 and 55mpg since then (today's fill up being my best tank, more on that in another post). Summers in AZ are tough, but we're getting into the prime mileage season here now so I'm going to break some of my records soon.

 

I think my worst tank was around 32 MPG. It involved running the car with the heat on full blast while scraping ice, day after day. At one point I had to run the car for one hour in the parking lot at the airport after a surprise ice storm. The engine ran the ENTIRE time.

Nate