33.6 MPG and very pleased

The Prius mpg is a bit lower but in the summer you should achieve avg 45mpg with regular driving. You can get 50mpg but it's a bit challenging.

Try out this concept, if you accelerate slowly your engine will distribute the gas slower and you'll achieve better gas millage as you accelerate. Also use cruise control when you can. The idea is not to push on the gas too hard, drive calmly and your millage will increase.

Lots of people complain about not getting 50mpg, but common. Average cars don't even average 20mpg.

You'll get the hang of it over time. I average 45mpg and I drive in the city/downtown and on the highway daily.

 

Try this out, when you fill up your gas tank drive real slow/calmly and then drive normally. the mpg should stabilize slower. also, check your tire pressure. I do not know, 40mpg is real easy for me to achieve but then again I drive a couple of miles a day to work and a lot on the weekends.

 

Awesome! Higher tire pressures will help. With that short of a trip, blocking the grill should be suitable in nearly all weather as well, at the very least block the upper portion all the time.

When it's cold outside, an electric block heater should help even more!

 

I'm a new owner and I think your mileage is fine.

I get ~35mpg and drive in similar conditions to you. I have been using the techniques everyone recommends - don't know if they help or not. I've had my grill blocked for 2 weeks. In my husband's new Altima, I achieve ~18 mpg, so I'm quite pleased with the 35.

The one thing I haven't done is increase the tire PSI as I'm getting new tires next week. I'll pump the new ones up!

Like you, I take very short trips in the cold. I work from home, so don't even have a commute. I just drive the kids to school/activities, bank, grocery, etc. - all within 1.5 miles. I live in Pittsburgh - very hilly city. Geographically, I live at a low spot in very hilly terrain. When I leave the house, I motor up a long steep hill on a cold engine. Drive for 5 - 9 minutes and then turn around and head home. Not the right conditions for big mpg numbers!

Sometimes we must take pride and pleasure in the modest victories.

 

You may want to install an EV button and force the ICE to shut down.

Be careful not to abuse the HV battery as your overall MPG can get lower. I would suggest studying how the computer shut down the ICE now and during warmer weather first. Then try to simulate that during the cold weather. You will get a hang of when the ICE should be off given certain amount of pressure you have on the accelerator padel, etc..

 

Simply read the second sticky from the top of the main Fuel Economy page. Since March I've averaged what's posted below... but now that the Temps are between 20-45 F I'm only getting 51 mpg :-(
And I don't do anything too radical or such that adjacent drivers know I'm doing anything.

 

I realized that I didn't use the AC/HEAT in the summer that much, that's probably where the biggest impact on mpg goes, also terrain is a big one.

on a full take of gas, what is the total amount of miles you travel?

 

That should yield something impressive I think! As you've noted, you've got to compare apples with apples.

I could never compare my mileage with someone from Chicago or even your town...Pittsburgh is that much hillier than Madison. I live in a part of town whose name contains the word Mt. It's a densely populated area, so my driving is start/stop/start/stop. My battery is regularly fully green (which is not a good thing).

Still, in all, I'm very pleased to get 35mpg. Hoping to get to 40mpg at break in, but unless my circumstances or geographic location change, I don't envision reaching high 40s.

BTW, I just inflated my tires to 40/38. I had previously thought to delay the inflation until I had my new tires mounted, but ... I didn't inflate higher, because I want to test their performance on wet, cold, brick (!) roads. I routinely drive car loads of teenagers to sports practices.

Good luck!

 

Congrats on your new car, and mileage improvement! Its nice to see someone who recognizes the relative improvement as such and isn't all bent out of shape that they don't magically get 60mpg.

You seem like an ideal candidate for a block heater if you'd like to try and improve a little more. There are even members in AZ using them, as it gets you through the warm up cycle a lot faster. The shorter your trips and the colder your weather the more benefit you should see. And, now you will get to plug in your Prius!

Do some searches on EBH (engine block heater) for lots of info if you want to know more.

Rob