Are you really getting over 45mpg?

My worse mileage, Houston to Plano, Tx. averaged 48mpg. Normally I would get about 52-53mpg with 4 passengers and a loaded trunk at 70mph, the difference was a fierce headwind.

My normal in town mileage is between 55 and nearly 58mpg, 60% side streets an 40% freeway/tollway within 30 miles of Downtown. Your mileage will get better as it breaks in and your driving habits change to accommodate the virtuals of the Prius.

 

I've only had mine for a few weeks and around 1800 miles. I'm still trying to see how far I can run on a tank of gas. I ran it down to one block yesterday and the tank only took 7.8 gallons. So I guess it's the new bladder and the cold weather. Getting around 42 mpgs.

As everyone here will agree, you want to avoid running out of gas. From what I've seen here, if you run out of gas, the car's computer will store that fact and the dealer will void your battery warranty. Apparently they figure if you run out of gas then you might have driven with the battery only and overly discharged the battery, damaging it.

I am looking forward to spring, warmer temperatures and higher mpgs...

 

I'm just fininshing off my best winter tank ever! Over 520 miles so far ... the pip isn't blinking yet ... and I'm between 56 and 56.2 mpg. Woo hooo! Pics are forth comming.

 

to the OP, once the car finishes break in period the mileage will steadily improve. I get upwards of 50 mpg on my 05 prius, on my 2001 prius im getting 52 - 54 consistently

 

How do you know the tank was full of gas? DId you fill it up?. Otherwise it wasn't full. Guaranteed.
It's way too early to make any judgements.
There is nothing wrong with you new car.

 

When I bought my 08 in Novemeber, I was also disappointed in the mileage. I was getting in the 30s and was not pleased. But, when I got over 1000 miles, I was then getting around 50. I drive most of the time, and it is 30 miles to my job one way, so 60 round trip and my wife rides with me as she works near me---special bonding time in the morning! Anyway, I had to go out of town and she drove herself and got 62 miles per gallon! Oh well, I had to lose the car sooner or later and go back to the Tacoma.

 

50.3 lifetime average (54,000 miles since Jan 06). I do 90 miles a day on LA freeways. 45? no problem! I get over 50 without even thinking about it. Pump up those tires, crank the stereo, and let the good times roll!

 

Relax. You almost certainly are getting 42 MPG. The gas gauge is very non-linear, and the flexible bladder inside the tank means that the real capacity is (a) variable, and (b) less than 11.9 gallons.

The one thing you can be certain of is, if the last pip on the gas gauge starts to flash you must buy gas immediately. This forum is littered with sad stories of people who ran out of gas because they just *knew* there was a reserve amount still in the tank, or that they could *certainly* go another X miles because they put in Y gallons Z miles ago... Uh-uh. No. It doesn't work that way.

 

This is my first full week with my 08 Prius, and thus far, I've been getting 50-51 MPG. Of course, my commute is in the LA area with temperatures that are relatively warm right now.

 

I went & got gas near a cheep station 20 miles from home, even though the pip wasn't blinking. Ok, here's my winter pic, taken just a few minutes ago:



Some 4am morning drives in the 30's, some in the 50's. Afternoons in the 60's thru 80's. Grill is half blocked. That's 15.6mpg less and over 180 miles less than my record summer tank.

 

Average 49-50 mpg. Primarily I-95 driving @ 70-75mph.

 

Yes. But it is easier in our more efficient car.

 

My car is just over a year old with 16k miles. Last year I got just over 40 mpg with the first tank. Right now the MFD is showing 49.3 with about 250 mi on this tank.

Patience Grasshopper.

 

If you didn't fill it you don't know if it was full, you might think it was but was it really? The first bar isn't 10% of the tank, most likely closer to 20% while the last bar isn't 10% but closer to 5%.

Don't panic, fill up and keep records of consumption. Also what was you fuel consumption in your last car when compared to the EPA figures for that car? If you don't change your driving style you can expect similar percentage of EPA figures in your Prius.

My personal recommendation is to fill up when the fuel gauge is at 2 bars. There are a lot of people who think Prius can run on air, don't be one of them, it can harm the battery.

 

Last tank 38mpg ,temps in the 20's ,oxygenated winter fuel. I can do better!

 

My last tank, which I had done a reset at the start, was 45.6 mpg upon refilling it. That's not bad for the dead of winter.

Harry

 

We average a steady 48-50mpg.

 

47 Months, 363 tanks, 109,697 miles/2423.41 gallons = 45.3 MPG

JeffD
2004 Prius

 

It's 63'F and you call that winter?? That's just a refreshing summer morning. I wouldn't block the grill at all with those kind of temperatures.

Yesterday it got to 50'F (one day only), and that was the warmest day here in nearly two months (which was a record-breaking day in early January). I'm sure Jayman and our other friends in the great white north have better stories. But I am enjoying the return to temps in the mid 20's to 30's from the teens and single digits, my mileage has improved 15% already.

(63'F=16'C, 50'F=10'C, 25'F=-4'C, 11'F=-11'C)

Here's a couple pics from last year, showing the difference temperature makes (36'F compared to 64'F). Same commute, same driving style.