Do you find yourself?

We also have two cars: a 2004 Lexus GS430 (23 mpg) and a 2006 Prius (48 mpg). We almost always take the Prius, because of the good gas mileage. At about 40mph, if you don't hot-rod your Prius, it gets excellent mileage.
At 70 mph, I only get about 45 or so.

 

I have thought about this on occasion but end up taking the Prius. It definitely shows the need for ALL cars to have FE instrumentation.

 

well on short trips the prius only gets like 25 mpg right? so equal to that of the camry so it doesnt matter what car you take... maybe im wrong?

 

It's not a newbie thing, it's an example of the sort of illogical thinking to which we humans are prone. Drive the Prius.

Tom

 

Even if the Prius and the Camry got identical mpg on a particular trip, the Prius will do it more cleanly.

 

I would disagree with this statement, since you would be assuming the Camry gets rated mileage even when running cold, which is very likely not the case. The Prius just makes it easier to be aware due to the instant fuel economy instrumentation, a feature not found in most cars.

 

Yes I am, the only reason that the prius gets bad milage while cold is because the car cant go into EV mode and thus operates like any other gasoline car

 

Bet the Camry gets 10 mpg for the first few miles.

 

Drive the Prius.

The Earth will thank you.

And cut down on the short trips too.:welcome:

 

I had to chuckle at the thread title. I admit, I occasionally have trouble finding myself.

Seriously, I would use my ScanGauge (which I still keep on hand even after adding CAN-View to the Prius) to help compare the fuel economy the the two vehicles. I'd be pretty sure the Prius does better, but I'd like to verify it. Doesn't help the OP if he/she doesn't have a SG, though it would be a handy device to have for many reasons besides this.

Now, on the subject of which is cleaner: Would the Prius really be cleaner on such a short trip if the ICE never has the opportunity to shut off? Is there something about the Prius' emissions system that makes it inherently cleaner than that of a vehicle with a similar ICE? I'm sure this has been addressed, but I don't recall the answer.

Finally, I agree with Patrick: Reduce the short trips when possible. No question they're MPG killers in any car. Figure ways to combine them when you can.

 

A mile trip? Not raining / freezing cold? Night?
I love to jump on my P-38 recumbent, as smug as it sounds, and as dorky as I look.

happy daylight savings time (except you folks in AZ etc)

 

Wow. Recumbent or not, 26 mph takes some serious quads.

 

Yes the ICE will shut off even for short trips, at least when you're stopped at lights and such. It happens for me every day early in my commute, unless it's really cold out.

But yeah, if I'm only going a mile or two I will either walk or combine the trip with other errands.