Hi there! I have had my new Prius for about two months now and have just found the Prius forums. I have a 2008 Seaside Pearl Touring model with pkg #3 and beige leather upgrade. I was a little leery about getting a Prius at first, since I am tall (6'-3"). However, after a test ride, I thought it comfortable and after about 1200 miles, I still do. Not as comfortable as my Avalon, but I didn't expect it to be. I have driven my neighbor's Jaguar XJ8 sedan, and I have more head-room in my Prius. My wife and I both really love the car so far, and look forward to many happy trails with it. I am sure I will be learning a lot here from others' experiences. I do have a few newbie questions... I was surprised that I could not get factory-tinted windows with my car. My dealer says that they can install the tint film for $195. Does anyone else have good/bad experience with having the tint film? I have always had tinted windows to help with our Texas summers. In tracking my gas mileage, my display mileage overall for my first 1200 miles has been 46.7. My calculated overall mileage from my gas fill-ups is 45.4. Is this fairly typical for others who may keep track? I was curious as to how much gasoline I had left in the tank when I had only one bar/square left on the gauge, so I filled up just as it went from two to one. I put in exactly 8 gal. That calculates to 3.9 gals. left. I have noticed that I get more miles on some gauge bars than others, but there seems to be a lot more gas for this last bar than the others. Is there any gas left after the last bar disappears? Thanks!
Welcome to the forum, PriAva. As far as your gas tank gauge is concerned, one pip may give you another 50 to 60 miles. The answer is yes or no. There may be some gas left in the bladder tank or there might be nothing left after the last 'pip' is gone. Don't count on it too much. Besides, you wouldn't go all the way to the 'E' on your last car anyway - right. Simply fill up the tank once you are down to 2 or 1 'pip'. Note: I've heard of some Prius owners who try to completely run on the Hybrid battery and end up having problems with their H battery. Enjoy the ride.
I've gone three summers in Dallas and felt no need for tinted glass. The A/C works fine. A Sunshade for the windshield (remember to park facing where the Sun will be) does speed up the initial cooldown. If the last gas gauge pip ever starts flashing, buy gas immediately. Because of the tank bladder one cannot reliably estimate how much fuel is left at that point.
Hi PriAva, welcome to PriusChat! Window tinting is almost always done by a third party firm, even if the dealer arranges it. You might want to use the Search function (third like from the right near the top of the page) to look for Texas tint and see what comes up. The Prius window glass has a high iron content to help block infrared light to keep the interior cooler. Your Multi-Function Display mpg and your calculated mpg are fairly close. The MFD frequently is a little optimistic, but it uses the number of milliseconds the fuel injectors are open divided by wheel revolutions. Trying to calculate mpg over only a tank or two is almost impossible due to the bladder in the tank. Many here call it the "guess gauge" since it's only a guess as to how much gas you have left. Don't chance running out, it's not good for the car, get gas when you're down to two or one pip. Like N3FOL said, a blinking pip means GET GAS NOW! Have fun driving!
Welcome PriAva. Like you, we have one each Prius and Avalon. The Prius has been with us for a little over a year and the Avalon, almost three. It may sound silly but even after a year, I still enjoy driving the Prius more than the Avalon. As far as the "guess gage" goes, don't push your luck too far. Do like the others have said, fill up at two or maybe one pip. I have never seen mine below two pips and on the avalon never below the 1/4 mark. The electric fuel pump is cooled by the gas so don't leave it high and dry. Enjoy your Prius.
Welcome to Priuschat!! I pay no attention to the gas gauge. I keep track of my MPG using excell. I keep tack of total gas purchased and miles driven. That gives me the MPG. The car says I have a lifetime MPG of 51.8 my spreadsheet says 50.6 I also went from a 99 Avalon to 2007 Prius. Miss the power seats.... Love the MPG's
Many thanks for the info! I really never intended to always let it get to one pip before filling up. I was just curious as to how much was left if I ever had to let it get that low. You're right about the bladder tank. I guess you can never relate gas used or left by the number of pips showing. Will try to check out the forum more closely before posting several more questions that I have.
