I just made a deal on an 08 touring model. I make long trips in the west each summer and drive around 80mph on the interstate. What sort of mileage can I expect on my long trips at this speed. I have to drive all day to get where I am headed and the speed limit is 80. Who wants to drive 60 when you have 600 miles to drive in a day? I want to drive this fast to get there.
I figure about 40 or so. Remember you use less when you coast downhill. You will also learn to play with the gas throttle.
just a mere post of you driving 600 miles @80mph doesn't tell much. however, driving on the freeways @ about 70-75mph yields me about 45 mpg......most of the times a bit more. to clarify my first sentence, i meant.............is the freeway you're gonna drive mainly flat, hills, severe elevation changes, etc. if you merely slow down a bit, 53-55 mpg is VERY EASY.
The few times I've taken the Prius out on the sections of the FL turnpike were the limit is 75, my FE had dropped to the mid 40's, so the low 40's seems right for 80 mph. Down south of Miami where there's a bunch of overpasses (i.e., the road is not really "flat), the FE was a little less. Alot is going to depend on the terrain and on how much and/or how you use the AC. Speed really is the enemy of FE. You just have to decide if the 2.5 hr difference between traveling 600 miles at 80 mph or at 60 mph is worth the extra gas (difference is about 4 gal between mid 50's mpg and low 40's mpg.)
My guess is that once you actually start driving your Prius you will find yourself driving slower for some strange reason. Maybe not 55, but I'll bet less than 80.
I am one of the most conservative drivers you have ever met. I get superb FE and have long before gas prices were out of sight. I coast, throw the car out of gear, anticipate lights, etc. However, when I am on a long haul, I fly. 2.5hrs is not worth the $16 in gas. The terrain is flat except for some plateau elevation rises every couple of hours. My ultimate destinations are hilly, but not the drive there. Thanks for the input. That is what I expected. I can live with low 40s on the longer hauls.
Eh - I travel between 75-90 mph in SoCal (not rush hour). My current commute is 2 miles, one way, and my lifetime average (15k) is 44.3 roughly (need to update my signature). I am moving; the move will put me about 20 miles from work, 90% highway. I'm curious as to what my MPG's now will be. I'm thinking it should go up. Everytime I've gone to San Diego or LA, my milage goes up to around 50 mpg, and I travel no less than 75.
I drive from south Florida to Lakeland about once a month to visit my brother and mother. About half on the Turnpike at 70 mph and the rest on Rt. 60 at 65 mph. Over the course of the trip I get 45 to 48 mpg. I use the Cruse whenever possible. I find a change of about 3-5 mpg when going from 70 to 75 mph on the Turnpike. Bob
Even with high sustained speeds, you may still do a little better if you pay attention on the rise and fall: accelerate moderately into your highway groove and just wait till you get to speed, and plan a nice long sustained glide down to your exit at the other end. It's often amazing how an MPG figure you've fought for all day on the interstate suddenly just pops up as you finally get off the thing if you've done so through a half-mile of warp stealth. . Inter-car distance is still key, of course. . _H*
