I do not understand the Average Speed Indicator, unless mine is not working rignt on my new Gen III. For example, today we drove across town, mostly on roads with an average speed of 50. While we came to stop signs several times, which obviously lowered our speed, mostly we were cruising along including time at 65. Yet our ASI registered 27. I have found that consistantly to be the case. Even though we may be traveling on a highway for 45 minutes at 60, our ASI may say 31 or some such thing. So what is this telling me?
Very little. For example, when we were traveling the other day, over the course of better than an hour, we were stopped once. Other than that, we were traveling at about 55 mph, yet our ASI said 37 and was dropping.
There are several approaches to checking the calibration: GPS - using a GPS receiver and on a highway where you can set the cruise control, set the cruise control and clear the trip meter. Then run down the road and compare the GPS speed, indicated speed, and the average speed. With my 2010, the tripmeter average and GPS speeds agreed. The indicated speed was 1 mph high. watch and distance - find a stretch of highway with mile markers. Come to a complete stop by one marker, reset the trip meter and when the watch shows on the minute, resume speed. Go about 60-100 miles and come to a stop next to a mile marker and record the time and trip meter average speed. Do the math. running watch and distance - set the indicated speed to 60 mph and cruise control on a highway with mile markers. Note the time when the next mile marker is passed and the value. Continue for 30 minutes or more and record the time when the next mile marker is passed, the value, and the average speed. Do the math. GOOD LUCK! Bob Wilson
google earth a 60 mile route through urban and highway driving, reset average speed, start driving at 12:00PM, note the time you reach your destination, divide miles by time in minutes to work out average speed, compare speed to average speed on indicator.
We've had our III two weeks now, and the "average speed" indicator has "hovered" between 24 MPH and 27 MPH. No matter how fast or slow we go, it stays right about there. And to add to this, I can't figure out why we NEED an "average speed indicator" anyway.
We're exactly where you are, both trying to figure out exactly what this means, and what the point is. Ours pretty much hits a point and stays there as well, and for the last several days it's been like yours, at about 27.
Mine does change...I do mostly Interstate driving with short areas on city streets. It has been at a low of around 30 and a high of 45...
Probably don't need an average speed, but there was room in the display so they threw it in, I guess. GPS units tend to have it as well, and it doesn't require a destination (or GPS, for that matter). Personally, it is interesting to see how low it is. We spend a lot more time sitting still and going slow than we think. The easiest way to check it is to wait until you hop on an Interstate and zero the trip odometer, then watch it on an Interstate-only trip where you're cruising. From all that I've read, it is in fact accurate. EDIT: Personally, I'd prefer to be able to enter a date into the system, then display the date when the trip was reset. Right now, I'm resetting the Trip A at the beginning of each week, and the Trip B when I get gas.
Interesting, mine seems to settle somewhere around there too around town. Longer highway trips show higher speeds. The formula does seem a bit whacky - is it counting time parked?!
On the last leg of my 1300 mile trip from Oregon to Arizona I hit an average recorded speed of 65 mph. Of course the AZ interstate speed limit is 75 mph. Oh, by the way I averaged 50.5 mpg over the entire distance; last leg average mpg was only 45.6.
I'm having a heck of a time breaking 50mpg on this tank due to triple digit teens heat, even in ECO mode w/ A/C set at 78°F
My south travel of 1300 miles was totally on 'normal' mode with AC set 72-74 degrees. Of course the Needles to Buckeye leg was at temps averaging around 108 degrees. Going north this weekend I plan to drive 100% in ECO mode. It will be interesting to see what gas milege I get. Of course I won't be quite so aerodynamic due to the "Mattresses and Priuses ..." thread regarding my accident. And I probably will not drive quite so fast so as to not 'blow off' the fender area around the right front tire. out:
My average was 23mph (mostly around town driving) until I took a trip to Michigan and back...now it's 59mph.
Somewhere on the PriusChat Forum I read that the trip odometer needs to be reset (set to zero). I tried that this morning, for trip B, and now when the display is in ECO mode (with the horizontal bar) with trip B, the MPG and avg speed are correct (since the trip odometer was reset). So, the key is to reset the trip odometer, to get a near-term reading instead of a long-term reading.
I was surprised to see an average speed of 21 - 23 around town. Guess I'm slowing down in my old age.
I drove from L.A. to San Diego at constant 70-80mph speeds. When I started, my trip meter had 50 miles on it and ASI of 24mph. By the time I got to San Diego, the ASI had jumped to 54mph. That still seems low to me considering I only had 50 miles on the trip meter at the start. I wonder if the ASI is just a simple calculation between the miles driven divided by total hours driven since the last trip meter reset.
