Mike, First off - I got around 39 on my first tank. I'm getting about 42 now. I've also thought that my numbers are low in comparison to some I've read.... That said - Check your tire pressure - believe it or not, it matters. Secondly - Don't worry - If your car is brand new (like Triple-T) then just wait. I was told that the car will get better gas mileage as it "breaks in" (about 10,000 miles). I'm just over $1,000 miles and each tank DOES seem to get a couple miles per gallon better than the last. So there seems to be some truth to the break-in thing. Lastly - Are you driving short distances to work? If you watch your consumption computer (and it's like mine) you'll notice that Prius gets it's worse mileage during the first 5 minutes of operation. In my case, my first 5 minutes average about 25 mpg - after that, the bar hovers around 50 and sometimes even higher. Bottom line - if you're driving shorter distances regularly - then Prius doesn't have the time to get to those better numbers after the first 5 minutes and your average mpg will suffer. Hope that helps.... Yoda
Hey Mike, I just re-read your post and noticed that you said "Most of my trips are 10 minutes or less". BINGO - That's your mileage problem, NOT the A/C. If your Prius is getting 25 on the first 5 minutes (like mine) then jumping to 50 after that - you're getting MAYBE 1 5-minute block at the better ("real Prius") mileage. Your car is fine. Drive a little longer. 8) Yoda
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mike_V\";p=\"91369)</div> read here http://priuschat.com/forums/kb.php?mode=ar...8be33566ad6ebcd
My first tank was aroud 35 MPG, don't feel so bad Mike! It takes time to get used to the car. But respond to the car's feedback. It'll teach you. My average improved to 45 after the first tank. And the AC usage does drop your MPG a bit. Do you drive over a lot of hills? A great reference is Evan's knowledge base article http://priuschat.com/forums/kb.php?mode=article&k=23 Good luck!
Actually, if the AC is running full blast, it will hit your MPG, especially in stop/go traffic as it drains your battery. while the HVAC is in auto, temp set at 74 or higher, observe the fan speed the system chose. If it is over half, then it will eat battery power, which the ICE has to make up. Understanding that, then observe your energy screen. If the battery is below 6 bars, and definitely below 5, MPG will suffer some as it tries to charge the battery, even if ICE has warmed up.
Thanks for all of the info guys. I think you all hit the nail on the head. I took some longer trips (20 to 40 min) and the MDF showed better readings. The AC running on high does take a hit just as Dan says, but it cools quickly so I can then crank the power down. I'm also getting the feel for it as galaxee suggested and I'm noticing the difference from that. With my short commute, I may never get much better than 40 to 45, but now at least I know that there's not a real problem. Sorry for taking so long to reply, I'm just getting used to how this website works too! Thanks for your help!
I've had the same experience recently. First two fillups averaged 38MPG, then on this third tank I a) upped the air pressure to 40 from 35-37 (thanks dealer) B) have been making longer trips whenever possible. After some town driving and a 120-mile round trip to the city, I had just made 48mpg, to my delight. A couple more short trips have me back down to low 47s, but I feel better now anyway
