I made my first trip in my 2003 Prius and it was a 250 miles each way from LA to Vegas. I got the standard 46 Prius MPG on the trip there. But the return trip it was another story. I made a coffee stop and topped off the tank in Barstow. It only took $6.30 which is a little over two gallons here. And then I drove all the way back to Los Angeles and it still shows a full tank. There was a downhill stretch that lasted forty minutes to an hour where I was using almost no gas at all. And it was then I started to discover by dropping the cruise control one mile an hour at a time I could keep the electric engine handling most to all the work. I'd say if I topped it off now I am guessing it would take 5 bucks. That means I got home on a little over eleven dollars in gas. Less than four gallons. That's 70-80 mpg! Plus I was driving 70 and had the A/C on for a lot of the trip. I had a lot of fun trying to not use much gas. But is there a heavy downside to playing this mileage game? You know like how on a regular car gear down to save brake pads, which is penny wise and pound foolish. I'd like to keep playing but don't want to wear out the car in the process.
Wear out the car from driving conservatively?? You don't have to worry. Drawbacks: taking more time to reach your destination (not a problem for me), potentially irritating those behind you, and potentially creating a safety risk for yourself or others. Safety is always my first priority. From there I aim for a balance of fuel economy and courtesy.
Granted I have been known in my Dodge Stealth to drive eighty and over. But driving 72 MPH (2 miles over the speed limit) was fast enough for me. When I finally learned the cruise control trick I never dropped below 66 so I was never a hazard. I did get a little nutty and drove very slowly through my neighborhood to keep it all electric (12-17 MPH) but it was 3AM. I guess I haven't played in traffic yet having just learned the game last night. I'm surprised because I thought the Prius was a straight 45MPG car. I thought the Insight stick was only one with real game.
y'know, L.V. is 2000 ft higher than L.A. (that's 1.5 ft per 1,000 ft of travel). You took a "sleigh ride" home considering the elevation difference. I've done a lot of measurement of MPG difference vs. elevation difference on the Gen-3 and assume earlier generations are similar. I get 3-4 MPG more going downhill than going uphill for a difference of 1 ft. per 1,000 ft, so you should have gotten 5-6 MPG more coming home, just from the elevation difference. Granted, that's only a small part of the 30 MPG gain you saw coming home, but it just is a reminder that only the average MPG for the entire round trip has any meaning (elevation and wind mostly cancel) - and that assumes you drive the same style in both directions. Glad you are having fun exploring the possibilities of the Prius design !!
G etting up earlier is the key for me. I find if I leave before seven I miss school buses and the heaviest of traffic. I did read that anything over sixty would add thirty cents to every gallon used. Only had the car for three weeks but i am averaging 49.5mpg as of today. I let my hubby borrow the car one day and I actually warned him not to bring my average down with his quick stops and starts. I only have 500 miles on this average so Im hoping it will climb as I get use to the hypermiling techniques.
Is your gas gauge still showing "full" now? I'm having a little concern here, because, as a newbie, I also topped off last Saturday, and after 120 miles, my gas gauge still shows "full". I read that topping off could damage the tank control sensor (of something like that). Hope you could share some good news with me!
You're fine unless you overfilled to the point of gas spewing out, it saturated the charcoal canister, and the car threw a diagnostic trouble code. In my current tank I went over 300 miles before the first pip disappeared.
Thanks, that's really good news! I'll wait and see when the first pip desappears. I guess I understand now why the Prius gas gauge is called "guess gauge".
This really is a good question. Hypermileing can be risky but the miles fly by (funny since you're moving slower). Drafting, pulse-n-glide, coasting (downhill @ 80+mph sometimes ), and simply high efficiency 50mph cruising all pose safty risks. You just have to remember that besides the console, you need to look out the windsheild from time to time. Understand that other drivers are confused about your driving style and may do something eratic (like pull out in front of you causing you to brake ). Drivers behind you will become irritated. You will not be popular, period. But, it's still a great hobby, saves gas and the planet, and gives you something to do on those extra long trips.
