POLL: What mode do you drive in and why what percentages?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by windstrings, Oct 7, 2009.

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What mode and why with a guess of percentages of each mode

  1. Just "Eco" mode almost exclusively 99+ % of the time

    42 vote(s)
    38.2%

  2. Just "Normal" mode almost exclusively 99+ % of the time

    19 vote(s)
    17.3%

  3. Just "Power" mode almost exclusively 99+ % of the time

    2 vote(s)
    1.8%

  4. I drive "Eco" most and "Normal" occasionally

    7 vote(s)
    6.4%

  5. I drive "Eco" most and "Power" occasionally

    9 vote(s)
    8.2%

  6. I drive "Normal" most and "Eco" occasionally

    9 vote(s)
    8.2%

  7. I drive "Normal" most and "Power" occasionally

    14 vote(s)
    12.7%

  8. I drive "Power" most and "Eco" occasionally

    2 vote(s)
    1.8%

  9. I drive "Power" most and "Normal" occasionally

    6 vote(s)
    5.5%
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  1. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I"ve been driving in "eco" mode for some time now. But now that I'm used to it, based on my driving style, I feel like I actually get better mileage and prefer normal mode.

    So was "eco" mode just a trainer, or will folks be preferring it forever?

    I was wondering what mode most of you guys drive and whats the reasoning.

    I know some prefer the fun of driving with the punchy power while others are conservative and enjoy the challenge of making the mileage ratings rise.

    I've always liked normal better at high speeds than eco to accommodate for the subtleties of freeway driving.
     
    #1 windstrings, Oct 7, 2009
  2. lamontcranston

    lamontcranston Umbra Tenet

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    I think that for a lot of people, ECO mode will make the car feel too slow over time. Personally though I'm ok with it and have only switched out of it just to feel the difference.
     
    #2 lamontcranston, Oct 7, 2009
  3. DanMode

    DanMode Brooklyn Prius Guy

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    I drive in Normal mode about 90% of the time. Power mode gets used whenever I'm driving on large steep grades, or whenever I'm merging into highway traffic. Sometimes, I just like to get a little kick out of Power mode when starting up from a red light, just to see people's faces shocked and amazed that a Prius just zoomed right past them.

    Eco mode I use only when I'm stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and I want to conserve the A/C so the hybrid battery doesn't discharge as quickly. And I even use EV mode on occasion, simply to back up from the garage without turning on the ICE at startup.

    So I'd guess it's about:

    90% Normal
    6% Power
    3% Eco
    1% EV
     
    #3 DanMode, Oct 7, 2009
  4. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I havent done much testing, but I understand that the lines converge.

    In other words, when you depress the pedal more than 80% in eco mode, its supposed to be virtually the same as normal or power mode at 80% + depression.

    I dont know if this is true in real life or if actually being in power mode gives you an edge.

    I do prefer normal or power mode at full freeway speeds because I find I have to play with the pedal too much to maintain and deal with the subtleties of freeway driving at those speeds.

    It would be interesting to see if full pedal depression actually accomplishes a faster 0 - 60mph when in one mode verses another.

    One thing we do know, virtually the whole range and feel of pedal depression is changed with each mode.
     
    #4 windstrings, Oct 7, 2009
  5. GoSkins

    GoSkins Member

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    I drive in ECO when I drive mainly because I don't think about it. My trips are 10 miles on average with 50/50 highway and small town, traffic lights only, driving. I always get 54.3 mpg. The wife has been attending a conference in Bethesda, Md., driving (40miles) 1.5 hours in rush hour traffic on I-270 and is showing 60.2 mpg on her trip B stats., again, this is in ECO. I would have to see what the greater numbers show in normal and power before switching. Honestly, I think both of us are use to the slower response of ECO and putting the pedal to the metal when we need to, leaving us with the knowledge that the power is there at our command.:rockon:
     
    #5 GoSkins, Oct 7, 2009
  6. reginaever

    reginaever New Member

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    I'm not used to the slower response of ECO, so I switched to the power mode for the past two tanks. I've been averaging about 52 mpg.
     
    #6 reginaever, Oct 7, 2009
  7. garygid

    garygid Senior Member - Blizzard Pearl

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    My next "standard" freeway trips I will try PWR mode to see if mpg improves over my ECO trips.

    What does ECO do to the Air Conditioning?
     
    #7 garygid, Oct 7, 2009
  8. brianric

    brianric Junior Member

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    Can someone explain Normal Mode. I have a 2010 Prius and I have EV mode, ECO mode, and PWR mode.
     
    #8 brianric, Oct 7, 2009
  9. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I got used to Eco mode, but then when I get my my GenII, it seems punchy compared to the GenIII.

    If I run in normal mode in my GenIII, its comparable to my experience in my GenII.

    Normal mode is basically no mode at all. You don't have eco or power engaged so your "normal".
    I think of normal mode as being in between eco and power in the responsiveness of the gas pedal.

    Power mode will basically make the pedal even more sensitive.
     
    #9 windstrings, Oct 7, 2009
  10. Spartane

    Spartane Member

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    I only see ECO mode useful when you need to reduce power fed to the A/C (doesn't apply to me right now because winter's coming :mad:).

    I like PWR mode because the response is faster and sometimes you might need it and you don't want to have to fiddle with the buttons to get it.

    Since I get the same great fuel economy in PWR mode as in ECO mode (so far, more than 60 mpg), I try to select PWR mode if I remember; otherwise my drive is in Normal mode.
     
    #10 Spartane, Oct 7, 2009
  11. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I think it times just how fast it comes on and also uses intelligence to run it more when the engine is already on anyway and try to lay low when the engine needs to drop out for mileage.

    If it were to stay on constantly even when the ICE had dropped out, your "drop out" time would be shortlived as the AC would quickly drain the battery and force the ICE to come back on to recharge.

    You foot has to be pretty sensitive to get good mileage in Normal mode, but in power mode I estimate it would be near impossible to drive economically as things are just too touchy.

    I see eco mode more as a trainer to get you to normal mode, unless you want to have lots of room for error with the pedal and still get good mileage, just use eco mode.
     
    #11 windstrings, Oct 7, 2009
  12. Spartane

    Spartane Member

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    You get Normal mode when all of the other modes are off.
     
    #12 Spartane, Oct 7, 2009
  13. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I use Normal mode mainly around town since the ECO response feels too sluggish, even though I know I can press the pedal harder. I use PWR mode when merging with highway traffic and when starting from traffic lights with traffic behind me so that I can keep up with existing traffic better.

    I have a 50 mile daily commute with about 40 being highway. I usually use ECO once on the highway with cruise set.

    I use EV around my neighborhood.

    NORMAL - 80%
    ECO - 10%
    PWR - 5%
    EV - 5%

    I am averaging about 51 mpg calculated (53 mpg displayed) per tank.
     
    #13 jdcollins5, Oct 7, 2009
  14. mgb4tim

    mgb4tim Noob

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    On these hills/mountains, Power on the interstate (most of my driving) has improved my MPG, but switching back to Normal in town made it even better.
     
    #14 mgb4tim, Oct 7, 2009
  15. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    No kiddin?.... I'll have to try that on my next long trip.
    I knew I liked normal over eco, but I haven't considered Power over normal for interstate.

    Your the first person I've seen who notes better mileage in power mode.. thats great!

    Do you feel its so during times when you need to run the air "like on hot days", or has that been a non issue lately?

    The reason I ask is I'm just wondering if the AC management that eco mode does will make a difference when we need to use the AC allot.
     
    #15 windstrings, Oct 7, 2009
  16. Pugsy

    Pugsy New Member

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    I find my mileage to be just as good in PWR as it is in normal, if not even a little better. I think because I get up to speed and "in the zone" faster. That said, I don't always remember to put it in PWR, so I probably spend most of my time in normal.

    I tried ECO for a while but didn't like it. I just get frustrated with the sluggishness.
     
    #16 Pugsy, Oct 7, 2009
  17. Jasonsprite

    Jasonsprite Junior Member

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    after playing with ECO and NORMAL i found that NORMAL gave the best mpg. i would use ECO if im stuck in traffic(stop and go).POWER when you need it. The EV mode's just a joke.
     
    #17 Jasonsprite, Oct 7, 2009
  18. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    With my GenII, I tried getting up to speed quicker and that rational didn't work as well as taking it easy for gas mileage.

    I guess whenever you have to get mass moving fast in a short amount of time, it takes energy.. hence the massive horsepower needed for dragsters.

    I know the electric gives nice low end torque but its still energy nevertheless.

    I'm wondering if the reason we are finding the higher modes more efficient is because when you let off the gas, that too moves more aggressively too than when in eco.

    In other words, you may have noticed how when you barely let off the gas, you may still show 50ish mpg, but when you let off even more and then put it back, you get to use the battery more and the ICE drops out and you will show 100mpg or if your going pretty fast, maybe only 70mpg or so.

    Point being, normal and even power modes move the pedal more aggressively so that when letting off, it lets off "more" engaging the ICE to drop out, or at least free spin while the gas flow is shut off.

    If that rational is right, it would stand to reason that the best of both worlds would be to use the higher modes, but be easy on the throttle for take-offs?

    Just thinking out loud here.. these "modes" put a new twist on things.
     
    #18 windstrings, Oct 7, 2009
  19. MPGen3

    MPGen3 New Member

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    1% EV: In the neigborhood and parking lots when its available.

    25% ECO: When no one is behind me it P&G Baby!!!!

    50% PWR: Merging/Passing, when it's time to go with the flow. Why not it still gets good mileage!

    24% NORMAL: When top 3 don't apply by the way, who here's normal?:wacko:
     
    #19 MPGen3, Oct 7, 2009
  20. Jim Calvert

    Jim Calvert New Member

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    As far as I can tell, there are only 3 modes: EV, ECO, and Power. What is "Normal" mode?
     
    #20 Jim Calvert, Oct 7, 2009
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