2023 XLE AWD only getting about 40MPG -- Wth?

every source and test shows the new awd system being the biggest gain in efficiency versus the last gen awd. they say it has better mpg than the old system

 

The old system yielded a 2 mpg penalty on the EPA. The new is 3mpg. The new LE is close to the old Eco in rating, and even the AWD is better rated than the old FWD non-Eco. It's a 4% reduction for the old vs 5% to 6% for the new.

The car saw a gain even with a more powerful engine because of the switch from port to direct/port injection. The Camry ICE saw a 17% improvement with that.

Get the larger wheels like the OP, and the new Prius is rated about the same as the old, with the AWD being a bit worse.

 

remember we are also comparing bigger wheels this gen to last gen

in theory if you ignored brake size, putting 15 inch wheels on the new AWD prius would still blow the last gen eco fwd version out of the water in every category

https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/prius-2023

''But the all-wheel-drive LE variant makes the largest year-over-year fuel-economy jump, from 49 to 54 mpg combined.''

 

Sure, getting 0.589% better improvement than the LE FWD means it is the largest jump. Add the 19" wheels, which the OP has, and it is rated worse than the old.

Of course smaller wheels would mean even better ratings, but would the likes of C&D by oowing and ahhing over it, or drawing the attention of non-Prius drivers?

 

all im saying is the new engine and awd drive train is much more efficient when comparing apples to apples. if you put the exact same tire size on gen 4 and 5, the gen 5 would be WAY higher mpg, not just 1 or two extra

and then another factor is this body shape has a higher drag coefficient. if you dropped the cd from .27 currently to last gens .24, youd see 6 extra mpg on the highway right there without even changing wheels

when i get my awd le 2024, im going to downsize to 16 inch tires, lower it a little bit, put flat wheel covers in, and do a few other aero mods to get its theoretical epa mpg in the mid 60s

 

And all I'm saying is that the more powerful AWD system with slightly worse efficiency penalty that could become worse for the OP's location and drive than if was a gen4.

 

isnt the new awd more powerful and effective? i heard the last gen awd barely worked or counted and some people had issues

 

I wouldn't use effective. Japan doesn't use road salt, and Toyota developed the old system for that. It is only 10hp, but that is all it needs. The Prius got it to help start out on poor road conditions. It also doesn't work at higher speeds; I want to say 25mph is the max. It doesn't have too as the conditions it is intended for is unsafe to be going faster. Toyota didn't release it outside Japan at first, but people ignorant of what it was just saw the AWD, and demanded it.

The current system is 30hp and is what customers expect of AWD here. It is just slightly worse of a penalty on the EPA, but a more powerful motor that can work at higher speeds, with stronger magnetic braking, can mean a larger one in the real world for some.

 

Troll, My 2020 AWDe rear drive shuts down above 7 MPH.

JeffD

 

From personal experience: hilly terrain does affect the fuel efficiency of any vehicle, while:

(1) An EV can recover most of the energy of deceleration and going downhill
(2) An ICE-only vehicle can recover none (If it has to maintain a constant speed)
(3) Hybrids are somewhere in-between

Anecdotally, I drive up and down the Blue Ridge mountains* a couple of times a week (climbing to 1,100 ft. above the sea level @ 55 mph over 2.5-3 miles, with the grade peaking at 7%). The Sienna is able to regenerate for about 70-80% of these 2.5-3 miles before the engine brake turns on. On a 100-120 mi roundtrip the penalty is negligible comparing to just driving in the rolling hills of the Piedmont.

At the same time when driving in the Monongahela National Forest in the Allegheny Mountains* my mpg's were 20% below the long-term average. The route included all kinds of mountain* driving varieties, including climbing to the Spruce Knob summit at almost 4,900 ft.

*Polite request: People from the Rockies etc. need not make comment about the height of our mountains

I am still trying to figure out why the mpg penalties are so different for different Toyota models, for example the Gen4 Prius was something like 6% IIRC, the Gen5 Prius under 5%, while the Sienna is not even 1.5% on paper. The good thing is, though, that this is nothing comparing to what happens with the ICE-only vehicles or, for that matter, with EV's, where we see 10% loss is normal.

 

I have a 2024 xle front drive had a couple warm days here in Southern Indiana mpg's went up for low 40's to over 50 on mixed town and highway driving I have the glass rood and a spare tire and the gas was most likely Winter blend

 

I was hovering just under 40mpg for the longest time... 39.6, 39.8, 39.9. Finally got to 40.4 and I'm pretty happy. On balance, some folks are willing to sacrifice some mpg in exchange for looks (19" wheels) and safety (AWD). Each person has his/her own preferences. And, as others said, driving style, weather, and tire pressure also impact mpg.

 

Ha ha, do you really care about 0.1 mpg?

I am unhappy if my trip average does not hit 75 mpg on the MID on my 2021 Prius Prime Limited. Fortunately, it usually does.

 

How fast do you drive? It looks like you are either doing mostly short trips or cruising around 80 mph on the freeway. 40 mpg is well below both the EPA and Consumer Reports numbers.

 

Ha ha yes that last 0.1 mpg made me very happy

 

Yes mostly short trips.

 

I couldn't believe the difference outside temp makes and driving around town I get between 46 mpg and 66mpg never had a car that had such a mpg difference !!!!

 

Impressive photo posting skills. I can barely get one to post.

 

Sorry about the picture mess !!! That is my trip to Walmart 8.7 miles

 

Actually, it is the humidity that makes the most difference. Both the temperature and humidity affect the aerodynamic drag, but the humidity more so. Also, driving in the rain introduces a lot of drag, both through the watery pavement and rain drops.