Are people really getting 40+ MPG in Gen 2?

From K4S2:
To the question of mpg....and the one on using Cruise. I got my 2009 Prius on Christmas Eve, 2008. I basically get 39.8, varying a tad from time to time -improving if all Cruise driving, like on Hiway or Freeway.... or a good stretch on a main street. I think it also seems to improve if I coast lots. But if my husband drives a good stretch with Cruise....it goes up to 40 to 44. After 4-5 days back with "me alone at the wheel" it drops back to around 39, again. I THINK I drive as he does in his 2018 Prius Gen 4.....but the proof is in the pudding....and he's just better at it. He says it makes him dizzy when I drive my '09....as when not on Cruise, I keep taking my foot off the accelerator to Coast, even for short distances. Um...methinks (& Hethinks) this helps little. ALSO: I do a faster accel to my desired speed....& he says that likely hurts. On either my '09 or his '18 (and previously on his '05, which he traded for his '18), he takes his time "up to speed." So.....give "Slow takeoff" and "Cruise whenever possible" strategies a try...& maybe add "Coast when can". We even use Cruise in residential zones (like a steady 35 mph) & that helps me slowly gain....or at least maintain.

 

I don't do this slow take-off thing, but I'm not mashing the pedal to the floor either and I get good MPG. If I had to quantify it I accelerate on average at 17 - 20 instantaneous MPG. If you want to get an idea of what to aim for, use the cruise control to accelerate from 40 MPH to 60 MPH and watch the instantaneous MPG while you're doing it. BUT, do not get distracted, though.

 

The reason cruise control typically results in higher mpg is that humans can’t resist the temptation to touch the accelerator, while the cruise only does so when needed. Have you ever noticed how people in the next lane invariably speed up as you approach them at a constant speed? It’s like they’re in a race or something.
There is a sweet spot in the off the line acceleration, too slow on a hybrid is nearly as bad as flooring it. Some people just never master it.
Low to Mid 40’s mpg is low. 39 is atrocious. Maybe check you plugs, have they ever been changed?

 

I took this picture in my 2005 Toyota Prius. Driving 58 mph for 98 miles. 55.8mpg

 

This is what I usually get driving 70+mph or more though. Same trip. 44.3mpg

 

I just filled up today. And, I calculated my mileage was 39.6mpg for the last tank. For which I was grateful. As I got this mileage while towing a 5x8 foot trailer almost 300 miles. Without trailer I usually get 50mpg.

 

And you lived to tell about it!

 

Dip and glide

 

Are you driving down hill all the time? Or, do you have a new hybrid battery? That looks like a 2007 or newer screen.

 

2008. Original hybrid.
Don't forget that UK miles are slightly different to US miles.
I just drive with dip and glide without thinking about it now. It's ridiculous when I drive another car with a gearbox.

 

Miles are just miles, thank goodness. It's the gallons that are different.

 

Ha Ha. Of course you're right. What were those chains and furlongs again.

 

Not like statue miles and nautical miles when flying.

 

09, 220k, original battery. Consistently 48-52 mpg on the MFD

 

Yes I am getting over 41 mpg for about 172k miles and 16 years now. It dropped to 38 once when I went for a trip to a mountain in the middle of the winter. When it was new I was getting 44-45 but I am happy at 41 mpg for a 16 year old car.

 

My 2005 almost 300k gets 52 when im driving 43 when my wife is driving

 

I have an 09 with 139k miles, I never run the tank bone dry, always leave the last bar on the guage, I run about 341miles a fill up on 8 gallons, which works out to nearly 43 mpg. I did just buy it at 137.8k miles, I did just clean the fan and change transmission fluid. I'm doing all my own preventative maintenance, this is a learning car for me and I gotta say I love the gen 2 Prius!

 

Do remember that on a Prius (or at least of this era), the last bar never goes completely off the gauge even when the tank is bone dry. It will blink or flash, yes, but unlike my Subaru, it never goes dark.

 

Also, there's been lots of speculation in numerous threads about how much petrol is used in one bar's-worth so it's not easy to tell how much your usual fill up amount will bring you in miles. Certainly, an exact figure like 341 miles may be quite a bit out either way.

 

A great reason why our standard practice has always been to fill up when convenient after the gauge hits two bars. No stress, no mess.