Are you really getting over 45mpg?

I'm on my 49th tank, and have kept a record of each tank since the first one on my website (KarlDawson.com.au Environment Page). Over the 40,000km (25,000 miles) I've now done, I'm averaging 4.9 litres/100km (48mpg). My best tank average was 4.6 l/100km (51mpg), and the worst was 5.4 l/100km (43.5mpg).

I do a mixture of freeway and city (stop-start) driving, and getting over 45mpg (5.2 l/100km) would be a walk in the park.

Graphing it all out, one strange thing I've noticed is that I seem to get one or two good tanks, followed by a 'bad' tank (ie over 5 l/100km 47mpg). I can't figure out why, since my driving style or the route that I drive doesn't change from day to day.

 

Eh, I don't think so. They would have to prove you have damaged the battery. No proof, but I'm pretty sure the software will cut the power from the battery before it gets to 'damage level'

 

You are right but it allows idiots to start up again as an emergency get out the way of the train sort of thing but they keep driving ever slower, I think the record is almost 10 miles!! Yes he paid for a replacement battery.

 

I keep detailed track of fuel and driving in a speadsheet. I consistently earned 50+ mpg in my 2005, and continue to consistently earn 50+ mpg in my 2007. It is a combination of following the many Priuschat suggestions, favorable ambient air temperatures and paying attention to my driving. Last tank (just shy of 25k miles) was 52 mpg.

 

great tank hill!!

even though temps are warm, the time of year is still important. even in very mild climates, gas formulation changes in winter and that formulation has less energy so your mileage will suffer. there are only (last i checked) 3 areas of the country that do not change their formulation from summer to winter)

most places, like SoCal, change due to pollution concerns so all of Cali changes each winter, only southern Florida and Texas dont... also, i think there is an area in the gulf states somewhere that didnt.

that is why, in heat of summer, we can blast the AC and without even trying, still blow past any winter mileage figures.

here, we went thru only 5 days of mild 55-60º weather and that was enough to bump the tank average to 52 mpg from 46-48 mpg...(keep in mind, this is new driver stats since my SO is now primary driver of the Pri)

 

68000 miles over 27 months and I'm at 48 mpg lifetime as per GH's database. A friend is at 185,000 miles in 49 months and he's at ~47 mpg lifetime. Another owner to whom we sold one drove his for the entire month of May 07 all over Va Beach on one tank of gas. 1025 mi on 11.9 gal... Hmmmm that works out to about 86 mpg.

It depends a lot on you and your specific circumstances.

 

Mine seems to be going up. I've done 2300 miles so far, which is I believe 5 fill-ups so far (I'm near full at the moment). Here's my average mileage so far. 48, 49, 50.5, 49.7, and on the new tank, I was 51.5 this morning.

A lot depends on how you drive it. I do a long commute (about an hour each way) that averages 45 mph, so my average on those trips are high. If you are using it for short trips, eg - 15 minutes, for example, mileage will tend to be low. It really seems to go up when I've been out there for about 30 minutes. I've had 5-minute legs of my commute that were over 70 mpg.

 

After 16 months of driving a Touring Model for 16233 miles, it averages per tank 42mpg. On the highway it is higher, 45-47mpg, and in town as low as 38mpg. Toyota has it wrong claiming one gets higher mileage in town, not true. I have learned about "pulse and glide" to enhance mileage. It works.

However I like the heat and AC, plus the radio and other creature comforts. Thus, I do not beat myself up and become miserable trying to achieve some high mileage goal. Expect 42-44mpg and be happy. The Prius Touring is a great car. WE own two.

 

My worst tank ever was 5.2L/100km(45.23US mpg) which included 600+km (400ish miles) of 110km/h(68.4mph) highway driving plus some metro driving and my best has been a few tanks at 4.1L/100km(57.36mpg) which is all across town commuting through over 40 sets of traffic lights. I use heat when I'm cold and AC when I'm hot, in fact my climate control is set to 23.5 degrees C all the time, set and forget. I believe the EPA got it right, the Prius uses less fuel in town than on the highway if you drive it smoothly.

 

If you drive it for the same distance. Short trips are what kills the mileage, and often trips in town are shorter than trips outside of town.

 

I was geting about 48-50 mpg in Alabama. I moved to the UP in Michigan and put snow tires on my car. I now drive 1 mile each way to take both kids to school. My new mpg this winter? 23-24 mpg... :frusty:

I know its the short trips and snow tires, but it's killing me when I know what I used to get.

 

Here's a hint - have them walk!!! One mile takes 20 minutes on foot, 5 minutes on bike.

Unless they're forced to walk in the roads (no shoveled sidewalks or equivalent), this will be better for their health, the environment, life of your car and your bottom line. I'm sure many, many people here remember walking a mile or more to school (I know I did when going to college in Duluth, every day thru the snow and windchills of -40, but it was only uphill in the mornings for me... ). This will provide good habits for your kids as well. In good weather of course they can bike and be there faster than you could get there in your car, what with finding keys, rounding everybody up, getting buckled, driving, parking and walking across the parking lot.

 

You can click my mileage banner and see every tank that I've put in the car, and how my MPG has been. Right now, I'm at a lifetime average of 50 MPG.

That's acceptable to me.

 

Agreed. And up north, running the car in the driveway for as long as it takes to unthaw it when it's coated with heavy ice from a freezing rain storm knocks the tank average mpg down.

Harry

 

Don't forget, it also gives them an experience to gripe about to their kids twenty years from now.

 

I really enjoy reading the posts about MPG.. I've had my prius for a week (tomorrow, Thursday, Mar 13, 2008) I'm at 200 miles and 38.1 mpg.

I've been experimenting with pulse and glide and will adjust my tire pressure this weekend.. My MPG was lower with short trips over the weekend but had risen with my 25 minute commute yesterday and this morning (I don't drive every day, carpool with hubby in company vehicle)

I'm more than impressed with the ability to control mpg and monitor progress of changes to driving style. When I took it home, mpg was 30.. steadily increasing every trip.. Plus it's not been much over 40 deg...

Question: I have a 10 mile stretch of interstate, 70 mph speed limit, with rolling hills in my commute, Cruise control or pulse/glide?? What mph to shoot for? 65?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

 

I think that it is generally accepted that staying below 65mph will give better FE.

With rolling hills, you are probably better off not using cruise control and taking advantage of the downhill sections to let the car glide (warp stealth). Keeping a constant speed in rolling hills will not give the best FE; on cruise control, the car will use more fuel to try to maintain that speed.

 

UPDATE:

Mine still seems to be going up. I've done 3200 miles so far, which puts me at the the quarter end of my 5th tank. Here's my average mileage so far. 48, 49, 50.5, 49.7, and on the new tank, I was 52.1 this morning and it's been going up all week. I'm basically doing the same commute. quite amazing, really.

 

CC will be better on the interstate unless you notice it dropping below your set speed, then running hard to get back to that speed. I see that on 50 MPH country roads where a steep downhill is followed by a steep uphill, not a more gradual change in angle.

OR you have a lot of traffic and you have to cancel the CC to avoid other vehicles. In that case doing it yourself is definitely better.

Not that you CAN'T do it yourself, but it takes a fair bit of concentration to notice that you are gaining or losing speed. The computer does it faster. For medical reasons, my wife chooses not to use the CC and she loses speed on the downhill then gets back to speed on the uphill. Not the best for FE.

I find 55 MPH is 15 to 20% better FE (~55 vs ~45) compared to 65 MPH. Of course, it again depends on traffic. If people can't easily get around you, it is sadly better to waste gas and money and go faster since you are in a 70 MPH zone (and most likely very few people are going 'only' 70).

 

My Prius when new averaged about 39 MPG. Over 20,000 miles, my skills to get better mileage and break in, I finally achieve above 45 each tankful. I think it takes in excess of 20,000 mile to fully break in and tire pressures at 42 and 40 help a lot. I also use synthetic oil now also which helps some also.
Persevere, and the mileage will continue to improve up to about 20,000 miles. Oxygenates in fuel kill mileage in winter and avoid short trips in the cold. You will never see above about 40 mpg when first fired up.
-Paul R. Haller-