Buying a Used Prius - Can avg mpg of 36 be right???

MPG as low as 36 is typically an indication of driving only extremely short trips (just a few miles). 2007 with 46k miles would tend to confirm that.

Short trips are MPG killers. The reason is the emission's system must be hot to cleanse exhaust, so the engine runs generously at first to warm it up. That uses quite a bit of gas in comparison to the MPG that follows after it warmed.

Resetting the display after warmup is complete would be one way to get a better idea what that Prius is actually capable of.
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If the car was at a dealership you were probably seeing the result of a lot of short test drives. The '07 I bought a couple of months ago was reading something around 36 mpg when I took it for a test drive, it's currently averaging around 53.

 

Totally concur with the others about the short drives. At minimum, run a Carfax check on it and if it's even been issued a salvage title or totaled, run away. Also, if you can get it checked out by a good mechanic, I would.

Yep, 36 mpg is definitely possible with short drives, poor driving and a bunch of other factors (like wrong and/or underinflated tires and wrong or overfilled oil). See ConsumerReports.org - Most fuel-efficient cars for what the generation of Prius got in Consumer Reports' testing.

 

Just a quick note, Prius has zero towing capability.

Ken@Japan

 

Thanks! Almost didn't catch that about the OP. Yep, the recommended max towing load for the Prius is 0 lbs.

Also, for the OP, the USA section of http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...andard-optional-equipment-some-countries.html might help w/comparisons.

 

15 minutes is long enough to warm up, so if there are not many stops on the way (no more than about five) then no; mine did that well.

Do pay to have the car thoroughly checked out by a Prius technician (usually at a Toyota dealer) before you buy. That can prevent a lot of grief; you do not want to buy one that has been in a serious accident.

 

Even worse case if you drove 2miles a day, the Prius will give you the best milage out of anything else out there (as far as USDM cars go that is). Other cars have a warmup cycle too, and once it is over you are still in a less than great mpg area. At least with the prius, you have the opportunity to get great milage, even if you do not.

With what you describe I would not be surprised if you get 45mpg with no effort or change to driving style.

 

My wife used to drive 2 miles (10 minutes) a day.
Our 2.2L Honda Accord recorded 6km/L (14mpg) on such short trips in winter, then Prius records 14km/L (33mpg) on the same situation.
We are happy to see the Prius number.

Ken@Japan

 

For short trips it may worth investing in an engine block heater. Good luck!

 

Congrats!
Try the Prius II article by xcel over at cleanmpg.com

Learn pulse & glide for speeds under 42 mph.

Good lucK!

 

Best advice I've seen on these forums.

Take the car and just drive it for a couple of weeks. Get used to how the car "feels", accelerates, handles, brakes. It will be a subtle but noticeable difference.

Fill it up when you are down to "two pips" on the gas (guess) gauge. There is a bladder in the gas tank that is there to prevent gas vapor from escaping. This helps the atmosphere, but since the bladder is flexible, it means you never TRULY know how much gasoline is in the tank. Fill up at two pips and it won't matter.

Get out your tire pressure gauge, measure the tire pressure, and inflate the tires as needed. The closer you get to max recommended tire pressure, the more your fuel mileage will increase. You can back off if you think the ride is too harsh, but I'm guessing coming from a truck, it won't likely be an issue.

During the next couple of weeks, get familiar with terms and information here. There is a wealth of information available.

Pulse and Glide - Moderate to Brisk acceleration (not granny driving, not flooring it) to get up to speed and beyond. Let off the accelerator pedal fully and then lightly press on it (to remove any engine braking). It will be like coasting in neutral and you coast down below the speed you want. Accelerate above and repeat. Please do not do this in normal moving traffic. However, it is easily done in slow and go or even stop and go traffic (you just have to leave a bigger gap in front of you to pull it off). On a country road with light traffic, it can easily be done.

Good luck and I hope the car works out well for you!

 

Here you go:

Pulse and Glide plus Warp Stealth in the Prius II for maximum FE … - CleanMPG Forums

(There is a link to it on the home page.)

Study that and related PriusChat threads and follow the 3 Ps: practice, persistence, and patience. I still occasionally fine-tune my technique after several years of optimizing fuel economy.

I agree with the recommendation of an engine block heater. It can make a significant difference on short trips.

 

The 2008 I just purchased showed 36 on the lot. My wife questioned it and asked if we could take for a longer drive. We cleared display and came back @ 49 average. Great car

 

There are threads about engine block heater you may look up. It's made by Toyota Canada and sold by some US Toyota dealers. I bought mine from Toyota Scion Parts Accessories Discounted Prices - Metrotpn. Any competent mechanic or dealer would be able to put it in for you. Be careful not to flex the plug too much and secure it well when stored. The wiring tends to break near the plug. Good luck!

 

I purchased a used 2008 Prius package 6 with 57,000 miles on it for $13,500 with a clean car fax about 2 months ago (I also own another 2008 Pkg 6 too). The display showed an average of 34 mpg when I first test drove it. Before purchasing it I had my local Toyota dealer do a complete diagnostic of the car for $69. The car passed their review. The only thing it needed was an engine air cleaner and cabin air cleaner.

When I brought it home I reset the display, inflated the tires to 42 front and 40 rear (tires were in the mid 30's) then drove it for a 30 mile drive local and highway speeds and got an average of 57 mpg on my maiden voyage I'm currently getting an average of 54 mpg fr the past two months... which is what my wife is also getting on the white '08 Prius. I'm very pleased and I'm sure you will be too. Good luck with yours!