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

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by driving-mr-mel, Aug 21, 2010.

  1. Colonel Ronson

    Colonel Ronson New Member

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    It could also read low MPG because the car dealer lets the car idle. Idling your prius for long periods will bring down the average MPG. my dad once forgot to turn off his car for 3 hours and came back, it read 12 mpg down from 54 mpg.
     
  2. adric22

    adric22 Ev and Hybrid Enthusiast

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    Prius's always suffer low MPG on dealer lots, not only due to the short distances of test-drives but also because everybody wants to "see what it can do" so they have to floor it a few times.
     
  3. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Cool! Welcome!

    When it gets colder (definitely NOT now) when daily high temps are say <60 F, you should consider blocking the grille, esp. for short drives. Pipe insulation purchased from a hardware store to block the grille is a very cheap means to somewhat lessen the cold weather and ICE startup hit.
     
  4. driving-mr-mel

    driving-mr-mel Junior Member

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    Thanks. I've been reading a lot of posts talking about blocking the grill. Do you know of a thread or a site that has a pictoral or "idiots guide" to doing this?
     
  5. nerfer

    nerfer A young senior member

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    Here's the grand-daddy of the grill-blocking threads. Post 18 shows a picture like how I did it. A couple dollars of pipe insulation is all you need, cut it half and stuff it in. This is more of a cold-weather trick, you shouldn't need to use it yet.
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-modifications/26675-first-morning-blocked-grill.html

    My recommendation is don't get too hung up on fancy techniques or tricks (unless you enjoy that kind of thing). The main points for getting 95% of your possible mileage (other than changing your commute) are:
    * accelerate normally, decelerate by coasting as much as possible. Reduce braking and battery usage.
    * keep your tires above 35/33 psi. 40 psi for front, 38 for back should be a good compromise between comfort (low PSI), handling (debatable) and tire life, mileage, reduced risk of blowouts (high PSI). Most Prius tires are rated to handle 44 PSI
    * keep your top speed below 70 mph in all cases, MPG starts dropping down pretty fast above 65 mph.
    * the Prius will do best between 30 and 40 mph, if that's safe and reasonable to do. That's where pulse-and-glide works best: glide with no arrows on the energy screen at speeds under 41mph (on the Gen II Prius).

    If spending money to save money (in the very long run) or to save oil imports or to save the environment works for you, then:
    * in cold weather, an engine block heater will significantly improve the mpg in the first 5 minutes of driving time. Plug in the heater for 1-2 hours before driving (can use a timer and plug it in overnight)
    * Buy a ScanGauge II, learn the 4 stages of a Prius, and perfect pulse and glide. This is not for everybody, but is kinda fun if you enjoy that kind of thing. Then you can go on to cleanmpg.com for the more esoteric hypermiling techniques.
     
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  6. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    Try renting one for a week.
     
  7. iseanu3

    iseanu3 New Member

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    My average on my 2008 prius is only 42 mpg max even on long trips. I thought it should be higher than this, especially on long trips. I know that is still considered excellent gas mileage, but honestly, I expected a bit more (up to 50mpg) when buying it.
     
  8. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    It all depends on driving style. Answer the fuel economy questionaire and people can figure out why your is low.
     
  9. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Ignoring style for the moment:

    Do you ever shift to "B"? In Ohio you should rarely if ever be in "B".

    A dirty MAF (mass air flow) sensor could contribute. Make sure that the oil is never overfilled.