FE in San Francisco - how is it?

Just imagine what mileage you'd be getting in another car under the same conditions!

Yes those stop lights and stop signs are killers. The hills probably aren't as bad as you think as you do benefit on the down slopes - not enough to make up for the up slopes though. I laugh at traffic because while I'm going slower I'm getting even better mileage, and if stopped in traffic my engine is shut off while others are burning fuel.

Let's hear from other San Francisco folks though - I'm not one of them.

 

I used to live in San Francisco and one might think you could benefit from the down slopes but the hills are so steep you can't help but brake on the way down for the most part. That and coupled with the fact a stop sign will be soon coming! Guess that is just the price to pay to live in the city by the bay and in my opinion worth it.

 

I live in SF and commute to my work in SJ every day, which is about 45 miles of highway and 5 miles city (one way). I've only done about 800 miles in my brand new Prius, but so far I'm averaging 40mpg. I've been happy to see mid-30's mpg in the city. You're right, San Francisco makes it challenging to attain high mpg.
I think some neighborhoods are actually favorable for P&G, like the Sunset and Richmond districts which aren't too hilly and have mostly 4-way stop signs.

What speeds are you averaging on the highway? Which highway? I'm doing 70-75 mph on I-280 or I-101.

 

the city by the bay!

wow, i miss that beautiful city. my dad lives there and i admit i do not visit him enough! Maybe you can plan alternative routes, a bit more flatter, may i suggest,......but i do know that city, it's challenging indeed.

hopefully, you will NOT meet that idiot that did a U-TURN in the middle of the STOCKTON TUNNEL like i did last time around!

how is the palace of fine arts now? did they take down that ugly fence that surrounded the lake?

 

One of these days I'm gonna move back home....

I'm from the East Bay (Berkeley to be specific) and my parents still live there. They're averaging in the mid 40s on their '04 Prius (don't know what trim level they got, but I suspect it's equivelant to the '08 2 or 3.)

My dad says that he doesn't do anything special other than driving with a lighter foot.

So for what it's worth, it sounds like you're in keeping at least with my parents are getting in the same general area.

 

I get infinite gas mileage in SF. Of course I never take a gasoline car there! What a silly waste of resources, what with the traffic, the giant hills, the stop lights and the few opportunities for P+G. When I drive into SF, I always take the EV. From Davis to SF to Davis costs me approximately... well, NOTHING. No fuel, no bridge toll.

The Prius is a great car. Would be so much better without the complication, pollution, noise and expense of the gasoline engine.

 

I work at SF also and i commute from hayward to SF. I really dont hit any hills in SF. I get about an average of 52mpg on my 1month old prius. I never drive over 60mph and I am always behind a big truck for air resistence(not too close of course). I anticipate stop light and stop signs so I break very little or very lightly.

If I see stop sign ahead of me one or 2 blocks away, why accelerate? If i see a stop sign, i never take a full stop. It'll goto like 4mph and I go. Hope these tips help you.

If your just driving 15minutes every time, the 0-5minutes of driving will bring the average down.

 

I can't comment on mpg in SF, but yep, you're right on all 4 points. The amount of time and energy wasted by waiting at and stopping/starting from traffic lights and stop signs is terrible there.

I recently found the below list of streets w/timed lights when I got too annoyed by the waiting and sometimes needed to get around faster in SF. Hope you don't already know about these.
San Francisco's 49-Mile Scenic Drive ... - Google Book Search
What streets in San Francisco have timed lights? | Ask Metafilter

 

I've read other posts of people who regularily commute in/around SF and were averaging high 30's to low 40's (almost exclusively city driving). I'll see if I can find the posts.

Edit.....voila!

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-ec...straightaway-less-yet-warm-san-francisco.html

 

I'm a newbie. I got my 2008 prius on friday the 13th of june.

I live and work in San Francisco, usually driving from the Mission District near General Hospital to the Stern Grove area five days a week. Additionally, I take 280 down to San Carlos most weekends to visit family. I've been *trying* not to do 70+ on 280, but it is such a fast road that at 70mph I'm often the slowest car on the road!

I've been doing a special work shift for 4 weeks, however, that has me driving 40 freeway miles (on 101) round trip 3 days a week. Next week is my last week of that, so I'll be able to give more accurate city mpg data after that.

I've been resetting the average mpg with each fill up:
my first tank averaged 43.3 mpg.
my 2nd tank averaged 44.2 mpg.
my 3rd tank averaged 45.1 mpg.

I'm hoping my mpg will keep creeping up as I learn more tricks. Also, we've had some really hot days with very smoking air due to CA's wildfires, so I've been running the AC way more than normal, and at much higher settings. I'm sure that isn't helping my FE.

For those familiar with SF's topography and cross-town routes, which do you think might be better for FE: going up and over Twin Peaks via 25th st/clipper to portola/sloat (20-35mph, tons of hiills and stop signs, but less distance) or taking 280 from Cesar Chavez/Bayshore to Ocean and then Ocean to 19th (fewer hills, fast freeway for about 60% of trip, then flat stop and go, but a few miles longer overall.)

When I come home the Twin Peaks route my battery gets completely charged, and I get 99.9 all the way from Guerrero to General Hospital where I pull into my garage.

 

Clockaday - it is illegal to not come to a full stop at a stop sign, even if you are trying to save fuel.

I'm in Berkeley, and even with some P&G (when I can), I'm still stuck below 42 mpg on most tanks. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my work, almost all of my trips are short and cold (I drive 3-6 miles, spend an hour with a client, and then do it all again). Over 75% city - and in Berkeley, like SF, that means stop signs, forced turns, unavoidable red lights, and plenty of pedestrians stepping out in front of you. I haven't played with tire pressure yet, but I'm frustrated that learning P&G really hasn't affected my mpg.

 

I think its a combo of everything you've mentioned and one more thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but all of CA has year-round ethanol in the fuel. I think in the winter when we have that I get around 4 or 5 mpg less. It all adds up!