Hey guys! I figured I'd finally give in and join up over here at Prius chat. I've learked ecomodder forever and contributed a little bit with the same user name as here. I guess my back story is that I always loved cars from an early age, mostly Chevy's, Hotrod's, and Mustangs. I've gone from a 2010 mustang GT with full exhaust, suspension, tires, to a 1996 Honda Civic, to finally a 2010 Prius I. I've equally liked each of my cars since they all have their strong suits and areas they do great at, but the Prius has been a little less than spectacular. 2010 Mustang GT premium- With 285mm tires all the way around, no cats, etc... at 75mph I could average 25mpg, 27-28mpg stock. Epa rating- 23mpg 1996 Honda Civic LX- Averaged 39mpg highway at 70mph, EPA rating- 35mpg 2010 Prius- averages 41-42 at 70mph (55F no AC), and is EPA rated for 48mpg... and I have some modifications. Seems weird. 2010 Prius- All the maintenance is up to par with 97k miles. Synthetic 0w-20 oil engine oil change, syn ATF WS fluid change, air filter, alignment is okay for the most part, 50 psi tires, ~75lb weight reduction, passenger wiper delete, passenger mirror delete, rear wiper delete, stubby upper antenna, Kumho CS3 tires came from the dealer. What is everyone averaging at 70mph?
Welcome! There is a (long) Gen 3 Mod thread where you may get some ideas. Also check the Private Sales forum for accessories. What did you do to ur Gen III Prius today???? | PriusChat
I would say you should average 44mpg at that speed. The faster above 55mph you go the mpg drop. I averaged 90mph with a loaded car and only got 35mpg. The car is still very efficient even at highway speeds.
Welcome! That's quite a spectrum of car tastes. You made me curious about how the EPA gets their numbers. So I did some googling. The EPA highway number is from a top speed of 60 mph but an average of only 48.3 mph. Driving at 70 vs 60 makes a BIG difference in wind resistance no matter how slippery the car. So I think it's pretty neat that your 70 mpg fuel efficiency was actually better than the EPA. That's according to what I found here: Detailed Test Information on the "Test Details" tab.
My first car was a 1990 chevy cavalier sedan. Blue interior and did not have the "optional" passenger side mirror. Was my old mans work car prior. Glad to pass that along at the first opportunity. Something's such as safety are just not worth any reduction in drag.
Haha i tried to do the easy ones so thats what went first. That's what i got used to not having on the Honda so driving without them feels normal. Only side effect is vehicle looks kinda quirky when people notice (almost never).
Low 40's is about what these cars will get at 70mph. My HSI is showing 43 average and I do a mix of city/highway, with highway speeds at 55-75mph. It's also a bit colder here in WI.
Raising speed is very analogous to getting into a progressively steeper upgrade. And to really appreciate that: try pushing a car in Neutral on a level road, then repeat on a slight upgrade.
