I just picked up an 07 prius and HATE it!

I too smell a troll. <_<

I say ignore the kid until he posts some proof . . . a picture of his MFD showing "34 AT BEST" and over 250 miles on a tank of gas.

Unless someone is driving only three miles between warm-ups (and driving like a jerk at that), I think it is near impossible to get THAT low of mileage in a Prius on a consistent basis. New or not. <_<

 

Sounds like the kid who posted the U-tube video without the F word just found this site. I too smell a troll. (If you are in Tulsa, why would you drive to Compton to torch it? And how would you know about Compton in the first place unless you were in CA?)

 

troll, troll, troll. Bored troll at that........

 

Like most cars to get good mileage you have to put some effort in, the thing about the Prius is that there is a lot more scope for the driver to effect the mileage and therefore get great mileage. Research and practice your technique the Prius can get 60mpg if not more if you put in the effort, but remember in any like for like situation it should beat a conventional car, especially at slower speeds even if you just drive.

 

Having only had my Prius for a month and putting 1200 miles on it, I find it hard to believe that anyone driving conservatively could get as bad mileage as being suggested, but then if the "....i'm seriously thinking about torching the damn thing in the middle of some parking lot ..." attitude is anything to go by, one could only imagine a bit of personality adjustment would help more significantly than anything else.

With barely any change in my driving style over the car I had before, I'm getting an average of fractionally under 55 mpg. I don't have my tires over-inflated, don't pulse and glide, don't do anything other than get in it and drive it, anticipating traffic (in ways I probably never thought to do when I was 19) and brake and accelerate a little more gently than I did previously. The car works fine, and I like it a lot.

On balance, posting total nonsense is nothing much more than a reflection of you rather than the car, since the rest of us know plenty enough about our cars to know that even driven pretty hard they get better fuel economy than you say, and driven carefully, much better. We also know that we didn't spend $30,000 on one (the current MSRP for a fully loaded Prius is around $27,000 - and few pay MSRP) so at BEST, your complaints are disingenuous.

 

I haven't owned our Prius long enough to say anything about the MPG. I will mention that questioning a 19year old about his car is not right. I am 23 now and own a $50k truck and my wife's(19years old) Prius. We also own a $40k Toy Hauler, $14K in ATV's, and a $45k boat(but we bought it used) When I was 19 I personally owned a $43k truck and $20k boat. Sorry, but I take it personal when people question stuff like that. I worked hard for my money and my parents didnt buy it for me.

 

Hmmm, I don't know about this kid. I'm getting 45mpg "lifetime" so far, according to my MFD (on my first tank, dealer filled it up). And honestly, sometimes I'm not really trying.

Problems getting & keeping the car in either stealth or full EV mode? Nope.
Problems taking off slow and steady (as opposed to jack-rabbit)? Nope.
Problems achieving the pulse & glide method? Nope.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ZA_Andy @ Jul 2 2007, 09:01 AM) [snapback]471458[/snapback]</div>

Thank YOU!

I am 21 and I bought my Prius all with my own cash. I also work hard for my money and don't need anyone saying otherwise because I am 21.

But I will go with the TROLL concensus with the 'fact' that its all 'Whine' and no 'Fact.'

 

I'm 21 and I just bought my prius with no cosigner or anything.
1. I have good credit
2. I have a good job (50k+)
Thats about all it takes to get a nice car today.

Its definatly fake, the SN is prius guy but then says 19 yr. old girl. Also, its pretty much impossible to get 34 mpg. I've actually been testing how bad of milage I can get in the prius. I've been flooring is, chirping the tires, just running it as hard as possible to see exactly how bad of gas milage I can really get. So far I'm at 37 and its been like 250 miles now.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius23 @ Jul 1 2007, 11:00 PM) [snapback]471367[/snapback]</div>

We have 5500 miles on our 07 Prius and have yet to average higher than 45mpg. We do mixed city highway driving, and the are where we live is very very hilly with heavy traffic. I drive to my parents home which is up on the top of a hill once a week. I reset the MFD milage display at the beginning of the last tank for the first time, and even before the tank is finished, the average is back to where it was for the first 5200 miles. I hope it gets better, reading about all the people here who average 60-70mpg makes me wonder if there is something wrong with our car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wiiprii @ Jul 2 2007, 11:24 AM) [snapback]471497[/snapback]</div>

I think that in most instances the difference between 'good' and 'bad' fuel efficiency for various owners is likely more a matter of driving technique and local road/traffic conditions than the car itself. Where these factors in a vehicle that normally would average out at say 20mpg might reduce that to perhaps 16, or with great care improve it to 24 (not a vast range in actual numbers) it still represents +or- 20%. With the Prius that would give a variation of 40-60 mpg if the notional average should/would otherwise be 50. Same percentage, but clearly much wider apparent variation.

It does have to be said however that those who report above 60mpg type figures are in general driving with very specific focus on those numbers and using driving techniques intended to specifically achieve them. Nothing wrong with that, but us 'normal' drivers, driving normally (or mostly so) are more likely, I think, to get between 45 and 55mpg.

There is good guidance on this site about achieving better fuel efficiency and describing some of the issue that effect the outcome. Reading that information and practicing some of the skills described might help somewhat. However, given the recent spate of commercials describing the new 'wonder' products from the likes of Chrysler and Nissan with 'fuel efficient' results of 28 or even 26 mpg, 45 in a Prius, with the potential to better that with a little care and adjustment to technique is a good figure in itself!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Jul 2 2007, 02:58 AM) [snapback]471386[/snapback]</div>

I think there is sooo much that goes into mpg calc that 1 tank here or there isn't going to be indicative as lifetime average of tanks.

That said, my landscape here isn't flat either & I have lived in SoCal also to know that the rolling hills there are not as conducive to pulse & glide as it is for hypermiling. Which IMO, is more about using momentum to your advantage.

That's where the hills come into play & where I made the most mpg gains. Knowing to conterinituitvely speed up on downhills & ease up on the up hill is the key. Also can't stress enough about pumping those tires up to 40+ psi.

Once I did that & learn to use the 'hilling' technique, my mpg went up & this was constantly going between 70-75 with the AC on this weekend.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patrickindallas @ Jul 2 2007, 01:29 AM) [snapback]471353[/snapback]</div>

At least he's a good writer...

Tom

 

The OP must be driving a mile or two and shutting it off constantly or it's the troll thing that's been previously brought up. On my worst days I get more than double what he's getting here in northern Indiana.

 

We have 19,000 miles on our Prius and with a average of 36.5 mpg. It did take a 4mpg hit with the Pilot Exalto tires (44/42) and we do live on 5 mile winding mountain road with a 2000 ft elevation. Mostly town driving. So depending on the situation below normal mpg can be reasonable. BTW we were getting 18 mpg with a 99 Camry.

 

I have been getting an average of 38-40 on this tank of gas. I do try to pulse and glide.


I think my trips are too short most of the time. I also don't believe my car is broken in.

I put shell gas in this time and the mpg started off better - now down to a half of tank and avg 38.9 as of last night.

I do use the AC all the time on about 75 and have not checked the tires.

I think I still have less than 1000 miles total so far.


I hope it gets better - but again, I am not going to freak out.


And, I ain't no damn troll.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Jul 2 2007, 03:27 AM) [snapback]471394[/snapback]</div>

Well, my wife manages it. She does it by driving mainly less than 10 minutes at a time, and often less than 5 minutes. She usually gets around 40 MPG in the summer and as low as 29 MPG in the coldest part of winter. However, if I drive her car to work, 30 minutes each way, I have no trouble getting around 50 MPG.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusmaybe @ Jul 2 2007, 01:11 PM) [snapback]471562[/snapback]</div>

Also try to ease on the start off a dead stop & using the downhills to your advantage. This car seems to keep momentum very well up hills after going down a hill.
I usually see very little engine usage if I am using the hills correctly.
Many ICE drivers brake on the downhills & it totally kills there upward mo & thus increase gas usage.

 

38-40 sounds fine for someone who's not completely in tune with the car, and not completely focused on MPG results. You can improve by easing off the throttle and the brakes!

32 MPG and a lot of whining sounds like a troll.

... and 23 years old with ~$200k in automotive toys sounds like someone who has too much money to burn, and should be giving some to me. What kind of work gives you all that cash? Or are you just in a mountain of debt? (and living in a house rented or bought by parents still counts as assistance from parents. Rent or mortgage keeps a lot of us from having so much to spend!)