If you're not getting 63MPG then you're not using HSD

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 12:11 PM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

Doug,
a lot has to do with the length of drive to work. My trip is back roads, most 35 or 45 mph limits two stop signs and three traffic lights, but at 12.5 miles, the car barely gets warm in the 15 to 20 minutes it takes to get there. First 5 minutes I strive for 40 mpg, then the second I usually get about 55 mpg with no strain.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 11:11 AM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

hi indy doug. just want to say i think thats so cool that you are getting that good m.p.g. when ever i try that it seems that ther is someone coming like a rocket up behind you that comes up out of no where and is almost in your back seat. some people have 0 for common sense. all they have in mind is tailgate and then they don't pass even when they can! they love to drive in clusters. :blink: pete

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 12:11 PM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

I take the interstate, drive at 65 mph, don't worry much about no bars gliding and get 50 mpg.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 09:11 AM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

Hi Doug,

Great job! Wish I could follow your plan, but I am in the field visiting customers everyday. My territory is too large to only take surface streets...so freeway is needed. However, I am very happy with the 51.5-54 MPG I get. I do try to keep it below 70 on the highway...and I look for the best route with the most flat or downhill stretches.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 12:11 PM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

My crystal ball tells me you are not using AC very much.
How is your FE in the winter ?

Congrats, and keep up the good tanks !

BTW, mixed city/highway can yield decent results too. We took our two children to music camp today -- a 115 mile round trip. Each way about 1/2 higway at 62 mph on cruise, and the second half P&G rolling hills. End FE was 71.0 (minus about 50% battery; also, this was at 5500 ft elevation that gives about 2 - 3 mpg over sea level on the highway).

 

I drive only 10 miles to work. Half of it is surface roads and the other half is highways. I have no choice on the roads I take. Well, maybe I can cut thru some of the dead corn in the fields along the highway but the barbed wire fence might stop my Prius. Anyway, my current tank is a little over 56mpg. I am extremely happy anytime I can beat 50mpg. Running the AC at 76 degrees helped me. My son always borrows the car on Friday nights and is finally improving his driving by not impacting my mileage as much.

Congrats.

 

Most of my driving is on very rough hilly and twisty country roads (all surfaced) in Central Queensland, Australia, on which I keep to about 100kph (62.5 mph). On the weekend, I live in a small town (pop 35,000), and have a lot of short trips. I drive 700km per week.

Overall, I'm happy with 4.8 litres/100km and 4.4l/100km for the town driving. That's 49mpg and 55mpg US respectively.

My town driving economy has improved incredibly since I started using pulse and glide.

The economy is better in our winter when I can actually drive without the airconditioner going. At 40 degree plus heat (104F plus) in the summer, the aircon is usually working flat out, but over a long trip, the economy falls from 4.8 to about 5l/100km, which is still pretty good.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 11:11 AM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

If you're not getting 65 then don't bother starting your car!!!!

Just kidding, 63 is pretty good... I just don't have 4 hours to get to work and 4 more to get home. If I did have that much time for driving, I just don't like it that much.

I get on the tollway and blaze a trail to work trying to get there before the road clogs up... same for coming home. I get 52-53 doing that and travel mostly at 65mph.

 

While the Prius does get better mileage at lower speeds, it's silly and untrue to assert that "If you're not getting 63MPG then you're not using HSD." The 2004/5/6 Prius is always using HSD, unless it's shut off.

Also, some of us frequently drive shorter distances, which get inherently lower mpg. (But burn less gas!) And some of us have cold weather half the year, which also gets lower mpg. But the Gen 2 Prius is HSD and you can't prevent it from being HSD if you try.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 11:11 AM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>

Just as an experiment, I drove at 55 mph (posted 45) today for several miles on a relatively straight and unoccupied back road. Got 69 mpg doing that, but it was really BORING!!!

I normally drive 70-80 mph on the freeway( but have gotten it up to 90-100 mph w/o difficulty) and 65 on that same lonely back road and still get about 40mpg doing so.

That's good enough for me, but congrats on your impressive stats!

 

Not too long ago I *did* go out and drive around using as little HSD
as I could: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1302
still did around 50 mpg on roads that normally return 70-80 mpg
segments.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swingshiftworker @ Jul 10 2006, 12:09 AM) [snapback]283679[/snapback]</div>

Would be interested to see what kind of gas milage one gets driving at 90 / 100 MPH. I guess it is fair to say that you are probably not pulling much from the battery when traveling at those speeds.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swingshiftworker @ Jul 9 2006, 10:09 PM) [snapback]283679[/snapback]</div>

I agree that there are better things to do with my time then squeeze every last drop of gas out of the car. Where you live (temp and terrain) also has a lot to do with gas mileage as well as size of trips.

Good for hyper-milers but everyone else should hold their head high whether you get 40-45-50+, you save gas and promote clean air daily. Part of the solution, not part of the problem.

 

Here in the real south, where the pavement melts every day, the mileage suffers. But, still, the Prius gets much better mileage then any other gas hog, any day. So, you know, it's all good.

 

HI Doug!

well I don't know where YOU are driving, but it would be pretty impossible to use your techniques here in NJ!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ChrisA @ Jul 10 2006, 06:13 PM) [snapback]284183[/snapback]</div>

At normal steady freeway speeds the battery isn't doing very much at all. The efficiency comes from the aerodynamics and fact that the gas engine is small, and the Atkinson cycle is more efficient than the Otto cycle. Of course, additional power for acceleation still comes from the battery, and if you slow down there's regeneration.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Jul 12 2006, 12:16 AM) [snapback]284797[/snapback]</div>

I agree with barbaram. I also live in northern NJ. I am frustrated with not being able to even average 50mpg on any tank. I thought once the warmer weather was here I could accomplish that but with all my short trips and this hilly terrain, I don't think I have a chance! My average since I've owned the car 7400 miles is 46mpg. I drive slower than I have ever driven (stick to speed limit) and consciously try to maximize gas mileage (my eyes are between the road and the info screen) and still can't seem to get better mpg.

My tire pressure is at 40 in front/38 rear. Usually I'm by myself when I drive. I coast as much as possible without going so slow as to annoy the other drivers. What else can I do? There is no way around these hills and I'm sure they hurt going up more than they help going down.

 

Who cares about MPG? It's all about gallons of fuel consumed per year. I'd rather drive 7000 miles in the city getting 48, then 15,000 miles getting 63.

 

Sure you do.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jul 9 2006, 11:11 AM) [snapback]283353[/snapback]</div>