Is everyone getting 50 mpg?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny Hamilton @ Aug 16 2007, 10:16 AM) [snapback]496890[/snapback]</div>

Anything would be better than the nothing that is where I live right now. Dallas has DART, but it doesn't extend to Arlington where I live so, I would have to drive the worst part of my commute just to get to where DART would pick me up.

 

It seems that most of the 50+ MPG drivers have typical drives that are over half an hour in length and drive between 40 to 50 MPH on level roads. I find that my half hour commutes at 65 MPH get me about 50 MPG, and if I drive above that the MPG goes down about 1% per MPH. The first 5 minute warmup usually gets around 25 MPG, so the trip has to be long enough to make up for that deficit. At 12,000 miles the mileage is still improving, with 50 MPG highway the norm.

 

Getting close here in Miami, I am getting around 49.8 to 48.5. I wish I could see that 60....
Love this car better than my 97 Es300

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(narf @ Aug 16 2007, 08:45 AM) [snapback]496915[/snapback]</div>

My commute is 40 miles, and I spend half the time driving in town at ~30 mph, about 12 minutes on the highway at 60 mph, and then the last 8 minutes at 40 mph as I climb the mountain to work. Reverse that for my trip home.
Once a week, we generally do a shopping run, which entails driving to Olympia, which is an hour away. More highway, and then lots of city driving ~30 mph. Stops and Restarts, as we hop from Costco to the Olympia Co-op, and then to any other stores.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(narf @ Aug 16 2007, 11:45 AM) [snapback]496915[/snapback]</div>

Yes in order to get 60+ mpg the first choice one has to make is to avoid highway driving, period.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DeadPhish @ Aug 16 2007, 11:07 AM) [snapback]496938[/snapback]</div>

If you dwl at 1600 rpm, speed will average mid-high 50s and you'll get mid 50s per gallon.

Current tank is at 62 mpg after 180 miles. 80 miles of highway avg'ing 60 mph in one run on Sunday, 100 miles on two commutes of 25%/75% highway/surface roads.

Granted it is optimal temps for efficiency, but mixed low/higher speed driving can net high 50s or 60s with patience.

 

To answer your narrow question: Everyone? NO
Now, to all those who practice practice practice? One occupant? Keep it under 60mph? No lead foot? Restructuring the question: Everyone? YES

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hoop @ Aug 15 2007, 09:14 PM) [snapback]496619[/snapback]</div>

I've had mine for 5 months and only put 1500 miles on it. I just filled up for the fourth time and have averaged slightly over 50mpg in a 50/50 mix of City/Freeway driving--usually with 4 passengers. The only reason I think I was able to do that is that the car I traded in for the Prius was a 2006 Honda Odyssey that was such a piece of junk (I actually owned two in 8 months--the first was so bad I returned it after four days) that I am afraid to drive over 60 mph.

I would agree with two others--just drive and read all you can about its operation. I've done all the usual--EV switch, bumped up the air pressure, learned to "pulse and glide," etc. IMHO, the leaning curve--and being amazed at how well put together this little box is--is the funnest part of being a Prius owner. It's like learning to drive all over again.

But I think the bottom line is, each car is as different as the person driving it. And you just won't be able to tell anything until you break the thing in.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hoop @ Aug 16 2007, 10:14 AM) [snapback]496619[/snapback]</div>

People generally lie about two things: their gas mileage and their sex lives. My sex life is not open for discussion, but I get about 45-52 mpg on a daily commute that involves mostly city driving and some freeway, depending on which route I chose. On the highway, long trips, I average about 52 mpg. Only on rare occasions have I ever reached 60 mpg. So I would join the many Prius owners who wonder where the 60 mpg comes from and how you get there without driving like an obsessive mileage freak.

Still, I'm not complaining; not at all. I'm betting that the mileage claims for other cars are also skewed AND I know for a fact that I'm getting at least twice the mileage, sometimes three or four times the mileage, of the cars around me....especially when traffic is crawling and I'm mostly electric.

 

In the beginning, 45ish was a problem, then 50's were a problem. Now I can't record a 60 MPG tank. Right now I'm sitting at 59.1 MPG. I'm juuuuuust about there but can't quite seem to get it. Does the madness ever end?!?!?! HELP!!!!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kd5yig @ Aug 16 2007, 08:31 AM) [snapback]496850[/snapback]</div>

I've had my Prius for almost four weeks. It has just over 700 miles on it, and that includes 240 mile weekend trip.

My 1987 Mazda 626 has 106K on it. I bought it new and drove it twenty years. That's less than 6k miles/year. I mostly used it to commute to work. For most of those years my commute was 6 miles/day. I also drove it up to Spokane and to the Oregon coast a few times. Where do I live? Boise, Idaho.

I think my current commute is 22 miles/day, but I really should actually measure it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Aug 16 2007, 10:10 AM) [snapback]496986[/snapback]</div>

After 6500 miles having purchased the car in October last year we're getting 47.5mpg. We live near Seattle in a very hilly area, and routinely drive up a 1,000 foot hill to my parents home. That being said, 47.5mpg is pretty good for us compared to our 91 Corolla that gets 25mpg!

 

I probably started getting in the high 40s about 2000miles

It took me almost 6000miles to kick over to 55+mpg. I'm now sitting pretty at 62

 

I only have to drive about 12 miles to work, mostly city and some highway driving. I get around 47-50 MPG. However, on road trips to NJ or other places I usually get 50-53 MPG.

 

My Pri's lifetime avg is around 43mpg at 1 year/13k miles. That seems dismal compared to some of the people around here, but on a typical day it gets driven less than 20 miles. Also my wife is amused by, but not fully converted to my style of driving, so my MPG tends to go down with her driving! If it were only me driving, I think I'd be near 50 on a tank, but the limited amount of driving I do makes that tricky. With my commute coming down to 2.5 miles in about a week, I don't think I'll be seeing 50's any time soon

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kd5yig @ Aug 16 2007, 09:31 AM) [snapback]496850[/snapback]</div>

I'm retired, don't play golf, have two kids <5 yo. Ergo, no life. Grocery, gas, haircuts are <2 miles away. My wife's commute is <5 miles done in a 1999 Dodge Caravan (with 50K miles) donated to us by a relative who felt sorry for us because of the POJ Honda Odyssey we dumped to get the Prius. We just don't drive much, I guess.

I wouldn't get on Public Transit in this town (or many others) on a bet. I'd rather walk.

Trying to keep the time low on the Prius' airframe--just waiting for Hymotion to plug me in--if GM doesn't buy them first and kill the project.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Aug 16 2007, 12:42 PM) [snapback]497021[/snapback]</div>

For real?!?!? 2.5 miles a week?!?!? Good on you, but I'd be walking that kinda commute - or do you have the baby in tow?

 

Indistinct grammar led to confusion: About a week from the date of my last post, my commute will be 2.5 miles one way... so 5 miles per day. I'll be biking almost every day. My commute is 5 miles each way now, and I already bike most days.

In the last week I did get another job though, so I'll be working in Providence 1 day per week, teaching animation to college students... that will be my time to up the MPGs. Now if only I could convince the school to move closer to my house... at least I'll be carpooling (i.e. letting other people ride in my car while I drive )

 

Just turned 13,000 mi this morning. Fuel economy at 54 mpg. So a break-in point has finally occurred.

 

I don't. I'm now averaging 62 mpg in the city ~