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Is it an okay MPG?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Fuel Economy' started by bmwm3driver, Apr 10, 2023.

  1. bmwm3driver

    bmwm3driver New Member

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    Hello

    I own 2012 model with 240 000 miles, since my last vehicle was turbocharged Subaru I drive line maniac in busy city traffic with my foot hard down and Power mode on 50% of the time.

    I get 25-30 MPG usually while driving in city and 45-50 MPG on highway. Is it normal or should I pay attention to anything?

    Also in your experience does cruise control help MPG on highways or opposite?

    Thank you
     
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Your highway mpg is indicative that everything seems to be fine and this the city mpg is a reflection of your driving style. That can be bumped up depending on whether you wanna ease up on your right foot.

    On the highway, for your driving style, cruise control can help with mpg. Higher is possible but it’ll require a lot more concentration and a cooperative traffic flow and depending where you live, that might not be possible.

    TL;DR mpg looks fine for you driving style but can be improved if you change a few things.

    Cruise control good for mpg based on what you told us.
     
  3. ForestBeekeeper

    ForestBeekeeper Active Member

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    I have two Prius', 99% of the time I keep them both in ECO mode.

    I use PWR mode for on-ramps, on ice [either black ice on pavement or when traveling on frozen rivers], and for when there is a lot of slush on the pavement.

    I use cruise control for most of my driving. The interstate where I live is posted 75mph, so I set the cruise control at 82, and it works great.
     
  4. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    I'm amazed u can get 45mpg. I'd have to try really hard to get that. I don't think u drive like a maniac at all. Atlanta has aggressive drivers commingled w rolling barriers of slow drivers who 'have just as much a right to drive in the left lane as you do'. If u dawdle you'll be last in line there. Hate slow left lane drivers? Hate slow drivers who pace the lane beside them and create miles of unnecessary traffic havoc? I wish 'keep right except to pass' were enforced like I can't tell you. I know what it's like in ATL man....
     
  5. bmwm3driver

    bmwm3driver New Member

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    Yes I understand that, my father own same model and easily gets 40-45 MPG in city with careful driving. Its just car feels slow to me and I keep pushing it

    Thank you for response
     
    Tideland Prius likes this.
  6. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    What you do with those silly little buttons means nothing. Your right foot is in control of the power used.
    Full Go Pedal = Full Power from the engine, regardless if you take your eyes off the road to press a silly button.

    If your Prius is like mine, 82mph set = 80mph GPS speed.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds like your battery is getting weak. it is used much more around town than on the highway
     
  8. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    The temps are now in the 70s here and mine is getting mid 60 mpgs again. You need to get a full tune up with the help of Mendels signature
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Just to chime in: I’ve used neither ECO nor PWR buttons for over a decade; forgot they’re even there.

    to see aforementioned signature if you’re on a phone, turn it landscape.
     
    Grit likes this.
  10. ForestBeekeeper

    ForestBeekeeper Active Member

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    I am well aware of the Throttle-acceleration charts.

    As a retired Engineer I am also well aware that many engineering designs fail to live up to their intent in Real World applications.

    Stomp the accelerator to the floor, once in ECO mode, and once again in PWR mode, then come back and tell us that both cases had the same acceleration.

    How the vehicle performs is different in each of these modes.
     
  11. nicoj36

    nicoj36 Active Member

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    You can do some TLC to improve it. I recommend cleaning your MAF sensor and a bottle of redline fuel cleaner.
     
  12. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Common for most (if not all) manufacturers. The lawyers don't want the company to be sued so the speedometer will read a little higher (~2-3 mph) than actual speed.
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I think various countries actually agreed on a standard, where the speedo has to read a little high. Every so often someone here conflates the speedo being high with the odo reading, but that's not happening: the car knows the wheel revs, uses that for both the odo and speedo, but tweaks just the speedo.
     
  14. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    See Section 5.3...
     

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  15. nicoj36

    nicoj36 Active Member

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    Yes, both of my Priuses read 2mph higher than actual speed limit. Confirmed with GPS speedometer and neighborhood speed radar
     
  16. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    So you're saying you get less power in ECO?
    Full Go Pedal does not always equal Full available power from the engine?
    I'll have to test that.
     
  17. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Practically all car odometers, as well as speedometers, used to exaggerate significantly. Odometers generally have been better since Honda got in trouble for cheating on the warranty that way.
    The odometer was nearly perfect on my Prius when it had the Chinese tires the dealer installed before I bought it. Since I replaced those tires with Hankooks, the odometer exaggerates by about 1%. Of course the speedometer error increased by the same amount.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.