MPG

Challange your subcompact friends to actually keep a written and calculated log, then compare. Ask them how many adults can comfortably ride in their cars. Challange them to race (the Prius is FAST!) Ask them what their emissions are. The Prius is alone at the top in this category. Ask your subcompacts to haul things with seats folded down. The list goes on. It really is an apples vs. oranges comparison. No one but Prius owners get it. Plus all the people whom we've talked to and let drive the car. I let people drive it, it's the only way to convince some. Good luck! Happy Hybrid motoring.

 

Get your friends to show you the proof that they are getting better gas mileage than you...the only non-hybrid vehicle that could possibly come close to the mileage that you are getting would be the VW TDI (diesel), and it would be pushing to obtain 45mpg. Give it some time...yes, those Intl. Falls winters will cause a big hit, but my wife does a 66 mile one way commute, that involves about 35 miles of 70 mph highway, about 25 miles of 35-45 mph four lane traffic and then the last 6-7 miles, stop and start, the return trip, due to the time of the day, adds on more mileage at stop and start. She's constantly averaging over 53 mpg. Don't get frustrated, there is nothing as roomy inside, as comfortable, that gets the mileage your Prius gets, on the road today, like the Prius, I don't care what your friends are telling...tell them: "Show me the proof!!" :mrgreen: :guns:

 

I received my Pkg.9 in November, 2003. I am the guy ahead of you who is just poking along, I try to get regeneration. My tires are at 40-38 and I use Synthetic oil. My mpg is in the 42-44 range. I have always had trouble getting much gas in tank. Yesterday, when I returned home, had 2 segments on fuel and 270 miles on ODO. This morning, I backed out and had one segment blinking, at 272 on ODO. A block away, "get Fuel" appeared on screen. I went to service station and really worked hard to get gas into tank. I dispensed the gas at the slowest speed I could get. It was hard holding the handle for the 5 minutes it took me to get gas. I finally got 9 gals. in and then it burped at me. I have tried the slow filling at all times and sometimes, only get 5 or 6 gals. in. I have sent Email to my Service Advisor, asking if I can get the tank-bladder fix, even though my Vin is not in the acceptable range to get this fix. So far he has not replied.

 

People here never tire of beating this one. I have noticed that my milage is dropping with our temps hanging around 40s to 50s and even low 60s at mid day. Driving style is critical. I do better with cruse control over all there sites on the web that will help with advice. Relatively brisk acceleration helps, you can see it where there is a mpg drop from the mid to low 20s to the low teens and 10 I try to keep in the higher range. You can get better mpg with even slower acceleration but you drag it out over a longer period of time (and space). Get up to speed and put the cruse control on. Slow acceleration decreases the M.P.G. in the long run. Try to anticipate and coast or very gently break to a stop. It is hard to get EPA though it is done. I don't think I will get there. I started practicing a more conservative driving style with my Ford Explorer and got my MPG up from 17-19 to 20-23. I am getting 50-53 tank averages now but they are going down I would expect the 40 as it gets cooler though we will not get the cold weather you do!

 

Just one thing to try when you use cruise control, go about 3-4 mph over the speed you want to set at then take your foot "completely" off the gas pedal and when your speed drops to the speed you want then set the cruise control. What this will do is make the computer see that your really in stealth and if your in S4 it'll make sure that it goes into stealth. If your not is S4 and set the cruise, the computer doesn't, seems to me anyhow, really believe that it should go into stealth. Some thing else to try. See if it helps.