My first hypermile slash slipstreaming attempt best highway long distance mpg run ik of

It is a user interface touch-and-feel thing, and some people just do better with that particular interface. Beyond that pedal user interface, there is no real change to the power and propulsion system.

While a plurality of people should do best with ECO, some others do better with either Normal or PWR. And still others find no difference among them, which is the actual theoretical correct answer for an 'ideal' driver with perfect foot dexterity and control and infinite patience, and assuming that certain minor adjustments (e.g. climate control, cruise control, and ICE auto-off temperature thresholds) are set aside and out of the test picture.

For myself, not being an ideal specimen, I'm in the ECO camp.

 

by experience. Power mode means that you use less “foot” in slow traffic. Therefore less fuel.

using this method I get 100+ Consistently.

 

Do you mean it helps gets you off the line and then freewheel sooner to drop your consumption?

 

Pretty much, but remember that the way the hybrid engine works the Ev mode kicks in at speed to maintain the momentum of the engine.
Plus - it cost more in mpg when ice is charging the battery. So let’s say you are in a 7 mile traffic queue ( common on Motorway here ) crawling forward in power mode and occasional ev auto kick in seems to be more efficient. If not anything but counter intuitive.
Certainly motorway and commute driving seems less of a strain when you put your foot down compared to the other modes.

Could you try an experiment for me ?

Drive 10 miles in eco mode at 30mph. Then park for 15 mins with ev mode turned on. Then drive back. On a second day ( to account for warm ICE perverting the result) do exact the same journey in power mode

it would be interesting to see another car/driver results.

 

??? Say what?

Sorry, I don't have a location where I can perform such a test without running into either serious and erratic mpg-killing stop-and-go conditions, or legal problems (slow moving vehicle / minimum speed laws / road rage), or road surface conditions that inherently produce poor mpg.

When I joined this forum, a good number of high profile members here were reporting back from a Toyota 2010 Prius reveal event, where they had considerable time to talk to the Toyota's Prius engineering team. Your description of the PWR/Normal/ECO modes simply doesn't fit with how those engineers described them for the Gen3. It really was just a pedal interface thing, the engine and rest of the drive train really didn't know or care what gas pedal mode the car was in.

You drive a Gen4. I don't recall any similar reports of talks with the Prius engineers at the Gen4 introduction events, and any substantial changes that may have been rolled in at that time.

 

Fair enough. Was just trying to give you the opportunity to check it out for yourself. If you want to stay with the theoretical that’s ok too. There is a world of difference between the drive on a gen3 and a gen4 so not really a fair comparison for 11 year old data.

 

Theory is “less foot in traffic” try it it does work

 

Had a piece of a log stuck the same way come out on a truck that came out onto the 2-lane highway in front of me when I was doing a motorcycle tour of the state a few years ago.

I kept what I thought was a great safety distance, slowing down a bit to let him come out and get up to speed. That log piece kicked out and shot straight back at me. It did bounce off of the road surface once or twice on the way back, but there wasn't any time to avoid it. It hit my left shin so hard that it knocked my leg off of the footpeg. My saving grace? Another motorcyclist was kind enough to give me his used off-road motorcycling boots since they fit me. They had great shin protection.

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But this goes further than just that. Any motorcyclist who lives in a sandy state can tell folks about the constant sand-blasting that comes up off of all vehicles' tires on the big highways. Any skin showing - like one's unprotected neck in between the helmet and riding jacket - will feel the constant sand blasting, and that's with following traffic at safe distances. What hypermiling does to the front of cars is ridiculous.

 

Don't confuse drafting with hypermiling.

 

I'm not. They are both terrible for cars. Anything under a four-second following time is blasting the paint and light lenses down here.

 

Once Uncle Wayne gave his warning against drafting, his entire hypermiling menu platter was for things that didn't involve following that close.

So tell me, what about hypermiling is terrible for cars and paint and light lenses?