New 2014 Prius C not getting the posted mpg...

Your time is worth something too.
You need to pick the best overall route and the work on maximizing the MPG for that route.

In city driving, you need to work on anticipating the slow downs and stops and try to deal with them using as little brake as possible.
On the highway, smooth and steady and not too fast gets the job done........but sometimes keeping up with the flow of traffic is more important than maximum MPG.

There is no magic in these cars. Poor driving conditions or poor driving techniques will still cause poor mileage results.

 

Keep in mind that brand new tires have a break-in period, and so your mpg will suffer slightly as a result. Tire pressure is another big one, make sure you have it at least at Toyota's recommended pressure, which for the c I think is 35 psi (or whatever the Canadian equivalent is).

When I bought a liftback, I was averaging about 55 mpg or so. Then it gradually dropped to 52-50, and I was wondering if it was because of the colder weather. Then I checked my tire pressure the other day, and found the tires were at 32 psi, well below the 35 recommended. But I filled it to 38 front/36 rear, and my mpg went back up despite the slightly cooler weather.

Other things to keep in mind. While the prius c is designed for city driving, keep in mind that stop and go traffic kills mpg, pretty much for any car, because you have to constantly accelerate fast so as not to tick off the drivers behind you, stop again and then repeat this x amount of times. I suspect what they mean by "city" driving mpg is that you're moving at a brisk pace, typically 25-40 mph (40 to 64 kph), without too much stopping, say a string of green lights, or a less used road that doesn't have many lights/stop signs.

See if you can find routes that have minimal lights/stop signs, so long as it's not really out of the way. Otherwise freeway driving may not be a bad idea. While I could take streets to reach my work, it adds another 20 minutes to my drive time, and a ton of lights, as well as passing by two school zones which reduces speed even more.

I also found an alternate route once I get off the freeway which cuts the traffic lights I have to cross from 14 to a mere 4. They're suburban streets too, so the speed limit is slightly higher than city streets, and best of all, there's not as many cars that go this way, so I was able to coast for a long period of time without pissing people off too much (if they do follow me then I just drive normal or slightly faster than the speed limit).

Though I drive a liftback now, in my c I was able to average about 55 mpg, and at one point I even hit 58 mpg using that route during the summer.

The point though is, don't focus too much on the mpg right off the bat, or it's going to ruin your enjoyment of the otherwise decent car. Just drive it normally for now, then as you get used to it, learn how to drive it efficiently. And then just smile as you watch SUV's that pass you up pull into gas stations more frequently than you'll have to, and spend more each fill up than you will.

Also, watch the video in this link. While it's mostly geared for a liftback, minus the "power" button which the c doesn't have, those techniques work for a c too.

Max MPG Driving Techniques Youtube Video | PriusChat

 

PSI is still the same up here. But when some bureaucrat get's bored, that'll likely change.

 

Only 600 miles into my "new to me" 30k 2012...I've gotten 56-change on my first tank.

 

Your post is confusing.

How are you calculating your average mpg? What does the mpg display tell you at the end of a tank? Don't try doing weird and questionable math by adding/dividing/extrapolating gas gauge blocks....

 

It's always going to go down anytime the temps drop in mid-autumn until around mid-spring, roughly the time they switch the summer/winter fuel blends to. The hybrid engine likes its warm weather, and if you're using the heat, then it has to run the gas engine more to create more heat, unless you want to wear heavy clothing and keep the heat off. That might be another reason for your drop.

Oh, and check your tire pressure. If it's not at least 35 psi cold (meaning you haven't driven on them for at least 3 hours), then your mpg suffers too. I got lazy and didn't check pressure on my liftback for a month and a half, and it went from 35 to 32. Filled them up to 38 front/36 rear, and my mileage is back up slightly. My brother's prius c meanwhile dropped to 31 psi, so I topped his tires off to while I had the air compressor out.

 

Try turning it back ON. For many people, there is a small but significant gain when using it.

I find it helps. My wife, OTOH, doesn't because she has a somewhat heavier foot.

 

How many miles do you think you can drive on a prius c tank? I am thinking 500?

 

I have been filling up with 2 bars left each time averaging around 7.5 gallons at around 400 miles each time which would roughly be around 500 miles a tank.

 

Just my 2 cents, I'd avoid the miles per tank yardstick, gas up more frequently, make the goal a better calculated mpg.

 

I've made it past 500 miles on a tank, but that was with city driving in the summer getting 65 mpg for the tank. I wouldn't push it to 500 otherwise - I'd try to keep my gas used since the last fill-up to around 8 gallons.

 

I'm averaging 470.1 miles/tank for the life of my car.

 

What is this engine block heater? Do you have to plug it in to a wall socket? Does it really improve mpg?

 

It's a heater that attaches to the engine block. Yes and Yes. It improves it just like blocking off the airflow in the winter will help warm up the engine bay quicker.

 

By how much would it improve? Is it worth it? Is it permanently installed in the engine? I am confused because I noticed a wall socket plug in on it? So I would have to plug it in every day?

 

And what is grill blocking? Which is the better of the 2? Can I use both?

 

I couldn't tell, but it's enough that it sells pretty well. A lot of people think it's worth it, my weather isn't cold enough for one. Yes, permanently installed until you take it out. Yes, you'd have to plug it in if you wanted it to work.

 

So it's just used and plugged in before you drive on a freezing morning? And don't plug it in and use it on a hot summer morning? Do you plug it in the night before and let it sit or does it just take a few minutes or hours to heat up?