Reached the 50mpg mark!!! Yeah!!!

Using Eco mode would have already achieved that

 

Yup, I got 57 MPG average on a 150 mile drive today in eco mode + cruise control.

 

I think I have finally crossed into 50mpg actual (54.9mpg displayed after 50 miles on the tank I just started). It will take a while for my "lifetime" mpg to get up there though - I have 4000 miles since mid-December (a lot of it highway), so it's at 43.9mpg right now. But that's in the worst conditions, so the other 9 months of the year will probably (hopefully) get my yearly overall to 50 or higher.

 

Congrats! I was lucky to hit that mark right off the bat, and now I'm shooting for a 60mpg norm. Current average over last few tanks is 57mpg. Hoping the warm weather and the new Michelin Energy Saver tires will push me over the top, after I get my snow tires off in the next couple weeks.

Who knew driving to save fuel could be so much fun.

 

That's great - congrats! If you can minimize the number of short trips and length of stop times you'll see a great improvement in your MPG.

Last weeks warm weather was great - my current tank was up to 70MPG but unfortunately with the cool weather on the weekend I'm back down to 68.7. Still nice to be in the 60s again

 

maybe a newbie question, but what's your average speed for all of your >50mpg tanks? Mostly highway? Local?

I'm averaging only about 48 in sunny southern california.

 

My typical driving profile is 50/50 city/hwy except in the winter when it is mostly city. Typical city driving limits here are 50 / 60 KMH translates to 31 / 38 MPH.

 

Sunwukong,
I am mostly a highway driver and for me 48 MPG is a goal--it's the EPA highway est.
I am not there yet, probably because I drive on 70 mph interstates (real speeds up to 75 or so)--faster than most of the driving in the EPA tests.
So I say if you are driving on fast highways, you are doing OK.

 

Milder temperatures are helping me here as well. Since early morning temperatures are now around 5-10C/41-50F, I get around 4.5L/100km-52mpg on my commute, instead of 5.5L/100k-42mpg. I managed a 4.1L/100km-57mpg the other day...and it is not warm yet and I still have my winter tires (195/65R16). I hope that I can improve more even when putting on the alloy 215/45R17 summer wheels.
On my 3km/1.9mi "test" (is the same stretch of road I do every day, at the same time, at the same speeds, when the engine warms-up), my fuel consumption went from 9L/100km-26mpg to 7.2L/100km-33mpg.
To give you a perspective, my previous car was a Polo 1.4L TDI with about 75HP. I would do in summer what the Prius has done in Winter, and in summer I would reach a 4.2L/100km value, only in late evenings with no traffic choosing the "less-traffic-lights route".
The values above have been achieved with no A/C (not necessary yet), with temps ranging from 8-10C to 15C, Eco mode and, by not looking at the HSI bar and focusing a lot on the driving... Actually I think that simply "driving" will get me the best FE...
I don't think you need any special driving technique on the Prius to get a good FE, or maybe I was already driving pretty good with my Polo...

 

I still have yet to hit above 46MPG. I live in Idaho and we are still currently experiencing late wintery weather (low 40's with rain). My commute to work is 10/90% (city/highway) at speeds close to 70mph, so I can understand the low average of 43.8mpg. I hope that when the weather does warm up, that it'll be better. Or should I take the extra time and drive through the city to obtain higher mpg? Any ideas, suggestions and/or comments?

 

You should change the title to "Warm weather has boosted my mileage to 55 MPG".

 

I was working on my 2nd 50mpg tank (displayed), but we're getting hammered by heavy rain. What is interesting is that the rain must be affecting EVERYONE's mileage just as badly - it's just more noticable when you have a continuous display and a 5% difference is >2mpg.

I'll be tempted to go for a longer drive when the weather improves again just to get back to 50...

 

If it is safe to do so, try driving 65 instead of 70. Firmer tires (40psi or so) would also help.

And yes, warmer weather will improve highway mileage. The biggest losses at highway speeds are aerodynamics and rolling resistance - warmer temps improve aerodynamics slightly and rolling resistance noticably.

 

Been raining here since the weekend so mileage has taken a nose dive. We've actually had some snow mixed in with this mess today and temps in the upper 30's. Can't wait for later this week when it's supposed to be near 80°F. 60mpg here we come.

 

I drive mostly highway and my mileage is around 50'ish on 3 tanks.

 

only 240 miles on the car and we are at 52.7 mpg (highest was 53.4) ...

 

I only have 3 tankfuls on my Prius and averaging about 50 MPG (actual not the over-estimating onboard computer) in mostly city driving.

However, that said, I honestly don't see how people are getting 55+ MPG. Do you guys live in really flat areas where nobody is ever behind you riding your bumper and no red lights or stop/go traffic ever?