1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

What Is Your WORST Prius Fuel Economy?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by jyl, Aug 31, 2009.

  1. jyl

    jyl New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2006
    84
    7
    0
    Location:
    Portland
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Here's ours.

    For daily city driving - have seen as low as appx 32 MPG in winter. Temps around freezing, short trips with cold starts, climbing a big hill most days. Wife cranks heat to max and is a total leadfoot (P&G for her is Procter & Gamble). 10% ethanol gasoline, and snow tires (Blizzaks inflated to 40 PSI) on steel wheels. Carrying 2-3 kids. In those conditions, I got 35-36 MPG so the leadfoot better half is not entirely to blame.

    For highway driving - Averaged 30 MPG over a 650 mile roadtrip with four occupants, stuffed full of luggage, Yakima rack with 12 cu ft cargo pod on one side of the bars, also stuffed full, two 17-foot sea kayaks on the other side of the bars, straps and cords all over. I estimate about 270 lbs on the roof and a huge amount of aero drag. Rear wheels were squeezed up in the wheelwells. Almost new Nokian WRG2s inflated to 42 PSI. Oil slightly overfilled (1/2" on the stick). AC cranked. 10% ethanol gasoline for 1/2 the trip. Averaged about 70 MPG - no eco-driving, not with the trip already going to take 11+ hours.

    Not negative about it - I think its funny actually. Any other car in similar conditions would have been much worse.
     
  2. Betelgeuse

    Betelgeuse Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2005
    1,460
    24
    1
    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    We had a tank around 28 MPG once. Daytime highs around 20 Fahrenheit, almost exclusively short trips (<3 miles), plus a good amount of time idling in the driveway trying to get the ice on the windshield to melt.

    It's amazing what you have to do to push this car below 30 MPG.
     
  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,193
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I had a 37mpg tank once in the early dark days of ownership. Frigid temps, loaded car, 75mph with terrible quartering headwinds on a long freeway drive.
     
  4. hm800x

    hm800x New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2008
    8
    3
    0
    Location:
    Quebec Canada
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I remember a camping trip with our tent trailer weighting around 1700 lbs with luggage and use of the Prius as generator because of no electricity on camping site. Got as low as 26 mpg but mainly because of using it as generator for about 10 hours.
     
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,075
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    For a whole tank, probably somewhere in the high thirties during the cold and snow of winter.

    Tom
     
  6. kinghuang

    kinghuang Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2005
    119
    8
    0
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I've had 7.6L/100km in –30°C weather. That's about 31 mpg.
     
  7. brick

    brick Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2006
    1,083
    79
    0
    Location:
    Upstate NY
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    44mpg (actual...MFD said about 46). Daytime highs were around 20F with mornings in the single digits, and I drove through one major snow storm. At the time I lived in an apartment so the only way to get the windshield clear enough to see was to warm up and defrost before driving off. Needless to say that was before I moved to SC!
     
  8. richardp

    richardp New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2009
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    New Port Richey, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    18 mpg......just bought the '07 and discovered that the parking brake was on. Take the brake OFF, and it gets much better mileage. who knew?
     
  9. richardp

    richardp New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2009
    12
    0
    0
    Location:
    New Port Richey, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    BTW- I'm a newbie here. Where do I go for economic driving tips? After I take the brake off that is.
     
  10. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,498
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Hi Richard and welcome. :welcome:
    Since you list your car as a GenII I've pointed you to the GenII Fuel Economy forum: Gen II Prius Fuel Economy - PriusChat Forums

    My worst tank to date is 40.3 logged between 11/30/05 and 12/14/05.
     
  11. 13Plug

    13Plug Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2008
    581
    104
    0
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    My worst two tanks were both 8.6 L/100km (or 27.4 mpg US). That was late December / early January, really cold weather, mostly short trips. It's hard to think about that because I filled up today with my best tank (4.8 L/100km or 49 mpg US)
     
  12. nikki&petey

    nikki&petey Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2009
    20
    2
    0
    Location:
    Utah
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    This week. 43.3 MPG. AC blasting constantly and I had to go up a huge mountain pass twice on this tank.
     
  13. blippo

    blippo New Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2009
    255
    12
    0
    Location:
    VA
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
  14. Son of Gloin

    Son of Gloin Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2008
    421
    320
    0
    Location:
    Lafayette, IN
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Mithril has suffered through one tank at 38.2 mpg ... two tanks at about 39.5 mpg. These were primarily the result of EXTREMELY cold winter weather, coupled with mostly VERY short, 'round-town trips.

    He's making up for that now, though. Eight of the last ten fill-ups have resulted in over 50 mpg for an average of nearly 52.5 mpg -- per hand-calculations -- over that stretch ....
     
  15. Sandy

    Sandy Hippi Chick

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2009
    860
    53
    0
    Location:
    Ocala,Fl
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    about 40 MPG
     
  16. Celtic Blue

    Celtic Blue New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2008
    2,224
    139
    0
    Location:
    Midwest
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    During winter, and before I blocked the bottom set of grill slats, I had a tank at 42.2 mpg. It was all short commutes.
     
  17. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),24 Venza Limit,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,802
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    54 but the air had leaked out of the tires over the summer. Back up to 46PSI and my MPG is back up 58-60 MPG going to work. AC hits my mileage big time. I did a brain dead flat and rolling check after moving for 20 miles and I got 68MPG. To me that is a stupid check since you should check it fill up to fill up. EH!
     
  18. ken.miller

    ken.miller New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2009
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    South Daytona, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have 4,600 miles on my 2009 Prius and the best mileage I'm have gotten is 37, the 4,600 mile average is 35.63 and the least is 33.08.:mad:
     
  19. nhguy78

    nhguy78 whirr...........

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2008
    51
    3
    0
    Location:
    Hudson, NH
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    My worst useage is in winter and it gets down as low as 40mpg. This is New Hampshire winters on the highway.
     
  20. DeadPhish

    DeadPhish Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2005
    2,010
    353
    0
    Location:
    Outer Banks of NC.. Retired to play golf and poker
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    March 2009. Cool to cold weather. Uphill from sealevel to the Catskills...against the prevailing weather...on I95 / NYS Thruway...at an average speed of about 75 mph.

    For 700 mi I averaged 41 mpg.