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Toyota Prius MPG-Real World Numbers

1246720

Comments

  • cheryl06priuscheryl06prius Member Posts: 50
    As a resident of New York where the maximum speed limit is 65mph I ocassionally find myself driving 75mph in the left land. Invariably some driver will bear down behind me at one car length attempting to intimidate me to speed up and cut off some one in the right lane so they can pass me.

    I refuse to be intimidated by "jerks" like this whose psychological gratification with speed borders on pathological. You can tailgate me and seethe with rage but i'm not pulling over for you until its safe to do so.

    You fail to comprehend that in the US not every one shares your obsession with speed.If you think that the European system is better emigrate there.

    Many drivers, hybrid and non-hybrid are content to drive at or 5-10mph under the speed limit in the right lane.Until the state establishes minimum speed limits this is their statutory right. To label these drivers as "behavioral vigilantes" shows your immaturity and ignorance.

    Any cretin can push the pedal to the floor and pass the vehicle in front of him, it takes far more mental discipline to overcome addiction to the aggressive driving tactics that you apparently espouse.
  • fastbutslowfastbutslow Member Posts: 6
    " To hold up traffic for personal gain or philosophy is not right."

    although i hate ignorant people i still do it so everyone can breathe clean air. do you want to end up like mexico city?

    and can we please get back to posting FE? i want to see some 60's number from regular drivers.
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    Fascinating reading guys. I'm obviously in the presence of some very serious minds.

    Here are some facts for you to think about.

    In AUSTRALIA...

    1/ Gas is currently $6.00 per gallon

    2/ It is anticipated to rise to $9.00+ by the end of the year!

    3/ At $3 per gallon all hybrids were considered a novelty.

    4/ At $6 per gallon they are now a serious alternative to "standard" vehicles. No discounts are offered by car dealers on Hybrids!

    5/ I can now sell my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid for exactly what I paid for it 3 months ago!

    As far as I can ascertian Americans are paying highly subsidised prices for their gas...this will not continue!

    Trust me...when U.S. gas hits $6 a gallon (and it will be very soon), whatever your reasons for buying a hybrid, it will all boil down to one thing...you can actually afford to drive a motor vehicle at all!

    I appreciate all to to & fro discussions about the merits of hybrids...pay back period...blah...blah...blah.

    Your hybrid will go up in value versus all the others, and you will save lots of money.

    Enjoy...oh...and say hi to dubelya!
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    Thanks, that was clearly well thought out, and artfully presented. I'll be sure to mend my ways, while looking for that permanent residency in Germany. After I mature, of course...
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    We just returned from an 1800 mile loop from Vancouver WA [Portland] through to Reno, the SF Bay Area, and back. Overall consumption was just about right at 41 mpg, carrying close to a full load [I'd estimate our total weight of people and cargo of over 500 lbs]. No special techniques, and with the lack of maturity previously noted, I kept up with traffic everywhere we went, which meant average speeds on Interstates around 75 mph with the AC on about 75% of the time.

    -Comfort on long days approaches that of our last MB, which is impressive indeed.
    -Power for passing and climbing hills is more than adequate, again, at least on a par with our C240.
    -The Costco Michelins in place of the Badyear Integrity OEM tires makes the car fun to drive...it sticks in the curves and now can handle rain without skating all over the road.

    Best fuel economy for a tank was about 48 mpg coming down the hill from Reno - also went from 2 pink bars to 8 green bars on the energy scale on the downhill run. Worst tank was about 38 mpg in the rain from SF to Yreka CA, climbing and falling [but mostly climbing], and with speeds rarely going below 70 mph.

    Priuses are all over the SF area...practically the official city car....
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    That's AustraLIA...not a lot of snow here!
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "As far as I can ascertian Americans are paying highly subsidised prices for their gas...this will not continue! "

    Not even close, mate. The US does not have the high gas taxes of other countries. That is why the gas is cheaper.
  • cheryl06priuscheryl06prius Member Posts: 50
    I've decided to refrain from critiquing the driving habits of others. No personality characterizations were aimed at any specific individual and of course we don't want any hybrid drivers emigrating to another country.

    On the positive side my 2006 Prius MPG average for the past 994 miles is 54MPG. 50/50 highway/city driving,average highway speed 60mph(95%),primary driving locale was Western NY with mild elevation.

    While i'm pleased with the overall MPG i'm equally pleased with the accuracy of the MPG tripmeter. For the three fill ups the trip meter readings were 57, 56 and 52, the MPG reading as measured by visual filler pipe inspection were 55, 56 and 51 respectively. It is enough to inspire my confidence in the tripmeter.
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    I would suggest that you do not visit Houston and drive on the freeway, especially during the 12 hour rush hour window. Your slow driving and atittude would/could possibly cause you fatal body harm.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Ah come on. I just spent a week driving my big MB Cruiser around the Hill Country. I found TX drivers very courteous. Even when I held them up on the back roads that are posted 75 MPH. I think Texas roads and drivers are better than CA roads or drivers. And I have lived in CA off & on since 1943.
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    gagrice said:

    "Ah come on. I just spent a week driving my big MB Cruiser around the Hill Country. I found TX drivers very courteous. "

    LOL - Houston is flat as a pancake. You weren't cruising Houston, there is no "Hill Country"

    Cheers,

    MidCow
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    So I should steer clear of the Houston area? They are aggressive and discourteous drivers? Now you have blown my image of the TX people. I was very impressed with the mid section of Texas. I was able to drive a week through TX and never entered a large city. Came within 10 miles of San Antonio. Boerne, TX very fine folks there.
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Most of Texas is courteous. Dallas is pretty bad , but Houston is the worst. There are 4.4 million poeple in the Houston vicinity and almost all of them drive and very few drive with much skill or courtesy.

    For example , if you signal to change lanes most Houston drivers try to close the gap.

    Rush hour is a zoo! Unbelieveable drivers!

    Gagprice, If you do come to Houston, I know of a least one person who will be courteous to you, me!. But then again, I am a transplanted Houstonian.

    LOL,

    MidCow
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Much appreciated, then I would expect most Edmund's Forum members are courteous drivers.
  • 75andcountung75andcountung Member Posts: 11
    OK CHERRY; HOW DO YOU GET 50S MPG? DO YOU PULSE AND GLIDE OR WHAT?
  • 75andcountung75andcountung Member Posts: 11
    GUESS I MEANT TO ADDRESS MY LAST POST TO JRCT; SORRY
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A national finance magazine is looking to interview current hybrid owners who purchased a hybrid within the past year or two. The reporter is wanting to know if you have been satisfied or not with the gas savings you’ve been receiving. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Saturday, June 10, 2006 by 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and the make and model of your hybrid vehicle.

    Thanks,
    Chintan Talati
    Corporate Communications
    Edmunds.com
  • cheryl06priuscheryl06prius Member Posts: 50
    Glad to answer your question anyways. My MPG for the last 1350 miles is 54., about an equal mix of city/highway driving.

    1) 90% of the time I drive at 60mph on the Interstate, in the right lane of course, and faster only when necessary to pass.

    2) I try to keep the tire pressure at 42/40psi, 7psi over the placard recommendation. It is a stiffer ride but I can tolerate it.

    3) avoid hard accelerations and do a lot of coasting, if I expect the traffic light ahead of me to turn to red instead of accelerating I try to time my speed so that I won't have to come to a full stop and accelerate from zero.

    I'm not a hypermiler and really am not knowledgeable on "pulse and glide" but i'm always looking to learn.
  • 75andcountung75andcountung Member Posts: 11
    Thanks again for the info. My last tank averaged 48.888. Look forward to getting over 50 but haven't tried the higher tire pressures. Do you think that that has any safety or tire life side effects? I guess some one can answer these questions before I try it.

    My neighbor just got a honda civic and says they got 44 MPG on a trip to Indiana. I am jealous. That's without a hybrid engine and I know it wasn't as expensive as my loaded 2006 Pruis. But I have hopes.
  • cheryl06priuscheryl06prius Member Posts: 50
    I don't have an opinion on the safety or tire life questions but I haven't done much research either. Higher tire pressures defintely result in a stiffer ride.

    Hopefully some user of this forum has an opinion on these issues.

    As to your neighbor getting 44MPG on a non-hybrid Honda Civic it is not inconceivable but I would question him as to the methodology. Unless you cap your tank to the same exact level at least two or three times you won't be able to accurately meaure your MPG. Don't rely on the gasoline pump shut offs-usually you can squeeze another 1-2 gallons into the tank.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Usually the numbers on the label on the door post are the correct tire pressures. They are chosen to get proper tire wear, though there are other things the manufacturer can choose for (mileage, load rating, speed rating, just for starters). If you want to run a higher pressure, you can safely go up to the max. pressure indicated on the tire sidewall (subject to the comments below). These are "cold inflation pressures" - ie- ambient temps - usually considered to be 20 C or about 70 F. This is the temp. of the tire and the air inside when you measure the pressure. If you drive to the inflation location, you will warm up the tire. Inflate the tire there and drive home. First thing in the morning, before you drive check the pressure. This will be your "cold inflation pressure". Adjust as required from there. Note that a car sitting in the sun will experience increased tire pressures on the side facing the sun - but it's only a few psi.

    Higher pressures than recommended on the door post will usually wear the centre of the tread faster, and will usually slightly lower your traction. The vehicle will also ride rougher. It's been common to see recommendations in the owners manual to raise the tire pressure a few psi for highway trips or when the vehicle is fully loaded (to help keep the tires cool or perhaps better stated, to keep them from overheating). This should have minimal effect on tire life and vehicle handling.

    Lower pressures than recommended on the door post will usually wear the outside edges of the tread faster, and will usually heat up the tire more than desired - this is a potentially dangerous condition and should be avoided. Lower pressures will also usually lower your traction as well and make the vehicle "wallow" a bit in corners.

    You can get fanatical about tire pressures, and that's a "good thing" (tm). I recommend a digital tire pressure gauge - they tend to be more accurate than the rod type. Check the pressures at least once a month. For lots more info. check out the "tires tires tires" forum and the "tire pressure gauges" forum.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Your comment on the Honda made me snicker. If you check them out (the Honda hybrids), you'll find the manual transmission models actually get much better mileage than the hybrids - the hybrid Accord, for example, is rated at 6.6 l/100 km, whereas the manual tramsmission V6 Accord is rated at 6.1 l/100km. It made me conclude the only "true" hybrid is the Toyota system, though it might be interesting to see what a manual tranmission Prius body would get (no hybrid components).
  • 75andcountung75andcountung Member Posts: 11
    Thanks for the help. Guess I have heard it before and just needed to be reminded.
  • hot_georgiahot_georgia Member Posts: 51
    Pathstar1 you have some good points about tire pressure.

    However all my previous and current cars have always been to max cold sidwall pressure and always wore evenly across the tread.

    My HCH for example have the Dunlops and have kept them @ 51PSI since new. It's time for new tires at 75,000 miles and the wear is even, as usual.
  • kornklankornklan Member Posts: 29
    After a year and a half and 14000 miles I get between 48 and 52 MPG. I've gotten as high as 58 once or twice.
    The car still runs great with no problems. So Far only oil changes and a tire rotation and the recall on the steering shaft which the dealer did in about an hour and a half.
  • shammshamm Member Posts: 10
    We've had our '05 Prius for about 10000 miles now. It started with 45mpg and has steadily dropped until last week when we calculated 35mpg. Toyota put it on their diagnostic equipment and said nothing was wrong. I've been e-mailing Toyota, but with nothing more than the usual tire pressure, don't drive aggressively, etc. I have a Celica that routinely gets 33mpg and I drive it much harder than this Prius. I've checked other forums. There seems to be a number of people who get around 40mpg and another group that get around 60.
    I believe there is something wrong with my Prius that Toyota is not diagnosing and there are others in the same situation.
    I too want to get 50+mpg, but right now, at 35mpg, I'm questioning the logic of my green decision of 16 months ago.
    I would love to know the percentage of Prius's that actually get 55mpg or more vs. those that get 45mpg or less - and those in the middle too.
    Has anyone any insight? (Not the GM Insight - the electric that never made it out of Detroit! No one has one of those!)
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Welcome to the forum. If you want to know what the average Prius gets I would suggest looking a green hybrid. They have over 700 Prius owners posting mileage. Currently the average Prius II is getting 47.7 MPG. A little over 5% get 55 MPG or better. At 35 MPG you are in the bottom 1% of those posting. Either something is wrong with your car or you are much more aggressive than the average Prius driver.

    Oh, and the Insight is the Honda hybrid that started it all here in the USA. GM built the all electric EV-1 then got pushed out by regulations.
  • ssreekakssreekak Member Posts: 5
    How often are you guys getting the oil changed? Have you seen any difference in mileage and performance one way vs. the other? Thanks.
  • isnofaceisnoface Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I just purchased a 2006 Prius this weekend. It had about 45 miles on it when I got it and I've put 200 miles one it. As of now I'm only getting 38 MPG. I've really tried to monitor my driving behavior and have noticed a slight improvement. I live in Florida and it's crazy hot due to the global warming;) So the air conditioner is obviously on. I'm sure this has some effect on my MPG but is it possible to get in the mid 40s MPG without melting?

    The dealer said it takes 500 miles or so to fully charge the battery and that my MPGs should go up then. Is this true?
  • shammshamm Member Posts: 10
    I was told the same thing and in general I believe it. But the battery does not really need that long to charge completely. It's just the sales guy way of saying it takes awhile to get things broken in and he doesn't really know how to explain that. The computer will adapt to your driving style. That requires it seeing your driving style for some time.
    I know other Prius owners who do get 50 to 60mpg. They say that the A/C generally takes about 5mpg.
    By the way, the mpg display on the dash is an estimate. You should calculate the actual mpg at every fill-up. My Prius over estimates by about 5mpg.
    Enjoy your car! Mine is having problems right now, but hopefully, we will find the fault and I too will get 50+ mpg in the future!
  • ssreekakssreekak Member Posts: 5
    I just almost finished my first of gas - got 443 miles out of 9.9 gallons. I was on the last bar of the meter and decided to re-fill. Hoping it will soon touch the elusive 50-55 mpg. Very happy with the car so far.
  • canccanc Member Posts: 715
    Has anyone used ethanol-based fuels (10% ethanol mixture, thereby raising the octane rating to 89) successfully? If so, have you noticed a drop in fuel economy?
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    In VA it's mandated and I have not noticed any change in fuel economy.
  • john1701ajohn1701a Member Posts: 1,897
    > Has anyone used ethanol-based fuels... successfully?

    After driving my Prius over 117,000 miles with the stuff, I'm having a very difficult time figuring out what the misconceptions are.

    My average for last month was 51.9 MPG.

    JOHN
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    My average for last month was 51.9 MPG

    If they had left out the 10% ethanol you might have gotten the EPA average of 55 MPG. There is no way for you to know if it decreases mileage if you do not run anything but E10.
  • john1701ajohn1701a Member Posts: 1,897
    > you might have gotten the EPA average

    Who are you trying to greenwash?

    51.9 MPG using E10 is hardly anything to complain about. Whether or not it matches the silly EPA numbers that simply don't reflect real-world results in any way, shape, or form is meaningless.

    The EPA average only applies to those that drive in ideal conditions, precisely the way they do with their grossly outdated tests... which don't take into account how fast people actually drive or the fact that they use the A/C or in my case carry 2 kayaks on the roof sometimes.

    JOHN
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    In fact, the EPA numbers aren't even obtained by driving the car. To make matters worse, they ask the car manufacturers to give them the numbers, no questions asked! I believe them, don't you?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    51.9 MPG using E10 is hardly anything to complain about

    How do you know that E10 is equal to regular unleaded if that is all you have used? My point being you may have done even better than your current overall average.

    My truck has dropped off 1 MPG since they mandated ethanol use for CA. I have no idea what percentage is added. I always use Costco gas. I have no other explanation for the 1 MPG drop. It may be the heat. Though I run the AC year round.
  • marjiemarjie Member Posts: 4
    Mine as well! I'm doing every possible action to get excellent mileage and in the two months I'v had the car, It has moved about from 33mpgs to 39 and then down again and down to stay it seems tho i've followed up on dealer suggestions and have learned a new way to drive angry folk in a hurry to get to the morgue not withstanding.
    I'm at my wits end.
  • marjiemarjie Member Posts: 4
    I too am extremely disappointed as per my post. Has anyone gotten any useful information from a dealer? The guy checked my tires and told me to come back in at 3000 miles. I have had the car for less than two months and have put on 1600 miles to date.
    Any information will be greatly appreciated.
  • ssreekakssreekak Member Posts: 5
    I was told 3K as well which is annoying. Any manual or manufacturer information says 5K when it is due for service.
  • shammshamm Member Posts: 10
    Hello again,

    I finally managed to get with the sales guy. He is the local Prius expert. He suggested several things to improve mpgs... Slower starts, try not to brake heavily at a stop, but let the car gradually slow down (= motor becomes generator and returns power to battery), and one thing that I did not know before, and this bothers me a bunch, keep the speed at or below 40. Apparently the car was designed for in-town, bumper to bumper driving, where 30 or 35 is as fast as it gets. The design starts the gas engine when you go above 40.
    So I've been watching the energy and consumption screens while I drive. Over relatively flat ground, at 39, the display says I'm getting between 50 and 70mpg (it's not perfectly flat!) When I drive that same piece of road at 42, I'm seeing 40 to 60mpg.
    My problem with this: Between home and work, virtually all the roads are posted at 40. And naturally, no one goes the speed limit. So if the sign says 40, 45 is the slowest you dare go.
    I started my new driving experiment with a full tank of gas, so it will be awhile before I know the overall results. I will post more later.

    Re: Oil changes: If you check the quality and color of your oil when you change it at 3000, you will see that it is nearly new! If you do the same at 5000, you will see that it has turned darker and does not feel as slippery between your finger and thumb. I change mine between 4500 and 5000.
    If you're like me, target changing the oil at 4000, by the time you actually get to the garage, its 4500ish. And always use a good quality oil. And because most oils have additives today, always use the same oil. It has always worked well for me.
    Also, use the color and feel as a guide. Use the dip stick to get a sample. If it seems to be turning color at a lower milage, get the oil changed sooner.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    You should see about 3% mileage drop with E10 fuel. Ethanol releases less energy when burned than the other components of gasoline, such as naptha. On the plus side, it burns much cleaner, produces less CO2, and if it gets into the groundwater is not something you would never find in nature, and is not really toxic, like techron or MTBE.
  • dbikerdbiker Member Posts: 16
    What is the furthest you have gone on a single tank?

    useful info would be like:

    05 Pruis CVT
    Seattle -> Salt Lake City
    June 2006
    2 people + luggage
    91 octane Arco midgrade

    846 miles 13.1 gal = 64.6 mpg

    DB
  • shalwechatshalwechat Member Posts: 25
    On my Prius classic my mpg is 49. Im using synthetic oil, and has about 90,000 miles and the battery is holding up quite well. I had no major service issues.
  • texvegastexvegas Member Posts: 17
    2004 Prius...54.6 mpg...no problems...great vehicle!
  • seekoseeko Member Posts: 33
    what would be the reason or benefit that a person would use any other octane than 87 as the prius calls for? why do some people use 91 octane or whatever? they are not powering a big power plant by any means. so what would be the good of it? just curious. thank you. pete :) seeko
  • elsonluielsonlui Member Posts: 4
    We've had the car a week, gone about 300 miles, and we're only getting average 33 miles per gallon according to the screen. Is this normal? Does it take a while for the 40-50 mpg to kick in? :cry:
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    First thing, that's really too short a time and not enough miles to realy evauluate your mileage performance. I'd give it some more time until you get more types of driving in as well. Remember that not everyone is going to get the same numbers out of their Prius. Your driving style, and the types of driving you have to do are going to be factors that affect your final numbers.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Generally speaking, you get no benefit from using fuel with higher octane ratings than what the car was tuned for. In fact, it usually causes slightly poorer mileage and less power. Many people think octane rating is a power rating - it is not. The higher the octane rating, the slower the fuel burns (sort of). If your car is tuned for 87 octane fuel and you put in say 92 octane, all the fuel may not have been fully burned when the exhaust valve opens, or it may have just finished but the energy the last of it produced is there too late, and it goes out the exhaust.

    There may be other reasons to use higher octane fuel, however. In my case, I use 89 octane "mid-grade" fuel from Husky/Mohawk, not for the higher octane rating, but because it has up to 5% ethanol added, and burns cleaner than most "regular" grade fuels. It may not be suitable for all cars, but it works well in mine. In another vehicle I use 92 or 94 octane rated fuel (that car calls for 92 min.) Husky/Mohawk as that fuel has up to 10% ethanol, and again, I use it because it works well and burns cleanly. YMMV
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