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Hybrid Gas Mileage Good? Bad? As Expected?

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  • tomslycktomslyck Member Posts: 70
    We're still on our first tank, but my wife is getting 25 mpg on her commute which is about 50/50 highway/city. This is a considerable improvement over the 13 mpg we were getting in our Envoy. It seems to be getting a little better each day, too.
  • cybergypsycybergypsy Member Posts: 51
    I have been getting 48 mpg or better......love this car!
  • dteskadteska Member Posts: 12
    Have you made sure that the emergency brake is released?
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    We've been having a heat wave here and my mileage is averaging in the low 50s. My Prius has nearly 30,000 trouble free miles. I love this car!
  • danashieldsdanashields Member Posts: 49
    My max gas mileage was 71 MPG on a highway, going 55 MPH (a 15 mile stretch on GA 400 heading south).

    Since I only got around 60 (so disappointed) going that same stretch in the opposite direction, I'll assume that it was due to altitude (slight decline the whole way) differences.

    However, given that my old Pathfinder got around 20 MPG on that same stretch, I'll pocket the difference!!

    City gas mileage has been disappointing. But since we drive around 800 miles a week, we're more than making up the difference in $$.

    Best purchase we EVER made!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Around town, it's about 42 MPG.
  • omigoshomigosh Member Posts: 1
    I get solid 50 MPG ('05 Prius, just me inside, 8,000 miles). I drive about 75+ MPH for 30 freeway miles each way to work. I've read that lots of short, cold-engine trips can REALLY ding the mileage. I've sent away (still waiting . . . ) for a switch from CoastalETech.com that will enable the built-in Japan/Europe 'Electric-Only' feature to my US car (for short trips at moderate speeds). Simple installation, can't be detected (turns on & off by pulling the Cruise Control handle).
    I use A/C and don't notice any change in mileage (OK, maybe down to 49.8 MPG).
    When I do stop & go, low-speed driving, I get about 55 MPG. The "B" shifter doesn't create any mileage benefit, it just slows you down quicker. Sometimes I baby the throttle (lots of good info on the motor/engine display screen) to get electric-only at almost any speed, and often push the throttle right to the floor for passing. This is really a lot of fun -- a massive boost comes from the torque on the motor, not from the horsepower in the engine. It's instantaneous. I take advantage of upcoming slowdowns and red lights by refusing to tailgate (I seem to be a bit of a loner here in Detroit) that lets me get some free power instead of wearing out brake shoes and trashing gas.
    I got 90,000 miles out of the front shoes on my '96 Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla lookalike), and 70,000 out of the tires (30 MPG in winter, 33-35 MPG in summer). Easy starts, gradual stops, drive gently. Don't get me wrong -- some people can't do this. My better half seems to be completely incapable of even understanding how to drive as gently as I do, or believing that roaring out of the driveway (cold engine) and stomping on the brakes at the last minute is not a good plan. I refer to this as, "driving like a teenager." For her, new brakes, tires and engine repairs are commonplace. What a shock.
    Bottom line: If you need a sports car to make your life seem complete, then get one. If you want to get outrageous mileage (and produce one-tenth of the greenhouse gases of a regular car) and you're willing to drive safely and efficiently, get a Prius. If you get a Prius and drive it like a teenager, you will get less mileage than I do. But, if you check around, you'll find that nearly everyone is getting right around 50 MPG.
    By the way, the only thing I don't like is the fuel filler. To lower emissions even more, Toyota put a balloon bladder in the fuel tank. There's no air sitting on top of the fuel, so no vapor leaks out. When you gas up, the expanding bladder fools you into thinking the tank is full, but it's not. Wait a moment, and it accepts more gas. Do that a few more times, and you get about a pint of gas spit back out at you as the bladder rocks around. Fill it up? No problem. Fill it right to the tippy-top with that last nickel's worth (which we're not supposed to do anyway) and you'll only do that once. Winter temperatures make it even less flexible. So, a single tank can't accurately be topped off to give exact mileage numbers. Better to average over a number of tanks. John1701a keeps ridiculously accurate records for many 10,000's of miles, and he's found that the mileage meter on the display is accurate within 1 or 2 MPG -- that's good enough for me. And, considering that the emissions are absurdly ridiculously unbelievably low, I'll quit bellyaching about the bladder and just put in gas and drive. All in all, I'm just pleased as punch with the engineering decisions Toyota made. When I'm done with this one, I'll want another just like it.
  • deluxe247deluxe247 Member Posts: 9
    I've averaged 51.3 MPG (from fillups) for the first 5K miles on my '05 Prius (details in post #7 under the "Prius MPG - Real World Numbers" forum). I had been told by other owners and a few dealers to expect about 45 MPG average, so I'm getting better than I expected.

    I had 2 tanks which averaged about 40 and 43 MPG on a long highway trip at "keeping up with traffic" :blush: speeds and with the A/C on full blast. Those have brought my overall average down some, as I've averaged 53.4 MPG without those tanks.

    Gas consumption is still about 50 MPG at 70 MPH, but drops off pretty sharply above that speed.

    I'm definitely pleased with the Prius so far!
  • markdelmarkdel Member Posts: 56
    And, I quote from HONDA'S own press release:

    "Electric Motor
    The 13-horsepower, 144-volt ultra thin DC brushless electric motor's function is to boost the output of the ultra efficient gasoline engine in order to provide powerful acceleration. The electric motor does not provide primary motivation, and in fact, the Civic Hybrid will continue to operate with reasonably good performance on the gasoline engine alone." :blush:
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    883 miles driven, 13.31 gallons to full.
    66.34 calculated MPG.
    Dash said 62.4.

    2004 HCH CVT
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,306
    a hybrid prius toyota. she says it will pay for itself in about 3 years. she has had it for 8 months and has 9k miles on it. before this she drove a minivan that got about 17 mpg. she says her husband based this on 15k miles per year. i don't see how this is possible. am i missing something?
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • phoebeisisphoebeisis Member Posts: 121
    If she get 50 mpg on the Prius-a bit better than average- she will use 300 gallons/yr.The minivan would use 882 gallons-15000 miles,so she saves 582 gallons a year.This is about $1450/yr she saves,if gas is $2.50.The tax break of $2000 is worth about $600.In 3 years she will be~$5100 ahead.Now,if it pays for itself,she must mean that she paid just $5100 more for the Prius than she got for the minivan during trade in.Seems unlikely since the Prius was probably $24000+.The minivan would have had to have been worth $19000(and fully paid for).Only a fairly new-2004 or later Sienna or Odyssey would be worth anything like $19000 on trade in.No Dodge,Chry,Chevy,Hyundai,or Ford would be worth anything like $19000 fresh off the lot.
    If she traded in a 2004 Toyota or Honda van-and she owned it outright-she could be saying just what she means.If not,then her husband is incorrect.Charlie PS some states have tax breaks also-change thing a few hundred dollars.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "The minivan would have had to have been worth $19000(and fully paid for)."

    If that is the case, they could have traded the minivan in on a rather nice Corolla in which case the Corolla would 'pay for itself' the second it was driven off the lot..... :P
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    The problem is the Corolla doesn't have the content that a Prius has. It also is not a hatch. I guess you can use the Matrix as a comparison, but that's a little more money. I love all the goodies the Prius has, plus the 50mpg is a nice plus. :P
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "The problem is the Corolla doesn't have the content that a Prius has."

    First of all, my post was meant entirely tongue-in-cheek.

    Second, I know a Corolla doesn't have the content of a Prius. But to get a Corolla up to the $19k level, one would have load the car up car with leather and a sunroof, factory features not found on a Prius; so I supposes one could say a Prius doesn't have the content of a Corolla. At the same time a Prius doesn't have the content (literally) of a minivan. My point was that if someone were to trade-in a minivan because they no longer need the people/cargo carrying capacity and were just looking at economics (gas savings), perhaps just perhaps the purchase of a Corolla or similar small car would have made more economic sense.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    ...when people talk about the huge money they saved when they trade is large SUV's or truck for a Prius or some hybrid. Can we say "duh"? Frankly, for a lot of people who own minivans or SUV's, trading down to something that small (because a hybrid SUV price and mileage REALLY won't save you anything) is just not an option in the first place.
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    It may make sense to the person that bought something big that doesn't need it anymore. I traded a Liberty in and I am ahead nearly 3grand in gas savings in 19 months. I'm so giddy I can't contain myself. I love my Prius!!
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    ...that it doesn't make sense for the person, I'm just saying that you'll save money moving from any non-luxury large vehicle to any non-luxury small vehicle. Has nothing to do with whether the small vehicle is a hybrid or not.
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    Oh.. so a person that has a Mercedes shouldn't consider a less expensive car? I get it!!
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    I completely agree that one cannot save enough fuel costs to justify a Prius. My Prius fuel costs are 1/3 of what they were with the previous car. Even if I keep the car ten years, at today's gasoline prices, I will be just breaking even compared to a purchase of a less expensive car.

    However, I could not find another small car that could easily seat four real adults, carry their luggage, had stability control, traction control, curtain and side airbags, anti-loack brakes, automatic A/C, xenon headlights, and a nav system without spending a lot more money. The fact that the car gives outstanding mpg with reasonable freeway perfomance is a bonus.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    Oh.. so a person that has a Mercedes shouldn't consider a less expensive car? I get it!!

    Other way around - some driving a Chevy truck shouldn't consider a Mercedes sedan to save money...but that was probably obvious to everyone else.
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    Your posts make no sense to me. Probably the hybrid envy has got the best of you. :P
    I love my Prius :blush:
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    My hybrid car is going to nearly pay for itself in fuel savings alone.
    The vehicle it replaced did 16-17MPG.
    My hybrid cost about $18,500 and is pushing upward of almost 70MPG.
    I plan to keep it 10 years which will bring about 350K miles driven.

    In my case, this was a very wise purchase.
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    Do you really think it will make it to that type of mileage? I intend to keep my hybrid until 100,000 miles then donate it charity.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    I plan to keep it 10 years which will bring about 350K miles driven.

    I agree, with 35K miles driven per year, a hybrid is probably a very wise choice as a commuter car.
  • falcononefalconone Member Posts: 1,726
    I doubt anyone will get 350,000 out of ANY car these days.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I doubt anyone will get 350,000 out of ANY car these days.

    Your view is that if you want high mileage you were better off with an earlier Toyota or Honda cars, than the current built hybrid versions. Many people have used their cars for 350k miles. If the hybrids are not good for the long haul they are a failure for the consumer. Only the manufacturers win.
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    molokai,
    Yes I do hope and expect it to go that far. Probably a belt along the way as others have mentioned. 350K miles is not unobtainable, especially the way I drive ;)
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    especially the way I drive

    Your MPG so far indicates you are not a hard charger. I would think the car should last you 10 years and 350k miles. With as many miles as you drive you will save thousands if nothing unforeseen happens.
  • falcononefalconone Member Posts: 1,726
    That is a ridiculous statement. No one expects to get 350,000 miles out of any car today. You're WAY off base on this one. I think overall, the hybrids will have just as much life in them as conventional vehicles. Only time will tell, but anything you say is mere conjecture.
  • falcononefalconone Member Posts: 1,726
    I hope you stay around here long enough to keep us posted. I really am curious as to how much additional maintenance would be required to achieve that 350,000 mile goal. Good luck and keep enjoying your HCH!
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    I think 350K is obtainable in many vehicles. I repeatedly here stories of pickups that go that far and beyond. I think it all in how well you maintain the vehicle, how you drive, what conditions you drive it in, and how willing you are to fund repairs later on. Most people give up on vehicles because they get bored with them or the repairs start becoming as much or more than the vehicle is worth - but usually not more than it would cost to buy and maintain a new one. They just get tired of the hassle.

    Now, 350K and relatively trouble-free? That's a rare bird.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    That is a ridiculous statement. No one expects to get 350,000 miles out of any car today.

    You obviously only read what you want to see on the forum. Many people expect 350k miles and more from their vehicles. Especially diesel powered cars & trucks. They are the true "green" conservationists.
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    Sorry to burst your bubble but a huge majority (estimated over 90%) don't ever go 350,000 miles in their vehicles. Keep dreaming!! Your posts always crack me up.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    A lot of people get rid of their cars long before they are worn out. Many dump their spouses before they are worn out. Just because 90% of the population are doing something does not make it good. Conservation takes many forms. Keeping a car running for a long time is good conservation.
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    You're right, most people don't go 350K miles or 10 years...they trade up or sell before then.
    I went to a for sale site that trades cars.

    I'd probably be violating Edmunds rules posting a link but these kinds of searches are not hard to do.

    I did a search for used Hondas, any type and any distance. I scrolled to the bottom of the page and clicked Mileage, it listed highest mileage cars first.

    Highest Honda mileage is a Civic LX with +300K miles,
    Most of the 1st page are cars above 200K,
    17 Pages of Honda cars over 100K miles.

    How about Toyota longevity?
    1 car well over 400K miles.
    Most of the 1st page are cars above 200K,
    18 Pages of Toyotas over 100K miles

    How about the fabled long lasting VW?
    One car over 300K miles,
    Zero cars between 300-200,
    2-1/2 Pages of cars over 100K.

    A search on used Dodge's showed:
    1 Car over 550K miles.
    A few cars over 300K.
    Most of the first page over 200K
    19+ Pages of cars over 100K.

    These are drive able cars that people hope to sell.
    Yes, hoping for 350K miles is reasonable.
  • railroadjamesrailroadjames Member Posts: 560
    All this talk about cars going "high milage" is interesting but in the end we're talking about ....Do I maintain a car and get to the ellusive 300K or do I do my part in "Recycling" and trade and buy "New". The thing is ....its a "catch 22" . If you hold on to a car for yrs then just remember all those factory workers depending on "YOU" going for the "New" cars. That perpetuates the auto industry and keeps the economy on a roll.
    Personally, I like to see how long some of my things can last.....hair brush/since 5th grade(51yrs) ...motorcycle gloves(27 yrs)
    Of course its hard not to wish "we'd" kept some of our favorite cars...Think of the $$$$ they'd be worth today.
    My '55 Chevy
    My '63 SS Impala
    My '73 Dodge Charger
    My '76 Monte Carlo
    Memories...... :blush:
    Railroadjames (want world peace...try using your turn signal)
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    Depends how much you want to spend. My friend LOVES buying low mileage mid 80's Mercedes diesels. They run forever. Unfortunately, they don't make 'em like that anymore.
  • molokaimolokai Member Posts: 313
    Maybe I should try and see if I can too. I'll get the new car bug way before that. I'll pass it on to my nephew. Good luck to you misterme.
  • kmh3kmh3 Member Posts: 35
    In regards to the high mileage/longevity discussion, I also hope to keep my HCH for a long time, 150k miles (or five years of commuting for me) minimum.

    I am concened that we will be doing battery replacements every five years or so to the tune of about $2500 a pop (I overheard the Honda dealer quoting an insight owner the price of a battery pack replacement), which would make my hybrid about a break-even deal over my previous 35mpg highway car.

    That wouldn't be enough for me to not buy a hybrid however as I prefer to pay up front instead of paying at the pump.

    Also I believe gas prices will continue to trend upwards for many years and thus owning a hybrid is a nice hedge bet against it. Higher gas prices translate to more savings for us hybrid owners.

    Also, to remain on topic for this discussion, I am getting about 43 mpg overall, but have learned some of the "secrets" of driving for high mileage and have gotten 55 mpg on my commute if I drive carefully. I haven't yet decided if I am going to drive that way all the time as it requires patience but it is nice to know it is possible.

    My original goal when I bought the car was to achieve 50+ mpg on the highway and that is already happening so I am happy.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,306
    good thing they don'y pollute like that anymore either.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    misterme,

    In post #322 you wrote "I went to a for sale site that trades cars...

    I did a search for used (fill in the brand name), any type and any distance. I scrolled to the bottom of the page and clicked Mileage, it listed highest mileage cars first    ."

    Of the four brands that you researched, only about a half dozen vehicles had gone over 300,000 miles. Of course, we have no idea what kind of condition they were in (probably not in such condition that anyone here would put their money on the table to purchase one). That was after your reviewing about 120 pages on the website.

    There is a strong message here. It is only the tiniest minority of diehards who accumulate such mileage. The VAST majority of drivers would never consider that option.
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    .....You wrote:
    "There is a strong message here. It is only the tiniest minority of diehards who accumulate such mileage. The VAST majority of drivers would never consider that option."

    .....Sorry blane but somehow you missed the first sentence of my post:
    "Most people don't go 350K miles or 10 years...they trade up or sell before then."

    The message I was pointing out is yes, automobiles can and do exceed 300K miles. Not if All or MOST will, but if I personally have a good shot at it.
    I'd say the answer is yes, and I'll be driving for 7 years without car payments. ;)
  • ken33ken33 Member Posts: 1
    I am getting much lower city mileage in my Honda Civic Hybrid (about 28) than advertised (48) for the last 400 miles. I only have 770 miles on the car, and for the first 370 got about 44 mpg. Any ideas?
  • slickwillslickwill Member Posts: 15
    Hi,
    new to the discussions. Wow people seem to be very defensive about their hybrids, and Insights. I think they are all great. As a new owner looking at both it wasn't much of a decision. Prius seemed like better car overall. Also the room in the prius was a necessity for me. I sold a Land Rover and bought a prius and the gas savings alone pay for my car payment.
    Also I had a friend that owned an Insight for 4 months. When the battery went dead Honda wouldn't replace it even though it was under warranty. Hondas reason was this . Because Insight is not dependant on the electric engine, it can still drive without the batteries and therefor they will not pay for the replacement. This is merely a cost savings tactic by Honda and it costs less for them to refuse and deal with some lawsuits rather than pay for the repairs on the Insights that died. My friend sued and won getting Honda to buy it back at full price. Also I have had friends with so many Honda problems I wouldn't buy one anyways. But independant of that I just liked the Prius far more. They are both great, love the savings in gas.
  • slickwillslickwill Member Posts: 15
    Strange conversation. I have driven 2 cars over 350k miles. When you sell a car for a new car what do you think happens to your old car? Maybe it magically disappears? People with limited funds have to make to most out of their cars and hope they last as long as possible. Maybe you and the people you are exposed to always buy a new car every 5 years, that is very common. Now that I can afford it, I too trade in my cars every 7 or so years. If you ever travel, especially to poorer countries you will find that very few people have new cars and are everyone fixes their cars until they just can't be run any longer. If you think this is a small population you are wrong, most of the people in the world are this way. We in the USA are use to the idea of having new cars, however we are a small part of the entire world population.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    OK, the discussion is about Hybrid Gas Mileage, not "will your car last 350k miles..."

    Thanks
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "When the battery went dead Honda wouldn't replace it even though it was under warranty."

    Huh? If you are referring to the main battery, the traction battery, it is covered by a longer warranty, and should certainly be repaired by the dealer. Did your friend by a used Insight? In any case, take it to Honda corporate and complain. That warranty is a legal contract.
  • slickwillslickwill Member Posts: 15
    Maybe I didn't explain well. I don't know that much about the Insight. But a large battery that costs thousands went dead and needed to be replaced. He did buy the car new. Yes it was covered under warranty. However Honda being the large corporation they are made a cost decision to not replace that battery in the cars that died. Honda figured out that most people will either end up paying for the repair themselves or drive without the use of the electric engine. They knew that some people would sue, but that would cost less then replacing all the batteries that went bad. My friend did sue and won. Honda bought back the car at full purchase price.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    Unfortunately the Insight didn't catch on, and it is possible that it was cheaper to buy back the car than to replace a low production traction battery...

    Glad your friend got out of the problem.
  • kmh3kmh3 Member Posts: 35
    I did my first new long commute today. Was late so I was in a hurry. 40 miles each way over a big mountain with about 20 of those miles being nice flat freeway. Got 52 mpg one way and 58 mpg the other way. Traffic was slower on the way back, was going 50-55 which is why the mileage went up.

    The way over I was in a hurry, I was in third gear some of the way, and most of the way in fourth in leadfoot mode. At the top of the hill I saw 36 mpg, it was back up to 45 by the bottom of the hill.

    I also had the battery pack fill up on the way down the hill. The computer stops doing regenerative braking when this happens. It was weird, I downshifted to third gear at 60 mph to try to get some engine braking but wasn't getting much. Had to use the brakes to keep speed down. The HCH closes off the cylinder valves to reduce engine weight and it really makes a difference.

    I was worried it would be real hard to get good mileage in this car without driving it super easy, my fears were unfounded.

    My first tank is still going and I got 47 mpg average so far, up from about 43 at the beginning.
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