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The nice thing about the hybrid system is it uses those "special" methods even whe you don't want to focus on it. Yes there are advantages to doing certain things to push the computer to do what you want but overall it will take care of a minimum of the decisions to still provide good FE
I used to drive only on the leftmost lane, also with a quite capable German auto. Now I see myself driving on the right most lane.
My wife now complains I am driving too slow (usually at speed limit on local roadswhen no-one is behind me, or 5 miles under the limit on highways). I still am stuck at 40.4 mpg @ the best tank of gas.
Regardless of what I try, I cannot get the average higher than that. may be the next thing to do is to increase the tire pressures...
(92.0 gals.).
On a 1280 mile trip, got 40.9. That included driving in heavy rain, which I feel cuts down on mileage because of rolling resistance. We went through Chicago and Milwaukee in fairly heavy traffic.
Love the car overall. My other car is a 2004 Lexus ES 330.I improved MPG on that one about 1.5-2.0 MPG by installing a K&N high performance air filter. Costs about $50 including the re-oiling kit. It is supposed to be good for 1 million miles and needs to be cleaned every 50,000 miles. It is a simple direct replacement for the OEM filter. The Lexus usually gets 26-28 in mixed driving.
There are so many mileage aware people on the forum, that it occurred to me to ask if anyone had done it on a TCH.
:confuse:
The MSNBC artice on Nitrogen in tires.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14121979/
I'm considering the switch....
I've seen posts as high as 46PSI but that seems dangerously high to me.
On my first tank and with AC maxed out due to the heat wave in the northeast, I'm only at about 32mpg. I only recently leared that ECO for AC doesn't work when temp is on high; and the MPG is creaping up slowly as the tank drains and I learn some tricks. Not even sure what my tires are set at now but assume that they are manufacturer specs that dealer set them at.
You can reset the TPMS pressure (page 179 of the owners manual) to the new pressure. According to the NHTSA, TPMS will warn a driver if any tire pressure drops 25%.
With my TCH, I also assumed they would all be set to 32 PSI. When I checked, they were all at 39! So, you should definitely check for yourself. Just be sure they are "cold".
The true test is the old fashioned way of filling up the tank and calculating the mileage from distance traveled vs. the gas used. Then, compare that to the average readout of the trip computer.
For this second change, the Valvoline store used non-synthetic. That night I drove 440 miles, driving pretty similarly, and mileage wouldn't go above 36.5.
Does synthetic oil make a difference in anything other than the life of the oil?
On this forum I see lots of comparison tests people have run with different conditions. Excellent. Has anybody ever tested the mileage impact of different oils?
Before my first oil change I took a 1400 mile trip with cruise control @ 60-65. I got 41mpg.
I then had a dealer oil change at 1800. The return trip (1400 mi) then got similar mileage.
Last week at 6800 miles a non-dealer put in non-synthetic, and on a 400 mile trip I got ~36, driving with similar style. Mileage has stayed there for the return and around town since then.
Do different oils affect mileage? Synthetic vs not, 0 weight vs 5-weight?
I don't believe you'll see significant results from the oil. If you want synthetic because of the protection, that's a choice, but at 3000 to 5000 mile oil changes I think buying synthetic is overkill, again though it's an option.
IF your previous servicer used Synthetic without telling you I would think you would have noticed it as the price differential is substantial
anybody know any other tricks?
thanks
grg
anybody know any other tricks?
There are a lot of posts about the A/C. I have been running ECO 100% of the time and have not found it lacking in cooling even with high humidity high 80's temps. However others have said the ECO mode didn't keep them cool. Personal Preference??
Also other posts are claiming large FE hits for running A/C. Some even running with A/C off. I just can't validate significant loss in FE by running the A/C. My understanding is that with ECO off the A/C runs pretty much like a traditional system, it is electric but requires the ICE to power the system. While in ECO mode it runs off the battery and the ICE only is needed as the battery discharges. That's my understanding and I could be wrong on that. I guess knowing that in no way am I going to consider running without A/C it maybe doesn't matter to me. I'll continue running in ECO until I get warm I guess. I don't get the overall milage of a few posters, but I live in a hilly area and I'm quite satisfied with the results I'm currently achieving (38.7mpg overall) If I lived in southern WV around Charleston where the main road between Huntington and Charleston is relatively flat, I would easily get 42 mpg I believe as I have on several stays in that area exceeded 43 easily my entire time there as well as getting 42 on the interstate. However in a few areas, as hard as I try I can only get 36 mpg "escaping" from Central WV so no matter where I go if it's a trip I have to overcome that first 50 miles of low FE. I had no problem getting 43+ driving around Nags Head for >300 miles last month.
I try to "compete" on the GreenHybrid.com milage database for the best FE but there is no winning against the "flatlanders"
My dad drives urban city/highway in Pheonix with the A/C on all the time and averages about 45mpg in his Prius.
If you don't use the A/C, mileage goes up about 3mpg in my experience.
Good luck!
tom
15,000 miles per year @38mpg versus @45 mpg is only 5.1 gallons per month savings.
John
You'll need to check that out. I'm not disapointed with my trunk size but the pass through are is almost useless. I tried to take my weedeater to my mom's but the head wouldn't fit through the hole and I ended up bagging it and putting it up front.
You could probably put a couple of 2x6's through there or maybe 2 pieces of PVC pipe, but you'll not be able to do a weekend project with one trip to Home Depot.
Unfortunately you're not supposed to tow, which also means no one has a hitch/reciever for this thing yet. I wanted to use an aluminum hitch carrier for odd jobs but I'll have to continue using my 4 Runner for those jobs.
As far as milage, it really depends on driving habits and your area. I "work" at achieving 38.7 overall mph, mostly as a "hobby" . BUT there are many sections of road (like to church 10 miles away) where I consistantly achieve 43 mpg on the trip. It's real hard to predict as there is a learning curve to maximize the FE and some people may simply have a commute that just isn't a good match for the TCH abilities.
However with that said, most people don't focus on instant FE with their old vehicles and don't have a clue as to what particular routes return in FE.
For example, it you drive a Corrola that gets 34 - 40 EPA and you average say 35mpg, you may find though that on your particular commute your milage would only be 29 mpg. In that case you may not expect to get much more than 34 to 35 with the TCH or even the 41 to 45 with a Prisus. It's all relative and some normal ICE cars actually get lower FE than their owners know (most don't keep track of tank averages and specific types of driving FE)
If you test drive a TCH try to get a NAV model and you can reset the trip mpg information. Practice the tips given in the other post on driving tips. A lot of folks are driving these and complaining about getting 29 mpg. If your test drive is a 5 mile drive and you started out goosing it to get into traffic and never really got to get on a road without stop lights you may (will)indeed see in the 20's. However if you were to test drive an Infiniti (like my FX45 I traded) that same drive probably would have shown 14 mpg rather than the 16.3 that I "averaged" OR the 18 mpg that it was capable of in slow footed drivers.
Point is it's hard to "compare" when you don't have a number to comapre to.
I think the Prius is probably the ultimate right now for FE but if you want a GOOD compromise with out haveing a car that SHOUTS GREEN, then the TCH is a normal looking car that provided excellent opportunity to maximize FE.
(My TCH does a lot better overall than my mom's and daughters Corrola_I find that amazing)
You are also right that the Camry is much more car for the money in my opinion. I have 2 kids who fit very comfortably in the back and I don't think that would be the case with the Prius necessarily. My wife loves the TCH (her primary car) especially because the hybrid technology is less obtrusive in the Camry vs the Prius.
You're lucky if the TCH is available immediately...its a 2-3 month wait around here (Ann Arbor, MI)
-c
I had deposits at 4 dealers around West Michigan, and I got mine in about 8 weeks from Sunshine Toyota in Battle Creek. The other 3 dealers made esentially zero progress.
I ordered around May 15th and picked it up the day it came off the truck in BC, July 11th - loaded with Nav. A bit of a drive from the Holland area, but worth it.
Less TV; way more exercise.
:-)
Have you sat in the back seat of a Prius? I can fit comfortably, and I am 6' 2" and 200 pounds. Your kids AND your wife would be comfy in the back seat of the Prius.
No, I will not make ANY jokes about your wife's weight
;-)
I prefer the Camry, but that's just due to style, essentially. I am attracted by the cargo flexibility of the Prius, however.
At least it seems like they're that big with all the crap they bring with them in the car. Agree that cargo is not a strong suit of the TCH.
And Spiff, I did get my TCH after about 4 week wait after calling several dealers in Metro Detroit. Maybe I should have driven to Cali.
Speaking of California I find it interesting that there are such regional differences in auto emissions even within a car model. The California TCH are rated better in air pollution indices that TCH sold outside of CA...clearly related to different standards in CA. It must be worth Toyota's money to put the best emission systems in only a subset of the cars sold.
http://www.epa.gov/emissweb/E-TOYOTA-CamryHybrid-07.htm
Today on a 150 mile trip on I-35 between Oklahoma City and Wichita, KS, on cruise at 70 MPH with A/C, the computer indicated 39.4 MPG. I haven't filled the tank up and caluated the mileage by the old method, yet. Will keep you informed.
We are very pleased with the mileage - and we got the works on ours, and love the features. Most of my driving is usually 35 - 40 but my husband is a little less 33-37. Still good, and it takes forever before I need to buy gas for it. We are very happy with it!
I do try to be aware if I'm imposing on traffic around me but I don't feel I should have to apologize for going the speed limit. Most of the time I end up at stop lights and see the cars that sped by me. I stay out of the left lane on 6 lane highways.
My computer average after 200 miles on this tank is 45.1, I'm lucky since I travel the same routes in my sales job,"> I hopefully can expect above 40 MPG consistently.
Our first tank averaged 32.5 MPG for around town driving (this was calculated by the old method of dividing the number of miles traveled by the number of gals purchased) . The computer indicated 33.2 MPG
Today on a 150 mile trip on I-35 between Oklahoma City and Wichita, KS, on cruise at 70 MPH with A/C, the computer indicated 39.4 MPG. I haven't filled the tank up and calcuated the mileage by the old method, yet. Will keep you informed.
8/13/06
Me again. For the round trip from Oklahoma City to Wichita, Ks. and return. The computer indicated 35.8 MPG. I calcuated the mileage to actually be 35.75 MPG. So the computer is very close. The actually miles traveled was 352.5 miles (about 50 miles were driven in town). Gas used was 9.86 gal. I am happy about the results.
For the second tank (14.454 Gallons) yesterday, with same City/HW distribution and about 10% AC....it drove 545.6 Miles at 37.75 MPG (I didn't check what the computer said).
The only sane thing I have always done is to coast when "appropriate" and avoid hard brakes and sudden acceleration as much as possible.
I'm happy with the FE the TCH offers and will work on my driving habits and pay close attention to forums like "Toyota Camry Hybrid Driving Tips & Tricks".
One thing for sure, as quite a few people have accurately pointed out before, this car wants/forces you to become a better driver.
It notices a deviation of 5psi.
I will keep the numbers posted here, but would recommend this to owners who haven't yet done this little change. Many dealers are not setting or checking for correct tire pressure prior to delivery. Check your pressure when the tires are cold to see what you have. Some high mileage owners have reported 39 in the front and 40 in the rear tires. I chose 37 all around so it will be less confusing when tire rotation time comes around.
After my first 3,000 miles, I still am totally happy with all aspects of the TCH. I have no annoyances save maybe the non-sliding armrest which this forum has identified. My MPG is excellent, the ride is excellent and the only thing other than tire pressure that has been changed is the 'unlock all doors' upon approach with the key fob. Found this answer on this forum as well.
Enjoy and happy TCH motoring!.
Other than the noise, this car is great. We have had two tank refills and have had 36.4 mpg and 36.1 mpg on about 95% city driving.
thanks
gary
Trip Computer was reading 41.3 mpg.
Miles driven: 562.6
Amount to fill tank: 13.378 gals
Actual calculated MPG: 42.054
I am very impressed with the performance this car has given.
I am driving 95% highway, about 65 to 70 mph, gentle altitude changes, no big hills. I think there are 4 gallons left at the empty light warning, so it is likely I could have gotten 640 miles on the tank and still had about 2 gallons in reserve.
I don't know that you know that the car can stay in EV mode if the speed is less than 35 mph. What it is doing when you are in that mode is a mystery. I drove in that mode for 15 minutes one night. I was flabbergasted at that. Where does all that electricity come from. Maybe the motor charges the battery and the battery drives the wheels and that can go on for quite a while if your energy burn is low enough. One has to go easy on the accelerator when doing that.
Hope that is helpful to you. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Al