Last week, TW and I went to Joy’s house so I could show her some stuff and so TW could mess up Jory’s childhood bedroom with spilled coffee from this awesome coffee pot.
After we’d worked for awhile, we took Joy out for lunch at Annie’s Pancake House. Joy hopped in the front seat, I turned on the car and she looked at the gas mileage I was getting and she was amazed to see I was getting 47 mpg.
She got her own Prius last year as a Christmas gift and she doesn’t get nearly as good gas mileage with hers. In fact, she seems to get considerably WORSE gas mileage and if mine was that low, I’d be at the dealer asking why.
Even our first tank of gas, when were driving 2 miles at a time, never quite getting up to 40mph or being able to stay at 40mph for very long in Gainesville we still got mid-30’s and higher. So why is Joy’s Prius not performing as well as mine and not even as well as my dad’s Honda hybrid?
Inquiring minds want to know. I’m tempted to take Joy’s Prius into the dealer and ask them to explain it to us.
I would want to know too. That’s the whole point of having a hybrid. To save on gas mileage.
Performance is directly related to driving style and conditions. Key factors are usually the stop/start and managing speed.
The other factor which can cause bad performance is the length of the drive. if there’s a lot of stop/start/go action, the mileage will drop in the Prius, but still maintain a relative advantage over a normal car, which might get 12-14mpg in the same set of circumstances.
Even so, a smooth start alone will up the performance. If the foot goes down hard on the gas, performance drops. easing in with the motor taking on the first acceleration from 0-5mph makes a huge difference. Driving 60 on the freeway makes a difference (and yeah, grit your teeth and grumble when everyone else blows you off, drive in the slow lane). If 60 is intolerable, keep it to 65, that’s where the car is optimized.
With all of that said, if she’s getting anything lower than 30 she needs to get it into the dealer and have it checked, because I’ve never heard about anyone getting lower than 30 even if they’re a leadfoot with a jackrabbit start mentality.
Well, at half a tank I filled the car the next day Denise before I had a Dr’s appt….and reset the mileage like we talked about. I was amazed. Just in that short drive to the Dr’s office. I was right in the ballpark…..40’s….43, 45, 46, 47. I felt so much better. The next day I was more in the mid to high 30’s again running errands around. Maybe it’s just me and my style of driving. I just may take it to the dealership and ask a few questions if for no other reason than peace of mind.
Hey, and TW DID NOT mess up Jory’s bedroom young lady. It’s all back to normal. When Jory came in on Monday I told her, she looked, she laughed…and slept right on the ‘scene of the crime.’
P.S. My old relic-of-a-coffee-pot looks pretty good in that picture sweetie….love that Annie’s….
I just bought a Prius in March. I have found that gas mileage is tied to driving conditions (traffic, stop lights, etc.), driving style, use of air conditioning, and quality of the gas. For instance, there is one station I have used that almost guarantees that I will get less than 40mpg so I avoid it.
How in blazes did y’all end up in Illinois?
I have a honda civic hybrid. Last week’s tankfull, I was mostly driving on the flat freeway with few starts and stops. 43 mpg overall. This week, (lots o chores) I’m schlepping up & down the hill: 32 mpg. And it has been hot, so running the AC. But I did check the tires: a bit underinflated.
Pretty much, I fill up at the same station. And I do try to alternate filling up when half-empty, and running the danged thing to fumes. No reason for that, except that that’s how my life runs.
Best ever mileage? filling up in Tahoe and driving home, all the way downhill: 52 mpg.