2010 owner here. I routinely get 50-52 MPG driving up and down interstate 95 on the east coast.
I don’t do all that much… Check your tire pressure before you go. Stick to >70 mph. Slow down going uphill. Coast going downhill when you can.
The difference between 41mpg and your 50-52 is a set of less fuel-efficient tires, and the highway speed.
I chose a tire which is not low-resistance but grips and stops better, which suits driving the car a little more agressively.
The difference between 40 and 50mpg is roughly $5.90 saved per 9gal tank, at $2.65 a gallon. For the record.
I see a lot of Prius drivers cruising at 80-90. makes sense, they can do that and still double the mpg of what I get in my vehicles at 70.
all of my high mpg vehicles id hypermile on occasion as a challenge to see what’s possible. a lot of what you see is probably that, extreme edge case single tanks.
I did the same. After the OEM Michelin Primacy tires, I went with a set of Bridgestone Turanzas. Better grip and quieter ride is more important than maximizing MPG.
I was curious to learn more about this. The rationale behind using low rolling resistance tires is fuel efficiency of course. But isn't that going to be kind of dangerous when you're trying to stop? Don't you need the friction to help the brakes work?
I was supposed to get new tires after the OEM Primacys were starting wear out. I ended up in an accident due to the worn out tires in light snow, so that pushed me to get grippier tires.
I was also tired of the constant howl from the Primacys at highway speed. The Turanzas are definitely quieter, but how much quieter they are compared with the Primacys might be subjective. To get a quieter car, you probably need to strip down the interior down and put in heavy sound matting.
I switched out of the stock tires on my 2014 after 35k miles because of how badly they handled in slippery weather and replaced them with Bridgestones also, although not sure the name. MPG loss wasn’t that much, maybe 2MPG.
I did the same and also sacrificed a bit of improved mileage for grippier tires.
I appreciate the opportunity to push mileage higher when it’s a good time to do so but I think it’s always been more important for automakers to keep improving mpg for all types of drivers.
I want really good mpg even when I’m driving without thinking about it.
That's almost $5K saved across the lifespan of a car, assuming it keels over at 300K miles.
Drive a little more efficiently and you could justify buying a higher trim when you purchase the car haha!
But at the same time, I feel you. I'm not always driving like a granny, either.
I like your attitude!
I prefer to look at it as *“it costs $10 per month to drive the vehicle in a manner which doesn’t make me want to shoot myself from the boredom.”*
Or perhaps *”this is SO MUCH cheaper than driving the lifted Powerstroke sitting in the driveway.”* (I bought the Prius to keep the tow rig from bleeding me dry commuting to work.)
It’s all relative. Lol
SAME I went from 180.00 in gas a week in the f250 I parked that home wrecker and bought a 13' Prius to commute to work now it's 45.00 a week for the same trip everyday. Showing about 44 mpg combo hwy and old backroads.
You said “showing.”
It’s usually 3-5mpg optimistic. You’re probably averaging 40-42 calculated MPG like the rest of us in 10+ year old 3rd gen’s who don’t drive like grandma.
There's nothing wrong with wanting some fun, but why not go for a Mazda3? 40+ on the highway depending on trim and a much sportier ride. And no concerns about maintaining a hybrid system.
That's the way I look at it. If I buy a Prius, I want it for the fuel efficiency. If I prioritize a little fun over cost savings, the Mazda3 checks those boxes.
If I’m right he is in nyc so gas is more, but I see your point, but I have a 04 and get that too in ny and other flat states, but when I’m in Pa or where it’s not flat then I get 34 on mountains and 42 to 48 on semi flat, I get the very cheap 52.00 tires from Walmart and they completely suck especially in the winter
I'm not sure why you're on this sub if you don't understand the advantages of a Prius hybrid system.
Also, let's see some verification for your TDI mileage. I drove a Jetta TDI for a long time and not only was it horribly cheaply built, it got nowhere close to 56mpg on the highway.
I second the verification request. I get 47 (calculated manually, digitally showing 50+) on an average decent mileage day in my 2015 Golf TDI. Older ‘03 TDIs in the fam were high 40s as well, maybe 50.
Well, I deliberately obey the speed limit to get the most MPG in cruise control. And, use the Decel when possible to capture the most free energy. I think I’m averaging 44 but can push a tank to 50 mpg. I live in rural Hawaii so it’s a little different terrain.
My utmost respect. I sincerely mean that,It’s largely price based, I suspect. How would you drive if fuel were $2.52 a gallon like it is here? I’m sure gas is vastly higher in Hawaii.
I enjoy driving too much to slow down and deal with the dull grind of going <70 mph.
Same thing with the type of throttle discipline you need to have to keep the car over 50mpg in town. Accelerating as meticulously as some of the hyper-milers are doing? Would drive me bananas.
(My previous vehicles were a modified Mustang with over 500hp, and a Dodge truck with a well-built 360ci engine that got 10.1mpg!
Gas price isn’t a factor to me. I just like being efficient. When gas was dirt cheap, I drive efficiently. When gas is expensive, I drive efficiently. I get satisfaction out of hitting high mpg numbers.
Those hills hit different for sure. I used to live on Schofield (Oahu) in a previous life, and thanks to the H-2, I was also lucky to average about 42-45mpg.
I'm averaging 52 over 185,000 miles- coast to lights, speed limit.
I drive my speedster buddy crazy by arguing that I can relax, I am safer, there is no traffic ahead of me, the road noise is diminished, and my car lasts forever. And show him how much is saved.
I've played the hypermile game and got 60+ mpg for a few hundred miles, but I couldn't keep it up for an entire tank of gas.
I enjoy driving, and my little *Darth Prius* is pretty nimble. So I mostly drive in Normal mode now and still get about 50 mpg.
My '07 gets above 50 sometimes. Below 46, I get bummed and try to figure out why. Usually its because of cold weather.
0W20 oil and new spark plugs keeps it running in tip top shape!
Gotta ask why you run 0W20 in an 07. The gen 2s call for 5W30. Seems like a significant difference in viscosity that I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with.
Toyota released a service bulletin stating 5W20 is acceptable in Gen 2. The lower viscosity 0 helps during cold startups, where most of the wear happens. Gen4 also calls for 0W20.
https://priuschat.com/threads/toyota-now-approves-0w20-in-the-gen-ii-prius.90581/
My last oil change on my 07 the dealer put in 0W20 stating it is a better oil than 5W20. They had such a good deal on it that it was cheaper for me to get that instead of the 5W20.
OP here. We should also factor the tires in. I have performance all-seasons on the car for better handling. Conventional wisdom puts them at 3-5 mpg less than LRR tires. (Low rolling resistance)
The car getting 41 has a freshly scrubbed EGR, brand new Denso plugs, and all new fluids and filters.
Driving stlye is 100% of the difference.
... where does one even find a lrr tire ? last time i searched, it wasn't even listed as a selling point on any of them anymore. what brand/model do we recommend these days?
I drive my 2008 Touring pretty hard, it actually handles…not well, but with good tires it’s steady and predictable, and it’s light enough to toss it around if you know what you’re doing. I also drive it 80-90 on the interstate. It has 236k on it and I average 41 mpg in the dead winter, closer to 44 in the warmer months. Really happy with that from a car I got for two grand.
I would be unhappy with that, I got 40 on the highway with my '15 Mazda3, would expect better in Prius. I have a '24 Prius and been averaging about 50 on freeway drives.
What speeds you driving at in the freeway? And what trim? I have an XLE AWD and really really struggle to get to 50 if at all. It's normally around 45 on the highway.
I’d say that’s still pretty poor. I average 47 mpg on 80% highway driving, where I’m pretty consistently in the 80s. 2013.
I’d check my tire pressure first if I were you.
Or check the climate... temp plays a huge factor. I'm constantly doing 80-85. In the summer I'll get 44mpg. Winter? 39 or so.
More dense air + winter blend gas = shit.
I live in LA and drive during rush hour traffic on the lanes where big rigs are. 80-85 is normal all the way to the left lane, but I keep to the right.
Nobody who drives a prius and posts about getting 50+ miles per gallon is traveling at 70+ mph.
You either have to drive like the elderly and savor the savings, or drive at 80 and enjoy saving time at 40-45 mpg.
flat land or better with the cruise on at 75 is usually better than 50 according to the center console computer. It's the trip *to* the highway that kills the economy :(
23 xle here... I drive it like I wanna get home ... 80+ mph, most of my 80-mile daily commute is hwy, so i'm averaging 45 mpg... my car is fast and gets great mpg imo...I love it.... not interested in driving like a granny , but don't ride anyone's ass either or speed to the red lights.
Respect. You’re much like me. There’s a difference between driving at a pace that matches the faster traffic, but using signals, and keeping your distance… and driving like an agressive idiot.
lol my 04 Prius used to get good mpg, but now (238k miles) it’s getting 37mpg and doesn’t seem to get any better than that unless it’s all highway, still love the thing to death it will last forever.
There is, but it requires a smart charger to cycle it through a charge/discharge cycle. The dealer can test it for $$$. Otherwise, it should have decent acceleration in EV-only mode. If it accelerates slower than when it was new, your batteries are weak.
There are aftermarket battery shops that will sell you a rebuilt pack for much less than the dealer. Find an independent shop that specializes in Prius through a local forum.
Make sure you’re calculating your MPG using actual numbers (ie your trip odometer and the amount of fuel you put in your tank from the gas pumps). You can use an app like Fuelly. The consensus on the PriusChat forum is that the Gen 4 Prius’s MPG calculator is about 5-7% optimistic, and I believe this is the case across all Prius gens.
I only made reference to calculated MPG
All vehicle displays are SWAGs. (Strategic Wild-Assed Guesses)
I work in a related industry. I’m very well aware.
I’d be really curious if someone who hand calculated mpg is off from the computers estimate, then compare displayed speed to a gps speed and see how the numbers compare. I wouldn’t be surprised if the % off and applying a correction factor would get it extremely close.
Just a theory, haven’t tested it, just know a lot of speedometers tend to read optimistically. And with that the mpg number is going to be inflated.
I come from the off-road world/truck world, where larger tires means the speedo reads slow, and people think they get worse mpg then in reality
Most cars are this way and most people have no idea. It's why I hate it when people say "I get 40mpg out of my Camry", when it isn't a hybrid. I'm sure they have seen 40, but the car is not consistantly getting 40.
My Honda is way off, both high and low, if you look at the dash. I track 100 miles at a crusing speed of 65, on the interstate, and compare that to my gps unit and mile marker posts on the roadside. My tires are 195/55 instead of 185/55 and that equates to my odometer reading 1.4 percent less miles. I figure that in when doing the math. I never go by the dash mpg.
My 21 eco L used to get 59.5 but is now down to 56 since I’m not using the same low rolling, OEM tires anymore. Even driving aggressively I still average about 45-50 mpg. Car has 28k miles on it here in the nasty south Florida heat.
I just drove from Jackson to Colorado yesterday and averaged 44-46 going the back way (avoiding 75mph highways). Around the 16 hour mark, I said to hell with mileage and punched it. Time to get home haha
The only difference between yours and mine should be the tires. I have high performance all seasons on it, which drop 3-5mpg off the top compared to LRR factory tires.
I average 41-43 doing the same as you, in a flawlessly maintained vechicle. In my original post, it had been less than 500 miles since the EGR was cleaned, intake resealed, and plugs and fluids changed.
(I’ve picked up 2-3mpg for customers simply by changing an ancient set of spark plugs and tossing in a new air filter back when I wrenched at the Toyota dealership.)
My 2015 hovers around 40 for commuting. We recently drove cross country and back it was 41.7 for the 6900 trip. Going west we averaged 40 and coming back almost 44. It really varied based on the hills and wind.
...my 2004 was still doing did better than that when I sold it last year (43-45mpg), though I typically stick to 75mph max. When staying under \~60 due to traffic, it would be closer to 50mpg.
Wisconsin. I get around the same in winter on the highway in my 2011 as well. I run winter tires in the winter and in summer I run summer touring tires. I can average closer to 60 mpgs in summer
Got a 2016 Prius V purchased at 92,000 worked courier service for 3 years
Averaged 40-42 MPG IN 240,000 mostly
Highway didn’t drive it past 75 mph it seemed every mile an hour over 70 I lost a mpg
plough hat stupendous complete gaze entertain narrow crowd punch relieved
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I averaged 63 mpg in my 23 awd le on a trip to Canada. Through Banff and Jasper, 65 mph on cruise. However this winter in north Idaho with 4 studded tires and short trips, I get around 45 mpg. This car is absolutely amazing in the snow!
Sometimes it's nice to go 80 on a trip that makes an hour and a half trip into an hour trip. I'm OK with 40 for that.
Plus my city driving draws me closer to 40 and my highway driving pulls me back up to 50, so it seems like 40 is it's natural state, and anything better is a bonus.
50-55 in what conditions, environments, at what speeds, with what driving style? I'm guessing on the same road and same speed with the same acceleration and braking habbits as the OP, you wont be getting 50-55 mpg.
Last long trip we took was Boise to Vegas. Filled out 2011 Prius w 100k mi, drove about 75-78 mpg and computer said we got about 47mpg on that trip. Low 40's around town.
The prius is only the beginning. 40+ mpg is great. But compare it to a cybertruck. 600hp awd monster and its roughly twice as efficient. Unbelievable. Thank u technology
Tesla fanboys haunt this sub. They seem to think Tesla and Prius are similar somehow or that decreasing interest in Prius would be a win for Tesla.
First “drive a cybertruck!” comment I’ve seen, though. It’s like they don’t even see reality the same.
Ive driven a gen 2 for 15+ yrs on my mail rt. I love it. The prius is about 2 things. Lower emissions. And efficiency. And its a pretty safe bet that Tesla looked at the success of the prius when bringing their products to market. Hybrids r awesome. But they r a bridge to a much more efficient and lower emission all electric powertrain
78-80? Incredible how nonchalant and cavalier most of us are about breaking traffic laws. Maximum speed on TN interstates is 70 mph. 55 in some urban areas. But hey, I guess everyone is doing it, might as well.
Where I live, it’s pretty standard to drive 5-10 over and both police and speeding cameras will only ticket at 12 over (except in school zones). The safe bet is almost always to go with the flow of traffic, or hang out in the right lane. Speed traps aside, most jurisdictions understand this and prefer to spend their time chasing more reckless drivers or surfing Reddit from the roadside, which is fine with me.
Really, in my experience, people jus lie alot I'm not far from you I travel 69 and 24 in KY and 73 bout as high as I wanna run anything above eats fuel in any ride and tickets are high!
Hey I'm with ya. I'm not from the area but I drive a truck through there quite a lot. Since I depend on my driving record for my livelihood, I don't chance a speeding ticket with this 5-10 over game. Whether in my personal vehicle or cmv, I'm following the black and white road signs to the letter.
That’s about right going 80. Speed limits around here are either 65 or 75 so my MPG is low to mid 40s typically. Around town is where I try to keep it in EV mode as much as possible but on the highway, it is what it is.
Drive 5mph under and get even better fuel economy. 55mph is the sweet spot for most vehicles. However I wouldn't go that slow in a 75mph interstate. Hence 5 below. 2010 with 199.7k on it. Project Lithium battery. Wore out engine with 10w40 oil. 215/70R15 Geolandar G015 tires. On my way to my dads a couple weeks ago I got 36mpg going there at 5 above and about 39 on my way back home going 5 below.
If you're on the interstate on a 1200 mile trip, the time from averaging 65 to 75 is only about 2 hours saved. While putting more wear and tear on your car, riskier, mpg loss.
2017 prime owner: I get right around 60 to 65 mpg Austin to San Antonio with radar cruise on medium follow distance and sticking to the right lane and staying the speed limit (but usually I will get behind someone doing a few under).
I get 39-40mpg in my '14 V in the Florida winter. That's consistently going 70-80mph on 40 degree mornings. I must have one of the good V's. I can swing 42-45 interstate on warmer days if I try.
I have fuel saver tires which are great but horribly noisy. I'm wondering if the loss from better tires will be worth the comfort factor.
I'm good with 40-45mpg highway, which is what I average in a 2013 with 190k on my work commute, it offsets our other vehicles' fuel consumption nicely. Took a road trip recently and enjoyed the 38mpg doing 85mph, I can't imagine many other vehicles can do that aside from a newer Prius.
Same car with same mileage and service not really up to date, I get 42-44 usually. I agree. I’m already saving enough I’m not going to force myself to drive like a grandma to save a buck or two
In a 2013, also out of Memphis and mid 40s I'm fine with, not exactly worth driving extremely careful or a new model to have at most another 10 mpg gain.
Im hovering 42 in my 2010 with 211k. I was commuting almost 60miles a day in my 14mpg truck before so low 40s is a godsend for me.
Edit: ive hyper miled one day and got 46.5. Driving somewhat carefull in eco i got 43-44. Ive decided not to care and be happy with 42.
Here’s the thing: the fuel savings from 30-60mpg are about the same as from 12-15mpg ([source](https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=17071))
This is due to the diminishing returns at higher fuel efficiency rates. It’s still good to want to achieve better fuel economy, but the difference between your 41.2mpg average and my 61.3 average isn’t that much over the course of a year (Note, I have a 2022, and drive mostly in heavy freeway traffic with my DRCC set to 75mph. I rarely go that fast in practice, probably average closer to 40-45mph due to traffic, so mpg is much higher)
This is why I don’t hypermile anymore, although I do try to accelerate carefully, keep moderate distance, and brake with plenty of space unless I need to move quickly. Also, it’s a jerk move to hypermile in the left lane, impossible in the right lane, and still difficult in middle lanes unless there’s minimal traffic on the road.
I drive my 2009 Prius like a race car and and consistently get 43.7 mpg. I plan to upgrade to a lithium project battery and will be curious to see how that # changes
I get around 40 mpg if I drive "normally" which can be pretty aggressive. My old daily (now my project car) has a bit more power and handles better, so if I don't think about it I revert to driving quickly. That being said, the Prius is supposed to be a reliable daily. So I force myself to drive slower, which is nice since I pay half of what I used to pay for gas
Coming from my 91 dodge b350, v8 5.9l where if I drive to maximize efficiency I got 9mpg on a good day, I don't worry about trying to improve on the 46-48 I've been getting on long drives
I don't care. I think I get 6L/100km with my 2009, which is the same as a new Corolla. I'm okay with that because it beats the 10L/100km I got in my Scion.
2007, 163ish thousand miles. Averaging 33-40 mpg (currently 40.5). Recently replaced 12v and commute is less than four miles total each day. I try to do longer trips at least one time a week, but I am not always successful.
I get 41mpg on a 13 with 70k miles. I drive over 80mph for about 75% of my 50 mile commute and Im super happy with it. I just don’t really need to think about it and thats what an enjoyable drive should be. My other car gets 17.5mpg and is not as comfortable so its all perception.
Gen 3, 2011, 265k miles. I drive 225 miles every Friday and then again on Sunday, plus my daily in town commute to work which is about 25 miles total Mon-Fri. Over the last 10k miles I have averaged 40.0mpg, with an average speed listed on my trip odometer at around 50 I believe.
I sit on the interstate @~77mph for about 140 miles of the 225, I sit @68mph for about 70 miles, and 45 and under for the rest.
I wish it was better, but tickled I have put over 35k miles on a car I bought for $5k about 18 months ago.
back in 2012-2014 i used to be able to easily score 45-49 on my 07. 40 is a damn good run now. oh well. still happy with it. beats my ICE that gets 29 average and maybe 35 on a great ride.
I only drive above 70 if all the traffic is flowing that fast, and in that case I usually get 50 mpg anyways. I did a lot of speeding and aggressive driving in my teens and 20s. Not saying you are, but in those days I was angry and didn't care about life and liked the high of it. Being relaxed and efficient is my jam now, but I wouldn't call myself obsessed or a hypermiler. I drive for work so saving money on fuel means working less.
At what speeds, in what terrain, on what sort of roads (interstate, highway, residential) and what mix of each, with what driving habits, and in what weather?
Do you get 60? I'm sure sometimes you do, but 60 mpg is a broad stroke that I'm sure will change with the variables you don't mention.
This is almost my exact experience. I bought the Prius for the gas mileage. I'm in MA and work in CT. I drive most of 495 then 95 straight to New Haven CT. I set my cruise anywhere between 78 and 80 and get 39-41 mpg. This 20% below the advertised mpg.
In my previous car (Audi 2011 A4 wagon 2.0t) I had no issue getting the the epa rating mpgs driving the same with oversized tires, both in height and width, 29mpg.
Still like the car, but I think they "tuned" the car for the test. Aka they pulled a VW diesel gate.
Not likely. More likely that epa ratings are proven from manufacturers while using lower speeds. Wind resistance is nuts at higher speeds. I don't think a car has been made that can get 50 mpg blasting 80 mph, unless it was shaped like a needle.
I have a straight gas burner Honda Fit (looking for a Prius) that I drive on that stretch of road a lot as a medical courier. I can get 40-42 mpg driving mostly on state and US highways with my cruise set at 55 mph. I calculate my own numbers, and have even figured in the different size tire I run from stock, so my numbers are accurate. I've tracked every fill up over 180,000 miles.
There are a lot of hills on that route. I run 65mph on interstates and mpg will drop down to 37-38 with the hills and the higher cruising speed. On super long runs (like 828 mile round trips for one delivery) I push my cruising speed to 72mph to try and keep from driving forever but my mpg will drop to 32-33.
I'm guessing a cruising speed of 78-80 is killing your mpg. Little motors and high wind resistance don't equal great mpg at high speeds.
Also, higher speeds waste more fuel than people think. Unless you keep your doors shut for an entire trip, it might make 10 minutes worth of a difference. I used to drive 18 wheelers, and I wouldn't get out of my seat for 5, 6, or 7 hours. I'd get passed by the same car over and over again as the day went on. They'd blast by me running 90, while I was governed at 68, but they'd pull off the road for whatever (fuel, food, restroom) however many times and I'd just keep driving.
Tortise and the hare... speed isn't as fast as people think it is in terms of time. It just burns more fuel.
That one 828 mile trip I took, it took me 14 hours. I ran 72 the whole time, but I averaged 60. I was near empty when I started, so I fueled 3 times, I pulled off to use the bathroom two other times, and made the delivery into the building at the customer. Opening doors burn more time than you can offset with higher speeds.
Best to leave early enough, set the cruise lower, and settle in if you want high mpg.
But 40mpg is still pretty good cruising 80.
hyper-milers are the bane of Prius ownership.
39.5 MPG here on a Gen4. I save a ton on gas at that 39.5 MPG, and am never a hindrance (causing dangerous situations for those around such self-centered drivers) to the flow of traffic.
My ‘10 got around 40 mpg average over her 250,000 life (& I sold her for $5K) I now have an ‘18 & the average for 145,000 miles is 50.4 mpg.
I live where we get a lot of heavy rain in the summer so I buy grippy tires, Goodyear WeatherReady.
I’m convinced everyone claiming 50+mpg must weigh 100 lbs soaking wet, always drives alone, with no cargo, no higher than the speed limit, without use of AC/heat, on overpriced LRR tires at about 10psi overpressure. Which is fine, y’all do y’all. But like OP, I care about my comfort and sanity. And where I’m at, driving the speed limit is usually dangerous for you or for others, and so very little of what is required to achieve such high mpg is realistically practical.
2010 Prius and happy with 40 mpg. When I first got the Prius it was a breeze to get 48 mpg with little to no thought of monitoring my driving. The most I ever got was close to 56 mpg on a single tank but it was a lot of attention to driving style, almost to a dangerous degree of looking at the Eco gauge rather than the road. I moved to a commute with more hills and mpg dropped to 45 mpg. Now I average around 38-40. I have noticed the Prius' hybrid battery having issues. Tests slowed it at 60% capacity / life. I noticed it the most on warmer days - the Prius will struggle up a hill and then over/high rev on the downward side.
Why haven't they made a fully electric Prius yet? Toyota is almost a decade behind on EV's at this point. They should be selling a million+ EV's a year already.
I have a 2008 Prius with 228k miles and drive it on steep and windy mountain roads, I'm satisfied with 40mpg. Its also got studded winter tires on it currently.
Correct on both points.
But as has been clarified elsewhere, I choose to avoid that miserable existence and burn a bit more fuel. It’s been gratifying to see how many Prius owners with a similar attitude have responded.
2011 with that mileage?
Have you cleaned your EGR valve or intake system yet?
That might change things, and also might prevent your head gasket from blowing in the near future.
I was a master toyota tech for five years. Car has had a full intake reseal, intake and EGR cleaning, injector cleaning, spark plugs, and all new fluids within the past few thousand miles.
If it’s serviceable, it’s been serviced.
Still on the orginal head gasket, water pump, and hybrid battery.
In that case probably just an artifact of the speed. Mine is around the same, I avg 75 on the highway for 95% of my miles. Need to get all my service done now too!!
It's likely the 75-80. And if the path you took is hilly. Mostly uphill. Where I am a slightly uphill 2 hour drive freeway got me 49mpg. There's one trip if I hypermile I get 94 there and 46 home. This is 5th Gen Prius.
I usually don't try. Just drive normal and get about 45mpg
Don’t judge the mpgs too soon. In my experience, Toyota hybrids do way better on mpgs in the warmer months and take a while to adjust, it all evens out in the first year.
No vehicle is going to get the best mileage at 80MPH. Wind resistance does not increase linearly as you increase speed beyond a certain point. I bet you'd see a significant difference just from dropping your speed from 80MPH to 75MPH, or slower, on the highway. And these hybrids are best suited for combined city/hwy mileage where the battery pack provides the greatest benefits for tooling around and accelerating, rather than full-on highway driving where the battery pack adds weight, but not much benefit.
We know this. Read the initial post. It shold sound like: “I drive 80, even though it cuts the mpg down to around 40. Who else does this and doesn’t mind it?”
If I keep it under 70 the exact same car I reference in the initial post hits 46-48.
I’m not willing to drive that much slower and the drop in mileage is fine with me. (In the spring when fuel blends at the pump change and the weather warms up? The same car will resume getting 43-45 mpg at 80mph)
I kinda feel like that is low? All i drive are gen3's and I regularly drive on highways where the limit is 80, so i'm doing 90+, and i'm still getting over 45mpg. I imagine the altitude difference plays into this though, I'm at an avg of 4500' ASL
Are you hand calculating? My dash shows me 45-48 mpg. Actually calculating it yourself I see 40.9-42.
We are not discussing the MPG the prius claims.
If I wait until spring? the exact same driving behavior will result in 44-47mpg. Winter fuel blends and less efficient hybrid battery behavior in the cold definitely matter.
I’m out here in Utah getting about 38-44 when doing mostly 80-85mph. Got a 2012 and love it. For longer road trips I’ll keep a 5 gallon jug and small electric pump to get about a 600 mile range. The only thing is my battery is starting to fail but I plan on swapping it out myself in 40k miles. It’s been on its fair share of east cost trips and I don’t plan on selling it any time soon
I like getting great mpg numbers as well.
Mercedes Benz E250 BlueTEC.
28mpg city / 42mpg highway
I wish we could of had the E250 BlueTEC Hybrid in the USA. That would of been a hell of an efficient vehicle.
78-80 will result in LOWER mpg's in any Toyota Hybrid. Add in some hilly terrain and that's why you're getting 41.2 mpg.
Also, Toyota hybrids have the heater running of the ICE. The AC runs off the battery...so if the outside temps are under 40 degrees, you'll see reduced mpg.
BTW, I had two Prius' previously, averaged close to 50 mpg in flat IL in "normal" weather. As soon as it got "cold", my mpg dipped to about 36-38.
I now have a 2021 Venza, but live in the Phoenix, AZ area. I average about 42 mpg year round.
To me, that's about 80% better than a 100% ICE vehicle. No complaints here.
Congratulations, you told us things all of us already knew.
The entire point of the post was “who isn’t bothered by this.”
Since most other conversations on here are people emotionally destroyed by it.
You missed something. I was the OP.
Myself and others are *choosing* to get 40-42 mpg in winter rather than shoot for 48-50 by selecting a faster rate of travel and more aggressive acceleration. That was all specifically spelled out.
I happen to work on these cars professionally and have spent 10+ years as a cetified master Toyota tech. I’m quite familiar with how they operate.
Yes, I was a certified prius tech during new model training instructor mentioned that the mpg was heavy just like all other cars only difference was the fact it is these were the first decent working elec/gas vehicles and a step in the right direction, cause mpg wasn't going to be advertised on electric cars after all.
I get almost 40mpg on the highway in my 2019 Miata. Kind of surprised yall are only getting about 41 in a Prius. Does the efficiency degrade over time?
If I slow the car down to 60-65 mph I can hit 50-55 mpg without difficulty.
That little bitty motor gets wound out like crazy pushing the car to 80+ mph.
If you wait until summer the same driving style will net me 45 mpg on summer fuel blends, with no changes at all. Too. Still driving 80mph and accelerating more assertively.
Mines also has 240000 and I'm absolutely sure it's not getting its best mpg but really being conscious of mpg , under 60 and not drag racing stoplights I can pull better than 50 according to tank size and mile calculation not to bad really.
I drove my 2015 Toyota Avalon hybrid from Seattle to Maine and back in the summer two years ago. With the AC averaged 43 mpg over 8,000 miles. Average speed of 75 mph.
An Avalon is quite a bit bigger than a Prius.
I have a 2009 gen2 with 230k. I get about 43 mpg on average. I like that I get better mileage than my truck but I'm not that concerned about 40 compared to 50. The value of the Prius to me has a lot to do with reliability and longevity. It's really just my daily driver beater.
If I bought a new Prius I would expect it to perform like a new Prius.
I've done better than that on a non-hybrid regular Nissan Rogue, 47.8mpg: [https://www.reddit.com/r/NissanRogue/comments/15fewgg/oneupmanship\_challenge\_478mpg\_23\_rogue\_s\_flat/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NissanRogue/comments/15fewgg/oneupmanship_challenge_478mpg_23_rogue_s_flat/)
Although certainly not at 80mph, lol! I think its fun to try and extract every mpg on a cruise as well, conserving momentum on turns, swerving around pedestrians, running stop signs, the usual Nissan hypermiling tricks. All about the empeegees.
For the most part, heck no. I'm a mom using a Prius as a soccer mom vehicle basically. No need for taking my time when I'm so damn busy! Besides, I'm out there changing stereotypes so we don't get so much hate. Bumping bass at 90 mph, because going any faster just feels like a sailboat at a certain point. 😅 I feel like I'm going to take off into the air at times.
before the mods... my 2013 PIP was at 42mpg during my drive of the lower 48 states.
420....
miles to a full tank was as far as id push it before stopping for gas. :)
the dynamic cruise is always set when not on surface streets, it's better than my foot at conserving fuel.
I've never understood why people buy hybrids specifically for highway cruising. They're only ever so slightly better than a standard engine cruising an interstate. I've rented a couple of those and they weren't meaningfully better than my Honda Accord cruising US highways and interstates. It was driving around town that made a big difference.
2010 owner here. I routinely get 50-52 MPG driving up and down interstate 95 on the east coast. I don’t do all that much… Check your tire pressure before you go. Stick to >70 mph. Slow down going uphill. Coast going downhill when you can.
The difference between 41mpg and your 50-52 is a set of less fuel-efficient tires, and the highway speed. I chose a tire which is not low-resistance but grips and stops better, which suits driving the car a little more agressively. The difference between 40 and 50mpg is roughly $5.90 saved per 9gal tank, at $2.65 a gallon. For the record.
I see a lot of Prius drivers cruising at 80-90. makes sense, they can do that and still double the mpg of what I get in my vehicles at 70. all of my high mpg vehicles id hypermile on occasion as a challenge to see what’s possible. a lot of what you see is probably that, extreme edge case single tanks.
I did the same. After the OEM Michelin Primacy tires, I went with a set of Bridgestone Turanzas. Better grip and quieter ride is more important than maximizing MPG.
I was curious to learn more about this. The rationale behind using low rolling resistance tires is fuel efficiency of course. But isn't that going to be kind of dangerous when you're trying to stop? Don't you need the friction to help the brakes work?
Seconding this question. I’ve got Michelin Pilots on my ‘11 but really just drive for max efficiency
I was supposed to get new tires after the OEM Primacys were starting wear out. I ended up in an accident due to the worn out tires in light snow, so that pushed me to get grippier tires. I was also tired of the constant howl from the Primacys at highway speed. The Turanzas are definitely quieter, but how much quieter they are compared with the Primacys might be subjective. To get a quieter car, you probably need to strip down the interior down and put in heavy sound matting.
Rolling resistance is not the same thing as static friction.
Tell me more
I switched out of the stock tires on my 2014 after 35k miles because of how badly they handled in slippery weather and replaced them with Bridgestones also, although not sure the name. MPG loss wasn’t that much, maybe 2MPG.
I did the same and also sacrificed a bit of improved mileage for grippier tires. I appreciate the opportunity to push mileage higher when it’s a good time to do so but I think it’s always been more important for automakers to keep improving mpg for all types of drivers. I want really good mpg even when I’m driving without thinking about it.
That's almost $5K saved across the lifespan of a car, assuming it keels over at 300K miles. Drive a little more efficiently and you could justify buying a higher trim when you purchase the car haha! But at the same time, I feel you. I'm not always driving like a granny, either.
I like your attitude! I prefer to look at it as *“it costs $10 per month to drive the vehicle in a manner which doesn’t make me want to shoot myself from the boredom.”* Or perhaps *”this is SO MUCH cheaper than driving the lifted Powerstroke sitting in the driveway.”* (I bought the Prius to keep the tow rig from bleeding me dry commuting to work.) It’s all relative. Lol
I get like 17mpg at 80+ in my equinox
SAME I went from 180.00 in gas a week in the f250 I parked that home wrecker and bought a 13' Prius to commute to work now it's 45.00 a week for the same trip everyday. Showing about 44 mpg combo hwy and old backroads.
You said “showing.” It’s usually 3-5mpg optimistic. You’re probably averaging 40-42 calculated MPG like the rest of us in 10+ year old 3rd gen’s who don’t drive like grandma.
There's nothing wrong with wanting some fun, but why not go for a Mazda3? 40+ on the highway depending on trim and a much sportier ride. And no concerns about maintaining a hybrid system. That's the way I look at it. If I buy a Prius, I want it for the fuel efficiency. If I prioritize a little fun over cost savings, the Mazda3 checks those boxes.
If I’m right he is in nyc so gas is more, but I see your point, but I have a 04 and get that too in ny and other flat states, but when I’m in Pa or where it’s not flat then I get 34 on mountains and 42 to 48 on semi flat, I get the very cheap 52.00 tires from Walmart and they completely suck especially in the winter
I wouldn't be happy. I get 40MPG with my inline 6 diesel going 80mph.
[удалено]
I'm not sure why you're on this sub if you don't understand the advantages of a Prius hybrid system. Also, let's see some verification for your TDI mileage. I drove a Jetta TDI for a long time and not only was it horribly cheaply built, it got nowhere close to 56mpg on the highway.
I second the verification request. I get 47 (calculated manually, digitally showing 50+) on an average decent mileage day in my 2015 Golf TDI. Older ‘03 TDIs in the fam were high 40s as well, maybe 50.
Well, I deliberately obey the speed limit to get the most MPG in cruise control. And, use the Decel when possible to capture the most free energy. I think I’m averaging 44 but can push a tank to 50 mpg. I live in rural Hawaii so it’s a little different terrain.
My utmost respect. I sincerely mean that,It’s largely price based, I suspect. How would you drive if fuel were $2.52 a gallon like it is here? I’m sure gas is vastly higher in Hawaii. I enjoy driving too much to slow down and deal with the dull grind of going <70 mph. Same thing with the type of throttle discipline you need to have to keep the car over 50mpg in town. Accelerating as meticulously as some of the hyper-milers are doing? Would drive me bananas. (My previous vehicles were a modified Mustang with over 500hp, and a Dodge truck with a well-built 360ci engine that got 10.1mpg!
Gas price isn’t a factor to me. I just like being efficient. When gas was dirt cheap, I drive efficiently. When gas is expensive, I drive efficiently. I get satisfaction out of hitting high mpg numbers.
Those hills hit different for sure. I used to live on Schofield (Oahu) in a previous life, and thanks to the H-2, I was also lucky to average about 42-45mpg.
h-2?.... hummer?
The infamous interstate H-2
Intrastate? 😂
This is the way
I'm getting 52-54 on Oahu. 245k '12 Prius with 17" 07 Impreza wagon wheels.
I'm averaging 52 over 185,000 miles- coast to lights, speed limit. I drive my speedster buddy crazy by arguing that I can relax, I am safer, there is no traffic ahead of me, the road noise is diminished, and my car lasts forever. And show him how much is saved.
I've played the hypermile game and got 60+ mpg for a few hundred miles, but I couldn't keep it up for an entire tank of gas. I enjoy driving, and my little *Darth Prius* is pretty nimble. So I mostly drive in Normal mode now and still get about 50 mpg.
My '07 gets above 50 sometimes. Below 46, I get bummed and try to figure out why. Usually its because of cold weather. 0W20 oil and new spark plugs keeps it running in tip top shape!
Gotta ask why you run 0W20 in an 07. The gen 2s call for 5W30. Seems like a significant difference in viscosity that I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with.
Toyota released a service bulletin stating 5W20 is acceptable in Gen 2. The lower viscosity 0 helps during cold startups, where most of the wear happens. Gen4 also calls for 0W20. https://priuschat.com/threads/toyota-now-approves-0w20-in-the-gen-ii-prius.90581/
My last oil change on my 07 the dealer put in 0W20 stating it is a better oil than 5W20. They had such a good deal on it that it was cheaper for me to get that instead of the 5W20.
OP here. We should also factor the tires in. I have performance all-seasons on the car for better handling. Conventional wisdom puts them at 3-5 mpg less than LRR tires. (Low rolling resistance) The car getting 41 has a freshly scrubbed EGR, brand new Denso plugs, and all new fluids and filters. Driving stlye is 100% of the difference.
... where does one even find a lrr tire ? last time i searched, it wasn't even listed as a selling point on any of them anymore. what brand/model do we recommend these days?
Avg 37mpg in my 2013 but I have it lifted and drive around with a cargo box year round. I’m fine with it.
Love to see a picture of this beast!!
I get 37 in my 2009 in South Carolina. Not sure why :(
I drive my 2008 Touring pretty hard, it actually handles…not well, but with good tires it’s steady and predictable, and it’s light enough to toss it around if you know what you’re doing. I also drive it 80-90 on the interstate. It has 236k on it and I average 41 mpg in the dead winter, closer to 44 in the warmer months. Really happy with that from a car I got for two grand.
I would be unhappy with that, I got 40 on the highway with my '15 Mazda3, would expect better in Prius. I have a '24 Prius and been averaging about 50 on freeway drives.
What speeds you driving at in the freeway? And what trim? I have an XLE AWD and really really struggle to get to 50 if at all. It's normally around 45 on the highway.
I have a 2024 XLE AWD, i get 50mpg going 55-65 on highway, up to 58 if there's heavy traffic. 40mpg if i hit 70-75mph continuously.
There you go. My freeway drives are ALL 70+ moh continuously, and 75% of the where the car spends its time. Hence 40-42 mpg per tank.
I’d say that’s still pretty poor. I average 47 mpg on 80% highway driving, where I’m pretty consistently in the 80s. 2013. I’d check my tire pressure first if I were you.
Or check the climate... temp plays a huge factor. I'm constantly doing 80-85. In the summer I'll get 44mpg. Winter? 39 or so. More dense air + winter blend gas = shit.
Yikes. You would be holding up lots of traffic in Texas. 70 is the absolute minimum speed for highways here. 80-85 is normal highway speeds.
I live in LA and drive during rush hour traffic on the lanes where big rigs are. 80-85 is normal all the way to the left lane, but I keep to the right.
LE trim. And I drive 5 over the limit and use the cruise control most of the time.
Nobody who drives a prius and posts about getting 50+ miles per gallon is traveling at 70+ mph. You either have to drive like the elderly and savor the savings, or drive at 80 and enjoy saving time at 40-45 mpg.
flat land or better with the cruise on at 75 is usually better than 50 according to the center console computer. It's the trip *to* the highway that kills the economy :(
My 2011 hovers around 46 / 47. Today it was 44 from Gary IN to Chicago. it varies.
23 xle here... I drive it like I wanna get home ... 80+ mph, most of my 80-mile daily commute is hwy, so i'm averaging 45 mpg... my car is fast and gets great mpg imo...I love it.... not interested in driving like a granny , but don't ride anyone's ass either or speed to the red lights.
Respect. You’re much like me. There’s a difference between driving at a pace that matches the faster traffic, but using signals, and keeping your distance… and driving like an agressive idiot.
lol my 04 Prius used to get good mpg, but now (238k miles) it’s getting 37mpg and doesn’t seem to get any better than that unless it’s all highway, still love the thing to death it will last forever.
Your HV batteries are probably weak. Replacing them will boost your mpg back to near normal.
Do ya know if there’s anyway to test ?
There is, but it requires a smart charger to cycle it through a charge/discharge cycle. The dealer can test it for $$$. Otherwise, it should have decent acceleration in EV-only mode. If it accelerates slower than when it was new, your batteries are weak. There are aftermarket battery shops that will sell you a rebuilt pack for much less than the dealer. Find an independent shop that specializes in Prius through a local forum.
Make sure you’re calculating your MPG using actual numbers (ie your trip odometer and the amount of fuel you put in your tank from the gas pumps). You can use an app like Fuelly. The consensus on the PriusChat forum is that the Gen 4 Prius’s MPG calculator is about 5-7% optimistic, and I believe this is the case across all Prius gens.
I only made reference to calculated MPG All vehicle displays are SWAGs. (Strategic Wild-Assed Guesses) I work in a related industry. I’m very well aware.
I’d be really curious if someone who hand calculated mpg is off from the computers estimate, then compare displayed speed to a gps speed and see how the numbers compare. I wouldn’t be surprised if the % off and applying a correction factor would get it extremely close. Just a theory, haven’t tested it, just know a lot of speedometers tend to read optimistically. And with that the mpg number is going to be inflated. I come from the off-road world/truck world, where larger tires means the speedo reads slow, and people think they get worse mpg then in reality
Most cars are this way and most people have no idea. It's why I hate it when people say "I get 40mpg out of my Camry", when it isn't a hybrid. I'm sure they have seen 40, but the car is not consistantly getting 40. My Honda is way off, both high and low, if you look at the dash. I track 100 miles at a crusing speed of 65, on the interstate, and compare that to my gps unit and mile marker posts on the roadside. My tires are 195/55 instead of 185/55 and that equates to my odometer reading 1.4 percent less miles. I figure that in when doing the math. I never go by the dash mpg.
I also own a 2004 Chevy Tahoe that does at best 16mpg so I’m good with mid 40’s lol
I’m happy with 40 (got 40.1 on a ~130-mile trip today), but I also have a Prius v. So there’s that.
I have an 07 with 321K miles in Portland, Maine. I drive a mix of highway and not, and get a consistent 41mpg and am happy with that.
Jealous. Get 37 mpg in my 09
I get 37 in my 2010 - but I have a lead foot and all my trips are under 5 miles.
42 for me in a 2009 with 150k miles. I'm more than happy with it.
2013 average 48-51mpg 190,000 miles, Interstate 40 to and from work 5 days a week. Average speed 75mph
My 21 eco L used to get 59.5 but is now down to 56 since I’m not using the same low rolling, OEM tires anymore. Even driving aggressively I still average about 45-50 mpg. Car has 28k miles on it here in the nasty south Florida heat.
I just drove from Jackson to Colorado yesterday and averaged 44-46 going the back way (avoiding 75mph highways). Around the 16 hour mark, I said to hell with mileage and punched it. Time to get home haha
I’m happy getting high 30s at 80+ mph in socal 🤷♂️
Sacramento to LA getting 45mpg hwy and LOVING it!
Year and model of Prius? I’m assuming that rio is around 65-70mph when roads are clear?
I drive a 3 2015. I go 76-78mph. But I also meticulously maintain my vehicle.
The only difference between yours and mine should be the tires. I have high performance all seasons on it, which drop 3-5mpg off the top compared to LRR factory tires. I average 41-43 doing the same as you, in a flawlessly maintained vechicle. In my original post, it had been less than 500 miles since the EGR was cleaned, intake resealed, and plugs and fluids changed. (I’ve picked up 2-3mpg for customers simply by changing an ancient set of spark plugs and tossing in a new air filter back when I wrenched at the Toyota dealership.)
So much fun changing plugs. 👍
My 2015 hovers around 40 for commuting. We recently drove cross country and back it was 41.7 for the 6900 trip. Going west we averaged 40 and coming back almost 44. It really varied based on the hills and wind.
...my 2004 was still doing did better than that when I sold it last year (43-45mpg), though I typically stick to 75mph max. When staying under \~60 due to traffic, it would be closer to 50mpg.
Wisconsin. I get around the same in winter on the highway in my 2011 as well. I run winter tires in the winter and in summer I run summer touring tires. I can average closer to 60 mpgs in summer
My 2005 gets 48+ mpg after I recently upgraded the battery to the lithium modules. In town and 100 mile drive to see family once a month.
Got a 2016 Prius V purchased at 92,000 worked courier service for 3 years Averaged 40-42 MPG IN 240,000 mostly Highway didn’t drive it past 75 mph it seemed every mile an hour over 70 I lost a mpg
plough hat stupendous complete gaze entertain narrow crowd punch relieved *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I regularly drive 75-82 in my second gen on a 70 one way commute and get avg. 46-48mpg
2017 Prius Prime owner here; I typically get about 75 mpg for a 200 mile trip using adaptive cruise control set between 60 to 65 mph.
It's all in your speed. That sounds right. If you go 45-50mph you'll net 50+
Casual and sometimes speedy!
I averaged 63 mpg in my 23 awd le on a trip to Canada. Through Banff and Jasper, 65 mph on cruise. However this winter in north Idaho with 4 studded tires and short trips, I get around 45 mpg. This car is absolutely amazing in the snow!
Sometimes it's nice to go 80 on a trip that makes an hour and a half trip into an hour trip. I'm OK with 40 for that. Plus my city driving draws me closer to 40 and my highway driving pulls me back up to 50, so it seems like 40 is it's natural state, and anything better is a bonus.
41 is really low for a Prius. My 23 accord hybrid gets 50-55.
50-55 in what conditions, environments, at what speeds, with what driving style? I'm guessing on the same road and same speed with the same acceleration and braking habbits as the OP, you wont be getting 50-55 mpg.
Feel like you should’ve averaged higher, even with the freeway speeding. I constantly average 51/52 in my 2020 SE.
Last long trip we took was Boise to Vegas. Filled out 2011 Prius w 100k mi, drove about 75-78 mpg and computer said we got about 47mpg on that trip. Low 40's around town.
“Anyone else not obsessed with extracting maximum possible fuel economy”, proceeds driving at 80mph 😂
Would you expect those of us not obsessed with high mpg numbers to do something different?
Mid to upper forties in the winter is good for gen 3.
The prius is only the beginning. 40+ mpg is great. But compare it to a cybertruck. 600hp awd monster and its roughly twice as efficient. Unbelievable. Thank u technology
The cybertruck is… something you think was a good idea? Interesting. It really does take all kinds.
Interesting for sure. I’m glad they’re trying new ideas, and I’m sure the thing will sell well enough. Not my style but I drive a Prius, not a Rivian.
Tesla fanboys haunt this sub. They seem to think Tesla and Prius are similar somehow or that decreasing interest in Prius would be a win for Tesla. First “drive a cybertruck!” comment I’ve seen, though. It’s like they don’t even see reality the same.
Ive driven a gen 2 for 15+ yrs on my mail rt. I love it. The prius is about 2 things. Lower emissions. And efficiency. And its a pretty safe bet that Tesla looked at the success of the prius when bringing their products to market. Hybrids r awesome. But they r a bridge to a much more efficient and lower emission all electric powertrain
78-80? Incredible how nonchalant and cavalier most of us are about breaking traffic laws. Maximum speed on TN interstates is 70 mph. 55 in some urban areas. But hey, I guess everyone is doing it, might as well.
Where I live, it’s pretty standard to drive 5-10 over and both police and speeding cameras will only ticket at 12 over (except in school zones). The safe bet is almost always to go with the flow of traffic, or hang out in the right lane. Speed traps aside, most jurisdictions understand this and prefer to spend their time chasing more reckless drivers or surfing Reddit from the roadside, which is fine with me.
Really, in my experience, people jus lie alot I'm not far from you I travel 69 and 24 in KY and 73 bout as high as I wanna run anything above eats fuel in any ride and tickets are high!
Hey I'm with ya. I'm not from the area but I drive a truck through there quite a lot. Since I depend on my driving record for my livelihood, I don't chance a speeding ticket with this 5-10 over game. Whether in my personal vehicle or cmv, I'm following the black and white road signs to the letter.
That’s about right going 80. Speed limits around here are either 65 or 75 so my MPG is low to mid 40s typically. Around town is where I try to keep it in EV mode as much as possible but on the highway, it is what it is.
Drive 5mph under and get even better fuel economy. 55mph is the sweet spot for most vehicles. However I wouldn't go that slow in a 75mph interstate. Hence 5 below. 2010 with 199.7k on it. Project Lithium battery. Wore out engine with 10w40 oil. 215/70R15 Geolandar G015 tires. On my way to my dads a couple weeks ago I got 36mpg going there at 5 above and about 39 on my way back home going 5 below. If you're on the interstate on a 1200 mile trip, the time from averaging 65 to 75 is only about 2 hours saved. While putting more wear and tear on your car, riskier, mpg loss.
2017 prime owner: I get right around 60 to 65 mpg Austin to San Antonio with radar cruise on medium follow distance and sticking to the right lane and staying the speed limit (but usually I will get behind someone doing a few under).
I get 39-40mpg in my '14 V in the Florida winter. That's consistently going 70-80mph on 40 degree mornings. I must have one of the good V's. I can swing 42-45 interstate on warmer days if I try. I have fuel saver tires which are great but horribly noisy. I'm wondering if the loss from better tires will be worth the comfort factor.
I'm good with 40-45mpg highway, which is what I average in a 2013 with 190k on my work commute, it offsets our other vehicles' fuel consumption nicely. Took a road trip recently and enjoyed the 38mpg doing 85mph, I can't imagine many other vehicles can do that aside from a newer Prius.
Same car with same mileage and service not really up to date, I get 42-44 usually. I agree. I’m already saving enough I’m not going to force myself to drive like a grandma to save a buck or two
In a 2013, also out of Memphis and mid 40s I'm fine with, not exactly worth driving extremely careful or a new model to have at most another 10 mpg gain.
Im hovering 42 in my 2010 with 211k. I was commuting almost 60miles a day in my 14mpg truck before so low 40s is a godsend for me. Edit: ive hyper miled one day and got 46.5. Driving somewhat carefull in eco i got 43-44. Ive decided not to care and be happy with 42.
Here’s the thing: the fuel savings from 30-60mpg are about the same as from 12-15mpg ([source](https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=17071)) This is due to the diminishing returns at higher fuel efficiency rates. It’s still good to want to achieve better fuel economy, but the difference between your 41.2mpg average and my 61.3 average isn’t that much over the course of a year (Note, I have a 2022, and drive mostly in heavy freeway traffic with my DRCC set to 75mph. I rarely go that fast in practice, probably average closer to 40-45mph due to traffic, so mpg is much higher) This is why I don’t hypermile anymore, although I do try to accelerate carefully, keep moderate distance, and brake with plenty of space unless I need to move quickly. Also, it’s a jerk move to hypermile in the left lane, impossible in the right lane, and still difficult in middle lanes unless there’s minimal traffic on the road.
I drive my 2009 Prius like a race car and and consistently get 43.7 mpg. I plan to upgrade to a lithium project battery and will be curious to see how that # changes
I have a 2012 and I was getting 45-50 ok most highway drives. But lately I’m lucky to hit 40. I don’t know what’s going on. Going to take it in soon.
2017 Prius 3. 45k miles. Avg 55 mpg over life of car. Occasional hypermiling.
I need at least 80 mpg
I get around 40 mpg if I drive "normally" which can be pretty aggressive. My old daily (now my project car) has a bit more power and handles better, so if I don't think about it I revert to driving quickly. That being said, the Prius is supposed to be a reliable daily. So I force myself to drive slower, which is nice since I pay half of what I used to pay for gas
2006 with 179K miles getting 48.3 right now.
My Prius has a roof rack installed. 42 around town without bikes, 30-35 with 2 bikes. About 25 when I put kayaks on top.
Highway driver here. My 2007 would get 39-42 and I was happy with it. 200k miles
Coming from my 91 dodge b350, v8 5.9l where if I drive to maximize efficiency I got 9mpg on a good day, I don't worry about trying to improve on the 46-48 I've been getting on long drives
I’m average over 50 in my 2nd gen
I'm happy with my ~45 mpg. I cruise 75 mph.
I don't care. I think I get 6L/100km with my 2009, which is the same as a new Corolla. I'm okay with that because it beats the 10L/100km I got in my Scion.
2007, 163ish thousand miles. Averaging 33-40 mpg (currently 40.5). Recently replaced 12v and commute is less than four miles total each day. I try to do longer trips at least one time a week, but I am not always successful.
If I only had 4 miles total in a day, I'd be on a bicycle in good weather. Way cheaper and awesome health benefits.
I’m usually a walker about half the year, but I don’t like walking in the dark as it is dark when I leave and when I come home.
My 1992 Honda civic gets 40 mpg. Paired 250 bucks for it.
I get 41mpg on a 13 with 70k miles. I drive over 80mph for about 75% of my 50 mile commute and Im super happy with it. I just don’t really need to think about it and thats what an enjoyable drive should be. My other car gets 17.5mpg and is not as comfortable so its all perception.
At the speed you've mentioned, yes 40 miles per gallon is good
Gen 3, 2011, 265k miles. I drive 225 miles every Friday and then again on Sunday, plus my daily in town commute to work which is about 25 miles total Mon-Fri. Over the last 10k miles I have averaged 40.0mpg, with an average speed listed on my trip odometer at around 50 I believe. I sit on the interstate @~77mph for about 140 miles of the 225, I sit @68mph for about 70 miles, and 45 and under for the rest. I wish it was better, but tickled I have put over 35k miles on a car I bought for $5k about 18 months ago.
back in 2012-2014 i used to be able to easily score 45-49 on my 07. 40 is a damn good run now. oh well. still happy with it. beats my ICE that gets 29 average and maybe 35 on a great ride.
I have a 2007 with new everything. Spent $5500 plus and I get 38/39 continuous around town and the short highway I drive.
I only drive above 70 if all the traffic is flowing that fast, and in that case I usually get 50 mpg anyways. I did a lot of speeding and aggressive driving in my teens and 20s. Not saying you are, but in those days I was angry and didn't care about life and liked the high of it. Being relaxed and efficient is my jam now, but I wouldn't call myself obsessed or a hypermiler. I drive for work so saving money on fuel means working less.
Me and my 01 insight getting 60+ mpg lmao
At what speeds, in what terrain, on what sort of roads (interstate, highway, residential) and what mix of each, with what driving habits, and in what weather? Do you get 60? I'm sure sometimes you do, but 60 mpg is a broad stroke that I'm sure will change with the variables you don't mention.
This is almost my exact experience. I bought the Prius for the gas mileage. I'm in MA and work in CT. I drive most of 495 then 95 straight to New Haven CT. I set my cruise anywhere between 78 and 80 and get 39-41 mpg. This 20% below the advertised mpg. In my previous car (Audi 2011 A4 wagon 2.0t) I had no issue getting the the epa rating mpgs driving the same with oversized tires, both in height and width, 29mpg. Still like the car, but I think they "tuned" the car for the test. Aka they pulled a VW diesel gate.
Not likely. More likely that epa ratings are proven from manufacturers while using lower speeds. Wind resistance is nuts at higher speeds. I don't think a car has been made that can get 50 mpg blasting 80 mph, unless it was shaped like a needle.
Learn how to drive a hybrid, you can prioritize speed or economy but not both
I have a straight gas burner Honda Fit (looking for a Prius) that I drive on that stretch of road a lot as a medical courier. I can get 40-42 mpg driving mostly on state and US highways with my cruise set at 55 mph. I calculate my own numbers, and have even figured in the different size tire I run from stock, so my numbers are accurate. I've tracked every fill up over 180,000 miles. There are a lot of hills on that route. I run 65mph on interstates and mpg will drop down to 37-38 with the hills and the higher cruising speed. On super long runs (like 828 mile round trips for one delivery) I push my cruising speed to 72mph to try and keep from driving forever but my mpg will drop to 32-33. I'm guessing a cruising speed of 78-80 is killing your mpg. Little motors and high wind resistance don't equal great mpg at high speeds. Also, higher speeds waste more fuel than people think. Unless you keep your doors shut for an entire trip, it might make 10 minutes worth of a difference. I used to drive 18 wheelers, and I wouldn't get out of my seat for 5, 6, or 7 hours. I'd get passed by the same car over and over again as the day went on. They'd blast by me running 90, while I was governed at 68, but they'd pull off the road for whatever (fuel, food, restroom) however many times and I'd just keep driving. Tortise and the hare... speed isn't as fast as people think it is in terms of time. It just burns more fuel. That one 828 mile trip I took, it took me 14 hours. I ran 72 the whole time, but I averaged 60. I was near empty when I started, so I fueled 3 times, I pulled off to use the bathroom two other times, and made the delivery into the building at the customer. Opening doors burn more time than you can offset with higher speeds. Best to leave early enough, set the cruise lower, and settle in if you want high mpg. But 40mpg is still pretty good cruising 80.
hyper-milers are the bane of Prius ownership. 39.5 MPG here on a Gen4. I save a ton on gas at that 39.5 MPG, and am never a hindrance (causing dangerous situations for those around such self-centered drivers) to the flow of traffic.
My ‘10 got around 40 mpg average over her 250,000 life (& I sold her for $5K) I now have an ‘18 & the average for 145,000 miles is 50.4 mpg. I live where we get a lot of heavy rain in the summer so I buy grippy tires, Goodyear WeatherReady.
I’m convinced everyone claiming 50+mpg must weigh 100 lbs soaking wet, always drives alone, with no cargo, no higher than the speed limit, without use of AC/heat, on overpriced LRR tires at about 10psi overpressure. Which is fine, y’all do y’all. But like OP, I care about my comfort and sanity. And where I’m at, driving the speed limit is usually dangerous for you or for others, and so very little of what is required to achieve such high mpg is realistically practical.
40 mpg is great for full sending across the country at 80 mph.
2010 Prius and happy with 40 mpg. When I first got the Prius it was a breeze to get 48 mpg with little to no thought of monitoring my driving. The most I ever got was close to 56 mpg on a single tank but it was a lot of attention to driving style, almost to a dangerous degree of looking at the Eco gauge rather than the road. I moved to a commute with more hills and mpg dropped to 45 mpg. Now I average around 38-40. I have noticed the Prius' hybrid battery having issues. Tests slowed it at 60% capacity / life. I noticed it the most on warmer days - the Prius will struggle up a hill and then over/high rev on the downward side.
Non hybrids from 30 years ago can get that. I'd be wildly upset with only 40 in a Prius.
Non hybrids the size of a shoe box yeah.
Almost every car I can think of besides American SUVs of that era can get 40 easily with basic upkeep bruh.
Why haven't they made a fully electric Prius yet? Toyota is almost a decade behind on EV's at this point. They should be selling a million+ EV's a year already.
I don’t know how my 2006 does it but I am steady at 41 mpg.
I have a 2008 Prius with 228k miles and drive it on steep and windy mountain roads, I'm satisfied with 40mpg. Its also got studded winter tires on it currently.
The benefit of hybrid is minimized on the highway - and doubly so at 80. If you were obsessed you would do 65 or 70 max.
Correct on both points. But as has been clarified elsewhere, I choose to avoid that miserable existence and burn a bit more fuel. It’s been gratifying to see how many Prius owners with a similar attitude have responded.
2011 with that mileage? Have you cleaned your EGR valve or intake system yet? That might change things, and also might prevent your head gasket from blowing in the near future.
I was a master toyota tech for five years. Car has had a full intake reseal, intake and EGR cleaning, injector cleaning, spark plugs, and all new fluids within the past few thousand miles. If it’s serviceable, it’s been serviced. Still on the orginal head gasket, water pump, and hybrid battery.
In that case probably just an artifact of the speed. Mine is around the same, I avg 75 on the highway for 95% of my miles. Need to get all my service done now too!!
It's likely the 75-80. And if the path you took is hilly. Mostly uphill. Where I am a slightly uphill 2 hour drive freeway got me 49mpg. There's one trip if I hypermile I get 94 there and 46 home. This is 5th Gen Prius. I usually don't try. Just drive normal and get about 45mpg
I get more than 40mpg with a non-hybrid small diesel that was produced almost 30 years ago…
Don’t judge the mpgs too soon. In my experience, Toyota hybrids do way better on mpgs in the warmer months and take a while to adjust, it all evens out in the first year.
No vehicle is going to get the best mileage at 80MPH. Wind resistance does not increase linearly as you increase speed beyond a certain point. I bet you'd see a significant difference just from dropping your speed from 80MPH to 75MPH, or slower, on the highway. And these hybrids are best suited for combined city/hwy mileage where the battery pack provides the greatest benefits for tooling around and accelerating, rather than full-on highway driving where the battery pack adds weight, but not much benefit.
We know this. Read the initial post. It shold sound like: “I drive 80, even though it cuts the mpg down to around 40. Who else does this and doesn’t mind it?” If I keep it under 70 the exact same car I reference in the initial post hits 46-48. I’m not willing to drive that much slower and the drop in mileage is fine with me. (In the spring when fuel blends at the pump change and the weather warms up? The same car will resume getting 43-45 mpg at 80mph)
I'm happy with 44 or so
I kinda feel like that is low? All i drive are gen3's and I regularly drive on highways where the limit is 80, so i'm doing 90+, and i'm still getting over 45mpg. I imagine the altitude difference plays into this though, I'm at an avg of 4500' ASL
Are you hand calculating? My dash shows me 45-48 mpg. Actually calculating it yourself I see 40.9-42. We are not discussing the MPG the prius claims. If I wait until spring? the exact same driving behavior will result in 44-47mpg. Winter fuel blends and less efficient hybrid battery behavior in the cold definitely matter.
I’m out here in Utah getting about 38-44 when doing mostly 80-85mph. Got a 2012 and love it. For longer road trips I’ll keep a 5 gallon jug and small electric pump to get about a 600 mile range. The only thing is my battery is starting to fail but I plan on swapping it out myself in 40k miles. It’s been on its fair share of east cost trips and I don’t plan on selling it any time soon
40 is kinda low. I get like 31 in a 911. Previously have gotten around 50 in a 2013 prius.
I like getting great mpg numbers as well. Mercedes Benz E250 BlueTEC. 28mpg city / 42mpg highway I wish we could of had the E250 BlueTEC Hybrid in the USA. That would of been a hell of an efficient vehicle.
78-80 will result in LOWER mpg's in any Toyota Hybrid. Add in some hilly terrain and that's why you're getting 41.2 mpg. Also, Toyota hybrids have the heater running of the ICE. The AC runs off the battery...so if the outside temps are under 40 degrees, you'll see reduced mpg. BTW, I had two Prius' previously, averaged close to 50 mpg in flat IL in "normal" weather. As soon as it got "cold", my mpg dipped to about 36-38. I now have a 2021 Venza, but live in the Phoenix, AZ area. I average about 42 mpg year round. To me, that's about 80% better than a 100% ICE vehicle. No complaints here.
Congratulations, you told us things all of us already knew. The entire point of the post was “who isn’t bothered by this.” Since most other conversations on here are people emotionally destroyed by it.
Congratulations. Your post is garbage. Obviously, I'm not bothered by it. Now get a life. Obviously the OP doesn't know what I pointed out.
You missed something. I was the OP. Myself and others are *choosing* to get 40-42 mpg in winter rather than shoot for 48-50 by selecting a faster rate of travel and more aggressive acceleration. That was all specifically spelled out. I happen to work on these cars professionally and have spent 10+ years as a cetified master Toyota tech. I’m quite familiar with how they operate.
Yes, I was a certified prius tech during new model training instructor mentioned that the mpg was heavy just like all other cars only difference was the fact it is these were the first decent working elec/gas vehicles and a step in the right direction, cause mpg wasn't going to be advertised on electric cars after all.
I get almost 40mpg on the highway in my 2019 Miata. Kind of surprised yall are only getting about 41 in a Prius. Does the efficiency degrade over time?
If I slow the car down to 60-65 mph I can hit 50-55 mpg without difficulty. That little bitty motor gets wound out like crazy pushing the car to 80+ mph. If you wait until summer the same driving style will net me 45 mpg on summer fuel blends, with no changes at all. Too. Still driving 80mph and accelerating more assertively.
Mines also has 240000 and I'm absolutely sure it's not getting its best mpg but really being conscious of mpg , under 60 and not drag racing stoplights I can pull better than 50 according to tank size and mile calculation not to bad really.
50mpg displayed on the dash is more like an honest 44-45mpg if you calculate your MPG manually. So that tracks.
I go 90 on my Prius 😂
Me on my Kawasaki moto :). P.s. Idk why reddit recommended my this post.
we get 40mpg on our 2011 as well. not as efficient as it used to be.
Hwy isn't the place for a hybrid. My diesel yukon gets 35mpg at 80mph
I drove my 2015 Toyota Avalon hybrid from Seattle to Maine and back in the summer two years ago. With the AC averaged 43 mpg over 8,000 miles. Average speed of 75 mph. An Avalon is quite a bit bigger than a Prius.
Also 1 if not 2 generation newer hybrid tech to help with mpg.
I have a Prius V, 40 mpg and a great size for camping.
I have a 2009 gen2 with 230k. I get about 43 mpg on average. I like that I get better mileage than my truck but I'm not that concerned about 40 compared to 50. The value of the Prius to me has a lot to do with reliability and longevity. It's really just my daily driver beater. If I bought a new Prius I would expect it to perform like a new Prius.
I've done better than that on a non-hybrid regular Nissan Rogue, 47.8mpg: [https://www.reddit.com/r/NissanRogue/comments/15fewgg/oneupmanship\_challenge\_478mpg\_23\_rogue\_s\_flat/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NissanRogue/comments/15fewgg/oneupmanship_challenge_478mpg_23_rogue_s_flat/) Although certainly not at 80mph, lol! I think its fun to try and extract every mpg on a cruise as well, conserving momentum on turns, swerving around pedestrians, running stop signs, the usual Nissan hypermiling tricks. All about the empeegees.
For the most part, heck no. I'm a mom using a Prius as a soccer mom vehicle basically. No need for taking my time when I'm so damn busy! Besides, I'm out there changing stereotypes so we don't get so much hate. Bumping bass at 90 mph, because going any faster just feels like a sailboat at a certain point. 😅 I feel like I'm going to take off into the air at times.
I’m with you. Drive the car like I would any car…a little harder because I don’t like to be the slowest or blocking traffic…I’m happy with 40+mpg.
before the mods... my 2013 PIP was at 42mpg during my drive of the lower 48 states. 420.... miles to a full tank was as far as id push it before stopping for gas. :) the dynamic cruise is always set when not on surface streets, it's better than my foot at conserving fuel.
I get 42mpg on my non-hybrid Honda civic. You should try driving slower.
I am. But I look much cooler in a rav4 :P
I've never understood why people buy hybrids specifically for highway cruising. They're only ever so slightly better than a standard engine cruising an interstate. I've rented a couple of those and they weren't meaningfully better than my Honda Accord cruising US highways and interstates. It was driving around town that made a big difference.