Kim --

If you look at my mileage stats (#899) you'll notice a jump from the high 40s to the low 60s in per-tank mileage since about 7000 miles. Can't explain it, although I first noticed the improvement on the trip home from the dealer after the 7000 mile service, and have developed my subconcious pulse & glide a bit. The car definitely seems to operate in 2 modes as indicated on the computer: high 40s and 60s+, but I can't figure out why. There's also not much correlation between the on-board computer and the fillup computation (e.g., 52.2 vs 67.66), although I'm suspicious of the repeatability of fillup numbers. Bottom line is it gets **** good mileage, performs well, and is very comfortable. I wish gas prices would get back up so my friends would stop laughing at me.

Having said all that, I'm surprised you're stuck in the low 40s. Give us some info on your driving style and trip characteristics.

Finially, I'm hesitant to go down this road, but several male members on this and other Prius fora have commented that their wives' mileage is lower than theirs -- often significantly lower. Guys often do seem to have a more meaningful, intimate relationship with techy gadgetry which might result in better mileage, although your handle suggests you might be one of us in spite of the grrl part :~).

There are also several female members that have reported their husbands' get much worse mileage than they do, probably due to that macho "I need to be first off the line to the next red light" syndrome so many of us seem to have.

2001 Prius Photos       2005 Prius Photos
1992 Mitsubishi Delica Diesel-WVO Hybrid Photos

Yeah, that urge went away after I passed 40 or so... Also found a sure-fire way to avoid speeding tickets about the same time.

In response to the question about details about my driving. I think that the main problem is that only a few weeks after buying my Prius, I got a new job only 2 miles from my home (great commute, but doesn't take advantage of they hybrid as much as longer trips!). Also, I live very close to my town's center, so most of my errands are also under a 5 mile trip. I think just when my car gets warmed up, I am at my destination!

Had to comment on the husband/wife bit mentioned by mfa-prius. My hubby races motorcycles on the weekend, and has quite a lead foot, so I was cringing at the thought of him driving my prius! He has this way of speeding right up to a red light and then slamming on the break. Interestingly enough, once he saw the dash display which showed the gas milage instantaneously and over the trip, he started driving more conservatively, even more than I do, which is so funny since he says I drive like a "grandma". I think the male competitiveness is what kicked in. He can't bear to get into the Prius and then come home with the overall tank milage lower than how I left it. Too funny. So, you may have a point on the man/woman thing. This whole discussion deserves its own thread !

2005 Salsa Red Prius w/Package #4

Bingo. From what I've read, the Prius ignores fuel efficiency and concentrates on low emissions until the catalytic converter is warmed up, so the gas engine runs all the time initially. Short trips kill your overall mileage.

Driving this or any car with an instantaneous-mileage display is a real education. While your hubby's style is consistent with racing (Aside: A friend of mine signed up for a name-brand race-driver school in Michigan many years ago. His instructor gave him this secret to winning: "See those two pedals (accelerator, brake) on the floor? One of them should be flat on the floor at all times."), it doesn't do much for mileage. But he'll learn, and probably cheat by taking longer trips to drive up his score :~).

My commute is very short - about 10 minutes on the highway. In comparison, I get better mileage travelling out of the city. Last week, I drove 2 hours to a relative's house and averaged 48 mpg. In city, I average 37 mpg.

Infael

2004 Gray Prius with smart start/entry and VSC