I would like to suggest two things:

1) first tanks are always disappointing - it takes time to learn how to get the most out your vehicle. My first Prius tank was 39 MPG and I was about ready to turn it back in.

2) nothing like a nice long trip, ~ 1 hr at highway speeds - this will get all of the lubricants up to temperature, coolants working, batteries charged and generally "blow out the cob-webs." Don't worry about the mileage, just enjoy the car.

If the 12VDC battery were kaput, your car wouldn't start. If the traction battery were kaput, your car wouldn't start and all sorts of alarms would go off. Sad to say, there are no good "metrics" to read out the state of your batteries while they are in the car. But folks are investigating this all of the time.

Although not exactly the same, you are free to look over the Prius FAQ for suggestions:
http://greenhybrid.com/discuss/showthread.php?t=6645

BTW, I don't use P&G.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

I had not thought of this this way before, but this behooves you to not park it in the shade or a garage on a sunny day during the winter, and let the sun keep the interior warmer.

I would add:
4. Use ECO when possible. The ECO button puts mileage first, and comfort second. The TCH uses EV more and shuts off the ICE more. Note: Max heat/AC or defrost disable ECO.
5. Increase tire pressures to 40psi if you are comfortable doing so. I find it helps mileage, handling (in dry and wet weather too) an improves the responsiveness of the steering.
6. Avoid sustained speeds over 65mph (105 kilometers per hour)

Thanks for your and others comments/suggestions.

My understanding is that ECO is only for AC. I got this understanding from iGuide available on ToyotaGuide.com.

Am I supposed to use ECO even for heating in cold weather?

If yes, is it going to give me better MPG?

Thanks

pitokhato — You've already been given excellent advice. There's nothing wrong with your TCH! Low temperatures have a huge negative effect on the fuel efficiency of all cars. Just some comments about ECO mode. There's an electric heater that can get switched on to provide cabin heat before the ICE is up to temperature, if you switch ECO off. This of course takes a lot of energy from the 12-volt battery, and replenishing this energy will use more gasoline, and make the ICE run for longer periods during cold warm-ups. Switching ECO off also uses more aggressive air-conditioning, which draws power from the high-voltage battery, and recharging it also uses more gasoline. So, ECO mode saves gas both summer and winter.

Stan

One thing you can try is blocking the front air intake grill or at least part of it. Use some of the cylindrical foam A/C insulation found at any hardware store, for example. This should allow the engine to retain more heat and get to EV mode more quickly. Will it be enough on a 7 mile trip? That I don't know but it will be inexpensive to find out.

Alden Bowles
2005 Toyota Prius II HSD