We just got our new Camy TCH Aug. 1st and are learning to convert our way of driving/state of mind to economy instead of power and handling (and luxury). Toyota does make it challenging to reach your MPG goals with the gauges, NAV consumption screen and the blue rings that tell you your doing good, economically. Oh yes, and theres the gauge on the odometer that says "Excellent" when you do a trip with over 35 MPG.

However, having put one full tank and 50 miles into another, My overall avg. is just around 30, accorcing to the display readout in the bottom of the odometer. My best is about 36.7 MPG and I constistently hit between 30 to 35 but I keep seeing posts on this forum of people who's overall average after only 1 or 2 tanks is 35 to 40 MPG.

My question is, where can I look to find details and tips on the most economic way to drive our new hybrid? I've found very little on this web site except for a few things, scanning the various posts. Is there a place here, or on the net anywhere, etc. that I can go to?

Being the numskull that I am, I'm sure I just havent looked hard enough or I've overlooked it, but it seems like there ought to be something that gives that information.

Thanks for any help anyone might provide

 

Congratulation on your decision to purchase the Camry Hybrid.

I have mine for a month and a half now. I've already driven over 4000Km. We are locating in Toronto, Canada.

I've filled up about four times. With each tank I can drive 1100km. The best mileage is 5.5L/100KM (50MPG), worst case is 6.3L/100KM (48MPG).
My cold tire pressure is 36PSI on all four. Air cond should always be on ECO mode.

To attain this kind of effeciency, you should always drive sensibly.
Do not step on the GAS like driving a Corvette.
Let the vehicle coasts as much as possible. The main trick is to accellerate before the road is inclined and let the car coast once sufficient momentum has been reached.

The brand of GAS seems to affect the mileage also. Here in Canada, Petro Canada gasoline definitely give me better mileage than Sunoco. Can't really explain except it must have something to do with the ICE shut off at appropriate time.

Hope this will help you.

 

Just to clarify nguyep715's post, I think his 50 MPG is Imperial Gallons, not U.S. Gallons. Since Imperial Gallons are bigger, his MPG figures are bigger.

 

Congratulations on your new TCH! Knowing how Houston is, I'm sure you are running the A/C all the time. Park in the shade when possible. Cooling off a hot car will cut into your mpg. I tinted my rear and side windows. It really helps keep the car cooler. As nguyep715 said, ECO mode is your friend with A/C. ECO is will shutoff if you drop the A/C temp to low. Don't forget about using recirc.

Look ahead and conserve momentum. If you have to stop or slow down, brake early. Avoid coasting right up to a light/stop sign and braking hard. Regen works best if you avoid hard braking.

Don't be a tortise or a hare. You will get better mpg if you accelerate normally. Don't try and stay in EV mode when starting out. It's better to get up to speed on the ICE, unless you are in a parking lot or crawling in traffic. Likewise, jackrabbit takeoffs hurt your mpg too.

The TCH coasts well, very well. When taking off from a stop, go a few mph faster than you want to go, then backoff the gas to just maintain your speed, and slowly drop to the speed you want to travel at. I often can keep the instant MPG gauge between 50 and 60mpg this way.

Encourage the TCH to use EV mode if you slow down below 40 by lifting your foot from the gas for a few seconds. Then gently apply power until you maintain your speed, or coast until you need to brake. The TCH is heavy, so give it enough gas to start the ICE when you do have to accelerate. This also prevents draining the battery so low you can't use EV mode when it would help save gas.

Every now and then the TCH will not go into EV mode. Keeping low emissions is the reason and at odd times may require the engine to remain running a few minutes when you would otherwise expect it to drop into EV mode.

For what it's worth, when the engine is warm, stopping for over 7 seconds seems to force the ICE off.

On highways, the TCH does best between 65 and 70mph. Oddly I see worse mpg going 55 than 65.

 

You need to go back and study the posts here and on Edmunds.com. An easy way to do this is to open up a blank word file and every post you see you like just copy and paste over to the word file and then you can have a fairly lengthy document with a lot of information.

Several of us have posted our experiences as to how to obtain 38+ mpg averages.

 

Great idea, WVGasGuy. I've already started the Word file. Nash, Nguyep,

I'm already doing precisely what you are saying to do and it's all I can do to get to 35 or 36 MPG on a trip. It must be the heat here in Houston.

I do run the car in Eco mode and when we first get in the car to go somewhere I open the sunroof to push the hot air out as it starts cooling. Here in Houston we just about always have to run the A/C. I wonder if that's the difference? Do ya'll run without the A/C much at all?

Also, here in Houston we have traffic lights every few blocks so that might cut my mileage down having to start the car moving more often. You also want to be considerate of the cars behind you, here, because unless you have a hybrid in Houston, everybody's in a hurry. That alone may cause me to give up some of my MPG's on occasion.

I think I can agree that the TCH does real well between 65-70 (surprisingly) and maybe even better than 55. Also, it seems that it does better between 45 & 50 than it does at 40.

I do try to accelerate from stop "normally" but I'm having a hard time adjusting to that because I'm so used to the '02 Avalon's power that I traded in on this car. It was nothing to accelerate to 35-45 in that car and this car has got the sluggishness of the 4 cyl. trying to get to speed.

I'd like to know what ICE and EV stand for. I assume the ICE is the gas engine and the EV is the electric motor part of the system. There may be a few more abbreviations on the web site I've seen that I'm not familiar with either.

Anyway, thanks for the tips so far. I'd like to see more tips and suggestions on this forum, and maybe even this thread to help people like me get the most out of our new "way of life". And then, there may not be any more to it than what you guys have already told me, just practice makes perfect. I'm working real hard to set my goal on economy and forget about the power. It's like giving up a bad vice. Shoot, it IS giving up a bad vice!

 

Do ya'll run without the A/C much at all?

My A/C is ALWAYS on

everybody's in a hurry

I try to be considerate and safe, but I have decided I have the right and moral obligation to be allowed to drive at or a little less than the SPEED LIMIT, reguardless that the people behind me want to go 15 over.

I'm working real hard to set my goal on economy and forget about the power

I gave up 315 horsepower, 20" wheels and an exhaust tone to die for. I don't miss it like I thought I would. The TCH keeps me interested from an Engineering point of view and satisfied "different" parts of my brain.

 

ICE = Internal Combustion Engine
EV = Electric Vehicle. It's when the car acts like an electric vehicle, driving with the ICE turned off.

 

I'm in Houston and have had my TCH since the end of May. I do think that the A/C definitely has a noticeable negative impact on MPG, even with ECO mode. The stop & go traffic, whether downtown or on freeways, is a killer on MPG as well, as are short trips. I have a 17 mile commute each way, combination stop & go freeway and downtown, and I struggle to make it to 35 mpg. Best tank was 37.5 and I think that was the week when we had a "cool front" and I was able to drive to work without A/C for 4 days. Got 40-42 mpg each of those trips. My 5 tank average is 35.8 mpg. I'm definitely a conservative driver (other than running the A/C) and use all the mileage-enhancing tips. I've given up trying to kill myself trying to get as good of mileage as say, somebody in Canada who probably runs their A/C once a week. I figure I'll make it up this fall & winter when I don't need A/C OR heat...

 

Did you trade out of an Infiniti FX too?