Forgot one thing.
I did have an EV button installed for about 2 months but took it out. It actually decreased my MPG's.
I could get 3-4 miles on battery power (below 32 MPH) but then the ICE had to re-charge the battery.
There are a lot of hills in my area.
So what I saved using the EV mode was overcome by the energy to charge the battery.
If you use it 'carefully' on flat roads it may help.

 

For most people the EV button is only really useful for delaying the initial engine warmup so their MPG doesn't drop like a stone. Most of the time it's better to let the engine generate the electricity needed to move the car so that you don't encounter the losses involved in charging and discharging the battery

 

I have been driving mine using all the tricks... Roll off with EV from start then give it strong acceleration and then coast. I coast on all hills and even use neutral to get speed. I anticipate lights and roll up slowly.

2 weeks ago I had a few days where the car was going above 47mpg (I thought my mythical "break-in" was over). Then it plummetted, hovering now around 40 mpg.

What's working against me? I live up a hills so I get penalized on warm-up, and then have to juice it to get back home when the engine is at its optimal point. In the Bay Area we've got hills everywhere. Generally, except for driving over to the city, my trips are shorter (2-5 miles) so that's a problem.

I drive pretty judiciously but I try and keep up with traffic so maybe I'm a leadfoot compared to other Prius drivers, but I thnk I drive it intelligently but I'm still getting killed on mileage.

Looking at the dB, the varaiation is wildy skewed. Certainly there is a strong aspeect of driving skill and habits, but for christsake! We have 75mpg at the top and 35 at the bottom. Sometimes i think I should trade in for a honda civic HX so at least I can stop worrying about the peaks and troughs of MPG and just drive the **** thing.

I'm getting an EV button soon so we'll see if that helps.

 

I live on the other coast, and we have some big hills here. I live about 900 feet up from where I work. So, its big up one way and big down the other. I find that when I drive my '02 I average 52-54, but that drops to an average of just under 50 when my wife and daughter spend time driving. I find that I just watch the instant mpg reading and anytime it drops below 50 I think what can I do differently. I think what is killing you is the short trips. The car has to warm up for pollution issues and during that period you will get under 30 mpg. I don't think there is much you can do about it.

 

You have already identified the problem. Your trips are much too short. I can't think of any advice to give you other than to consolidate trips if you can.

The only way that the EV button would help you is if you have very short trips, less than one mile, and very flat or downhill terrain from point A to point B. In such cases, as long as it's not too hot or too cold outside and you dont need the heater or AC, you can invoke EV when you power up and drive to your destination without the ICE ever starting. Trying to use the EV button in any other situation during your short 2 - 5 mile drive will quite possibly hurt your fuel economy.

You could trade it in for a Civic HX, but don't expect good mileage from that either with 2 to 5 miles trips. If I were in your situation, I would look for a short range EV, a moped or a bike.

Sorry I couldn't be more help. The good news is that you spend less for gas going to work at 40MPG, 2-5 miles each way than I do getting 78MPG at 25 miles each way.

Dan

 

If you're getting 40MPG in Cal going up hills and 2-5 mile trips, you are doing pretty good.
I'm in NJ, pretty flat compared to west coast, and I only get 32-35MPG around town.
Also, from what I've read, the Prius is set up a little different for Cal to favor lower pollution rather than MPG's.
BTW, I don't think you would do any better with the Honda either.

 

Jay check my post (#14) I am here in NJ too, and in the Northwestern Hills I typically get over 50 mpg in my classic. Unless you are doing those 2 mile trips then something seems wrong. What part of the state are you in and what road conditions? I would expect in an '05 you would be doing at least as well as I am or better. I know someone around here that just bought an '05 and has no clue how to drive it for good mileage and routinely gets at least 50 mpg as well.

 

I hear things like this a lot. People who baby their Priuses and get 35mpg and others who just blast around and say their getting 50...

I guess what I'm really wondering here is whether some cars simply perform better than others and mine needs to be recalibrated.

Has anyone ever taken a Prius in to have diagnostics run and found that something in the software is affecting their gas mileage?

 

lfunston,

The EV button will not improve your MPG. Save you money.

Have you tried going out for a return trip hour drive on the highway with the cruise set at 60 or so ? You should expect 55 - 60 mpg as a basis for comparison.

Before you go, make sure your parking brake is completely off by engaging it, and then releasing by letting your foot slide of the pedal so that it jumps. Also, check your tyre pressures. 40 psi in front, 38 psi in back.

Let us know how it goes. -- Eric

 

Kirby, I am in South Jersey in the Blackwood/Deptford area.
On the highway (50 to 65 MPH) I see between 55MPG to 62MPG. This is the reading on the 5 min consumption bars.
From where I live to the expressway on ramp is about 5 miles with 14 stops and speeds below 30 MPH. That is where I loose my MPG's.
On the 'back roads' doing 35-45 MPH (and no stops) I can get 70+ MPG, when the EV mode is on about 80% of the time.
So using the 5 min bars as a reference, highway I average 52-55 MPG and city I get 32-35 MPG.
My tank MPG has been 50.5-52 MPG for last 10 fill ups.