I have a 2007 Toyota Prius. It was advertised to get 60 mpg, but the best I've been able to get on a tank of gas is 48 miles per gallon. Am I doing something wrong? How can I get better gas mileage?
We assure you, you’re not doing anything wrong. Your 48 mpg is spot-on for what we typically hear from Prius owners, and much better than the 34 mpg we observed during a week of city driving in a 2007 Prius. The EPA’s 2007 and earlier mileage ratings are notoriously inaccurate — especially for hybrids — due to the way it tested vehicles. Other drivers have encountered similar discrepancies, and one man in California even filed a lawsuit against Honda when he didn’t get the advertised mileage from his hybrid — a little extreme if you ask us.
There are new EPA procedures for 2008, however, that better reflect everyday commuting; lower, more realistic mileage ratings are the result. As you’re aware, the 2007 Prius was rated at 60/51 mpg city/highway. With the new ratings, the EPA estimates the 2007 Prius will get 48/45 mpg, which is right where you’re at.
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That's crazy. For the last 10,000 miles I have been above 58mpg average. Increase tire pressure to 42psi front and 40psi rear. Dont put the AC below 78 and use your cruise control everywhere you drive. If you feel brave you can install the EV chip like I did from coastaltech.com. If I got 48mpg I would shoot my car.
I rented a Prius for several days B4 buying one, so I knew the mileage to expect. My worst tank has been 44 and my best a hair over 50. Most tanks close to 48MPG.
Next years EPA estimates will more closely reflect reality.
34mpg? whatever.
50mpg rt 18mi/day - work on local city traffic
55mpg rt 40mi - mix freeway/local
58mpg rt 180mi - trips between LA and SD. going at 65mph
If the EPA now "admits" the Prius really only gets 48/45 mpg, I really wonder how it's possible that some drivers are able to get 58 mpg on the highway. They must be even higher than Al Gore Jr. All those fumes off their Birkenstocks getting to them?
I own prius for last 6 months , drive it 120 miles a day, mu daily commute.All highway miles. I never ever got less than 56 mpg on an average. I don't use AC or cruise control. I did discovered a way to drive to get the best mpg , that is you accelerate a bit and then just glide, keep your eye on the monitor and you will be able to achieve a very good mpg.
good luck!!!
I bought a 2007 Prius and got 48-51 mpg. At 3500 miles it immediately dropped to 39-42mpg. The dealership didn't have a clue as to what happened, neither do I. I'm 70 years old and drive pretty much the same route all the time. Now for the life of me I can't get it to go above 42 and most of the time I'm getting 39mpg. Bummer
I have a 2008 Prius touring and can't get better than 43 mpg. My commute is 35+ miles I'm a little bit dissapointed but I guess not as bad as some.
I have a 2007 Prius with 28000 miles in 15 months. I get a little over 46mpg, but with the price of gas now I will be trying all of the techniques used by the Prius "hypermilers".
My boyfriend just bought a 2008 model back in May. At home he does a combo of city/hwy driving and averages around 45 mpg.
Our latest test was a recent trip to Florida. We found that we got around 42 mpg on the interstate and 48-50 when we got of the beaten path.
There seem to be more gradual grade changes on the interstate than on US highways--causing the engine to work more.
We definitely used the cruise whenever we could but there are techniques for getting even better mileage without cruise--it's just that driving 7 hrs a day without any cruise is killer.
In addition to the increased mileage, the added benefit of better scenery and less traffic are definite reasons to take a more scenic route on vacation.
I have a 2007 Prius and have been getting 54-56 mpg for a year. Tires are at 44psi, AC usually off. Try to click in the all yellow mode whenever possible. City and hwy, about the same mileage.
Lately (20,000 miles) my mileage has gone down to around 50mpg. Toyota can't explain it. Can someone here say if there are any Toyota-generated tweaks I can ask for at the dealer? What is the EV chip?
One possibility is that the addition of ethanol to 10% in gasoline is at fault. Ethanol is less energy-dense than gasoline, and would result in more gallons burned for the same distance driven.
One reason for low MPG is the oil level being too high. Hypermilers suggest the level half way between the upper two dots. Any higher and the engine has to work harder to turn. No damage has ever been reported using this method.
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Getting 34 MPG in a Prius is absurd. Did you drive it like a race car? I have never had a tank below 48 MPG in my 2004 Prius, and that was all highway driving, against a strong wind.