So,What is the MPG of a Prius at 80 MPH?

[Daytona R/T SE]

I see the little cars on the interstate all of the time going WAY over the speed limit.

I'll be doing a steady 70 in my Ram and these little buzz bombs go shooting past me like I'm sitting still.

I thought the point of hybrids was fuel economy, so what's the MPG of a Prius at a sustained 80+MPH ?

[A383Wing]

Not all that great...most if not all Hybrids get the best economy around town...on the freeway, the little gas engine is working it's little legs off!

[Troy]

The gas-tank warning light flashed after 422 miles. I drove 10 miles to the next gas station and filled up, putting 11.1 gallons into the 11.9-gallon tank. That would indicate 38 mpg, far short of the 51 mpg government rating. The car's trip computer told me it had been getting 51.7 mpg.

Irv Miller, Toyota vice president for corporate communication, says the mileage shortfall probably had to do with speed. "The government test that puts the Prius' highway mileage at 51 mpg is based on ideal driving conditions and going 55 mph," he says. I averaged 72 miles an hour on highways.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-06-10-diesel-vs-hybrid_x.htm

Others (but not specifically higher speeds on the highway):
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/hybridwatch01.html
http://www.wired.com/cars/energy/news/2004/05/63413
http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/real-prius-gas-t409.html

Troy

[Mike DC]

   
IMHO good mileage comes from stripped-down lightweight vehicles with equally small motors. 


I respect the MPG abilities of an old beetle at least as much as any of these new hybrids. 

   

[Ghoste]

The only thing shocking about the Prius actual mileage versus the posted one is that the media isn't going crazy about it.  I bet if Ford or Chrysler had a similar experience the whole continent would know about it.

[Mike DC]

 
I absolutely agree.  Detroit would not be given this kind ludicrous free pass at all.


Think of how little attention Mopar & GM's variable-displacement V8 engines have gotten in the last few years.  Imagine if Japan had come out with that innovation at the time instead of Detroit.

[bakerhillpins]

Frankly I would be surprised if ANY car produced their stated fuel economy all the time. Does it happen, yes, sometimes better. But the fact is that fuel economy is based upon driving conditions (both driver and environmental) and EPA economy numbers come from a standardized test. This is the old problem of theory vs practice. Ragging on a hybrid for economy because someone drives it at 80mph is like ragging on a Pickup when its used to get groceries. The economy sucks because its not being used at its optimum operational conditions or intended purpose.

Our minivan says we can get 28 highway. Do we. No, we get close to 24 on the interstate. But I live in NH and we are always going up and down hills/mts. When I took the van out to Chicago I got close to 29 on the highway through Ohio. But it was FLAT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_economy_in_automobiles

IIRC - Toyota had some bad #s for the Prius at one point.

[Ghoste]

Which is exactly where my point was driving from.  The EPA method of testing mileage was not a realistic method at all and I have very very frequently heard people slam American built cars for not getting their posted figures and yet the Japanese cars,well let's just say not so much.
Now I would have to add that it seems to me these complaints have lessened in recent years as the general public seems to have come to the conclusion that the mileage figures on the Monroney stickers are more or less fictional accounts that are really just useful for comparative purposes between vehicles.

[bakerhillpins]

I'm not going to discount the sample of folks that you talk to or take your point of view from. From, my POV the big 3 got that stereotype because for years they built crappy fuel efficient cars and made their mark with big trucks/SUVs. The stereotype creates a perception from the public that as a general rule they make stuff that guzzles gas and the rest of the line was such crap that they didn't care what the stickers said.

Next time someone spits out that stereotype ask them if they ever actually measured their vehicles economy? And one of the Big 3 (or is that 2 now) that they could compare it to?  I'm betting they haven't.

[Ghoste]

But you do agree that the Japanese cars are also not achieving their posted figures?

[bakerhillpins]

But you do agree that the Japanese cars are also not achieving their posted figures?

As a one word answer, Yes.

Fundamentally, all cars will miss the mark, Its just the nature of Theory vs Practice. At least that was the point I was trying to make.

[Ghoste]

Then I think we were both trying to make the same point. 
I just had the add-on that no one seemed to mind (in the past anyway) that the Japanese cars couldn't make it.  I understand what you are saying about it being because of a perceived quality issue with American cars even though I respectfully disagree about the superior quality of Japanese cars.  I realize that puts me in a minority around here but thats my opinion. 

[bakerhillpins]

I understand what you are saying about it being because of a perceived quality issue with American cars even though I respectfully disagree about the superior quality of Japanese cars.  I realize that puts me in a minority around here but thats my opinion. 

Not sure that's entirely true.

I didn't intend to imply that I believe Japanese cars have superior quality in this day and age. I do hold that opinion about the big 3 in the 80s and early 90s. Right or wrong that is my perception. Frankly, if I wasn't tied down with other monetary obligations the wife and I would be looking at the Ford Fusion hybrids right now.... but that is another discussion all together. 

[68charger383]

Batteries cut out at I believe 20 mph on the prius, so best mileage is driving around town.

My friend avg about 46 MPG in his car. city/hwy driving

In CA they were giving out drive alone carpool stickers for cars getting 45 MPG +. The Honda Accord claimed something like 46 MPG the first year they came out which qualified these owners for the carpool stickers. However, I think the best it could do was 35 MPG...So CA DMV started asking for the stickers back. These owners (who bought the car primarily for the car pool use stickers) weren't very happy with Honda 

American cars usually don't meet their window sticker mileage claims. I remeber the PT cruiser which claimed something like 18/24 but was really getting 13/18 new out of the box. So I think all cars are fudging the CAFE #s a little bit.

[ds440]

From what I hear it boils down to driving habits.

I have a Japanese car and it was rated at 24cty/32hwy.  I get 30cty/36hwy consistently.  Most of my driving is highway and I can assure you...I don't drive at 65mph.  The only change I've made to the car is a K&N filter and the car has 200,000 miles.  When my wife was looking for a new car we tested and compared hybrids (I'm one of those guys who had an American car that was an ABSOLUTE LEMON! The car was so poorly built it was criminal. ).  The realities were that the savings in gas were lost in the higher price of the car.  In the long run it was cheaper to buy the non-hybrid.  PLUS, the car we ended up purchasing wasn't a hybrid and it gets 38mpg highway (admittedly on cruise control).

It just seems to me like there are too many variables to definitely say *this car* gets *this mileage*.

Personally, I think with the ingenuity, engineering abilities, work ethic, and natural talents within this country, someone - somewhere - can and will develop a better solution than the Prius.

[Tilar]

I'll stick with my 95 lumina that gets a solid 30mpg running 70 on the highway, Or my 3/4 ton suburban getting 14 running 70 on the highway over the piece of crap kia that I rented out in Omaha this weekend. That thing felt like I was riding a buckboard wagon.

[Ghoste]

American cars usually don't meet their window sticker mileage claims. I remeber the PT cruiser which claimed something like 18/24 but was really getting 13/18 new out of the box. So I think all cars are fudging the CAFE #s a little bit.

See there is what I'm talking about. 
But you are right all cars are not hitting their numbers but it has little to do with a deliberate attempt by the mfg's to mislead than it does the fact the method to determine the mileage as mandated by the EPA is flawed.  I'm sure the mfg's (domestic AND foreign) are not about to complain to the EPA about it but the tests are flawed.

[bakerhillpins]

But you are right all cars are not hitting their numbers but it has little to do with a deliberate attempt by the mfg's to mislead than it does the fact the method to determine the mileage as mandated by the EPA is flawed.  I'm sure the mfg's (domestic AND foreign) are not about to complain to the EPA about it but the tests are flawed.

I think flawed might be too strong a word, the way I see it, it's just about impossible to control all of the variables that effect mileage in order to get a single pt cty/hwy mileage rating for a sticker. Do I think they have the best possible testing strategy out there? I don't know enough about how they got where they are to make that judgment... Do we have any guys from the MFGs testing departments?

Even tire pressure effects mileage and that can be effected by daily temp swings.

[Rolling_Thunder]

All I know is my Tacoma gets about 22mpg on the highway at 75mph...      not too bad IMO...   taking it on a trip to Texas next month...   

My Charger will hopefully get around the same mileage (low 20s)

[Brock Samson]

 The prius is an intercity car not a highway car as previously noted... BTW: they introduced the new one today...

http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/

and if ya haven't noticed the Honda version called the insight,.. also a new version looks allot like the Prius...

http://automobiles.honda.com/insight-hybrid/

again these are not innerstate haulers but small commuter vehicles... is suspect the market forces will dictate MPG efficiency beyond what the State mandates...
the Chevy volt (a true plug in) is due on line soon and all these cars mark the sea change of the automobile..
(sorry for using that word but it's appropriate in this case) 

http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/fuel/electric.do

BTW: our gas prices went up over 20 cents a gallon in the last two weeks,.. and due to what I ask you?..

I am curious if there will ever be a car optimised for "highway travel" as the little hybrid commuters are for traffic.

[Mike DC]

   
I don't think anyone has ever been saying that the Americans (or the Japs) were the only ones missing their mileage marks. 



The point being made was that the trendy new hi-eff Japanese Hybrids are DRASTICALLY below their well publicized figures the majority of the time. 

The point is that the Jap brands have been saying, "Don't buy another 35 mpg gasoline car when you could have a 60mpg hybrid!" and then delivering a 40mpg hybrid after all that extra money and engineering compromises. 

   

[bakerhillpins]

BTW: our gas prices went up over 20 cents a gallon in the last two weeks,.. and due to what I ask you?..

Ours went up 30 cents over that time. Isn't it obvious? Its summer and the oil companies need to make more profits... 

Part of me suspects that they are trying to get the $ per barrel to go up via speculation again. Reverse physiology, raise the price of the end product for no reason and investors will start to drive the crud price up! 

[Mike DC]

The speculation factor is more or less a middleman between the oil companies and the consumers.  I don't see much reason for the oil companies to want them getting a bigger cut.  The oil company gets the negative effects of higher prices without even getting the extra money that it generates.

[Todd Wilson]

Frankly I would be surprised if ANY car produced their stated fuel economy all the time. Does it happen, yes, sometimes better. But the fact is that fuel economy is based upon driving conditions (both driver and environmental) and EPA economy numbers come from a standardized test. This is the old problem of theory vs practice. Ragging on a hybrid for economy because someone drives it at 80mph is like ragging on a Pickup when its used to get groceries. The economy sucks because its not being used at its optimum operational conditions or intended purpose.

Every new vehicle I have had was right on the money as far as the stated MPG with the exception of the 2007 Caliber. Its in town MPG rating is way off. It hits the highway MPG everytime. The 95 Ram,2000 Neon and 2003 Stratus were all on the money.


Todd

[PocketThunder]

Frankly I would be surprised if ANY car produced their stated fuel economy all the time. Does it happen, yes, sometimes better. But the fact is that fuel economy is based upon driving conditions (both driver and environmental) and EPA economy numbers come from a standardized test. This is the old problem of theory vs practice. Ragging on a hybrid for economy because someone drives it at 80mph is like ragging on a Pickup when its used to get groceries. The economy sucks because its not being used at its optimum operational conditions or intended purpose.

Every new vehicle I have had was right on the money as far as the stated MPG with the exception of the 2007 Caliber. Its in town MPG rating is way off. It hits the highway MPG everytime. The 95 Ram,2000 Neon and 2003 Stratus were all on the money.


Todd

Do you drive 55 in a 55?  65 in a 65, etc... religiously?