I've found that I get pretty close to the 47/48 MPG . . . IF (and this is a big IF):

• I stop driving like a maniac (80 MPH is more my speed)
• I drive somewhere flat (my neighborhood is hilly)
• I don't use the air conditioning.

I've gotten as high as 69 MPG in the utmost perfect conditions (I did a 5 hour drive, no stops, with the cruise control pegged at 57 MPH, in warm/dry weather and no AC).

I usually get between 40-44 MPG because I speed (when it's an option), live in a hilly area, and encounter a lot of stop-and-go traffic.

 

with our new fuel/oil crisis rising daily, a not so costly intervention would be to require car manufactureres to install an instantaneous FCG with an average trip guage. then people would be forced to see what their actual mileage is. most of the people I talk to with suv, literally wince, when you mention it and say they don't want to know. even the enviromentally sensitive people I know. how many suvs/ and large sedans are you still going to sell when drivers see reality on their guages? the manufacturers will NEVER put FCGs in the big cars. the trouble is- as has been mentioned inumerable times- we here all buy the car for fuel economy, so we care- and there that guage is, right in your face, telling you what's real.

actually- the thing that bugs me most about the epa test- is it's done in a building on a treadmill/roller. wind resistance is SO KEY to energy consumption at speed. this takes no account of aerodynamics & physics in account! how can they do highway tests without wind resistance????

 

I concur. Real-world conditions dictate MPG more than people realize. Case in point:

Denver to Rapid City, 400 miles, 65 MPH, temp in 70's, nary a wind (maybe even a slight tailwind), golf clubs, friend and 2 luggage bags = 56 MPG!

Same trip, similar load, but with 20 MPH headwind, 75 MPH speeds, lots of passing, temps in the 40's = 46 MPG.

Terrain is pretty much rolling hills/fairly flat highways.

Cruise used for entire trip(s).

Still, my Prius is an awesome car!

I now tell people when they ask about what I'm "actually" getting (they have heard no one gets 60 MPG, duh, I say): "About 50 in the summer overall and it drops to 45 or so in the winter".

Most everyone is impressed and comment that 'dropping to 45' is funny when they have never seen even 35 MPG!

 

#1, my sister's husband has always been in to boats, and his last three tow vehicles (Ford Excursion, Caddy Escalade, Ford F-250 Powersmoke) have all had fuel consumption displays. I remember riding in the Excursion several years ago when he said "Hey, watch this," and reset the FCD which is mounted by the inside rear view mirror. It took a moment and then came up and showed our fuel consumption of about 3 or 4 miles per gallon, I believe. Towing a huge boat uphill at 30mph will do that for you.

At any rate, maybe it does make a difference considering he went to the relatively smaller Escalade and now owns a far more efficient diesel. Anyway, the EPA test uses a load based dyno that provides resistance based on the calculated drag and weight of the vehicle. They're not idiots.

 

I personally think that EPA should update the test to more accurately reflect avergae "real life" driving conditions. IE, a shorter interval between the stops in the city, and highway speeds that are faster (at least equal to the speed-limits on the highway), as well as subjecting the car to different, yet still controlled temperature/weather conditions, such as a "hot" test and a "cold, rainy, windy" test.

 

I think they should just mandate mpg gauges in all cars and have a big - or + the number of mpgs the driver is getting compared to EPA. If its in peoples faces then they will likely improve their driving skills. I don't think "dumbing down" the epa tests because people drive more stupidly now than 20 or so years ago is the right thing to do. I do agree maybe changing the test to be at 65 mph since that is inbetween the 55 and 75 posted speedlimits for highways.

 

The articles linked by sdctcher are the first emtnione I have ever seen that manufacturers are allowed to post different mileage ratings than those provided by the EPA testing. All other stuff I have ever seen states that they are NOT allowed to do that, even though many would like to. So, not sure what the real situation is there.
Wayne, with all due respect for your hypermiling accomplishments, you are at the other end of the spectrum compared to those who have to do 0-60 in <13" as you state. While driving style has a lot to do with mileage, the type of driving that allows hypermiling IMHO can rarely be accomplished safely in real worl driving, in fact frequently it would be quite dangerous not just to the driver following that style, but to others as well.
Here are my owne observations comparing my 05 Prius to my previous car, an 03 MINI Cooper S. The MCS has EPA values of 25/32, a combined cycle 28 mpg.
I averaged 25 mpg, or 89.3% of the combined EPA.
In my Prius, I am currently averaging 46 mpg, or 83.6% of the combined 55 rating.
So, the Prius acchieves slightly less than the MINI in terms of percentage of EPA ratings. However, in the MINI I got 89% while driving in a very spirited manner, without any efforts at fuel saving, while in the Prius I get 83% while trying to maximize mileage within these constraints: 90% of my driving is very short hops, less than 5 miles (absolute mileage killers). I also drive with the flow of traffic for safety reasons, and on the freeway I don't drive slow, but usually between 75 and 80 mph. However, I do all else to maximize mpg, rarely use AC, moderate acceleration, adjust driving to traffic flow and lights to minimize acceleration/deceleration, etc...
The bottom line for me is: as well all know, EPA values are way off. I am also convinced that they are much more off for hybrids (or at least for the Prius), than for other cars. If I drove my Prius like I did the MINI, I would be at about 75% of EPA ratings, at best.
I do think the EPA should revise their ratings to reflect more realistic conditions.
At the same time, the onus is on consumers to do their purchasing research properly, and those who complain about the mileage they are getting in whatever car they have, are really complaining about their own lack of effort and research prior to buying the vehicle, IMHO. I don't think they shoudl blame the EPA, but I still think revised ratings would be a good thing.

Having said all that, I'm glad I switched to the Prius and am getting 46 mpg avg.
It's an awesome car, and I love all 'efficiency hybrids'. I'm less enamoured with 'power hybrids'.

Cheers,
M

 

I think the "power" hybrids have their place too. After all, even a "power" hybrid (like the Accord Hybrid), still gets better gas mileage than the standard version. Those kinds of cars are probably the only way to get a leadfoot into an environmentally-friendly vehicle.

With that said, I'm looking forward to the third generation hybrids (the plug-in types, that can run for about 40-50 miles before ever starting the gasoline engine.) I'm sick of giving my money to the Middle East every time I fill up!

What I think is going to make the 3rd generation hybrids happen is some breakthrough in LiIon batteries. If the manufacturing process can somehow deliver high-quality cells at about $1/ea, the car makers will be able to develop cars that run primarily on electricity and only switch to gasoline as a last resort. LiIon batteries are a hell of a lot lighter, and have a much higher energy density. I know this from working in the cell phone industry. The reason why cell phones weigh 3 oz instead of a pound is that they use LiIon and LiPoly batteries instead of NiMH.

 

Hi MGBGT:
___With all do respect, please do not tell me what can or can not be accomplished in the real world. It isn’t worth your time or mine to discuss it as I drive the Chicago Interstates and suburban roads of all types each and every day. The year round FE in my automobile(s) speaks for themselves. I do not know how you drive but with a challenge like above, where do you want me to go? As for the 13 second comment, I see the odd Geo Metro, Prius I, and thousands of OTR trucks and you can bet they are not pulling < 13 seconds to 60 simply because their rides are not capable. If they drive on the same roads you do, why are you pushing < 13 seconds to 60? Then we have the “Quite Dangerous” aspect … FAS’s, DWL, Distant, Surf, and Traffic Side drafts, Rabbit and General timing, Parking Potential, Ball-in-the-bowl acceleration and decelerations are quite dangerous? When used appropriately, when are they dangerous?

___Could you tell me where in this country there is an 80 mph speed limit and then tell me that 50% of the OTR drivers are running at that speed which you assume they must? I know the OTR drivers have far lower limits then 80 mph and except for a few places out west, I don’t think they could afford the tickets as that would be the end of their livelihood.

___In regards to revised EPA ratings, I have an opinion that they are to low but that is because I make it my goal to crush them each and every time I turn the key. Does it really matter what is on the sticker? This country as a whole cannot hit the EPA combined while driving down the freeway at the speed limit and until each and every automobile is game gauge equipped showing the average driver that his or her FE truly does suck, it doesn’t really matter what is or is not revised. With a hybrid, the average Joe has a shot at 45 - 60 + mpg. With their other automobiles, not even the remotest chance. I wish we had the Japanese/Euro cycles on the Mulroney as Hypermiling would be the ultimate challenge

___Let me discuss the real world delta’s from a maximum perspective instead of a minimum … The non-hybrid Accord’s maximum FE over a tank = 52 mpg while EPA rated 24/34 mpg. This is 179% of the EPA combined. The Insight’s maximum FE over a tank is 109 mpg while EPA rated 61/70 mpg. This is 166% of the EPA combined. The Prius II’s maximum FE over a tank is 110.0 mpg while EPA rated 61/50. This is 198% of the EPA combined. I think I could eek out another 1 to 2 mpg out of the Insight out on the highway knowing today what I did not know back then but who knows? In either case, you have 2 hybrid’s hanging right where they should when compared to one of the higher FE capable non-hybrid’s with my maximum viewpoint instead of a minimum one. The driving conditions for the Prius II were much different then the Insight which was different then what my Accord sees day to day but the results show when the respective automobile is pushed to its respective maximum using its most advantageous driving mode/method/technique, the percentages work out to just about neutral when comparing one against another.

___EPA ratings are used for comparison given the driving habits they were designed to (quite some time ago as you already know) vs. the actuals of today which does place the average Joe at a disadvantage. It does not mean Average Joe has to accept those lousy numbers as gospel. CR’s performs real world test cycles (City/Highway/150 mile highway) and with them, the Prius II received an overall FE average of 44 mpg. This is to be just a tad lower then what you are receiving currently? CR states that what they receive is ~ what their average reader receives and you can bet their average reader doesn’t have a clue about how we push automobiles and tanks here at GH. Did you know the Honda Accord w/ Auto received 16/38 mpg (city/150 mile highway) vs. its 24/34 EPA? The Chevrolet Impala LS a terrible 12/25 mpg (city/150 mile highway) vs. its 20/30 EPA? Ouch … Thank god you are driving a Hybrid given the Prius II nailed down 35/48 mpg in those same (city/150 mile highway) test cycles!
___I agree with you 110%

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

On I-95 between Baltimore and Washington, DC, the speed limit is 65. As I type this -- on a Sunday afternoon -- the vast majority of the speed sensors on that road show the average speed "Over 65 mph" ( http://tinyurl.com/8o6w4 )I drive that road on every work day, and 75-80 IS with the flow of traffic -- at least until there is the slightest hiccup. (A slight hiccup would be something like a car pulled over, all by itself, no police, no ambulance, no tow truck, on the far right of the northbound lanes in the morning. The SOUTHBOUND lanes slow down for no good reason.)