You seem to be quoting old EPA figures. After model year 07, the EPA introduced some additional tests that brought the estimates down (or in many cases, it was converted by formula). You can lookup the revised/converted numbers via http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm. They are most definitely lower than what you've quoted.

Since you seem to have expectations based on EPA numbers, please read http://priuschat.com/forums/other-ca...estimates.html.

You might find the results of the HCHs at http://avt.inl.gov/hev.shtml interesting too. I doubt any of them were driven for economy, by hypermilers nor anyone who really cared about getting great mileage. CR's test results are at http://replay.waybackmachine.org/200...-206/index.htm.

 

I have a TCH, not an HCH, but I think I can share an insight.

After I got my TCH, I felt terrible because I never got even close to the mileage that some other owners of the same car were reporting. I didn't talk about it. I just quietly tried to learn how to drive more efficiently -- reading and practicing. Nothing much changed. I never got close to the mileage I thought I should be getting.

Then my commute changed. All of a sudden, I was getting about 5 mpg's better than before.

I think a lot of it depends on where you drive, as much as how you drive. How long is your commute? What time of day? How busy is the traffic? What is the traffic speed on those roads? If you have a short commute on a busy 75 mph road where you get shot at for driving slow, you will get poor mileage. If your commute is longer (so the car warms up), or on a slower road, or with less traffic, or maybe some other things, then you will get better mileage.

Because of the influence of the commute route, you really cannot compare your results directly with those of other drivers. You can only compete with yourself.

Bear in mind, also, that you are getting using about 1/4 as much fuel as a lot of guys who drive trucks or SUVs. Saving a few more ounces doesn't make much difference. Convincing one coworker to sell his full-size SUV and buy a fuel-efficient car, will make much more of a difference than all of the driving technique you can ever learn. The big gain is on going from 10 mpg to 40 mpg. Getting from 40 to 50 doesn't save much fuel at all.

 

Yes, the commute, (especially) trip length, temperatures, traffic conditions, speeds and driving habits can make a huge difference. Short city drives, esp. in cold temperatures will kill mileage.

I got so tired of people complaining about their "poor" mileage on Priuschat while providing scant/no information or me/others having to ask the same questions over and over, that I wrote up http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-p...youre-new.html.

You can compare your results w/that of others, only if the trip lengths, speeds and conditions are comparable. If people have a 2nd gen Prius and do 5 minute city trips, they're going to have a tough time getting even 40 mpg. If someone drives 80+ mph in that same car w/long trips, they're sure not going to get 50 mpg.

Even the EPA says that your mileage will still vary at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/why_differ.shtml.

I wish people were more informed about what goes into the EPA test and that people would measure their mileage of their old car (esp. over time) before buying a fuel efficient one, esp. a hybrid.

 

Jason, i'm with you on the mileage. the car has 47k miles and averages about 36 mph, with tops of 44 mph on the highway. I live in the Bay Area and commute 10 miles each way, about 2/3 highway and 1/3 streets. I do the normal running around streets and highways at night and weekends. I've done self-training, complained to the dealer, checked the tire pressure etc. part of the problem is that the engine doesn't get into top efficiency until it reached a certain temperature. So on short trips, it never does reach that temperature and the mileage suffers. Despite all the blah-blah about street conditions, my driving style, etc. after as much mileage as i've put on and still stuck in the mid-high 30s mph, i've concluded that the DNA of my car results in it being in the bottom tier of the average, while other civic hybrids have the special sauce DNA and make it to the top tier. In the nature vs nurture spectrum, my car came out on the wrong side of the nature pathway. The best thing about this car is that at 47k, i am just getting to the end of life on the original tires.

 

If you mean mpg instead of mph, you can compare to what CR got at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...view/index.htm.

Short drives kill mileage. What were you expecting and why?

 

yes, mpg not mph (mph more important on my Lotus ). i was expecting closer to 40 city and 45+ highway based on driving reviews that were published back when i bought the car in early 2008. interesting that my actual is not that far off the CR list you reference (thanks for that link). Quite a big disconnect between the mpg results reported by CR and most of the mpg results that members here report. members here seem to be more educated and practiced on how to squeeze every mpg out of the car than the average person. 35 mpg overall is still good compared to most cars that age, just not what was advertised. my experience is that i paid a premium for the hybrid and my actual mpg is about the same as a friend who purchased the standard Civic. As he put it, i have bragging rights but he has more cash in the bank.

 

Since you mentioned "was advertised", keep in mind that supposedly, automakers can only legally advertise EPA numbers, which unfortunately where way high until the method changed starting w/model year 08. Even then, the city numbers can hard to achieve.

You might find http://priuschat.com/forums/other-ca...estimates.html insightful regarding what goes into the test. I suspect most car buyers have no idea. (I sure didn't know until I got a Prius and did more digging myself.)

I REALLY wish that EPA would any another test and result that includes very short city drives and also REQUIRE that all automakers either give all mileage numbers (not just the highest # that they choose) or give the combined mileage.