I know this sort of thing has come up before, but I am stunned by the mileage some of you are getting... Are you basing your numbers on the indicated tank mileage or calculated with miles and gallons? Do you baby the car to get that kind of mileage? Is it mostly highway?

The top value in the database right now is one entry that seems suspicious to me:
jocular_chen - 49.7 mpg over exactly 1000 miles (and just one tank of exactly 20 gallons?) - this one seems fishy to me. The tank only holds 17.2 gallons! Are these canadian figures or something (using imperial gallons)? maybe this was a test entry that someone made?

The rest of the entries seem more reasonable, but I really don't know how you all do it! I am curious about the ages of the top 10 - solely because I am curious if they are older, less agressive drivers. I hope this doesn't offend anyone!

I was getting about 37, but now that it is getting colder out, my numbers are dipping lower. My last tank (32.8) was almost as bad as the first tank I had (32.6 - which I blamed on my noob-ness when it came to hybrids). I think part of it is that I am not focusing on driving it like a hybrid as much as I used to, and I haven't been taking any long trips (which seem to boost the numbers).

Thanks!

 

Dear spiff72,

A response from someone who doesn't consider himself a "big gun", but I am in the top 20 in the Camry section of the database...

I am not offended by your postulation that the "big guns" may be "older, less aggressive" drivers. I can't speak for anyone else on the list, certainly not those with better FE than mine. But, as you can see, I include my age with each post, as you do, and (chronologically at least) I am older than you. I don't know whether I am less aggressive than you - this is a much more subjective measurement than age - but I admit I drive the Camry with an eye on FE and did not do so with my last ride...a BMW X-5 4.4L (what FE?!).

So, yes, I find myself being less aggressive, driving at or a little below posted speeds and coasting more. I am just now setting used to watching the scowls of following drivers (I can see their faces very well as they tailgate just off my rear - this is New Jersey after all!) and I am sure you would laugh watching me creep up the slight incline of my driveway so that I can coast into the garage, trying to squeeze out another .1 MPG on my tank average!

As I have posted before, my wife has noticed the difference in my driving style, and even expresses impatience that I am going the speed limit (she IS a Jersey girl...). I pretend not to hear her...or maybe my hearing is going...

That being said, I don't see myself getting to the top of the FE pile unless I change my driving style even more. And that does not really make much sense to me. Lately I have been taking a lot of short trips (I am a lawyer with a local clientele). I actually thought to myself this morning, "I should take a longer trip to get this tank average up"...then I caught myself. What was I thinking! I would consider taking a pointless drive JUST to keep mileage up? So I gave myself a dope slap and moved on...

I counsel moderation in this case, as in most things (even moderation!). If you think you're doing what you need to do to maximize your gas mileage, take comfort from the fact that your FE is still better than it would have been in a comparably-sized car with similar performance that was not a hybrid. I don't know what secrets others in the database may use to get top mileage (although I remember reading a post in this forum from someone who took ice along with him in the car so he wouldn't have to run the air conditioner in hot weather ). As for me, I just lighten up my right foot and try to go downhill constantly!

 

Jeff,

It's normal for the MPG to drop with the temperature for several reasons:

1 - The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) has to run more often to keep it, the catalytic and you warm.

2 - Several friction items (eg oil flow) are higher at low temperatures

3 - the Traction battery loses efficiency at low temperatures.

There are others.

I maintain a spreadsheet based on miles driven and gallons used to track my MPG. (45.5 in my 2004 Prius over 70,000 miles). My MPG approaches 50 in the summer (in spite of AC) and is in the low 40's in the winter. I also find the reports from others suspect when they use less rigorous methods.

JeffD

ps: short trips really hurt MPG due to the warm up cycle.

 

Hi Jeff, I've been stunned by the mileage I am getting as well. This is the first car I've owned that I could consistantly exceed the EPA numbers with. I replaced a F-150 I bought in '85 with the TCH.

My numbers are calculated by the odometer reading and gallons used to fillup. The indicated tank mileage so far has always been higher - often 1 to 2 mpg higher. I drive it about the same as I did the F-150. I normally go anywere from the speed limit to 5mph under the limit. I accelerate faster with the TCH than I did driving the truck. I found if I baby the TCH, the mileage suffers. It is better to get up to speed in a reasonable time, and then back off to maintain speed. I drive mostly highway. My daily commute is 35 miles each way, about 28 miles is freeway. However, I often hit rush hour traffic going home, and can take an hour (sometimes two) to go the 35 miles. That lets the TCH use EV mode frequently for a number of miles at a time. I do try and manage the SOC so the ICE only runs climbing hills or accelerating when I'm in slow traffic.

I'm 49. I know I'm not as agressive a driver as some. I figure that I get there when I get there. However, I do floor it on occasion, even if it's not really needed

 

I had a quick peek at the top guns. Looks like about 2/3rds are using the display for their FE submissions based on what their profile says. I know my rating would probably move up the list quite a bit too if I had been using display figures which I think everyone realizes is usually more generous than the manual calc method.

Other than the top entry which does seem weird (no, it's not imperial gallons as the tank capacity is around 14g imperial), I suspect many of the top honors go to those that have longer runs with less stops and can exploit Emode often. For instance, Nash description seems to make perfect sense to me nursing Emode thru slow moving hiway traffic. I know I can't match that no matter what I do for my commute is shorter with some hills and stops mixed in .

 

A big factor in your FE is the terrain you drive. I will never be close to the EPA estimates because I drive thru many rolling hills, several that are hundreds of feet in altitude, during my 45miles (each way) commute. I've been averaging about 35mpg and don't expect to get much more. But that's still 50% higher than my previous car of similar size, so I'm still very happy.

 

Mine has been getting better. I think it has to do with the kind of trip that you take to work everyday. After all most of our FE is going to and from work.

 

Don't get me wrong - I still love this car despite the fact that my mileage isn't necessarily stellar. It is still better than I think I would be getting if I had gotten the 4-cyl Camry.

I am getting my first oil change on Friday, I am bringing my own oil (synthetic) to the dealer, and I am having them look at the aim of the headlight assembly that was replaced when I hit the deer. It just hasn't been right since then...

Come to think of it - maybe this is all Bambi's fault! That stupid deer "let the smoke out" of the hybrid system! If that doesn't make sense to you, don't feel bad - it is EE geek-speak. I suspect some folks here might get this reference!

 

My commute isn't ideal. About a 14 mile trip, either by highway (which is really just a normal road with traffic lights but runs at 55mph), or by back roads, with about 7 miles of 55mph two lane roads and the other half stop and go city traffic with lots of traffic lights.

My best trip was to the northern lower peninsula of Michigan - about 350 miles total, and mostly 2-lane 55mph roads.

 

I only have about 1100 miles on mine so far, but from what I can tell the indicated mileage is about 2 MPG higer than what I am calculating. I don't know if this is because I try to squeeze every drop of fuel I can into the tank when filling, or if it is a issue with Toyota's programing.

Either way, I am still happy as I was aiming for 35 MPG with this car, and I am getting around 36.5 or higher so far.

I have also seen my driving style change drasticly. I was a VERY aggresive driver, and with this car, I seem to not really care about driving so fast. I don't really think it is soly because it has an indicate mileage gauge, as I also have a 1999 Audi A6 I can drive that shows instant mileage, but with that car I typically drove 10 - 20 MPH over the speed limit. (90 in a 70 zone was not unheard of for extended periods of time, now I find myself going 65 in those same 70 zones.) I don't think age has much to do with driving styles, but more of what style you picked up from parents and friends. My dad is a VERY aggressive driver, so I am sure that is where I got mine from. he still is an aggressive driver, so age really has nothing to do with it. I am just waiting for the day that it is my dad who is getting pissed off that I am blocking him.