I know this has been discussed before but I could not find the thread.

I'm in week 2-3 of my TCH. I am getting 33.2 mpgs after about 650 miles. When I got the car I figured if I drive a little bit more consciously I could get 36+ mpgs. I am constantly worried about how I drive and work to get the best MPG's.

I am very dissappointed in my mileage. Be it I do live in New England so I know it is cold etc, but in a 15 minute trip across town town I would expect to get the epa 34(or is it 35). Certainly not below 25 mpgs. Also in the morning when the car has been sitting I get between 30-32 mpg on a mostly highway 25 minute trip. On the way home I get 37-42+ because I often sit in traffic and drive at slow speeds on my battery.

I think its short 5-15 minute drives that are killing me, but I would still expect to get between 25 and 30 on those trips which are by the way necessary.

Because of my height (6'3) and comfort I got the camry over the Prius/Civic. I wanted a car that got me mileage 37+, I could fit in and that was a PZEV. I know you guys are great and knowledgeable so please give me some pointers or advice before I try to sell my vehicle and get a Prius, Civic, or Insight. Or any PZEV like a regular camry.

Thank you very much for your time.

 

See the link in my signature for the FAQ.

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/159244-post3.html

 

Thanks, how much would it go up after the first oil change (i've heard first 3,000 miles? 2 to 3 mpg?

 

Hi Sustain,
I have 8 weeks under my belt. My commute is only a few miles long so I have been driving plenty of very short trips though city streets (although I cover more miles during the weekend). The terrain is not 100% flat, but it is not what I would call hilly either.

My first tank saw 37 MPG, my second and third tanks saw 38. Now I am 3/4 the way through my 4th tank (I generally fill up with a quarter of a tank left). This most recent tank has only given me 35 MPG.

I am in NY and it has got pretty cold lately. Living in New England you can expect many cold months, and probably a hilly terrain. You may very well only see 33 MPG in the cold weather, you will probably see closer to 37 in the summer, unless you are in hilly terrain.

You should not be upset because if you had bought another car you would probably be seeing lower than normal millage in that too because of your driving conditions. It also depends on your driving style though, and it is possible that by trying too hard to get better millage you are making things worse. For example, some people think accelerating very slowly will get you better MPG, but the car is not working efficiently at this range and you may very well be better off with a more normal level of acceleration.

I too originally wanted the Prius, but being over 6 feet tall, didn't like the level of comfort the Prius offered. I am very happy with the Camry Hybrid because it drives remarkably smooth, is very comfortable, has great pickup when I need it, looks very pretty, and has great gas millage on regular unleaded. Every time I pass a "Smart" car I laugh because I know that it costs that driver more money per mile to power his car than it does for me to power my car, and my car comes standard with the ability to, more likely than not, survive a 30 MPH crash with an SUV, and that is a feature that you could not get in a Smart.

Also, I live in a highly congested area where stop-and-go traffic is a weekly experience. The car is pretty much 100% EV in these situations whereas a conventional car would burn through serious gas.

I am not so thrilled with the fact that I could have saved a lot of money if I bought the car today instead of ordering it 18 weeks ago as I did, but I do love the car, and you should too.

 

Good points. Thank you.

Is there anything I can do to warm up my engine in the morning? It is comforting that if its cold everyone is getting lower gas (not that I think its particularly good).
You also give good advice on acceleration... I saw some guy post about a program he had installed.
I do not think you would be able to buy the car for much less now. I think people who could afford hybrids before still can. Also from talking to dealers I believe demand is about the same.

 

I'm now coming into my 3rd TCH winter. Sorry that you have to start off in the cooler fall, it will be late next spring before you really will see what this car can do given your short trips. I have a fairly short 11mile commute which means warm up is a big issue for me mileage wise. My TCH will vary from as high as 42mpg in the summer down to 28mpg in mid winter.

This fall I installed a block heater and have it timed to give the engine 3 hours preheat. So far I've been able to maintain the morning mileage fairly close to what I was getting in the summer, but the return trip without block heater benefit has been diving down similiar to previous winters now that the freezing weather has reached me. Waiting to see how January and February work out.

 

As far as price,
http://www.fitzmall.com/fitzway/carf...8T23:04:02.297

This car is pretty much my car, leather & NAV white/beige, asking $29,371. I paid $1,800 more than that when I signed my contract 18 weeks ago, and who is to say Fitzmall wouldn't go down any farther. Of course I did not know to check this place out back then, and maybe I could have saved that money even back then.

 

Don't be too disheartened. Honestly, 33.2 is still not that bad. Remember, any other car of this size would be in the 20s.

I live in the Hudson Valley (NY) where my commute it about 5 miles (15 minutes) with plenty of stops along the way. In the summer I get 36 or so. In the winter I have had as low as 28 during the extreme cold and snowy weather where you tend to use more fuel. These are tank averages.

As for the increase after the first oil change, please do not get too excited about this. It might go up it might not. There are 100s of factors at play.

Here are the questions to ask yourself:

Could I get this kind of fuel economy out of a non-hybrid vehicle?
Why did I buy a hybrid?

If you bought a hybrid to double your fuel economy over a non-hybrid similar vehicle, you made the decision for the wrong reason as that will not happen. The north east is a tough place for for hybrids (Canada too). We have hills, cold temperatures, and so on.

You're doing great.

Personally, I am 150% pleased with this car. I love it so much and every day I love it more. I have had mine for 18200 miles and about 1.75 years. I have taken it on many trips from NY to NC and SC. And will be taking it to Newfoundland this summer. It is a pleasure to drive and ride in. My overall average is 33.6 for the life of the car. I am ok with this. Yes, I wish I could get 40+ like many folks here, but the fact is, I am probably getting the same percentage mpg increase over a traditional vehicle in this area as they do over a traditional vehicle in their area.

Remember, all cars will perform worse with respect to mpg in the winter.

Your short trips are getting you but you made the right decision. I am proud to be a hybrid owner and I hope you are too! Keep your chin up!

Where in New England are you?