Do all of the Prius mileage tips apply to the Camry? I always have some arrows on my Energy screen. Isn't the goal to run at 35-40 mpg on battery power? It seems that when I am, that is the only time that I get 60+ on my instrument panel.

All this pulse and glide and deadband stuff is confusing.

Thanks,
Ormond
Owner of Cameron

 

I'm new to my Camry also and am still learning how to drive.
One thing I did figure out is that you need to wait for the car to warm up before you can do much without the ICE...regardless of your speed.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I think...
If the MPG gauge is showing anything from 0 to 60 mpg, the ICE is running. I can coast @ 50mph and the info display shows that the ICE is not running but it really is. Once I get below 45mph, I am able to get the ICE to turn off and the MPG gauge to fall into the ECO range.

 

There are many, many threads in this forum regarding maximizing your mileage. You will spend countless hours reading the posts in this forum made over the last year, but it will be well worth it. I enjoy my TCH much more now because of the knowledge I gained reading all the posts. If you want to concentrate on reading posts specifically about maximizing mileage, then I suggest searching for "mileage" and "FE" (which is fuel efficiency)

 

The FE gauge only goes up to 60 mpg which is one reason I bought a ScanGauge. The SG reports 9999 mpg (that number isn't actually used in the computation of trip average mpg) when the car is running on electric power only. On gas, I've seen numbers well over 60 mpg and up to 200 mpg.

 

A few basic tips.

Don't idle the car to warm it up! Drive it as it warms up, avoiding hard acceleration.

Use your ECO button. Note: Defrost, or temps set to MIN or MAX disable ECO.

Don't obsess over starting or running in EV mode. EV mode is a useful tool to help your mileage, but learn when to use it and when not to bother. Unless you are poking around a parking lot or crawling in stop and go traffic, it is better to use the ICE to accelerate.

Accelerate at a modest (aka normal) rate for best mileage. Crawling slowly up to speed is almost as bad as jackrabbit starts on your mileage.

Accelerate slightly faster than your target speed, then back off the gas to gently reach and maintain your desired speed.

Speeds between 36 - 41 mph frequently will stop the ICE when you coast for more than a few seconds. This is very helpful when slowing or stopping is anticipated. I often feather the gas and drive/coast up to red lights or slow for traffic, saving gas in EV mode.

Drive with the load. Bleed off a few mph as you crest a hill, and gain a few as you approach the bottom of a hill.

Avoid crusing at speeds between 40 and 45 mph - mileage suffers in that range.

Avoid freeway speeds over 70mph. I get around 44 to 45mpg between 60 and 65 mph with the A/C off. A/C on (with ECO) is around 42 to 43mpg.

 

Well put Nash!
(I always enjoy the cliff notes over the full novel)

 

Ormond — When coasting at speeds above 64 km/h (40 mph), under certain conditions the ICE continues to be spun in the "fuel-cut" mode of operation. When this happens, the FE gauge reads precisely on the borderline between the white and blue regions (0 L/100 km in the Canadian version, and 60 mpg in the U.S. version). No fuel is being used when this happens, but the ICE is being spun by motor-generator #1 (MG1) to protect MG1 from over-spinning. Engine compression braking slows the car. The same occurs when you put the gearshift into 'B,' only more so. When the FE gauge reads above this line, the ICE is burning fuel. When it reads below this line, only battery power is being used. Maximizing the use of battery power does not maximize FE, since ultimately all the energy used comes from the gasoline. See the thread "An Unpalatable Fact (with apologies to Al Gore!)."

Stan

 

Thanks for the useful information!

 

My top 10 tips:
01. Only use summer-formula gasoline (Shell winter mix kills 3mpg).
02. Live in a flat part of the country (Hills kill mpg).
03. Commute as far as possible (Short cold-start drives are not good).
04. Take no passengers (Who needs the extra weight?).
05. Never fill the fuel tank over half (See 4 above).
06. Keep the trunk clean (See 4 above).
07. Drive with the prevailing wind (if not possible, keep clean & waxed.)
08. Never drive in rain or snow.
09. Use a light foot when accelerating.
10. Take your foot off the accelerator as much as possible.
Bonus tip: enjoy the ride!

 

If I may add:

11. Never push the "on" button.
12. If you do #11, never take the car out of the garage.
13. If you do #12, never put it in gear.
14. If you do #11, 12, or 13, shut it off immediately and walk away.