I have been trying to get the best mileage out of my New 2010 Prius and using ECO as much as possible only to get an average 61mpg (UK) and too my supprise after changing to POWER which is much more enjoyable reactive and I keep up with the flow ..... I'm now getting 64 mpg.. My explanation is that with Power you get upto speed quicker which allows you to pulse and glide more effectively. Anyway its working for me and I'll not be using ECO as much anymore. After all ECO just dulls the throttle response and so long as you have a sensible gas foot you can have the best of both worlds. :mod:
As you have likely seen in myriad other threads here, changing from PWR to ECo does not really change the total MPG of the vehicle much, it just maps the available power slightly differently. I am generally able to maintain the same sort of mileage in any driving mode, as my driving style does not change much. Another possible explanation for your mileage could also be the fact that you are getting more used to you car?
You are not getting up to speed any quicker than you would in ECO mode. You are simply using less throttle to do so. I am willing to bet that if you applied more throttle in ECO mode to achieve the same level of acceleration and reach your desired speed (in the same amount of time as you do in Power mode), then you would achieve the same MPG. I could be wrong but that is how the system is designed.
I don't know how or why, but I do better in Normal mode than in Eco. When we first got the Prius, we stayed in Eco all the time. On a 3hr ride to VT, much of it on back roads, my foot got tired in Eco so I switched to Normal. I relaxed and enjoyed the ride and saw an improvement in mpg. Hmmm.. So, I played a bit on my regular commute trying Eco mode vs Normal. Again, normal mode was easier in traffic (less foot pressure), I seemed to be able to get into a glide easier and I had better mileage overall. Now I stay in Normal mode. My husband, who doesn't drive it as often as I do, stays in Eco and doesn't get the mpg that I do, some of which I know is due to different driving styles. I say go with whatever works for you!
The only time I've really noticed any major mpg improvement in ECO mode (qualitatively speaking here--I haven't done any rigorous analysis and don't have the data to do so) is in really hot weather w/ the AC on. I think ECO cuts a little back on the AC, and certainly the fan as well. Still, I've found it possible to keep cool enough in ECO even on hot days, and my car is black w/ light grey interior. (And dang it's been a hot summer here, for us anyway). ~T
94-95 in NYC today.. I gotta say the AC in ECO is like a fridge. The vents were wet with condensation. At one point i had the center left vent pointed down as far as possible and a dime size spot of condensation formed under the radio (no NAV) cover. I set the temp to 70 and once the interior cooled off I set the temp to 75 and turned the fan to 3 bars. Cool as a cuke the whole ride.
See other thread here for ECO vs PWR. @Mickeydawson: Regarding consumption - my personal experience is that with PWR I get worse FE if using it in town. It is very difficult for me to fine tune the acceleration I want and at speeds below 70km/h (that is at typical 30-60km/h speeds in town) ECO does for me a better job than PWR. See my comment on the thread mentioned above on why, in my opinion. This is how I use the modes: 1) ECO mode - in town all the time; also for better management of the A/C-heating 2) normal mode: suburban, non-highway speeds (max 100-120km/h) 3) PWR mode: highway (or when wanting to have fun... ). If I ever use the modes differently, I can immediately notice differences in FE. Until somebody with ScanGauge cannot measure parameters that can tell us exactly what happens at the HSD when using the different modes at low to mild accelerations, it is all speculation, IMHO and differences in FE at the different modes are then really only linked to driver's driving patters and types of roads/traffic - i.e. too difficult to judge objectively. All in all, if you get better FE in PWR, go ahead - better than getting worse FE Anyone should really drive their Prius as they wish.
