I've completed my first spreasheed tracking the fuel economy of my '03 Prius. I bought my car with 395 miles on it, and didn't record the first fillup, so there will be differing numbers here. I now have ~14,600 miles on my Prius, which I purchased mid November 03. Total miles since tracking fuel mileage: 13,278 miles Total gallons of fuel purchased: 293.2 gallons Total miles per gallon by the calculator: 45.3 mpg Total miles per gallon according to the optimistic computer: 48.7 mpg I have no complaints thus far as the car has seen 30 mph plus headwinds that would have put my Saturn VUE well into the teens, below zero temps, and does it's fair share of driving hilly terrain. The fuel economy computer has had me well into the mid 50's since filling up yesterday. Ya gotta love these cars. :mrgreen:
Wow. You're really doing a great job keeping track of all that. I hadn't recorded any of my first 5 tanks because I didn't think it'd really matter in the long run. Now that I shoot for higher mileage, I always record! Not on paper, though, but rather in my db. It says: Mi: 2,528 Mi/Tank: 361 MPG: 45.1 Best Trip: 445 mi @ 47.3 mpg Gal Gas: 56.1 Gas/Tank: 8.0
When talking about your Prius, have you noticed how most people have absolutely no clue what the heck MPG they actually get? Taking the effort to physically document your MPG is a big step, something you'll really appreciate later... when others finally take notice of the genuine benefit hybrids provide. The traditional vehicles will fade to just a memory after awhile, with so few actual details about their true performance (or lack of).
No, I haven't noticed I've only seen about 10 Prius before, including the 7 others at the Orlando shindig. At least I'm up to date John -- you've never responded to any of my emails before! What's that matter with you?
Yeah. I'm not surprised though. I live in Texas, and almost everyone here seemingly owns a truck or SUV. Due to this, the reaction to the Prius is one of indifference from most. Despite this, there are four Prii in our parking garage, three classics, and one black 04. I've seen what are two distinctly diffrent ones that go into the opposite side of the grounds, and into the far parking lot as well. I do get to laugh a bit though. One co worker drives a Honda Insight. Surprisingly, I'm usually within 2 to 3 mpg of what she's getting. Of course, she drives that car like a typical Texan (read VERY aggressively), and I'm babying mine in the effort to squeeze every last inch out of that drop of gas. Quite often our greeting is, "I'm at xx.x mpg right now, what are you getting?" :mrgreen: Tracking the fuel economy is actually fun. I have graphs set up to plot the figures as well, and it's interesting to see how much the mileage varies, even down here in the south, where the climate is milder. Additionally, it offers a window of observation of a problem before it manifests itself into a major event.
Wolfman -- are you weighting your mileages properly? I don't see why the computer's value is so off. Also, if you want you can add your stuff to the online database. It does all your calculations and graphs it, too.
Yes, I'm confident of the calculations. I've gotten very good at consistently getting the fuel filled right up to the top of the filler neck every time I fill the tank. Every time I've had a calculation that has been closer to the computer than normal, the next fill will cancel it out.
I use a Palm and use a database product called "Smartlist" (now owned by DataViz - http://www.dataviz.com/) and I threw together a little program that allows me to enter the date, my mileage, the gallons put in the tank and the cost and it calculates the mileage for the tank and updates the overall mileage since inception. The database product combos start at $49.99. (I have no relationship with DataViz - I just happen to use their product to keep track of my billing in my consulting business) and if anyone is interested I will post a copy of the Smartlist for the Prius.
What a waste of money Haven't you seen the real mileage database at my site, GreenHybrid? http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/
Nice web site. Didn't know it existed. The thing for me with the Palm is that it is convenient since I always have it with me. I simply fill up and enter the data right then and there. Takes the place of paperwork to keep track of.
I am amazed at how my driving habits have changed in just 800 miles with this car, and I attribute that to having the computer readout of the MPG making me constantly aware of my gas usage. I rarely find it necessary to speed any more and I often look ahead several blocks to gauge the traffic patterns at upcoming intersections so I can coast where appropriate. Of course, my emphasis on MPG is a bit in conflict with our son's desire to see the battery bars all light up green, but fortunately there are several good downhill jaunts at which we can get to green on each trip.
