Well, I'm now back home from my Denver trip. Fuel economy calculations are a more normal 43.6 on that hilly drive according to the ole' calculator. The computer was more enthusiastic. I averaged 48 mpg according to it. I would like a bit better, but still not too shabby for a winter trip that still had some headwinds (15mph at worst) on the drive home.
As compared to the VUE it replaced, it's not as comfortable as the Saturn was. However, it's still plenty acceptable for road trips. I never dreaded getting back into the car to continue the drive.
My husband, two kids and I just returned from a 2650 mile trip from Fort Collins, CO to Highland, CA and back in our 2004 Prius. Like Wolfman, we also encountered a lot of head wind in New Mexico and Arizona that really decreased our mpg's to sub 40 during parts of the trip. There were other parts where we were closer to 50. Calculator average for the whole trip was 44 mpg with approximately 60 gallons of gas used and $91.50 spent. All in all, we really enjoyed the trip. We were afraid we might be cramped with the four of us, luggage and Christmas presents. We actually had plenty of room and had a comfortable trip. I am impressed with how well the Prius climbs. I have owned two Honda civics and a Saturn and none could climb like the Prius. I would not hesitate to take it on a long road trip again.
So Cal to Phoenix and Back I recently (Dec 23-28th) made a trip from Lake Forest, CA to Surprize, AZ (Phoenix area). Doing 70-75mph most of the way (Cruise) with some bursts to 80-85 to pass w/o being run over, a car load of family and gifts, I averaged 42-44mpg based on the display. I was experiencing capacity issues though, my gauge was down to 4 bars in Blythe after filling up in Corona. When I filled, I got ~4.5-5 gallons in. On my way back, I filled up in Surprise, AZ, and then hit the add fuel light as I approached San Bernardino. That time I added about 8.5 gallons. Considering the load of gifts in the rear (I only had a small hole to see through the window), I think I fared pretty well.
