I may have had my best tank ever, 57.348 (calculated) This is the story. We had a warm snap 2 weeks or so ago. Temps into the 60's even. At the end of that the weather turned and it got cold and was raining so I filled up a different pump that I usually do. I also filled the tank early at 416 tank mi because I was going on a trip the next day and wanted to buy gas locally at a known lower price. I had 53.1 mpg on the computer and had been driving a new rout too and from work that had the mpg climbing during the second half of the tank. It was in the high 30's when I filled blowing and raining sideways. The pump was one of those hard ones and I had to baby every gallon in and I put just over 7 gallons in and that was it. I did not spill but I could not get more in. I would have expected about 8 gallons. So I get the "best tank" and I figured I short filled the tank and the next one would be low but it was not. Despite bad cold weather I got 53.057 mpg, and the gage was normal no early dropping from "full" as I expected. That fill was usual at my regular pump that plays nice with my car. The second fill was also short miles 348 on the tank because I was going on a longish trip and did not want to hunt for a station in Seattle where I do not know the area and prices. So is this my new best or not.
Here is a follow up my last tank that I drove to the last bar was a 8.955 gal fill with a calculated mpg of 45.226 mpg my second worse tank. The computer said 51.3 which seems more intuitive as there was a longish drive on the freeway and I have been driving very carefully. Am I having seeing difficulty with the bladder that is throwing off the calculated mpg from the pump. At least one of these I thought was a short fill because I was having terrible problems with the pump shut off. I will never use that pump again. Any ideas? This is not making a lot of sense to me. Maybe the only number I can trust is the lifetime average?
My best tank on record is 50.5MPG. for now... The tank I'm currently working on is hovering around 53.0MPG and I'm doing all I can to make sure it finishes above 53. That will be my best tank to date.
I actually haven't kept track historically (wish I had), but I think the current tank may be the best. In the first "real" spring week late March and early April, we came in at 49.99. The current tank, reflecting a week of some gorgeous weather in the 60s (but still 39-40 in the morning), we are currently running at 54.0 after 400 miles. I think when the morning temperature breaks consistently above 40, something around or above 55 is certainly doable, even here in New England.
Right now baby! Temps are up, odometer miles up, and mileage UP! Showing 51.8 @ 400 miles on current tank. http://www.w8kc.com/priusmileage.htm You guys that wished you tracked your mileage from the start may as well start now!
i have tracked every drop of gas ive used and ive come to the conclusion that the MFD numbers are about as accurate as you can get.