It occurred to me this morning that a Prius with very few options ought to get better fuel economy than a fully-loaded Touring edition due to decreased electrical demand and decreased weight. Has anyone ever tried to quanitfy the difference between the two?
They come out even as tested by the EPA. There have been some reports where the standard Prius does a little bit better, but there are so many other factors it's hard to say with any certainty. The touring model has no more electronics than the standard model, and weight is about even. With either model, reducing electrical consumption and weight will provide some gain in mileage. Tom
Larger effects are achieved by: driving within the control laws - understanding the 42 mph transition attention to warm-up - learning Ken@Japan's guidelines for warm-up tires - low rolling resistance at max side wall pressure wheels - align front and back for minimum toe and low camber fuel quality - some is better than others avoiding AC and defrost heat management in cold weather However, I would suggest a better approach is to not get too wrapped up in ultimate mileage but learn enough to achieve 'good enough.' We drive to work and live, not live and work to drive. Our Prius is a tool, a very nice tool, but gosh, life is more than just mileage. Now for me, it has also become a hobby and I find investigating the technology terribly interesting. Things like power flows, transaxle internals, control laws and even battery chemistry fascinate me. Our Prius bring a whole host of technologies that like a huge jig saw puzzle, keep me challenged and amused. But as for driving for mileage, if it doesn't improve the base vehicle performance, I quickly lose interest in "one time" tricks. There are ultimate people transports built around a motorcycle in a pod that can achieve mileage that makes our Prius look like a gas guzzler. The kids who compete in the college mileage competitions are getting 2,000+ miles per gallon. If mileage alone is the goal, there are better vehicles than a Prius. But if you want a good, general purpose solution, it is hard to beat a Prius or Camry hybrid. My thinking is learn what works in the Prius, practice what works for you, and then enjoy the ride. If you are interested in technical puzzles, this is a great vehicle to start with. Regardless, enjoy the ride through life. Bob Wilson
the standard model = no voice response system and dvd under the drivers seat and no jpb amp under the passenger seat that really gets hot so i think YES the basic model will be the best to go for FE
Thanks Bob Wilson for your excellent post. I don't get mileage as good as a lot of the people on Prius Chat report, but do use pulse and glide when it is safe to do so. The main thing is that I enjoy my Prius every time I drive it.
