My 2006 Prius used to get GREAt gas mileage - 48 mpg around town and 55 mpg on the highway. Recently and all of a sudden, my mpg's have taken a nose dive. I now get 35 mpg! When I'm on the highway, I barely get 44 mpg. I took it to the dealer and they couldn't find anything so they are insistant that it's my driving, oxygenated gas and/or my tire pressure (even though they didn't check the tire pressure). My driving hasn't changed; my friend with a 2004 Prius buys her gas at the same station and she's still getting ~48 mpg so I'm thinking it's not the gas; and I am OCD about keeping my pressure constant. (I own a compressor and check the tire pressure A LOT.) I drive 5 miles to work - about 15-20 minutes - on relatively level paved roads. About 2-3 times a week I travel longer distances at highway speed. I wash and wax the car fairly regularly to reduce wind drag. I have noticed periodically when I'm coasting downhill, my mpg's are less than 20 mpg so I'm thinking something's terribly wrong. Any help would be appreciated.
Wrong forum. Your in the Prius v area. Good luck. btw, your instantaneous is 20 MPG coasting downhill? How does that happpen?
Here is your help: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-answer-these-questions-esp-if-youre-new.html Fill it out then we can proceed helping you.
It seems that there may be a problem that is causing your engine to run all the time. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various "stages of hybrid operation" so that you know when your engine should and shouldn't cut out and see if something is abnormal. Yep definitely something seems wrong there. Are you talking about coasting at really slow speed in this case? See : http://www.techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/five-stages.txt
...also the first 5 minutes is always lower MPG (~25 MPG), so lots of 10-15 minute trips might be ~35 MPG in colder weather
