Hi everyone, just bought my first Prius yesterday, a 2004 model with only 39,000 miles on it! Took my first long trip today and averaged 46.9 MPG. Hoping to break the 50 mark. I've heard some people block the grill in the front to improve the MPG. Can some people posts some pictures here so that I can see what it looks like. And how did you do it? Where did you buy the material? Also, looking to get some good weather mats. Any recommendations? Thanks!
Welcome. The authoritative source is Tony's thread, My first day with a blocked grill. I compression fit some pipe insulation in the upper grill and fit some uncut tubes over the lower and secure with a twist tie. The insulation should be available at every hardware store.
Hi nipez, welcome to PriusChat! :welcome: It's getting on to summer, so blocking the grill won't do much good until next fall. The purpose of blocking the grill is to get and keep the Internal Combustion Engine warmer faster. As the weather warms (in the northern hemisphere) you don't need to do this and run a risk of getting the ICE too hot. A search here on PC will find many threads discussing how to do it and which materials you can use. Many people who block the grill use foam pipe insulation. For mats, check out the Prius Shop where your purchase helps support PriusChat.com.
