I just got back from my Milwaukee Wisconsin to Orlando trip in my 2012 plug in prius, and I will try to explain how impressed I am with this car. My stats are: 2561.6 miles and 48.312 gallons of gas used, so I got 53 MPG. My average speed read 65 on the dash, but most of the time I was driving 70mph. It took my wife and I 2 days to drive about 9-10 hours a day, stopping hald way in manchester TN. We also had 2 kids in the back with a trunk full of stuff. I recharged at each hotel that I stayed at and charged up in Orlando too but I only drove about 20 miles in town and took Disney trasnportation every where else including to Tampa Fl. The car handled very well and the ride was pretty quiet. I few things that I observed on my trip was that when you are driving with the window defroster and foot vent setting on and you set the temp in the low 70's it was cooling the car very well (even in the 93 degree temps of florida) but the AC light was not on. even though cool air was coming out. (so the AC must have been on). The car gets pushed over quite a bit by passing semi's. The fast wiper mode was not fast enough for the downpours we expereriened. The car handed very well dring through the 600 foot elevation of the hills in Tennessee and Georgia. I was able to recharge about 2 miles on the battery going down the steep hills but it seemed that the car used it right back up again over the next 10 minutes of driving after the hill. I have 15 % window tint which really helped keeping the car cool and preventing sun burn on my and my kids arms. What other car can do this...Milwaukee to Florida $170 vs $1250 for airline tickets for a family of 4.... Amazing
No - My friends were encouraging my to drive my Highlander Hybrid for a more comfortable ride and more room....but I think the prius did just fine and had enough room for all our stuff.
The car handed very well during through the 600 foot elevation of the hills in Tennessee and Georgia. A 600 foot "hill" is a speed bump in California.
I had pretty much the same experience. I got 60 MPG EV-Booted with charges at the hotels. If I take out the EV miles, I got 57 MPG. 1,110 miles trip cost $67. Three people with luggages, snacks and drinks. Ran A/C all the way, even in EV mode. Before the trip, I was concern about lowering my EV/HV mile ratio. After the trip, wow, it was great HV miles well used. 100% satisfied because PiP is so efficient with either fuel.
