[Panjandrum]

Just found this online:

http://www.bankrate.com/nsc/news/auto/20030312a1.asp

Looks like they did even worse than most of us here, but overall it is still rated the second most fuel efficient car.

(For those not wanting to delve further, Consumer Reports testers got 35 city and 50 highway.)

 

[oldfox]

Interesting article but it looks like they did the tests on 2003 models - if so, the 2004 should do even better.

 

[jflowerus]

-
When I saw the Consumer Reports article I was a little miffed because
I have a 2004 and a 2003 and get 55mpg around town in the 2003. I can get 61mpg in 2004 if I drive carefully. I have to add that I live in Arizona where snow and very cold weather are not a factor.
I wonder if CR is playing down the mpg because these cars are so scarce or are they just testing them under the most severe conditions?
-

 

[veggivet]

Your garage is way too clean!! :lol: Must be nice not having to deal with mud this time of year.

 

[Guest]

Hi All:

___By the looks of the article, they were testing an 03 Prius, not an 04, right?

___As for the scarcity stuff, look at all of the mpgs they pulled. There isnt much there that did anywhere near EPA estimates in the city runs in particular. The hwy runs were beating EPAs on a number of automobiles however? I own 2 of the vehicles on their top ten list and have never seen anywhere near as low a fuel economy in either! That includes when the wife and son are driving in 10 degree temperatures and they cant drive for economy if their lives depended on it!

___Jflowerus, have you considered placing your tank data into the Real Mileage Database over at GreenHybrid? There arent many 01-03s listed right now and they could use a few higher mileage drivers in the 04 arena as well

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:24faa36c][email protected][/email:24faa36c]

 

[moocatdog]

-
When I saw the Consumer Reports article I was a little miffed because
I have a 2004 and a 2003 and get 55mpg around town in the 2003. I can get 61mpg in 2004 if I drive carefully. I have to add that I live in Arizona where snow and very cold weather are not a factor.
I wonder if CR is playing down the mpg because these cars are so scarce or are they just testing them under the most severe conditions?

As has been discussed on this forum, EPA testing is done under strictly controlled conditions designed to maximize efficiency--not the kind of driving most of us do on a daily basis. Consumer Reports tested the '04 Prius and achieved a combined 44 mpg, which is what I've averaged since getting my Prius in October. I never expected to approach the mpg you are getting in Arizona and I'll be ecstatic if I do.
Drive happy,
Moo

 

[Phoenix]

I have read Consumer Reports since the 70's, and their auto tests have always been pretty accurate. However, they only keep their cars for a short period of time (with the exception a few long-term tests); and I doubt if they had a Prius long enough to pick up all the economy driving tricks that Prius owners discover on the Web and by trial and error.

After all, how many of us got our best mileage runs during the first month or two of ownership. It takes a little time to figure out the tricks that work, most of which are definitely not the techniques that apply to regular cars.

I wish they would keep a Prius for one of their long-term tests, like they said they were going to do a couple of years ago. I never heard the results on that one.

 

[tjl]

CR's fuel economy test results are listed somewhere on its web site (in the free section).

CR does its tests on its test track. City is some simulated stop and go driving, while highway is 65mph. Note that these tests are different from the EPA tests.

Especially for cars with automatic transmissions, the city mileage in CR's test can be much worse than the EPA rating. But some manual transmission cars (e.g. Insight, Golf TDI diesel) also got low CR city mileage compared to their EPA mileage.

 

[jflowerus]

Your garage is way too clean!! :lol: Must be nice not having to deal with mud this time of year.

-
It's just an illusion! You really can't see the mess in my garage from that picture!

Mud and snow! What's that? Oh yes, I remember. After 48 years of it in Chicago, I moved west, young man!

 

[jflowerus]

___Jflowerus, have you considered placing your tank data into the Real Mileage Database over at GreenHybrid? There arent many 01-03s listed right now and they could use a few higher mileage drivers in the 04 arena as well
___Wayne R. Gerdes

-
Those guys over at that NG are way to detailed for me!

 

[Guest]

Hi Phoenix:

I have read Consumer Reports since the 70's, and their auto tests have always been pretty accurate. However, they only keep their cars for a short period of time (with the exception a few long-term tests); and I doubt if they had a Prius long enough to pick up all the economy driving tricks that Prius owners discover on the Web and by trial and error.

After all, how many of us got our best mileage runs during the first month or two of ownership. It takes a little time to figure out the tricks that work, most of which are definitely not the techniques that apply to regular cars.

___On the other side of that coin is the fact that std. ICE automobiles can be driven with the same techniques the Hybrids use to maximize fuel economy in many situations as well. I doubt CRs own drivers are using anything other then going from light to light in a given time frame and at cruise to receive their own real world results. I dont think anyone trains for high fuel economy driving anywhere but if you give someone a game gauge, they will eventually figure it out and hopefully transfer that knowledge back to their every day ICE equipped automobiles. If they wanted too that is See the link below. This came about from what I learned using the Game Gauge in the MDX. It is too bad our education system doesnt teach this kind of thing for the good of the country

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mile ... hp?cid=164 = 42.4 mpg over 11,363 miles from 09/15/03 - 03/29/04. Max range 674 miles.

___Jflowerus, maybe you would like to participate after all, yes

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:389lmuc2][email protected][/email:389lmuc2]

 

[john1701a]

> maybe you would like to participate after all

50 PSI in tires that are only rated for 44 PSI is just plain not safe, period.

I wouldn't recommend anyone else try that.

 

[Guest]

Hi John1701a:

___The 195/65R15s GY Integritys have a higher load rating then the 185/65R15s you are using by over 110#s/per tire and the vehicle they are on is at least 300 #s lighter. Do you want to add anything about burst strengths and pressures? What does your Prius door say vs. the 42/44 you are running?

___In regards to the topic at hand, I am amazed every time I see the following:

http://john1701a.com/prius/prius-data09.htm : 45.8 mpg over 9,887 miles from 10/23/03 - 03/31/04. Max range 420 miles.

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mile ... hp?cid=164 : 42.4 mpg over 11,363 miles from 09/15/03 - 03/29/04. Max range 674 miles.

___You are also more then welcome to place your own multiple tanks data in the list. There is some very good real world mileage data that can be compared side to side given all the Prius, HCHs, and Insights in the list to date. There is a lack of 01-03 Prius listed so maybe you could input those for your 01 as well?

___If only I could use 0W-20 and the Integritys on my ICE based driver were just 7.4 wide instead of 7.9

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:3vz2fazc][email protected][/email:3vz2fazc]

 

[john1701a]

> 195/65R15s GY Integritys have a higher load rating

What does that have to do with PSI ?

 

[Guest]

Hi John1701a:

___They can take more weight at a given pressure meaning tougher I wonder how a Corolla with skinnier tires running at max sidewall so as to match your Prius would do? I an bet even higher mpgs

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:3rzpbht1][email protected][/email:3rzpbht1]

 

[john1701a]

> They can take more weight at a given pressure meaning tougher

What? Just take a look at your sidewall. It says 44 PSI max.

How does that make 50 PSI safe?

 

[Guest]

Hi John1701a:

___What does it say on the inside of your Prius door again? I dont own a Prius but maybe you can tell me?

___58,000 miles worth of safe with higher load rated GY Integritys is why. As it stands, I have almost as high a fuel economy using wider tires, heavier weight oil, and its not even a Hybrid? Is there something wrong with your Prius?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:muvd3e2z][email protected][/email:muvd3e2z]

 

[moocatdog]

Hi John1701a:

___What does it say on the inside of your Prius door again? I dont own a Prius but maybe you can tell me?

___58,000 miles worth of safe with higher load rated GY Integritys is why. As it stands, I have almost as high a fuel economy using wider tires, heavier weight oil, and its not even a Hybrid? Is there something wrong with your Prius?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:9ohq3ubp][email protected][/email:9ohq3ubp]

xcel,
I have to admit that the technique you use when composing your messges sometimes leaves me confused. In this thread you seem to be upset with john1701a because he suggested that running your vehicle at 50 PSI might not be safe and then asked you to explain why you think it is. Personally, I think the mileage you are getting in your Corolla is phenomenal, so I'd like to know more about your tire pressure calculations as well. Would you explain your methods of determining maximum tire pressures?
Drive happy,
Moo

 

[Guest]

Hi Moocatdog:

___There was a tire engineer in one of the auto forums posting late last year although since I participate in quite a few, I dont remember which one? He gave an overview of burst pressures (static or otherwise) and most tires will far exceed 100 #s as an example. With that, 50 #s is my limit in the RE92s clad on the Insight and the Integritys on the Corolla. As for load carrying capability of the larger 195 Integritys on a Corolla vs. the Prius 185s, GYs site lists the specs. The one I am interested in regards to strength is the max load @ 35 #s of 1,279 #s for the 195s and 1,168 #s for the 185s. With the Prius being a heavier automobile, I dont think running 44 #s in the Prius is the entire key to success either but with mileage being the priority, this certainly helps lower rolling resistance.

___In regards to John, You have to ask him time and time again to get an answer and I still have no replies? The Insighters have run 50 + #s for years in their Bridgestone RE92s and not only do they receive minimal tire wear that would make an 01-03 Prius owner blush, they receive phenomenal fuel economy from them at that pressure as well The Corolla with its Integritys has done quite a number of miles with higher then spec pressures and with 58,000 on them currently, I dont know why anyone would drive with the door listed pressures in any automobile I believe John has found the same?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:j6hrv6y9][email protected][/email:j6hrv6y9]

 

[greenhybrid]

Perhaps I should pop in here. First off, thanks for mentioning my site. I've been getting some nice referral flows from here.

There's currently only 1 Prius I with data entered, but the database is steadily growing. I'm confident that in another month or two it will become a very reliable source -- that is, if I can kick the remaining bugs out of the system. I'm constantly fixing small issues that come up, and luckily there hasn't been anything noticable to the typical visitor.

If there are any additional calculations, etc. you desire, let me know.