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Can someone post a link to a mapquest image (or similary) or tell me what the course was for the marathon prius run in August of last year(?) with speed limits and distances for the appropriate sections of the course. For example, was it done on a two lane 45 mph stretch ten miles long, were there a lot of stop lights in the course? Elevation changes? Etc.

I have been averaging about 74 mpg on my route to work that has 2 yield signs, 2 stop signs, and 34 stoplights. I know temperatures are changing. I haven't rotated the tires or changed the oil yet. Is it my route that yields this type of mpg (potential for FE disaster with all those stoplights)? Is it the fact that the car is newer (break-in)?

I am looking to try a course in my area (when the weather is correct) to assess my skills and learn. I have pulsed and glided (word?) and cannot get the car to coast that extra tenth of a mile or so (no arrows on MFD during glide) of a mile that would push me to a 90-100 mpg segment on each P&G.

I think its the lights, but who knows, I am new to this.

Thanks,

Chris

Hi VaBeachPrius:

___Here is the profile.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/medium/Marathon_Profile.jpg

___All four lane (two in each direction) w/ speed limits of 30 - 50 mph IIRC. I believe there were 10 stop lights and 2 stop signs for a one-way 15 mile segment. What else did you want to know?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

That should do it. I was just curious about the route of travel to see if I could duplicate something like that near where I live in similar conditions on a much smaller scale (distance wise).

It is essentially flat here. The amount of stoplights in my commute (34) really makes getting into a rhythm difficult. I am searching for a "long", relatively unused backroad with low speed limits to practice getting good segments. From what I learn there, I want to apply that to my technique during my route of travel to improve from the mid 70's to mid 80's on a daily basis (weather and traffic dependent). Practice makes perfect. I am trying to see how much my route affects my overall mpg.

yeah i have lots to learn about the mystical prius. Pretty much I always try to pulse and glide all the way. Extend the glides as long as no one is behind me and agressive pulses <25 mpg without needing to touch the battery or sometimes when mpg >35 then I'll give charge back to the battery but at the cost of increasing my speed (really a tradeoff sometimes I rather pulse hard and get the engine roaring but always never trying to pull from the battery) and then getting to feel the engine shut off. I really hate how laggy the MFD is since I'm used to the fast instant feel of the scangauge (I'm getting a Davis Grahram miniscanner soon so that'll solve my problem) so I'm tempted to turn it off and drive by feel and only turning it on if I want to check my score.

Right now its a big distraction, I have a lot of potholes to avoid and everytime I hit one my speed takes a plunge so I'm sure avoiding them would be the better win for my mileage.

philmcneal,

OT: Have you experimented with blocking off the front grills for better winter FE?