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Thanks to everyone on this forum for all of the great information. It's easy to get addicted. My wife does not yet understand how a new car can involve so much research and practice. But she will. :)

We bought our new 2007 Prius (package #3) in early December. My lack of knowledge led me to assume that that would be it.........I would get great mileage, spend less gas, and reduce emissions. My first tank was a "disappointing" 41 mpg, which made me think "I bet there is much more to read & learn about mileage and this car." Boy was that the case.

It's 5 weeks later, and I'm a different driver. I drive for mileage. I have good habits. And I try to use all the Prius tools at my disposal when the opportunities arise. I'm halfway through my fifth tank, and I'm sitting at 58 mpg. 60 mpg is within site, and at 1800 miles I still have yet to experience the "break in".

I'm lucky to enjoy not only the warm Texas weather, but also a 12 mile dream commute to work that is all 40 mph speed limit boulevards with stop lights and a 400 foot total drop in elevation. This morning I coasted in at around 80 mpg for the entire trip in, and with more practice I bet that can go up. Going back home is, well, not quite as good. ;)

Not only did I have no idea how mileage could be improved dramatically with my Prius, I had no clue how much FUN and RELAXING it would be. Looking forward to more reading and learning, as well as future 70 mpg tanks!

Welcome to CleanMPG! I agree with you; driving for mileage is VERY addicting.:D

Hi Mparrish:

___Sounds like you have got the bug bad and I thank you from all of us here at CleanMPG for it! Not only are you doing your part to save the planet but you are having fun while doing it as well! You can’t beat that … Until you install an aftermarket - 5 kWh A123 Systems PHEV upgrade - pack in a few years and don’t burn any fuel at all on that wonderful commute you described ;)

___Good Luck and Welcome to CleanMPG!

___Wayne

Welcome! Sounds like you are off to a heck of a start!

Thanks for the encouragement.

While my commute to work is fantastic, my commute back home (up 500 feet over 12 miles) is not nearly as good. I'm testing various routes to determine which one is least painful. I've got a few options, and am hoping to do some tests to compare them. While I'm doing that, I'd be interested to hear some opinions based upon your own experiences.

Here are my options.

(1) 12 mile trip back the way I came........all 40 mph boulevards and a gradual incline all the way
(2) 10 mile trip on a major highway..........bump & go traffic for the first 66%, highway speed for the last 33%..............a gradual incline all the way.
(3) 18 mile trip. 5 miles dramatic incline on 40 mph boulevards, 8 miles gradual incline at highway speed, 5 miles level on 40 mph boulevards.

So far, it feels like (3) is the best. But I haven't compared any hard numbers yet. Any experience with choosing among poor routes out there?

My only recommendation is that you be sure to focus on total gallons used when you come to a decision. Sometimes a longer route comes up with better numbers on the MFD but actually results in higher daily consumption, which defeats the purpose IMO. I have a strong feeling that option 3 is going to be just such a situation given that you are talking 50-80% more miles travelled.

1 or 2 is probably best. A Prius can do incredible things in highway stop&crawl if you are good or willing to get better at DWB, so don't discount that option. That said, my money is on option 1 since it would keep you under 40mph.

I have the same problem with my commute. I can get her a touch over 60mpg in the morning (should be better in the spring) but I'm struggling to keep 50mpg on the way back since I hit the highway on a cool ICE and then travel up 300ft in elevation to my apartment. The only thing going for me is that the shortest route also puts the car in its best driving enviromnent (back roads under 40mph.)

Keep us posted while you figure this out!

I'm going to guess 2. You realy should try each for a bit.

Back the way I came. (1) seems to be the best option. Better MPG than (2). Roughly same MPG as (3) BUT 6 fewer miles of emissions.

Thanks for the advice to keep my perspective. This is about reducing emissions, not beating a high score on my Prius video game.

I have a 25 mile roundtrip commute. I must admit that everytime I hear about a PHEV with a 20-30 mile EV range, I start salivating.

I thought 2 was the shortest distance.

Did you mention what the mpg's were for each trip? You need to divide mpg by the distance you drive to get how much fuel you use. That will tell you if you which one realy saves you gas. Of the top of my head I think the first option will need to get you 20% more MPG to break even with option 2. So if you get 50mpg with option 2 you would need to get 60mpg with option 1. at 55mpg with option 2 you would need 66mpg to break even.

Without knowing the mpg of each trip it is hard to say which is better, but I might stick with #2