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My first tank was 60 miles/gallon and the amount of battery power I have effects how often I can glide. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=86912)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/546/Ryan_s_Prius-II.jpgRyan Forbess - CleanMPG.com (www.cleanmpg.com) - April 16, 2008

Ryan standing next to his 2004 Prius-II.

Having always driven trucks and SUVS I always said I would never drive a small car. With all the usual reasons, not safe, I’m not comfortable, no storage, I have to be able to tow with it. But one day when it finally cost $80.00 to fillup my 2005 Dodge Ram Quad Cab, I thought, I wonder if there is a way to get better gas mileage. So I starting googling better gas mileage. The search engine took me to Clean MPG.com and I starting reading about Hypermiling and how it helps FE.

I took those methods and saw immediate results, Drive slower, keep your rpm’s low, check your tire pressure, and coast downhill when possible.

I have to say I had fun trying to get better gas mileage and be the most FE Dodge Ram on CleanMPG.com mileage log site. I had been driving the Ram for a year and was averaging 17 mpg and spent $3100.65 on gas. After using those methods I increased my mileage to 18.2mpg. Driving a truck was necessary at the time due to my job. Then suddenly a job opportunity arose that would require me to drive further to work. It wouldn’t make any sense to commute in a Pickup so I starting considering a small FE vehicle. I went to CleanMPG.com and looked at the FE of various vehicles other readers had. After a week of thought and another $80.00 fill up, I decided to go to the car lot and just see how I would fit in a small car. I’m 6’3” and a large frame. As soon as I stepped out of my Dodge, I saw a Toyota Prius over in the used car lot. I took a look at it and saw it was in good shape and took it for a test drive. I fit in surprisingly well and liked its techie feel with the MFD. The next day I sold the Dodge Ram and bought the Prius. I thought gas isn’t going down only up and my Dodge was going to be worth less because who could afford to fill it up on a regular basis. I thought all my friends would make fun of me for the change but when I told them they seemed to understand. I think more truck people are either softening to the thought of FE vehicles or trying to get better FE in their current vehicle. Thanks to all the advice from the folks at CleanMPG.com couldn’t and wouldn’t have done it without your advice and knowledge.

What a great story. I wish Ryan many miles of enjoyment in his "new" Prius.

Great testimony!
I wish the contractors in our parking lot felt the same way! 90% full size trucks with most of those 4x4.
With the switch to the Pri, you will have much more cash left each week.

Fantastic article. Smart move Ryan, glad all you found all the information.

I predict you'll like the Prius quite a bit.

11011011

This thread could be called "Give yourself a raise"

Here are the numbers:

Dodge Ram:
16,020 miles
17 MPG
942 gal.
$3061.50

Prius:
16,020 miles
60 MPG
267 gal.
$867.75

difference $2193.75 Not a bad raise in by book.

Congratulations, Ryan. I'd wish you "good luck" with the Prius, but you won't need it. ;)
Each time you fill up the tank, which will be a much rarer occurence, you will be smiling inside. Good for you and a great article!

Ryan:

Congratulations on being the "Ride of the week" !!!

I could not think of a better or more inspirational story myself ... even if I tried.
It is awesome to have you in the ranks. :D

Welcome !!!


MSantos

Congrats on the new wheels, Ryan. That worked out very well that there was a Prius at the lot where you decided to go look at cars. A Ram quad cab to a Prius is pretty much the ultimate swap in terms of fuel economy.

Congratulations, Ryan! With your ability to recognize a problem and then make the best of the situation (hypermiling the Dodge Ram because at the time you needed the truck) and when circumstances allowed doing the swap to the Prius, you will go far. The world needs more people like you who do what needs to be done instead of just whining about how bad things are.

Smart move, Ryan. You should enjoy a significant savings on your gasoline expenses - especially with hypermiling.

Your Prius is a 2004 model, isn't it? Perhaps you saved enough up front money by buying a used Prius in order to justify adding plug-in capability.

If you are interested, read some of the reports from CalCars, a group of California Plug-In enthusiasts. They have made several plug-in Prius conversions, and more than doubled their MPG numbers.

The CalCars website is:

http://www.calcars.org/

very good article, ryan. i wish everyone out there had your common sense. you will certainly enjoy not spending so much time and money at the pumps.

As an added bonus you won't be turned into a pumpkin either. ;)

Smart move, Ryan. You should enjoy a significant savings on your gasoline expenses - especially with hypermiling.

Your Prius is a 2004 model, isn't it? Perhaps you saved enough up front money by buying a used Prius in order to justify adding plug-in capability.

If you are interested, read some of the reports from CalCars, a group of California Plug-In enthusiasts. They have made several plug-in Prius conversions, and more than doubled their MPG numbers.

The CalCars website is:

http://www.calcars.org/
Visited the site. Most say low-speed ev....how low speed? Just curious.

Hi Ryan:

___PHEV conversions allow the Prius-II to run at 34 and below on EV no matter the circumstance. They can run up to 41 under EV in some conditions if you have a very light foot. Above 41, a PHEV w/ a decent SoC will assist even at highway speeds and offer up spectacular numbers. The conversion cost right now is prohibitive but that will soon drop down … 09 and forward conversions will offer even higher speed capability.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

... and to emphasize, ALL of your local errands (mall, post office, school, etc.) could be accomplished without burning a single drop of gasoline. That's the beauty of plug-in.