speeding along at 72 mph on I70 with a 2010 Prius

[waltermlee]

speeding along i70 westbound through pa oh il in ... psi 38/36 no grill blocking
temp 60 f sunny dry going 70 to 77 mph ... scangaugeii mpg reads 39 to 49 mpg avg 45
cant go any slower too much traffic
pa mountain climbs require prius ice to go up to 3.8 gph
- prius engine works very hard just to go 38 mph uphill

hypermile along I40 in Pa but passenger side mirror clips road construction barrier
mirror shatters - need to repair... sigh

[ALS]

My Prius has never seen any speed higher than 62 mph or 100 kph.

I'd want to cry if I was only getting 45 mpg on the highway with my Prius.

If I want to drive 70 mph on the Interstate that is what the Volvo is for.

What most people don't understand is, as you increase your speed the higher the possibility of paint being chipped on the front bumper and mirror assemblies by the road garbage kicked up other vehicles around you. My body guy told me this one a few years ago. He could always tell who was a speeder and who drove the speed limit just by looking at the mileage on the odometer and the damage to the paint on the front end of the car. BTW just for reference to remove your front bumper cover, paint it and reinstall it is between $500 and $600.

[lightfoot]

Originally Posted by waltermlee

speeding along i70 westbound through pa oh il in ... going 70 to 77 mph ... scangaugeii mpg reads 39 to 49 mpg avg 45
cant go any slower too much traffic(

In heavy traffic, people slow down instinctively, making it EASIER to go slower, as long as you stay in the right lane. In lighter traffic there are more speeders but it's simple for them to change lanes and go around you. Medium traffic is more problematic. But I have yet to find a traffic situation that FORCED me to go faster than I wanted to (usually 50mph).

But this is good data for the effect of speed on mpg in the Prius.

[RedylC94]

Originally Posted by lightfoot

But I have yet to find a traffic situation that FORCED me to go faster than I wanted to (usually 50mph).
.

When you're on a busy Interstate doing 50 mph and all the other traffic, including the semi behind you in the right lane, is doing 70+, that may not literally FORCE you to speed up, but it's so intimidating as to have almost the same effect.

Most of the Prii I see on Interstates are speeding about as fast as everybody else.

[lightfoot]

Originally Posted by RedylC94

When you're on a busy Interstate doing 50 mph and all the other traffic, including the semi behind you in the right lane, is doing 70+, that may not literally FORCE you to speed up, but it's so intimidating as to have almost the same effect.

There shouldn't BE a semi on your tail. You should have seen him coming up behind you and popped on your haz flashers while he still had an opening in the next lane to the left to shift into. This works at least 90% of the time. Sometimes a car or truck in the next lane over will see the flashers, figure it out, flash their headlights, and leave space for the semi. [Who says drivers in the NE aren't polite??]
I usually flash the semis back into the right lane with my headlights once the trailer has cleared me, just to maintain a state of zen on the roadway.
Normally I don't bother doing any of this for straight trucks because (a) it's easier for them to change lanes and (b) many of them can't figure out flashers.

Originally Posted by RedylC94

Most of the Prii I see on Interstates are speeding about as fast as everybody else.

Correct. Obviously you haven't seen me on the road. I'm the Prius with CT plates ("MO MPG") puttering along in the right lane at 50mph.

[rfruth]

It crackes me up when someone says they have to drive fast or they'll be run over - a neighbor of mine drives 75 on the highway then can't figure out why she needs a windshield at 20 K miles

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by rfruth

It crackes me up when someone says they have to drive fast or they'll be run over - a neighbor of mine drives 75 on the highway then can't figure out why she needs a windshield at 20 K miles

I know right? I've heard stories that you'd get run over in Chicago if you "only" drive the speed limit. I've found otherwise as I have driven 45-50 there lots of times and have never felt my life was in danger.

[lightfoot]

Originally Posted by rfruth

It crackes me up when someone says they have to drive fast or they'll be run over - a neighbor of mine drives 75 on the highway then can't figure out why she needs a windshield at 20 K miles

Exactly. I used to drive 80-85mph in my Subaru, and the windshield got so pitted it was really hard to see through when heading into the sun.

But it's true that having traffic come up from the rear can be upsetting until one gets used to it. When I was speeding, I didn't have to worry much about traffic behind me because only a few people were going faster than me!

[diamondlarry]

The only time my Prius saw 70+ mph was once when I was coming into Cincinnati, OH on I-74 and there was a pretty big downhill stretch. I had lifted off the throttle completely and was quickly approaching 8 bars on the pack battery. 45 mpg in my Prius would be like a really bad day for me...in winter.

[herm]

As I have said before. you dont need to feel intimidated with the right bumper stickers..