The most fuel efficient vehicle available proves itself yet again. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Sept. 11, 2024 5th Gen Toyota Prius LE Parked in Jersey City, NJ just hours after achieving the new U.S. Coast to Coast Guinness World Record. Las Vegas, NV -- The award-winning 5th gen Toyota Prius continues its winning ways as it recently set the bar for outright efficiency. At this years Toyota US Dealer Meeting, the 5th gen Prius was awarded the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS for lowest fuel consumption driving across the U.S. from the coast to coast. Earlier this summer, I drove from LA City Hall to New York City Hall in a Prius LE. While doing so, the car achieved 93.158 MPG for the entire trip across the states. This smashed the previous record of 76.6 mpg set while driving the Kia Niro HEV. Over two decades ago, the Prius was introduced to the world as the first production hybrid car and ushered in a new generation of vehicles that combined an electric motor with a high-efficiency engine to dramatically increase fuel economy. And since that time, it has most certainly lived up to its initial billing. 5th Gen 2023 – 2024 Toyota Prius With the 5th gen redesign in 2023, the Toyota Prius grabs attention with its "un-Prius" like, sleek exterior. 2023 Toyota Prius LE My own 5th gen parked across the Mississippi from the St. Louis Arch, Gateway to the West. Along with its easily recognized and standout curb appeal, the real news is its fifth generation Hybrid drivetrain with its heavily atkinsonized 2.0L engine and hybrid drive. The combination not only provides a 57 mpgUS combined rating but punches out a combined 194 hp – 196 hp from the AWD variant, and propels the new Prius to 60 in just over 7-seconds! As everyone here knows, the Prius is available as an LE (57/56/57 mpgUS city/highway/combined) as well as XLE and Limited trims (both offer owners 53/54/54 mpgUS city/highway/combined). The trio starts at $27,950 (LE), $31,395 (XLE), and $34,965 (Limited) + $1,135 D&H respectively. There are two other standouts that all-new 5th gen Toyota Prius provides. It also includes the latest Toyota Multimedia Audio system including for the first time, wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The LE includes an 8” central display while the XLE (optional) and Limited include a beautiful 12.3” display. In addition, the Prius includes Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 standard across all trims. This safety suite includes the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD), Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), Road Sign Assist (RSA), Automatic High Beams (AHB), Proactive Driving Assist (PDA), and Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA). This is all standard! The Guinness World Record The Guinness World Record drive covered 3,211.7 miles over 5.5 driving days across a wide variety of terrain – over 7,200 ft. elevation, and unpredictable weather with temps exceeding 110 degrees F while crossing the Mojave Desert. Strong cross winds out of the Gulf of Mexico did not help from the NM/TX border all the way to Arkansas! And yet the Prius still offered unparalleled efficiency despite the weather and terrain traversed. The 2023 Toyota Prius Guinness World Record drive actually took 11-days with 5.5 of those driving since I spent 2-days at a hotel in Fort Sumner, NM, 2.5-days at my second home in Brentwood, TN, and another day at a hotel in Jersey City, NJ after the drive was complete with the second drive into NYC for the Guinness World Record adjudication the following day. Over 350 GBs of video and photographic evidence had to be disseminated and I spent those hours productively arranging it all covering the launch, each mandatory stop, each non-mandatory stop, kml GPS files, the witness statements, Witness log book and of course the Master log book. As usual, the rash of, "What was your average speed" lights up the Social Media pages after a drive like this. Here are some basic targets I used for readers to digest. The route covered 3,211 miles in 5.5 days of driving or just over 580-miles per day. The following is a rough estimate given each of the documentation stops averaged well over an hour to complete. Interstates: 50 to 60 mph <-- This is where I said goodbye to 100 mpg somewhere in Arkansas on the 40 IIRC State Highways: 40 to 55 mph County and state roads: 35 to 50 mph Towns and cities: 25 to 40 mph Climbing mountains with truck climbing lanes: 20 to 35 mph During overnight hours with no traffic, I dropped down another 10 mph on the county and state roads Off-road: 10 to 15 mph Below is the 5th gen Prius' Guinness World Record timeline from start to finish: Toyota Prius LE - Initial setup with Graphics installed Toyota Prius LE - Speed vs Fuel Economy Toyota Prius LE - GWR launch through first refuel Toyota Prius LE - A little off-road driving Toyota Prius LE - Two day stop in Fort Sumner, NM Toyota Prius LE - Second refuel in Amarillo, TX Toyota Prius LE - Rt. 66 highlight while on route Toyota Prius LE - Third refuel in Russellville, AR Toyota Prius LE - The Map(s) Toyota Prius LE - Fourth refuel in Knoxville, TN Toyota Prius LE - Fifth refuel in Winston-Salem, NC Toyota Prius LE - NYC City Hall Arrival! Toyota Prius LE - Final refuel in Jersey City, NJ Toyota Prius LE - The GWR is Official! Toyota Prius LE - Trip back to Toyota HQ for drop off For the record attempt, it took months of work and involved a detailed plan from timing to routing. And of course being prepared for an on-the-fly change or workaround that minimizes the worst that mother nature has to offer. It was like that from the Mojave all the way to NYC. When you are driving a Prius or in fact anything else, slower accelerations, driving with load, and anticipating stops or impediments ahead by easing off the accelerator early and using the vehicle’s momentum to glide as you approach will always improve your efficiency. The ScanGauge-III parameters I was watching while within the 5th gen Prius during the entire drive. A huge thank you goes out to Ed Kim of Auto Pacific for being the initial fuel automotive expert witness, employees of the Chevron's, Circle K, and Shell's I refueled at for completing the extensive GWR documentation, and Firestone Auto care in both Carlsbad, CA and Jersey City, NJ for completing the GWR required vehicle inspections and documentation. I also want to thank Garmin for the use of one of their latest 5" GPS navigator's. And of course ScanGauge for the use of one of their ScanGauge-III models in order to watch battery temps across three banks and battery fan speeds in order to know when to use AC and when I was clear not too. And finally Toyota for loaning me the Prius LE trim for a few weeks to cover the on the road endeavor! 5th Gen Prius Dropping off at Toyota US HQ in Plano, TX days after the record. This GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title is now the 30th industry award for the all-new 5th generation Prius. Other notable awards include Car and Driver’s 10Best, MotorTrend Car of the Year, and North American Car of the Year. While in Las Vegas, Toyota had a few other notable vehicles on display within the Mandalay Bay Conference Center. 2001 Toyota Prius The vehicle that started it all. 2024 Toyota Prius Prime The current epitome of Hybrid electric and EV vehicle as a 44-mile all-electric range Plug-in. And of course the Toyota brands sponsorship of the NFL as seen in Las Vegas earlier today... As the Official Automotive Partner of the NFL, they will be releasing a season-long schedule of content across broadcast, digital, paid social and in-game formats.
Hi All: After being invited to Las Vegas for the Record presentation on Wednesday, I was afforded the opportunity to see not only some excellent new product heading our way - I am under an NDA so disclosure would be my career , but also being entertained by both Sting AND Seinfeld. In other words, Toyota treats its dealers very well. That is correct, Sting front and center!!! 1996 Toyota RAV4 - While I cannot disclose anything about a future product offering, one may have to do with this? The actual Prius LE I drove to a new Guinness World Record was there. I could tell when it was booted and it paired to my phone. Wayne
Hi All: Here is what each day’s drive included: First, I encourage all automotive enthusiasts to attempt a Guinness World Record so they can learn firsthand what the document requirements are really like. I turned over to GWR more than 350 GBs of video, photos, over 50 Witness statements, Witness logs, Master Logs, kml files, and a marked-up atlas matching the kml files GPS track. Every time you stop for a refuel, take a restroom break, buy food from a grocery, stop at a hotel, cross a state border, and again when you leave the stop has to be documented. If a fuel station will not allow the attendant to witness the Garmin Trip A/B, Odometer, Trip A/B, aFCD, intact tank seal, pulling said tank seal, refueling to a topoff, resealing the tank, signing the tank seal, signing the Witness form, Witness logbook, and Master log with their personal info, you have to document the stop, pray the station attendant will sign a Witness form for the stop. If not, you try and get someone pulling into the station to sign that everything is intact before heading to another local fuel station and make the request again. GWR Prius waiting to refuel at a Circle K in Amarillo, TX This problem occurred at a Circle K in Amarillo when I had to wait over an hour for a manager to approve and again at a Shell in Winston-Salem where the station manager refused, and I had to drive to another station a few miles away to start the entire process over again. The previous Shell did not want to help so I found this one a few miles down in Winston-Salem, NC Fueling is an hour to two-hour ordeal and if they are unwilling to participate, you may have shot the whole thing and it will be disqualified when they, Guinness World Records, looks over your evidence. Wayne
Very impressive! It's unfortunate those of us in Tennessee get hit with a $100 surcharge on license plate renewals if vehicle is a hybrid. Seems like Toyota is moving to a 100% hybrid strategy which bodes well for all future autos. Toyota is the undisputed king of hybrids and this latest iteration just proves why. Just when you think it can't get better, Toyota makes it better.
Yes, same for electrical driven EVs. Only the EV surcharges are even greater. You can partially solve the surcharge problem tho, by buying excellent high MPG standard ICE vehicles & driving very carefully. You don't have the bragging rights of the hybrid vehicles. But you''re still saving lots of gasoline money, when you can drive at 40 to 50+MPG. Sure beats SUV & Hummer gas mileages. Another plus, is the non-hybrid ICE won't have the hybrid disadvantage of power loss on long mountain travels.
Its long been known. You don't know? When Hybrids are ascending long mountain slopes, the electric battery assists the ICE engine. When the limited kw-hr battery pack runs low on electrical energy & the electric motor stops, then the hybrid continues motoring into the mountains, but only with ICE power. Over the decades, hybrids have become more efficient, include larger battery packs, AND heaven forbid, ICE engines increase in HP, trying to reduce the frequency & affects of electric motor cessation, but it still must occur in some mountains. Some of the non-efficient Hybrid drivers & speeders, while driving large mountain slopes, must feel the lack of the electrical motor more often than efficient drivers.
But you get at least some back going back down the hill. This car and Toyota's shifting to hybrids is smart. I said from the get go nobody really wants BEV's, and the manufacturers are realizing that. I was sitting pretty with my TCH after hurricane Ian in Florida a few years ago, because it took 2 weeks to get power restored to the trailer park. The smug people with their Tesla's there were eating crow. Only reason I bought the TCH was because I tried for at least 6 months to get a Prius with no luck. If Toyota expects to sell cars first they have to have them for sale.
That's what I'm questioning as a fact. It may have been true for the series hybrid Chevrolet Volt which didn't have sufficient power if not fully or at least partially coming from the medium sized battery if driving uphill for significant amounts of time. Every other hybrid I know, especially Toyotas, have sufficient power WITHOUT the battery. The battery only supplements for the low speed acceleration in its early incarnations, so it should not have been fodder for the facts that you're promoting. I've never felt a lack of power in Prius (2010 onward) in any drives across mountain ranges. Nowadays, the hybrid pack is good enough for higher speeds, but again, not needed because the ICE is sufficient.
Hi Litesong: When I reached Flagstaff after climbing over 7,000 ft. from the initial refuel just outside of Long Beach and the stop at Los Angeles City Hall, the Prius was parked at the gas pump with 95.8 mpg indicated after 555.3 actual miles. So no, there was no loss of power or efficiency while climbing one of America's most noteworthy climbs along the 15 and again on the 40. IHTHs? Wayne
The gen1 did have a 'turtle mode'. A turtle shaped warning light would come on when the battery was drained low to alert that full power may not be available. Hasn't been needed since.
Were you able to track time car was on battery only? That was a feature in my 2016 Prius I sorely miss. Information is power and the more info you have the better your mileage can be. One thing I see a lot is how the ICE will be propelling the car down the road but electric will also be propelling the car. Was driving home the other night from trivia, slow and easy. I'm sure if there were cops they wondered why I was doing 45 in a 55 zone but screw 'em. I drive for MPG, not ETA. Got 67.7 for a 12.2 mile trip, not too shabby.
Hi Thunderstruck: When you shut down for the day, a message pops up with EV mode percent. It was always in the 75% range until I reached AR when it was a mostly Interstate highway drive thereafter. Then it was in the 50 to 60% range. Wayne
I'm not sure at what point in the process I took the photo but I have one that says After Start. Don't know if I had shut car off or not. That was the day in my Prius I did 11 miles of errand running and got it up to 108.0 MPG.
