How to Get the Best Mileage from Your Toyota Prius

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Steps

1. 1
   Reduce your speed when driving. Try to take routes that have long stretches without stops and of speed limits of at least 30-35 mph.

   
   
2. 2
   Pick the least windiest routes you can find. The Prius is streamlined for head-on gusts and tail-winds.
3. 3
   Glide or coast down any hill you encounter using the tips in the (soon to be provided, separate articles on wikiHow).
4. 4
   Avoid cold starts. A Prius will get the worst gas mileage until it has warmed up at least 5-10 minutes after starting.
5. 5
   Combine errands to reduce the number of warmups you'll do to your vehicle.
6. 6
   Use your Prius on warm days, more so than on cold. The air is least dense and will produce the least air resistance.
7. 7
   Avoid rush-hour traffic. It's torturous with any car, but, with the Prius, it waste's gas just as much.
8. 8
   Do not try to drive during rainstorms or snowstorms, or where the roads have become a slushy mess.
9. 9
   Check the sidewall of your tires, to find the proper inflation of each tire. Try to maintain this pressure at all times. Do not use the rating as supplied by the automaker on the doorframe.
10. 10
    Use unleaded gas or midgrade gas, when filling up your vehicle. Higher grades of gas tend to produce less energy than the lower grades.
11. 11
    Be aware of road conditions. Take your foot off the accelerator as soon as you know you'll need to to slow down or stop. Put your car into "glide" mode under these circumstances.
    • Create space between your and the car in front of you, to give yourself time to stop and coast.
12. 12
    Use the Energy display to watch the direction of the arrows. This alone, will show you the direction of what part of your car's system is powering the other. Monitor it.
    • Drivers get the best mileage when they are able to read changes in the display. By pressing on the accelerator and brakes to move energy from the gasoline engine to the wheels and/or batteries-or to get all the arrows to disappear. This form is called glide mode.
13. 13
    Accelerate slowly from a standstill.
14. 14
    Lift your foot slightly and reapply your foot after a few seconds until the Energy display shows energy going to the wheels and battery. This is an especially critical tool to use, when you find you need energy(such as at night with the battery at a low charge).
15. 15
    Push the gas quickly inwards, when you need to accelerate onto a highway or when needing to rapidly accelerate. The battery power will assist the engine, thereby reducing your gas use.
16. 16
    Set cruise control on highways to 55 mph, to get the best results.
    • For every mph over 50 mph, you loose approximately 1 mpg.
17. 17
    Learn the art of braking by using the glide, coast, regenerative braking and mechanical braking measures. The how-tos on wikiHow are upcoming.(IN the meantime, you may use the first source page, for information on these steps).
18. 18
    Use the all electric mode sparing, such as when you move the vehicle from one part of the driveway to the other.The how-tos on wikiHow are upcoming.(IN the meantime, you may use the first source page, for information on these steps).
19. 19
    Avoid using your air condition and heating system, as much as you can stand. Use the vent system along with the fan's temperature to properly control the vehicle's temperature. Try not to ever use the "Max" setting, at all costs. Turn off the heating, cooling, lights and all other electric accessories, as much as you can stand.
    • On hot days, set the air conditioning two degrees lower than the outside temperature, or to 85(whichever is lower).
20. 20
    Try to use cruise control for most travel situations. It works well on flat roads, and is excellent on non-congested higher-speed highways.
    • Cruise control is not good in hilly terrain, or where uphills produce aggressive driving and too much regen braking on downhills. Give the car a little push on the accelerate, when you disengage regen.
21. 21
    Use the "B" gear, only if your car is going down a long hill. It lets the engine slow the car down without using your brakes and without overcharging the batteries.
22. 22
    Avoid

Basic Steps for Most Cars

1. 1
   Change your oil every 6000 miles.
2. 2
   Change your air filter every 3000 miles.

Tips

• The 2010 model introduced three new modes-Eco, Power and EV mode, which put more efficiency into the hands of Prius owners.
• Give your Prius a full 10,000 miles to really get broken in. Prius owners commonly experience a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy after the new car smell has flown away.

Things You'll Need

• 1 or more Toyota Prius car(s)

Sources and Citations

• http://www.hybridcars.com/gas-saving-tips/maximizing-mileage-toyota-prius.html

• Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get the Best Mileage from Your Toyota Prius. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.