Second Fill Up

[wizzlon]

Second fill up- 49.6 mpg. 1st fill was 51.4. However, I have done a lot more dual carriageway travel at 70mph+ than for the first fill- so I am actually pleased with that. I used it in eco round town and normal elsewhere (as per grumpy cabbie suggestion to my 1st fill up post). Watching the trip it did not seem to make any adverse impact, so I don't think that running "normal" increased consumption. Maybe this time I will run everywhere in eco to see what happens. Or does that make me just too sad....

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It doesn't make you sad. It's good to experiment and find what works for you. There is no hard and fast rule of what to do. I do find it less responsive in eco on a run but what doesn't work for me might work for you.

Enjoy the car :) esp with petrol prices as they are.

[Seamaster73]

My understanding of ECO is that it simply retards the throttle response.

What I don't understand is why so many people seem to get better MPG with ECO switched off?

[phil4]

My understanding of ECO is that it simply retards the throttle response.

What I don't understand is why so many people seem to get better MPG with ECO switched off?

Not only was that my understanding, but puzzlement also. As you say, ECO means you need to push the throttle further to get more power than you do in say PWR. But why would that lead to less economy?

Odd.

[flow]

My understanding of ECO is that it simply retards the throttle response.

What I don't understand is why so many people seem to get better MPG with ECO switched off?

Not only was that my understanding, but puzzlement also. As you say, ECO means you need to push the throttle further to get more power than you do in say PWR. But why would that lead to less economy?

Odd.

Lots of threads over on Priuschat about this. As I understand...In normal/power mode, you can accelerate upto your desired speed alot quicker and then pulse/glide. In eco mode, accelerating, for example, from 0-40mph, takes alot longer, you are in a high rev/power band for a longer period of time and thus using more fuel.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

My understanding of ECO is that it simply retards the throttle response.

What I don't understand is why so many people seem to get better MPG with ECO switched off?

You're right it does just adjust throttle response. It doesn't give any more or less power.

I find Eco helpful in town as it is less likely to fire the engine up only to cut out again - say moving from one green traffic light to a red light 100 yards up the road. On the open road I find eco too retarded - say the car in front suddenly pulls away from 45 mph to 55 mph, in Eco you have to really press the accellerator to get any movement out of the car and then you probably over do it, which uses more fuel.

In 'normal' mode a slight press of the accellerator is all that is needed.

[Seamaster73]

So there's no intelligence in the ECO mode, that's effectively what we're saying.

Sounds like it has more to do with marketing than fuel economy.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I don't know if it has intelligence or not but it is a way of getting better economy for those who are a bit lead footed.

[Ancient Nerd]

It's not economy related, but ECO mode is great in snow/ice conditions. Makes it very easy to avoid the skids that come from overdoing the throttle.

[DrCez]

In further defence of ECO mode it also tries to lessen the use of the cabin heater/air conditioner (the control system isn't so quick to switch on heat/cooling to achieve a desired temperature). That said, I have wondered if this is counter-productive when trying to demist/de-ice the windscreen when I think it's better to get heating going as quickly as possible (but that's assuming ECO mode affects the de-mist button as well as the climate control).

Over the winter my own experience was that heating the cabin had a significant effect on my fuel consumption (low speed city driving meant sometimes the engine was running purely for heat) so ECO mode helped in this respect (manual adjustment of the climate control + a thick coat is even better!)

[johalareewi]

So there's no intelligence in the ECO mode, that's effectively what we're saying.

That is what Toyota are saying according to the Prius Chat forum members who discussed this with Toyota tech.

However, we know ECO mode affects other things like the aircon and keeping the ICE off for longer (as GC and DrC say). In cold weather, the Prius runs the ICE (petrol motor) to keep itself warm.

ECO mode minimises this so in start stop traffic, you can save a bit of fuel.

There is a difference between PWR and normal on my T3.

If I floor the accelerator in normal mode, there is about a half second delay before the power kicks in and I get max acceleration. If I do this in PWR mode, the surge is almost instant (no delay).

There are a number of anecdotes over on Prius chat about the differences between the modes.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-technical-discussion/72427-eco-vs-normal-vs-pwr-mode-really-just-accelerator-mapping.html

Best thing to do is to experiment to see which works best for you.

[wizzlon]

Well- 3rd fill up. I kept in eco mode (apart from a couple of power mode selections to overtake idiots) and did a chunk of motorway cruising. I expected to fall to around 48mpg- but it has worked out at 52!! Still had the air con going. I have to say I am impressed that it gives such great economy when motorway cruising. It seems to be better at 70+ or pootling around town than trying to hold it at 50-60 on A roads.

[dervdave]

Not wanting to !Removed! on your party but the Verso is getting better mileage

[wizzlon]

Not wanting to !Removed! on your party but the Verso is getting better mileage

Interesting- enough to offset road fund licence? Depending, of course on annual mileage.

[dervdave]

Interesting- enough to offset road fund licence? Depending, of course on annual mileage.

£128.50, worth mentioning ? :D

[Seamaster73]

Not wanting to !Removed! on your party but the Verso is getting better mileage

Enough to offset benefit-in-kind tax?

And, "not wanting to !Removed! on your party", but you're welcome to the black soot, the racket, and the indelible stink after fill-ups you're getting too. B)

[Sagitar]

I make little attempt to drive "carefully" but I still get pretty good mileage.

Today I drove over 300 miles. Started with a full tank this morning and drove mainly on motorways with the cruise control set to 70 m.p.h (except for the roadworks around Birmingham where I set it to 50 m.p.h. for the duration).

I did not use the aircon on my way north this morning, but I used it, set to 18 degrees, on the way home. Ventilation set to auto in both directions. All done in daylight so no lights.

As I drove back into the garage this evening, the tank gauge was showing 64 m.p.g.

[dervdave]

And, "not wanting to !Removed! on your party", but you're welcome to the black soot, the racket, and the indelible stink after fill-ups you're getting too. B)

HaHa ! where have you been for the last couple of years ????

Driving a modern diesel hasn`t been like driving an old dumper for years and the new 2.0d engine as installed in the Verso certainly isn`t.

But your getting back to the diesel/petrol debate, the point I was trying to make is the unremarkable mpg the hybrid Prius seem to be achieving.

I didn`t want to get into a disagreement, as long as you fellas are happy thats ok by me.

Happy `green` motoring

[Sagitar]

And, "not wanting to !Removed! on your party", but you're welcome to the black soot, the racket, and the indelible stink after fill-ups you're getting too. B)

HaHa ! where have you been for the last couple of years ????

Driving a modern diesel hasn`t been like driving an old dumper for years and the new 2.0d engine as installed in the Verso certainly isn`t.

But your getting back to the diesel/petrol debate, the point I was trying to make is the unremarkable mpg the hybrid Prius seem to be achieving.

I didn`t want to get into a disagreement, as long as you fellas are happy thats ok by me.

Happy `green` motoring

I looked hard at diesels before I bought the Prius and if most of my motoring had been on motorways/long distance I might well have bought one. However, my driving is mostly urban, relatively short distances and low speed and I was frightened off by all the instances of problems with particulate filters that seem to arise when modern small diesels are subject to urban driving. I would be interested to know what kind of driving you do and what consumption you are actually achieving. Could you possibly put up a Fuelly link?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I would be interested to know what kind of driving you do and what consumption you are actually achieving. Could you possibly put up a Fuelly link?

I'd be interested too. They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk

[Seamaster73]

And, "not wanting to !Removed! on your party", but you're welcome to the black soot, the racket, and the indelible stink after fill-ups you're getting too. B)

HaHa ! where have you been for the last couple of years ???? :Driving a modern diesel hasn`t been like driving an old dumper for years and the new 2.0d engine as installed in the Verso certainly isn`t. But your getting back to the diesel/petrol debate, the point I was trying to make is the unremarkable mpg the hybrid Prius seem to be achieving. I didn`t want to get into a disagreement, as long as you fellas are happy thats ok by me. Happy `green` motoring

Diseasel's a filthy fuel. I can't be doing with it. But as long as you're happy, that's OK by me.

Happy tractoring!

[dervdave]

I'd be interested too. They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk

I presume 47.7 is your average GC ?

I can get nearly get that with my 2.7d Jag

Joking aside, I honestly believe that in real driving Urban or otherwise the new 2.0d Verso will get better mpg than a Prius.

Sorry if its ruffling a few feathers but I am an economical driver and although I know the dash read out is only a guide, I still average out @56mpg and frequently 60mpg+

Brimming 55mpg+

[dervdave]

Diseasel's a filthy fuel. I can't be doing with it.

Yeah its different from that lovely clean Solvent called petrol isn`t it ?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I'd be interested too. They talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk

I presume 47.7 is your average GC ?

I can get nearly get that with my 2.7d Jag

Joking aside, I honestly believe that in real driving Urban or otherwise the new 2.0d Verso will get better mpg than a Prius.

Sorry if its ruffling a few feathers but I am an economical driver and although I know the dash read out is only a guide, I still average out @56mpg and frequently 60mpg+

Brimming 55mpg+

Here we go. At least I print my figures.

The 47 mpg in town is 10 hours a day in heavy, slow moving traffic. I bet your Jag wouldn't get more than 30 mpg doing the same runs I do!

I get customers tell me they get 50 mpg round town in their diesel whatever etc etc. Yeah right. They might get 40 mpg if they had a clear run from one end to the other, but 30 mins to do 3 miles in crawling traffic (with the engine and a/c running) would bring that figure right down. Times that by 10 hours a day, every day and you'll then find that 47 mpg isn't bad.

Of course you probably know better. I've found most non Prius owners seem to have amazing knowledge of what the Prius can and can't do. Alternatively, I've been in the taxi trade 8 years and driven many different cars and the Prius has cut my previous £7000 a year fuel bill in half. Perhaps if I get a Jag I'd cut that further to £1,500 a year for 30k miles in town.

[dervdave]

You are a Grumpy bugger !

The remark about the Jag was said in jest hence the smilely

Lighten up man