Sep
04
2011
Toyota Prius V Gas Mileage
Posted by Car Dude in Cars, Gas Mileage, fuel economy, toyota prius, tags: Cars, Gas Mileage, hybrids, prius, toyotaToyota Prius V Gas Mileage
Did you know that Toyota has sold over 1 million Prius hybrids here in the U.S. over the past decade? Go ahead and up that number to 2 million worldwide. So with such great success why not create a whole family of automobiles around the Prius. There is still no match for the Prius when talking hybrid gas mileage figures. Sure the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are out there, but these cars not only cost thousands more, they are inconvient for most of the population. So the Prius remains the old standby and has grown larger with the release of the 2012 Prius V in an effort to attract more buyers. But Gas Mileage has gone down from 50 MPG combined for the standard model to 42 MPG for the Prius V.
With 50% more cargo room than the standard Toyota Prius, the V stands for Versatile. But while the PriusV has grown, the fuel economy has shrunk. Earlier in the year when the Lexus CT 200h, I could not figure out why a car with the same drivetrain as the Prius gets much lower gas mileage. It’s the same conundrum for the Toyota Prius V. The car has the same shape and the exact same drivetrain as the standard Prius but the gas mileage is lower by 15%. Let’s take a look into the reasons for the loss in fuel economy.
1) Weight – the Prius 5 weighs over 230 pounds more than the standard Prius. This may not seem like much but coupled with the other changes; weight does play a role in Gas Mileage loss.
2) Size – the Prius V is 6 inches longer and 3 inches taller than the standard Prius. The wheelbase is a tad longer and by stretching the Prius V out, much was changed in the Prius V suspension to make the car more like a nice sedan.
3) Drag Coefficient – the 2011 Toyota Prius has a Drag Coefficient of 0.25 while the changes to the exterior of the Prius V have caused the Drag Coefficient to drop to 0.29.
While these changes may seem minor, they reduce the gas mileage on the Prius 5 by 15%. Estimated figures put the Prius V gas mileage figures at 44 on the Highway and 40 in the City. The standard Prius gets 52/48 respectively. This goes to show that the Prius is so perfectly engineered for getting the best fuel economy possible that even a few little tweaks can drastically reduce those figures. Good news is the Prius V will only cost a bit more but will offer you 50% more cargo room and should be a great buy for those looking to increase gas mileage without losing utility.
I crunched the numbers and if you drive an average of 15,000 miles per year; it will only cost you $200 more to drive the Prius V over the standard Prius (with gas costing $3.50). This actually seems like a drop in the bucket considering how much more interior space you get.
Did you know that Toyota has sold over 1 million Prius hybrids here in the U.S. over the past decade? Go ahead and up that number to 2 million worldwide. So with such great success why not create a whole family of automobiles around the Prius. There is still no match for the Prius when talking hybrid gas mileage figures. Sure the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are out there, but these cars not only cost thousands more, they are inconvenient for most of the population. So the Prius remains the old standby and has grown larger with the release of the 2012 Prius V in an effort to attract more buyers. But Gas Mileage has gone down from 50 MPG combined for the standard model to 42 MPG for the Prius V. Read the rest of this entry »
If ever there was a car made for the times and the going green trend, this would seem to be it: the new Ford Fiesta. It’s a sporty compact with the seating capability of five and gets about 65mpg. It seems like the perfect car the only negative thing is, it’s not sold in the US.
The Polo may be a step down from the already lowly Rabbit; but it is a giant step forward in terms of Gasoline powered Efficiency. has 4-doors, a reasonable price tag, and last but not least: a sweet little engine. Europeans have always known what we Americans have been missing: Turbo-diesel power is the way to go! Not only can you get the best MPG from a diesel car, the fuel burns more cleanly, and adding a turbo increases power by using wasted exhaust gasses.
Back in the 70’s when gas cost pennies, being fuel efficient was the last thing on the minds of Americans. But now our car purchases revolve around what vehicle gets the most miles per gallon. Only the rich can afford to buy supercars that drink gas like a pirate drinks rum; the rest of us have to settle for wimpy tin cans. 
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In the near future you will be able to quit losing sleep over the Fuel vs. Food Debate and Ethanol that has been a real conflict point for those in favor of biofuels. It used to be that biofuel Ethanol was made from sugar, corn, soybeans, rice, or wheat; our precious food staples! But now there is technology that will revolutionize the Biofuel industry. 
Hybrids have been around for awhile now and almost every manufacturer has tried their hand at a successful hybrid vehicle. What was once the most unique car in the garage, no the whole neighborhood; has become the first choice when shopping for a new car. The public has been more than happy to buy up any hybrid car their favorite company produces. But where is the Luxury Hybrid car market? 
Toyota has announced that they estimate to sell around 25,000 new hybrid Lexus’ in the first year of sales in the U.S. Toyota has revealed their new hybrid car the Lexus HS250 Hybrid which is due for launch this summer in the U.S. The new Lexus HS250 is the first dedicated hybrid car that’s part of Lexus, Toyota’s luxury car make. However, this new Lexus isn’t their first dedicated hybrid car, Toyota released the Prius in 2000 which saw huge success in the U.S. car market, this was their first hybrid car. 
Flex Fuel is Cheaper but you get bad gas mileage and you cannot go as far on a tank of gas. What’s the deal with Flex Fuel. You see those big suv’s rocking the little badge on the back, but what exactly is “Flex Fuel.” Well Flex Fuel is also know as E85. The “E” is short for Ethanol which make up 85% of the mix, the rest is gasoline. 
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