I remember a few years ago when a the new hybrid came out, they pulled around 60 miles a gallon. Now the Prius barely does 45 miles a gallon, that is is about 7 miles more than a Corolla, yet about twice the price! What is going on?
Hi,
this is a detailed couple of questions that have big answers, so stay with me.
1. There are multiple levels of hybrid- full, mild and partial. There are many more hybrids from many more manufacturers in multiple levels, so if you see "hybrid" on the back of a vehicle, there may not be a major jump in mpg if it’s a partial or mild hybrid (the gas engine is running any time a partial or mild moves or the AC starts). Even five years ago, there were nowhere near the number of different types of hybrids on the road with mpg all over the place (the 1st gen Insight and Prius were first brought to the US over 10 years ago).
2. There were changes in the way the vehicles that were submitted for EPA evaluation were tested. Not all vehicles have to be submitted or may not be finished with testing before being sold without EPA numbers on their stickers (large vehicles and very new models).
Every vehicle’s mpg went down with the new testing regulations, which hadn’t been substantially updated since the 1970’s. With a vehicle getting 22 to 24 mpg combined, a loss of 10% is a lot less obvious than a vehicle getting 50-60 mpg.
3. When the original Insight and the 1st and 2nd gen Prius first came out, corn ethanol was not as prevalent as it is now. Corn-based ethanol is grain alcohol and lowers mileage because it is not as energy dense as standard gasoline. You simply don’t get as much "bang for the buck".
4. In addition to the ethanol, Toyota also lowered the mileage slightly after the EPA updates when the gen 2 Prius started selling in the large numbers it did. Toyota realized that after the early adopters were overtaken by the general public purchasing Prius’, the experience of those general drivers would be lowered mpg because they would not be interested in maintaining the efforts needed to maximize mpg like the early adopters.
This is not to say that all people that purchased Prius after 2006 are driving them like a regular car and getting 35 mpg, but there were enough only getting in the 40’s that Toyota did not push for what the true mileage should be.
This has been my experience in talking and working with hundreds of people in the last 5 years for Toyota. The drivers who are proactive and work the system get mileage in the 50’s as a year-long average (my average is 51.7 in the Upper Midwest with the AC and stereo on). The drivers that just drive are the ones getting 30’s to 40’s.
Ok, next part of the question- the Corolla and the Prius comparo. This is a common misconception. The Corolla, as good as it is, is not equal to the Prius. The Prius is actually equal to the Camry in power, features and options, and the Camry actually doesn’t match the Prius in some features and options, even in hybrid trim.
While the ‘09 Corolla now has the options of the last gen. 2.4 liter Camry gas engine, navi system, and features traction and stability control, those options/features will pale next to the ones on the 2010 Prius.
The 2010 Prius-
- has no mechanical power steering pump or steering belt
- no AC belt
- no water pump belt
- the AC is completely electric and not linked to the gas engine
- the exhaust gases are cooled and rerouted to be burned a second time in the gas engine
And is available with an accident Pre-Collision System (PCS) that uses a laser-guided cruise control to automatically retract the seatbelts and apply the brakes if an accident.
So a comparison of a base $16,100 Corolla to a base $22,750 Prius is not a fair comparison (and while $6,650 is some money, it is not about twice the price).
A 2010 Corolla is EPA rated at 26/34 and a 2010 Prius is rated at 51/48, a difference of 25 more city and 14 more hwy, so the mileage is not comparable and the difference is much more than 7 mpg.
Just to cover it, the 2008 Corolla (last gen) got 26 city and 35 hwy and the 2009 Prius (2nd gen) gets 48 city and 45 hwy, or 22 more city and 10 more hwy, a big jump even with those generations and much more than 7 mpg again.
I can only speak technically for Toyota, but the EPA testing and ethanol effects will be for any vehicle by any manufacturer- hybrids included.
The Government EPA LAWS !!!!
References :
Years ago, if a EPA rating was 21 MPG, you were DANGED lucky to get that. THESE days, it’s easy to get MORE than what the EPA says, so the Prius routinely gets around 55-57 MPG when driven properly, so I’ve heard.
References :
The US EPA testing procedure changed for the 2008 model year. ALL cars are measured in a laboratory under a specified driving pattern by the EPA. (The manufacturers are required by law to only advertise the governmental test results.) The new 2008 testing procedures adds in extra testing for higher speeds/acceleration, colder temperatures, and AC use, which the older tests did not. ALL cars, not just the Prius, had their MPG go down in 2008.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ratings2008.shtml
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml
Most of the new hybrids tend to be GM models, which are considered mild hybrids at best (as opposed to the Toyota/Ford/Nissan full hybrids), plus they tend to be large SUVs, where the fuel economy gain in MPG is negligible (though about a 10-20% improvement).
If you want a compact sedan with few features, feel free to get a 2009 Toyota Corolla with a combined city/highway of 30mpg (manual transmission) or 25mpg (automatic).
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2009_Toyota_Corolla.shtml
If you want a larger midsized hatchback (can fit more stuff in it) with lots of power features standard, plus lower emissions (which may even give you state incentives of lowered taxes or single-occupant HOV lane privileges), then get a 2009 Toyota Prius with a combined city/highway of 46mpg (CVT (automatic transmission)) (which is way more than the 7 mpg you claim!).
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2009_Toyota_Prius.shtml
You get what you pay for!
Actual Toyota Corolla owners report MPG in the low 30s.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList2&make=Toyota&model=Corolla
while actual Toyota Prius owners report MPG in the mid-high 40s.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList2&make=Toyota&model=Prius
References :
My mum’s Prius does about 55 miles per galleon actually. I guess it’s just how you drive it.
And it’s probably twice the price because the manufacturing is just insane. Like, they ship from Canada, to Europe to Japan during the manufacturing processes, all for this technology they’ve got. And then of course there’s the issue of shipping it over the the country where it’ll be sold.
References :
Hi,
this is a detailed couple of questions that have big answers, so stay with me.
1. There are multiple levels of hybrid- full, mild and partial. There are many more hybrids from many more manufacturers in multiple levels, so if you see "hybrid" on the back of a vehicle, there may not be a major jump in mpg if it’s a partial or mild hybrid (the gas engine is running any time a partial or mild moves or the AC starts). Even five years ago, there were nowhere near the number of different types of hybrids on the road with mpg all over the place (the 1st gen Insight and Prius were first brought to the US over 10 years ago).
2. There were changes in the way the vehicles that were submitted for EPA evaluation were tested. Not all vehicles have to be submitted or may not be finished with testing before being sold without EPA numbers on their stickers (large vehicles and very new models).
Every vehicle’s mpg went down with the new testing regulations, which hadn’t been substantially updated since the 1970’s. With a vehicle getting 22 to 24 mpg combined, a loss of 10% is a lot less obvious than a vehicle getting 50-60 mpg.
3. When the original Insight and the 1st and 2nd gen Prius first came out, corn ethanol was not as prevalent as it is now. Corn-based ethanol is grain alcohol and lowers mileage because it is not as energy dense as standard gasoline. You simply don’t get as much "bang for the buck".
4. In addition to the ethanol, Toyota also lowered the mileage slightly after the EPA updates when the gen 2 Prius started selling in the large numbers it did. Toyota realized that after the early adopters were overtaken by the general public purchasing Prius’, the experience of those general drivers would be lowered mpg because they would not be interested in maintaining the efforts needed to maximize mpg like the early adopters.
This is not to say that all people that purchased Prius after 2006 are driving them like a regular car and getting 35 mpg, but there were enough only getting in the 40’s that Toyota did not push for what the true mileage should be.
This has been my experience in talking and working with hundreds of people in the last 5 years for Toyota. The drivers who are proactive and work the system get mileage in the 50’s as a year-long average (my average is 51.7 in the Upper Midwest with the AC and stereo on). The drivers that just drive are the ones getting 30’s to 40’s.
Ok, next part of the question- the Corolla and the Prius comparo. This is a common misconception. The Corolla, as good as it is, is not equal to the Prius. The Prius is actually equal to the Camry in power, features and options, and the Camry actually doesn’t match the Prius in some features and options, even in hybrid trim.
While the ‘09 Corolla now has the options of the last gen. 2.4 liter Camry gas engine, navi system, and features traction and stability control, those options/features will pale next to the ones on the 2010 Prius.
The 2010 Prius-
- has no mechanical power steering pump or steering belt
- no AC belt
- no water pump belt
- the AC is completely electric and not linked to the gas engine
- the exhaust gases are cooled and rerouted to be burned a second time in the gas engine
And is available with an accident Pre-Collision System (PCS) that uses a laser-guided cruise control to automatically retract the seatbelts and apply the brakes if an accident.
So a comparison of a base $16,100 Corolla to a base $22,750 Prius is not a fair comparison (and while $6,650 is some money, it is not about twice the price).
A 2010 Corolla is EPA rated at 26/34 and a 2010 Prius is rated at 51/48, a difference of 25 more city and 14 more hwy, so the mileage is not comparable and the difference is much more than 7 mpg.
Just to cover it, the 2008 Corolla (last gen) got 26 city and 35 hwy and the 2009 Prius (2nd gen) gets 48 city and 45 hwy, or 22 more city and 10 more hwy, a big jump even with those generations and much more than 7 mpg again.
I can only speak technically for Toyota, but the EPA testing and ethanol effects will be for any vehicle by any manufacturer- hybrids included.
References :
I teach about hybrids and advanced tech for Toyota.