[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by UFO

I am curious about your warm up. Even though you can achieve higher mpg, what is your fuel consumption?

Could you clarify the question? The simple answer:

• stunt - 1000.8 miles, 10.9 gallons, 91.8 MPG, two weeks
• typical - 600 miles, 11 gallons, 52-56 MPG, three weeks

Originally Posted by UFO

. . . Isn't it better to optimize your route for lowest fuel consumption rather than mileage?

This is why I call it a 'stunt':

• Incredibe waste of my time - tripled the number of hours spent in my commute and other chores around town.
• Refined but did not increase my understanding of Prius performance.
  • I already knew at 25 mph on cruise control, the Prius could achieve 99.9 MPG after being warmed up. I simply extended each drive enough to get the car warmed up and into the 99.9 MPG performance range. The extra miles of efficient driving brought each trip MPG up.
• Instead of filling the tank roughly ever three weeks with +600 miles, it took two weeks and covered 1,000 miles.
  • Taking 'days off' by using our second Prius and leaving my wife's parked every third or fourth day, would have stretched it out to three weeks or longer. Even with 'days off,' the stunt still would wasted the same amount of my life in the cabin just stretched out over a longer calender period.

I don't think such stunts really accomplish much. Think of it as a 'bowling trophy' or 'Hole in One' certificate with no more intrinsic value.

Bob Wilson