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Hybrid Vehicles Toyota Highlander Hybrid Toyota Highlander Hybrid MPG-Real World Numbers
417 messages, Last post on Oct 16, 2009 at 11:34 AM
You are in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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We bought our Highlander Hybrid in December and have been getting progressively worse mileage. We have gone from 26.8 to now 20.2 (on our 5th tank). The dealer says it is related to cold weather. I would have not bought the vehicle if I knew that was the case. Could it be something with computer, battery. etc...? What is the best source on the web for Highlander Hybrid information? Thanks in advance, all comments appreciated. Steve
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Replying to: highlanddog (Jan 26, 2008 6:43 am)
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Replying to: desertfox1 (Jan 29, 2008 8:54 am) One thing is, the car is parked outside both at night and during the day. The temperature has been in the low 30s at night, high 30s or low 40s during the day. And I'm only driving about 20 minutes each way to work, so maybe the car never has a chance to warm up. Thanks. - adam |
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I reside in Alaska, and purchased my vehicle new in Nov. 2007. My gas mileage has been abysmal. According to the dealership, all systems are functioning within normal perameters. However, something is not right. Here are stats that I have gleaned, based on mileage posted in the car's center panel, and my own MPG computations: City Driving: 11-12 MPG, as compared to the EPA average estimate of 27 MPG, which is a 54% difference. Highway Driving: Around 22.5, which is only 9% difference than the EPA average estimate of 25. I could live with that, but most of my driving is within a city! Combined City and Highway Driving: Seems steady at 15.7, as compared to the EPA average estimate of 25: a 40% difference. Is anyone else on this post driving a 2008 Highlander Hybrid in cold weather conditions? I wish I had read the owner's manual BEFORE buying this vehicle, because it states very clearly that the EV-Drive does not function in temperatures under 32 degrees (F). None of these details were shared with me at the time of purchase, and I am extremely frustrated. Thanks for any information that you can share... AKDeeDee |
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Replying to: akdeedee (Feb 01, 2008 9:36 pm) The decrease in mileage in the cold months is supposedly due to numerous factors including winter oxygenated fuels, snow tires, heating up the car before driving, using the heater on high while while driving, decreased traction from slippery/snowy roads, or not topping off tire pressure in cold weather, and decreased performance of the hybrid battery in cold weather. All these factors would be expected to affect a non hybrid car equally except the effect of the temperature on the cold hybrid battery. Of course this is all anecdotal and not backed up by any real data, I don't think anyone has done a study on it, if Toyota has they're not talking. So the question is how much of the decrease in mileage is due to impaired performance of the hybrid system in cold weather. I have friends with a non hybrid 2005 Highlander who claim they get around 17 MPG all year round but they don't have a cumulative gas mileage readout as in the hybrid so they are guessing. I was never aware of this magnitude of winter fuel economy loss before I had a hybrid but I didn't have a fuel mileage gauge before either. I think this is an important piece of information for those of who live in the arctic and want to decrease our vehicle emissions all year round not just in the summer. Toyota's hybrid market is so small here it's probably not important enough for them to study. Maybe we need an Alaska hybrid users group to explore the question of whether the additional expense of a hybrid makes sense in this climate given current hybrid technology.
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Replying to: jrak (Feb 02, 2008 10:27 pm) |
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Replying to: akdeedee (Feb 01, 2008 9:36 pm)
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Replying to: febrile1973 (Dec 20, 2007 11:46 am)  and my best was 28mpg  . Our current odometer reading is around 3700 plus miles  . We lived in Bay Area...
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Following up on my previous post (346) - we're creeping out of winter now (hi's in the upper 40's) and the fuel economy is jumping back up - just got 27 mpg after a winter low of 22. I did some experimenting in the last couple months - heater use only accounted for a negligible increase in gas usage. The engine controller tries to keep the temp in the normal range, regardless of heater use or throttle demand. Next winter I'll experiment with using a cold front (block the grille) to see if I can keep the engine warmer... For now, looking forward to seeing how many 30+ tanks I can string together. stats: 07 HH AWD, 20k mi, 30mi commute (mostly hwy, lite traffic). best tank: 32, worst: 22 |
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I live in MInnesota. Noted poor mileage performance of hybrid in cold weather. Does the same thing happen to non hybrids? Would I be better off to forego the hybrid for best environmental impact year around? Joe. |
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