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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
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Replying to: mevander1 (Jul 14, 2008 3:11 am) We have the '06 and test drove an '08, the following is a combo of our '06 experience and impression of the '08. First off, hypermiling is fun and addictive but unnecessary in most cases unless you want spectacular MPG. If you are a mild driver, then how many people/things you carry, tire pressure, summer vs. winter gas, terrain, traffic patterns and even wind can impact MPG. The heavier the car, the lower the tire pressure, winter gas, challenging terrain, short light-to-light stop and go and stiff headwind can impact MPG from tank to tank. Deal with those factors, hypermiling becomes just a hobby. One thing about jack-rabbiting, the '08 HH is very smooth and quiet (more so than our '06) and can accelerate very quickly (ECON=OFF) without you knowing it. So relearning that characteristic is important. A gentle tap on a gas engine car may be considered "gentle" but the same tap on the HH may have it out-accelerating other cars and come up to speed in a blink. We have had to learn to really soften our tap in our '06, same is true for the '08. 2008 has an EV switch and an "ECON" switch. These two addressed our biggest gripes on our '06 HH. We are really glad Toyota "listened". When batteries are charged up, EV mode allows one to drive 1 mile on electric only, no gas engine at all. On favorable terrain and a stiff tailwind, we rolled the '08 on electric-only for about 1.5 mile in our test drive. The sales guy was impressed and said he would do the same for the next couple test driving the car  . The ECON mode tempers the power curve so that instead of instant torque and get-up performance, it is much slower and gentler with acceleration. This is a fantastic mode to use on gentle rolling terrain on CRUISE. It can really save gas. If we buy the '08, I would have ECON on whenever I can CRUISE. The car cannot self-detect terrain nor your intention so we cannot just drive the '08 HH normally (even when gently) like a gas engine car and expect to get fabulous MPG. We will need to learn the characteristics of the car and its features (EV, ECON) to take full advantage of the available technologies. Our test-drive experience showed that with judicious use of EV and ECON modes, and by picking favorable terrain and traffic pattern, the '08 can get really decent MPG for a mid-size high-power SUV; better than our '06. Without EV and ECON, in challenging terrain, in frequent stop-and-go traffic, MPG will still be better than comparable gas-engine car but may not be as dramatic. It could be a difference of 20-MPG (other SUV) vs. 24-MPG for the '08 HH without any work but 20 vs 26+ if we learn to take advantage of the EV and ECON modes. Our '06 now gets 26-MPG on average on summer gas. If I choose the road carefully and drive 5-MPH lower than posted limit, I can get about 28-MPG. If I hypermile, our '06 eeks out 29+ MPG but our area and traffic pattern rarely allow this. Good luck with your '08 research! |
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Replying to: mevander1 (Jul 14, 2008 3:06 am) If you can live with a smaller car, consider the Ford Escape Hybrid. The FWD is rated at 34 city / 31 highway (2009). They are hard to find, since Ford is only making 25K for 2009. The 2009 has a number of improvements over the 2008. However, it is a smaller vehicle and only seats 5. One other note. The HH rides soft, the FEH rides firm, more like a truck or SUV. |
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Hi, I am happy to report that my average is more than 30 mpg. That is about 85 % highway. I thought that I had to sacrifice speed to get this kind of mileage but not anymore. By driving as if you are driving a bicycle, you get the most fuel economy. That is to say, accelerating when there is downhill and maximizing the use of momentum that is gained, avoid accelerating on uphill but apply the same power as if you are on level ground and let the speed fall as you go up (just like in a bicycle). Coast as much as you can to the next stop. Avoid rapid acceleration and deceleration. I had no problem going above traffic speed and still get more than 30 mpg. In the end, it is all about driving technique since I even get much better highway MPG on my wife's subaru outback (35 mpg). |
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I have been reading various posts for a few months (prior to my HiHy purchase and after) with great interest in real-world mileage. I was very concerned about the reports for very low mileage on this and the RX400h, but decided on the HiHy for the extra room/seats as I was replacing a 'too-small' FX35. Now that I have had my Highlander for 2 months and 3000 miles, and have kept logs of fuel consumption, I think I can help contribute to the discussion. The first thing I noticed is that the cause of very low mileage results is most likely driving style. It would seem that many people believe the mere act of buying a hybrid assures them of optimal mileage, regardless of how they drive. Think of all the cars you see ahead of you accelerating with excess non-ignited fuel dripping (pouring) out of their exhaust. Floor the hybrid and the mileage will be poor - probably better than a non-hybrid, but not up to EPA numbers. I have found that my mileage exceeds the 27/25 EPA estimates, and I have also become acutely aware of my "gas pedal habits" because of two items in the hybrid - the multi-information screen showing the EV/ICE use, and the economy bars on the Kv Power Meter. If you keep the indicator within the economy bars you can typically beat the EPA numbers and still not seem like a "snail", though you will not experience any "G-Forces" on acceleration. Over the two months I have averaged just of 26mpg, with a low of 24 and a high of 29 for individual tanks. 90% of my driving is a variation on local, as I live in a semi-rural area that puts us on 45-50mph roads for 15 mile (one way) trips to the closest malls and major shopping areas. I say this because local travel to me is not a lot of stop and go (where hybrids supposedly excel) but rather more like highway, where they do not. My true highway mileage (70+mph interstate) experience has been where we have gotten the greatest mileage (27-29mpg). I calculate my mileage by only filling up each time, and by dividing the gallons into the actual miles since last fillup. I have been gaging this vs the multi-display indicator mileage estimates and find that the car is a bit optimistic by about 1mpg. My Infiniti was extremely accurate with its onboard computer estimates, so I was a bit spoiled. Miles Gal Mileage 345 11.9 29 364 14.5 25.1 129 5.9 26.9 321 12.3 26.1 338 13.1 25.8 261 9.3 28 315 12.9 24.4 (lots of idling with heavy A/C use) 323 12.8 25.2 309 11.8 26.2 I have noticed that my mileage has been down a bit lately and that has coincided with very hot conditions (near Philadelphia) this past couple of weeks. Overall very pleased with the choice as we needed more space and am really glad now that I did not go for the Lexus GX470 as I would be kicking myself at every fillup at $4/gal. |
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Replying to: fishferbrains (Dec 18, 2007 9:02 am)
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I have 7000 miles on my Hybrid and can only get 20 to 21 MPG. On a highway trip I did get 24 MPG. This is southern California driving with air on. The dealer says nothing wrong. I have tried to baby the acceleration with everyone else passing me and it doesn't help. Worst purchase I ever made.
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Replying to: sepco (Aug 16, 2008 6:01 am) 1. Tire inflation to 36 - 38 on all 4. 2. Slow and gradual push of the accelerator pedal, - plateau - , and then slow and gradual release. Repeat the process all over (pulse and glide or you can do pulse and feather). This is how you get >30 MPG in the city. 3. Slow and gradual push of brake pedal for max regen. The regen portion of blended braking works best with gradual pedal motion. 4. With cruise control "on", max MPG is at 47 MPH (35 MPG), it gets 28-30 MPG at 55-57MPH, Fuel consumption drops horribly above 57 mph. 5. Without cruise control, drive as if you are riding a bicycle,,,, accelerating on the downhill to gather momentum for the next uphill or use it for maximum coasting distance. Apply constant (level speed) power even on uphill and allow your car to gradually slow down as you move up. 6. Use of 0-20 toyota synthetic oil. 7. On hilly places, park your car facing downhill. Start your car and immediately shift to neutral (engine will not start) and let it coast as far down as possible before you shift to drive. Good luck |
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Replying to: gtate (Jul 26, 2008 3:15 pm) |
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Dear Fellow HH drivers: I want to focus on only one aspect of "cold" weather mileage drops. This observation is based on 18 mo. (18,000 mi.) of driving a 2007 HH Limited 4WDi. It rarely gets below freezing where I live but, when outside temp is below about 50 deg F., I notice that it takes a lot more driving to get the ICE to shut off and the batteries to take over. Engine cylinder head temperature is already well warmed up but something about cooler weather delays the batteries. What is that "something?" And, here is my point or my question: Is that "something" a sensor different than the engine temp gauge? If so, can that "something" be tricked, modified, or bypassed to permit earlier electric motor activation in cold weather? Anyone? BTW, I have kept track of every gallon of fuel used and every mile driven, and my average has been 28.5 MPG, with about 50-50 highway/city driving. My highway driving has been at 55 MPH and I drive conservatively. Respectfully, Inndriver P.S. What's the latest on aftermarket mods for plug-ins? Any actually installed on HH?
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Replying to: inndriver (Aug 28, 2008 8:41 am) The Catalytic Converter also has to get up to temp, in fact, this is why the engine runs - just to heat up that part.
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