Prius Mileage

I've had my 2004 Toyota Prius since February, and it's averaged probably 42 mpg. Not quite what I expected, but still much better than any other automobile I'd ever owned.

An article in Scientific American , current issue, talked about hybrid cars. All autos will get better mileage in warmer weather, and less in the dead of winter. The point was made that hybrids are considerably more sensitive to temperature than other cars. The Prius is a "full" hybrid.

Well, that week it happened to warm up. It was mid-March and the Prius' mileage took a big jump! The car is now averaging very close to 50 mpg.

This is with temperatures in the forties, rather than the twenties. I'm waiting to see what happens when summer comes around.