# Answer to a long-running question: if you give a Prius driver a Model 3...



## PatrickM (Oct 3, 2017)

So I remember seeing someone ask it somewhere - if you give a Model 3 to one of those mileage-obsessed hypermiling ridiculously slow Prius drivers, do they still drive like a Prius driver? 

That sort of description exactly describes me. To the general annoyance of my wife (she loves me, really), I drove my Prius like I was running an experiment to see how efficient you could drive. When I traded in my Prius for a Model 3, my trip B odometer that I had never reset showed an average MPG of 54 - and you don't get that kind of number driving fast. It might not be the best MPG number for a Prius, but it was a pretty good number averaged across almost 50,000 miles.

And so I am able to provide one data point to this quest... For me, I do not drive like Prius drivers any more. Now I sort of drive like a normal driver. I'm not crazy with the car but so far I drive it like someone normal and not a guy with a car that that does something close to 0-60mph in 5s, but I'm definitely not sitting behind trucks any more and I don't take 15 second to go from 0 to 40mph. And every once in a while, I put that pedal down and just smile.

Of course one of these days when they add more power tracking features than that lame Wh/mile odometer, I might revert back to my sluggish driving ways.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

I used to hypermile my old combustion car.

Now that I have a Leaf with a very degraded battery, I play a different game. I call it "try to arrive at work with a dead battery". I start off with an 80% charge at home, and drive as fast as I dare to work. I have to go slower when it's cold, and very slow when it's snowing.

Today was a pretty warm day, so I was cruising at around 70mph. 
And I hit the Very Low Battery Warning before I arrived, so I won!


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## KarenRei (Jul 27, 2017)

This is a good question. I've long been a hypermiler.. first in my old Saturn, and since I switched to my 2000 Insight, in it. I even roll-start and coast down hills engine-off - yes, one of "those people"  It'll be interesting to see what happens to me when I get my Model 3.

I imagine I'll still be annoyed by people who insist on racing up to red lights, and if you approach the lights too slowly they want to race around you and cut in front. But I probably won't be as gentle on the acceleration  Not like my Insight would let me be aggressive with acceleration if I wanted to! An Insight with a dead HV pack is like driving a car from the 1930s  Especially when you're like me and always try to keep the revs as low as physically possible.


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## Quicksilver (Dec 29, 2016)

I too used to own a 2004 Prius and drive very conservatively. Now that I drive all electric in my i3...I drive like I stole it!!  Not necessarily aggressive. It’s so much more fun! I am sure I’ll settle down with the 3  Not!


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## Dangermouse (Apr 27, 2016)

Cannot wait to give you more data on this!

Some things I learned may never go away. It drives me nuts when I’m a passenger and the driver accelerates up a hill instead of waiting for a flat or downhill stretch. No braking at the last minute. 

Things I hope go away:
- Driving with no heat on
- Hoping I make it to work before the engine comes on (plug-in Prius)
- Loud engine acceleration noise (not the same as “nice exhaust tone”)


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## Twiglett (Feb 8, 2017)

Also a Leaf drive but with a battery not as degraded as @garsh 
Also don't have a work charging solution, so my 52 mile round trip commute is on on one battery.
I'm looking forward to:

Using my heating/cooling whenever I want
Driving at the same speed as everyone else 
 50-70 accelleration
Brake lights that come on for regen
Being able to drive more than 30 miles one way without caring about charging
Being able to use a real multi-stall charger - most chargepoint/blink/evgo are single plug.
Having a phone app that reliably connects to the car for preheating - (anyone who's stuck with NissanConnect knows what I'm talking about)


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

garsh said:


> Now that I have a Leaf with a very degraded battery, I play a different game. I call it "try to arrive at work with a dead battery". I start off with an 80% charge at home, and drive as fast as I dare to work. I have to go slower when it's cold, and very slow when it's snowing.
> 
> Today was a pretty warm day, so I was cruising at around 70mph.
> And I hit the Very Low Battery Warning before I arrived, so I won!


Even warmer today. I was cruising at 75mph on the highway. 
Got into town. Hit VLBW about 2 miles from the office. I was in the home stretch!
Then a Pittsburgh Pothole™ got me. Flat right-front tire. I limped it the rest of the way to work. I guess I won, but it's a Pyrrhic victory.
Sigh.


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## PatrickM (Oct 3, 2017)

Ouch! Maybe you need to do something like this guy: https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/2/8535259/*****-pothole-activism-wanksy-england


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## ng0 (Apr 11, 2017)

PatrickM said:


> Ouch! Maybe you need to do something like this guy: https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/2/8535259/*****-pothole-activism-wanksy-england


hahahah.. that's awesome! I really need to start going around San Diego doing that. San Diego is a death trap of potholes.


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## escondidos (Nov 27, 2017)

I have a 2011 Prius I drive a minimum of 110 miles a day for my commute. It now has 200K miles on it. I have always driven it as fast and hard as it would go. I ignored the mileage completely. It has done better than any other new vehicle I have purchased. I plan to wear it down to a nub just about the time I get a Model 3. Then my problem will be to control myself and try to drive the Model 3 below the threshold of it's capabilities! Wish me luck.


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## oey192 (Sep 1, 2017)

I used to hypermile my (manual transmission) Accord but since getting a Leaf I drive much less conservatively. I use regenerative braking profusely but otherwise I don’t bother hypermiling. Also not all gas car hypermiling tricks carry over to electric

Knowing that 90% of my electricity comes from Hydro and given that I’m getting solar in a month I don’t feel the need to drive super efficiently. EV torque is fun, even in the Leaf (but based on my test drive of a Model S and reviews of the Model 3, it’s going to be so much more fun than a Leaf or even a Bolt


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## Brokedoc (May 28, 2017)

I had a Prius as a loaner once. I didn't hypermile in it but the acceleration was so slow, observers may have thought I was hypermiling.

I swear that an old lady on a bike passed me as I was accelerating from a light! My foot was flat on the pedal!

I'm sure Model 3 owners will usually drive more spirited than in a Prius. The car is tuned to be fun to drive. It would take tremendous self control to NOT have fun in the Tesla.


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## Peppington (Apr 12, 2018)

2008 Prius owner with 140k miles; great car. Just received my Model 3 yesterday. The way I'm driving the 3, I may only get 20k miles out of my tires. This car is very fun to drive.


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