Stock Toyota Prius Breaks MPG Record for Cross-Country Drive

A 2023 Toyota Prius has been inducted into the Guinness World Records now that hypermiler Wayne Gerdes drove the latest Prius LE model from sea to shining sea across the U.S., achieving an incredible average of 93 miles per gallon combined. Actually, 93.158 mpg over 3,211.7 miles, to be exact.

The new Prius was specifically awarded the Guinness World Record for lowest fuel consumption driving across the U.S. from coast to coast for a hybrid car. The previous record holder in that category was the Kia Niro EX, which hit an average of 76.6 mpg in 2016.

Toyota says the Prius “smashed” the record set by the Kia hybrid, but there’s a slight difference in total distance traveled: the Prius drove from Los Angeles City Hall to New York City Hall covering just shy of 3,212 miles along its journey. The Niro, meanwhile, had the same start and stop points but it covered a total distance of 3,715 miles, which is not exactly the same as the Prius.

Interestingly enough, Wayne Gerdes was also behind the wheel of the Kia Niro, but he was accompanied by co-driver Robert Winger when he set the previous record. There’s no doubt about it: Gerdes can go the distance, and he has once again leveraged his hypermiling skills to set the latest world record.

The official EPA fuel efficiency rating of the Prius LE is 57 city, 56 highway, and 57 mpg combined. This Prius is powered by a fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 194 horsepower. I’ll stop short of saying that the 2024 Prius “smashed” the record of the 2017 Kia Niro, but the Prius did smash its own efficiency rating by a whopping 36 mpg, which is as commendable as the 93.158 mpg the Toyota hybrid returned on its journey.

Gerdes says that he drove across a variety of terrain—not just gliding down hills with a tailwind. The driver adds that he drove up mountains, reaching altitudes as high as 7,000 feet, as well as driving across the Mojave Desert where temperatures exceeded 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

The hypermiler says that his practical tips for anyone looking to stretch their miles include taking off from complete stops slowly, maintaining even pressure on the accelerator pedal as you drive, and easing off the pedal early when a stop is ahead, gracefully gliding until the car is static. All good tips, but it’s likely that a record-breaking drive across America is best undertaken in a new Prius for now.

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