I want my vote back.

I originally said that for me -- a newbie -- the term was "neither positive nor negative."

After reading this thread, I would like to change that vote to "negative."

I bought my Prius because I'm a cheap bastard who is tired of paying $3.50 for gas in CA. In less than 800 miles, I am averaging ~52MPG in mostly highway driving.

I just can't get into the rhetoric and arguement over such mundane things. My day is consumed by far more important matters.

Sorry, I know I just offended every single person within this universe ...

 

I'm a hypermiler.
A very good one.
Just yesterday I showed two people the 64.7 MPG on my dash.

I'm a quirky extreme kind of guy in many ways.
I'm an artist and musician.
I have done a lifetime of soul searching and adjustment to make peace with being different in a world where different is a dirty word.

I find the reaction to hypermilers, and this thread, to be interesting.
I've been different all my life.
Frankly now at age 50 I take it all less seriously.
I get a kick out of it.
I think it's funny.

I understand that people vary.
Some really hate me for not blending in and fitting in.
That's fine.
We all are entitled to our opinions.

Here's another thing about me that is different:
I think the goal is not to hammer everyone into the same shape.
So go ahead and think hypermiling is good or think it is bad.

Smugness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Incredibly well said, Kenny. I only wish it didn't take the better part of a lifetime to achieve that kind of peace. At exactly half your age, it has become apparent to me that it isn't easy to get there.

 

My husband and I have been talking about a point that we think is a very intersting and hopefully valuable aspect of hypermiling. We both got hooked on hypermiling immediately. It's sort of a "hobby" concept in that it is fun to do.

It's also something that when you practice it... it becomes an "active" part of your driving. It is actually an activity.

My husband made the observation that the style of driving used by hypermilers is very conservative as far as speed and safety goes. If anything... it at times could be described as "you are driving like a grandmother" to get the very best MPG you can.

Many drivers, especially teenage boys, are hell on wheels, and their love of speed and reckless driving is an ongoing danger on the roads. (Hence their HIGH insurance rates.) But, teenage boys drive like maniacs primarily because they want to be mentally "engaged" by their driving. They tend to have the attention span of gnats and speed and fast handling, lane changes etc... are kind of a sport to them as they try to get one more car length ahead on the road.

My husband started musing about whether or not hypermiling had a potential to replace speed and aggressiveness in teenage driving.

Dr. Phil has said many times - you don't stop a bad habit... you replace it. If you are eating every night in front of the TV... in order to change this you have to find a new habit like walking the dog every night to replace the habit of eating in front of the TV. This replaces a bad habit with a good habit.

Maybe it is wishful thinking on our part, but I realistically think that hypermiling is a fun and interesting habit that can replace fast aggressive driving. It would be great if the concept could be taught in high school driver's ed. I really think the kids I know would get hooked on eeking out the very best MPG... and the side effect of this it it would give them a driving style that is safer and more cautious than aggressive driving.

Hypermiling is a new sport... and it takes smarts and physical skill. What's not to like about it?

 

Marianne,

Yes, it's fun.

If it was not for this - "I'd be bored with my car".

It seems that most detractors of hypermiling have not tried it.

 

Marianne- I think your idea is a great one. If you want to change attitudes in the long term, you have to start with the kids. Of course, that won't usually mean that change is immediate, (all those older people with lead feet will be on the road for decades to come and often have zero interest in learning new things) but you have to start somewhere.

 

Before I got my TCH in January, I used to drive like a complete a-hole. 80 mph+ everywhere I could, because my commute is such a pain, I just wanted to get where I needed to be as quickly as possible, and get it over with.

I agree with you as well Marianne. Hypermiling is a game. Nothing more, nothing less. I have read every post in this thread, and I've come away with the opinion that those in favor of hypermiling are that way because either they are "nerdy" and enjoy tinkering with their cars to see the effects of said tinkering, or it's a game. How high can you push the mpg, and still drive "normally"?

I had my mileage posted for about 30 hours, and took it off my sig. Why? Because I want to be a hypermiler, and I'm nowhere near it. I'm 4 months into owning my TCH, and I'm nowhere near the mindset it takes to be a hypermiler. I'm not sure I'll ever get there. I have 20 years of driving like a d**k to overcome.

So for me, it's a game, to keep my still-adolescent mind engaged. I've found myself more often in the right lane, going 60-65 mph on the highway, and pissed because I have to endure the CFG's I used to give to people going 60-65 in the right hand lane. However, there is an increasing part of me that is OK with that.

One big reason I bought my TCH was the supposed mpg increase. I have more than doubled my mpg over the VW Jetta I had, but I don't know how much of that is due to better driving technique. (The other reason was all the cool stuff that came on the car, but that's for a different thread! )

I view hypermiling as a positive. I think those of you who are hypermilers should be proud of what you have achieved, because I haven't gotten there yet, and I want to. It's why I bought the car.

 

What is CFG?

 

I could have made the same post 18 months ago when I bought my Prius finbib. After being thrilled with 50 mpg for a couple of months I started down the hypermiler road myself. I have achieved a little over 57 mpg average since 1/1/06, bringing my lifetime mpg up to what you see in my signature. I hate to say it but I've turned into the proverbial reformed drinker or smoker as far as driving goes. Anyway, one benefit of hypermiling I get is a more relaxed arrival at my destination. I no longer need to take 10-15 minutes to calm down. I look forward to seeing what you achieve with your TCH.

 

Certain Finger Gesture