I've just passed 4,300 miles and I can definitely state that the 3,500 mile barrier several folks have mentioned does exist. Once you hit 3,500 miles, MPG does improve. I don't know if it's coincidence... because of summer temperatures, or just because it takes 3,500 miles to get comfortable with how to drive this car efficiently.

I filled up yesterday and my calculated MPG came in at 54.7. I've got 57 miles on my new tank now and I'm up around 59... that's driving around 60 mph with light A/C use and one passenger. Best numbers I've ever seen! Next tank I'll be getting my "hypermiler" star in the database for sure!

 

Congrats, I just dropped down to the 35's Some serious unhypermile'n, but I'm getting around quick

 

I just got my star on this tank, helped in no small part by a boost around 3800mi, and truck drafting on the freeway. The drive home from work, though, was 67.7mpg/17mi, so it's not all "cheating"

 

Hey, that is awesome!! Keep up the good work. What's your driving pattern like (length of trip, terrain, temps, etc.)

So many factors to affect MPG, I'm always curious the circumstances behind really good and really bad MPG.

Curious enough that I've changed my commute to a slower, longer drive off the interstate that is more flat and see at least a 3 MPG improvement...sometimes more!

Cheers,

Curt.

 

Well, it varies! My drive is about 20 - 30 miles each way on Orange County CA freeways. We're in "summer light" traffic mode now, so I often stay in the right lane behind a nice slow (55 - 60 mph) truck. Prior to "summer light", I'd have to dump onto the HOV lanes to keep moving in a few areas, but that bumped me up to 68 MPH (so folks don't run over me!).

My other stats... tires at 40 psi cold... drive with load as much as possible (again, don't want to slow down enough to **** anyone off... slowest is about 53 before I get "uncomfortable" and add some gas to get up the hill)... luckily, there are no big hills on the freeway portion. I do have a huge hill to climb to get home after I exit. 600' of rise in 1.5 miles. Sucks that gas right down... and I DON'T really get an equal benefit riding down the following morning, since the car is less efficient while warming up.

I use A/C sparingly (only when someone else is in the car with me!). I can tolerate 90 degrees without A/C, since the drive is only 30 minutes and my office is usually freezing! I crack the driver's and right rear window an inch and put the fan on high and that's good enough.

I find my best improvements came when I learned about backing off the throttle occasionally. I find I can back off, then reapply throttle to almost the same level... never drop any MPH, yet my instant MPG guage gains a bar or two. I do this once a minute or so (don't even think about it anymore... I just seem to do it!) and it keeps the MPG meter up higher. I don't know why this works... perhaps it's forcing the IMA to pump a little more energy from the battery and a little less from the ICE.

 

I've got about a 17mi one-way commute through Ohio farm country. Mostly flat except for a couple of small hills clustered in one spot that I tend to take at 45mph. Tires are 44psi cold (and I've not noticed a significant difference in noise or ride versus factory 32psi). I've only used the AC once this summer, never use the CC anymore.

Finman, as you say you've changed your route to improve your mileage, I have to ask... does this result in a net increase or decrease in gas used? There's little point to getting +5mpg if you need to use more gas along the way because of the added distance.

 

I just picked up my HCHII last week, and in mixed city and highway driving I'm getting 47.1 mpg. I usually go about 65 on the highway. I keep the ac on 78-80. My tire pressure is 34psi.

I haven't really even been trying! It's so exciting...

 

I do this going up hills. What it does is it forces the CVT to shift the ratio sooner, which in some situations has the effect of increasing the IMA assist (if it shifts up, the the IMA must do more work to keep the engine from lugging). However, I usually use the method to reduce IMA use going up hills, to save the battery capacity for later, doing so will cause the CVT to shift to a lower ratio rather than increase the IMA as I approach a hill.

 

I have been trying a tank of mid-grade gas, 89 octane instead of 87. It cost ten cents more per gallon, but my highway mileage w/o AC is 60 or better. Before it was 56 max. But the car is only at 2400 miles.
My drive is perfect- 38 mi. commute on flat coastal roadsm and a few overpasses that HELP my mileage!

 

The owners manual does not recommend using anything but 87.