I live in a HOT climate, so the A/C is on all the time. I drive stop and go city streets, and highway mix every day. I can't break the 40MPG barrier.
Is this car supposed to be driven like an old lady to get 50MPG ? Or could something be wrong with my demands for the HCH? Should it be driven like a hot rod? What's the trick to 50MPG?

 

imo, one will only get 50mpg or greater with perfect conditons, which are no ac, flat long distance driviing, moderate temperatures, and with a driver who cares. best advice is to drive as though you dont have brakes, that will maximize regeneration of battery.
but you will get mpg when all the above happens. I feel that even the resistance of rain both the droplets and puddling on the road has a significant reduction in fuel milage.

 

I get 50 mpg in North Texas. A/C is on all the time. However, I don't believe that I'd get 50 in Phoenix or Las Vegas because the air cond. has to be on max.

Also, 50 mpg demands a maximum cruise speed of 65 mph, lots of coasting, and plenty of room between you and the car ahead to avoid accel/decel see-saw. It does require technique.

However, remember that whatever mpg you're getting is MUCH better than you'd get in a gas-only car.

 

Try to turn the thermostat to 75-78 and turn AC on. You will notice cold air coming out, but not freezing cold, thus using less gas. Also, turn it on recycle mode, so it is not trying to cool off the hot air from out side. You should not have to drive this car like "an old lady", but you cannot just drive it like a regular car.

 

Also, check the fuel formulation sticker at the pump. If it says MTBE as an additive you may have a chance of hitting 50mpg. If it says 10% ethanol, you may not have a chance unless you adopt a more conservative driving technique. The ethanol lowers FE by about 5%.

 

The EPA estimates are often expected, but are widely misunderstood. The EPA test does not use A/C at all. The highway speeds are limited (well below what most people drive) on the EPA test. Therefore, the EPA estimate is a pipe-dream unless you drive under those restrictive conditions.
I get 46+ MPG on my mostly highway commute. If I drove mostly city stop-n-go, I'd probably get low 40s (maybe 43). I DO use A/C, but not blasting. I drive speed limits, mostly, even higher at times. I accelerate very moderately, but not at a snail's pace. I try to drive without using the brakes much (anticipate, and leave more space between yourself and the car in front of you). I rarely use cruise control. I prefer (as do many others here) to "feather" the pedal - keeping just enough pressure on it to keep the speed steady. I get up to cruising speed, back off the pedal just a little (and notice the instant MPG meter rise to above 50MPG), then ease back onto the pedal, trying to maintain speed AND the high instant MPG. Just a few little practices like these can make a 5MPG difference. Using more techniques nets more MPG results. I've found a happy-medium for me.
Search on this site for a link to Tarabell's excellent article on techniques. It's a must-read, although some of the tricks are more than I care to do. Some folks on this site also have excellent MPG numbers. Search around - you'll see what they get and they've explained how they do it.
And welcome to the hybrid-ownership club! There is a good group here, willing to help in all things hybrid.

 

Yes, you do have to drive like a little old lady to average 50 mpg with a HCH II(actually,you P&G with fairly quick accel to slightly above posted speed in city driving,and then glide to a few mph below posted speed-not the typical little old lady 20 mph in a 30 mph zone)). Consumer Reports got ~26mpg on their city loop with the HCH II-about 47 or so hy.For comparison CR got 35mpg city and about 50 mpg HY with thwe Prius II.Honda owners get the numbers they post here by being very committed to mpg;they aren't normal drivers by any stretch of the imagination.Prius drivers-here-are in general a bit less fanatical. My son gets 42 mpg(worse in coldest winter days-maybe 38mpg) with no particular effort in mainly city driving with a Prius II.
A 50 mpg tank with a HCH takes a lot of effort,and is close to impossible with 10% ethanol(unless you are a full time mpg fanatic)
Luck,
Charlie

 

I ran some HCH2 tests - posted under fuel economy discussions.

I dont usually use AC, have a 75 mi round trip and CC at 55 or 60mph. This plus slow aceleration and avoiding stops nets me 62-68mpg.

Shorter trips, using the AC more, driving much over 60mph, jackrabbit starts, hard (or any) braking - all will drop FE to 40 or lower.

 

50 is easy.

Try 70 MPG.

70 is a LOT of effort.

 

i AM a little old lady (ok, not so little at 5'8, but i am 60) and i drive an 05 HCH. most of my fills this summer have been over 60, but i do this by driving, as you might suspect, like a little old lady.

i never drive over 60, even though i commute to work on a 65MPH limit 4 lane. whenever possible, i take backroads home in order to be able to apply techniques like driving slower, coasting down hills in neutral, coasting to the few stops that i do have to make, taking my time getting up to speed, and rarely using the A/C. i don't think i have ever used the cruise control.

yes, we do drive a little differently than the average driver. however i feel it's balanced by spending a whole lot less than the average driver for fuel.