My wife and I are 3 days away from starting a two week long, 4000 mile road trip in our 2006 HCH. There will be a variety of roads. Everything from 55 mph two laners to 75 mph interstates. I will do my best to keep meticulous mpg records and keep everyone updated on the numbers.

 

I decided not to care one iota. I got 33.8 my last tank of gas. Now I care again and half-way through I'm at 45.1. I'll lower my expectations and be happy with 40+.

I just bought a new house and started escrow yesterday ($680k in Orange County but the house is down from $800 a few months ago and has been 100% fully remodeled with $100k upgrades and new gourmet kitchen)... (I wonder if the bubble burst because I looked at 50+ houses that are all in the same situation - 4 bedroom, okay-to-good-to-stellar condition but none fixer uppers, on market for 6+ months, prices reduced by $30-200k depending on location and starting price and zero offers) its up in the hills (right now I'm straight off the 5 and Lake Forest exits so there are very little hills during my commute and I just barely manage to avoid them in the city depending on where I go).

The new house is up in the wilderness off of 5 and El Toro 9 miles up. So, I will expect crappy mileage going there but great mileage back. In fact, I filled up my most current tank at the top of the hill where the house is and for the 8 miles back to my current apartment I got 79.1 MPG (starting from a full tank at 0 miles) but on my way up hill to the house, that drops to 45 or so but goes back up when I come back down the hill.

We'll see how it turns out once I start my daily commute from up in the hills.


Thanks,
Shawn

 

ShawnB,

I am in the same situation as your new house. (Well, I will be once the car gets here. It has been almost 2 months since I ordered it.) I live in the Sierra foothills (elev. 1400 ft), but will commute to the Sacramento valley floor for work. I am hoping for great mileage on the way to work to counteract the crappy mileage I will get going home. I will be very happy if I get 43-45 mpg overall.

I'll be interested to see your results. Hopefully, I will get my car before you move into the new house and I can post my results. (I guess we could hypermile on the way home by pulling a Fred Flintstone.....)

ShawnS

 

Yeah heading down can be fun my most memerable one was coming from Yosemite my dash was reading 150mpg and it was 20-30 miles down. The trip with that is still my most fuel efficient at 57.7mpg. I didn't even finish the tank I was to curious. As for the mountains all you can do is what what you can. My other half lives in San Pedro and it kills my FE. You are still getting better than average FE car though. The first time I realized how much mountains affect FE I was speaking with a guy who owned a 1st Gen Prius and he was getting 38mpg. He only commuted in Palos Verdes which is a mountian. That is really good for only commuting there. Best advice is to take advantage when you can if you are going for FE.

 

Well, its now been three tanks. Because of where I live (in the hills -- don't live in the house yet but I drive up that area now every day) the best (and I mean with intense effort) mileage I get now is 37 MPG. I can get 29 if I throw caution out the window. I doubt if I'll ever see 40 MPG again regularily. Par for the course, I guess. But hey, my gas bill is still significantly lower than was with my truckk.

Thanks,
Shawn

 

Well,

I was camping last week and got home to a very nice surprise...My car arrived!! So far I love it. I am still on the first tank and am averaging about 42-43 mpg. On the way to work (downhill) I get about 53 and on the way home I get about 35. It is still too early to tell, but it looks like I will be in the 43 mpg range which is fine by me (compared to my previous 18 mpg). (I am travelling 70-75 mph with the A/C set to 76 and it has been hot (high 90s) in the afternoon here.)

The other thing I like is the power getting up the hills. Granted, I do not have scuba gear in the back , but I have no problem getting up even the steepest hills on my way home. I was a little worried about that, but it seems OK. I am used to driving my 280hp Infiniti, but I really don't miss the power (much).

I am definitely happy!!

ShawnS

 

Hmm. Maybe I'll figure it out. Anahymbrid lives in the same city as me (approximately -- he's in anaheim hill and I'm near mission viejo) and has slightly worse hills to contend with than I have and yet he does good. But then, steeper hills are easy to make up what was lost. All my terrains are gradual. I don't carry any scuba gear in my car anymore. We use my wife's acura for that.


Thanks,
Shawn

 

There is a lot of climbing, but my mileage for round trips in that direction is still well above average for me. I found it possible to go for long stretches on El Toro at speed with stopping, especially paying attention to the timing of the lights, and coasting back down with hte regenerative brakes is just enough to hold the right speed, and replenish what I use on the way up -- no gas or hydraulic brakes needed.

What seems to be the best is a steep climb, followed by a more gradual descent, that is just enough of a downgrade to accelerate the car to the desired speed without requiring braking. What is the worst is hilly driving with lots of stops. Driving through Aliso Viejo (I do this a few times a week) during peak traffic is fairly bad in this regard.

Steep descents are the worst however. Even in a situation with no speed limit, or very high speed limit, gravity will tend to accelerate the car to a much faster top speed, using up more of the potential energy overcoming air resistance than the same elevation drop over a longer distance. If braking is required to stay within speed limits, things get even worse for steep descents.

I live atop a hill that is steep, but a 25mph speed limit. With full regen, and max AC running with the transmission in "S" mode (2800 RPMs at 30mph), braking is still needed to keep the speed to around ~30. There are also between 4 and 7 stop signs, depending on which freeway onramp I use. This renders conserving momentum impossible.