With the slightly warmer temps in Rhode Island (up to 45 today), my mpg's have climbed from 34.1 to 35.5mpg. Granted my TCH has only 2995 miles on it, but I am desperately trying to get to that 40mpg mark. How do I do it...or better yet, how do you do it?
I do not have a lead foot and coast to red lights and stop signs. I strive for that just under 40mph Emode cruise.

 

See question #2 in the FAQ in my signature for some tips

 

Thanks Haroldo. Perhaps I need to perfect my Pulse and Glide technique.
I'll re-read the "How do I improve my mileage" section and report back.

 

There's only so much mileage improvement that 'northeasterners' will be able to get.
I imagine many of the high mileage achievers are from the flat states with perfect weather (and perfect roads) and long drives.

 

True.

 

You might not get to 40mpg for a few thousand miles yet. I had a hard time until i reached around 5000mi to get over 35-37mpg. Even then 40mpg on a consistant basis is not always easy to acheive..........even using all the above techniques. I am averaging right at 40mpg or slightly under and i have 8500mi on my TCH. So.........don't set your expectations too high yet.

 

I'm in Boston, further North than you, and it's totally doable. But it all depends on your driving style _and_ your drive. The warm temperature helps enable faster warmup time, which is a big fuel burner in cold weather, but making sure you get into "full hybrid" mode will make a difference, as well as things like how long your typical drive lasts, how many miles you go. That warmup burn takes a fair distance to really recover from, though it improves in the hot summer months when you can go "full hybrid" maybe a mile from starting out, and it shuts down at stops up until that full-hybrid transition. But the fact you're in New England has nothing to do with the ability to get 40mpg. If you drive a lot of short trips, that will make much more impact on tanks, once it's warm. But I'm getting around 39 (MFD) right now just from the help of the sun warming the car even when the temp is in the 30s, I got 40mpg for a tank going from Boston to mid-Maine and back for Christmas (yes 40, highway, middle of winter, northern New England, cruise control most of the way). And as the temps rise I fully expect to get mid-40s again as I started doing last summer. But I have a 15-mile commute, drive mostly off-highway in the same kind of speed range as you. I'd do even better if it weren't for short trips like grocery shopping, laundromat, gym....

It can be done, but you need to pick up more experience, get the feel for your car, if you have any, look at other routes and see how they compare, and read tips here for what you can try. Different tips will work for different people. But definitely make sure you understand the whole "full hybrid" thing, that makes a difference.

And most of all enjoy!

 

Thanks Chestr. Yes, the short trips to the gym, store, etc... kill me too. I try to combine trips, but it isn't always easy.
I will look for alternative routes to work to see if I can get in full hybrid mode to and from work.

 

You are right Chris, 40mpg's may be a bit ambitious, but it's something to shoot for.

 

Maybe driving to a gym 30 miles further from home will improve your mileage!
(that was meant to be sarcastic).
Driving 10 miles a day at 35 MPG might be better than driving 100 miles a day at 40 MPG, if the goal is to reduce the amount of fuel used.