Hypermiling. How good are you?

[Looneybomber]

I forgot my password for Fuelly.com, but for the past couple months, I've had every fuel tank in the 20-21.5mpg range in a 12 yo vehicle rated at 18mpg hwy.

Just last week my friend let me drive their '12 Focus, rated at 38mpg hwy and I averaged 43.9 mpg which was mostly hwy, but actually improved when I got in town. (she got tired of me going slower uphill and thus used the cruise for part of the drive). I checked her fuel economy today and her avg was down to 30.7 - she accelerates to red lights. Drives me nuts.

I'd like to try out some more cars, but I'm guessing I can do 10-15% over rated hwy, mixed driving. It's not crazy good, but I also don't shut off the car(s) coming to a stop, just do a lot of basic stuff - coasting to stops, slowing up hills, and do what I can do stay in OD (in my 'sploder means 45mph, so I tend to speed in town). With gas hitting 3.70/gal 'round here, I'm getting even more throttle conscientious...and my passengers ask why I'm going 55 in a 75.

[nissangirl74]

I used to get between 650-700 miles a tank in the Insight (approximately ten gallon tank). Almost all in town driving too. The Speed3 consistently gets between 26-27 regardless if my foot is in the throttle or not. Therefore, zoom-zoom

[Bubba1]

I forgot my password for Fuelly.com, but for the past couple months, I've had every fuel tank in the 20-21.5mpg range in a 12 yo vehicle rated at 18mpg hwy.

Just last week my friend let me drive their '12 Focus, rated at 38mpg hwy and I averaged 43.9 mpg which was mostly hwy, but actually improved when I got in town. (she got tired of me going slower uphill and thus used the cruise for part of the drive). I checked her fuel economy today and her avg was down to 30.7 - she accelerates to red lights. Drives me nuts.

I'd like to try out some more cars, but I'm guessing I can do 10-15% over rated hwy, mixed driving. It's not crazy good, but I also don't shut off the car(s) coming to a stop, just do a lot of basic stuff - coasting to stops, slowing up hills, and do what I can do stay in OD (in my 'sploder means 45mph, so I tend to speed in town). With gas hitting 3.70/gal 'round here, I'm getting even more throttle conscientious...and my passengers ask why I'm going 55 in a 75.

I used to have a monstrous commute every day and got very good at hypermiling even with my SUV. It wasn't difficult to get into the mid upper 20's for mpg. The benefits for me included extended brake and tire wear in addition to the better gas mileage. If you're looking for tips besides the obvious stuff, like driving the speed limit or less (fyi- speeding in town just to hit o/d does not necessarily improve mileage), using cruise control when possible, coasting toward lights, not warming the car up, etc., you might also think about removing the roof rack off your Exploder, folding in your passenger side mirror (if you're comfortable driving without it), religiously checking your tire pressures, removing excess weight, planning your trips with the most efficient routing, scheduling trips during less heavy traffic times, and if you live in an area with toll roads, invest in EZpass to avoid getting stuck idling in line.

Of course the biggest single increase in gas mileage I enjoy is occasionally using my son's Corolla, which gets over 30mpg on regular gas without hypermiling tricks, instead using my 4 runner.

[float_6969]

The best I ever did was 47mpg in the old 1992 civic. All highway, but basic hypermiling stuff. Running the speed limit with the cruise on it normally got around 35 mpg on the same stretch of highway. I also cleared over 50mpg in that same car (I think it was 53, but i'm not sure), but that was up in the mountains, so that doesn't really count. That car was so gutless, I LITERALLY had it full throttle for the majority of an hour. My leg hurt by the end of it from keeping the pedal down for so long. The gas gauge barely moved though, LOL.

[BusyBadger]

When I had a 65 mile commute (each way) I could get 400 miles out of a tank on the Z. Now with not being able to get that tall 6th gear into play very often it's more like 300, once it was even 275...

...it's also a lot more fun.

[Looneybomber]

Looks like the hypermiling forums compare their actual mpg to the rated mixed mpg. The good drivers look like they get about 50% above the rating and the real good ones get > 100%. I'm just under 40% lately, so not great. Read a story about someone hitting 180 mpg in an Insight on a 20 mile loop. Nearly 300%

[ADDirishboy]

I once got 18 in the Titan...

[nissangirl74]

damn tailgaters

[ADDirishboy]

I prefer "drafting".

[flohtingPoint]

27-28 in the Z06 and 18 city in the F150. That's the best so far that' I've gotten.

[ScrapMetal]

My 99 Chevy S10 4 cylinder 5 speed is rated 26mpg highway. I'm getting 29.4mpg highway. My commute is all highway, 60 miles. I think I'm doing pretty good. Gonna eventually sell it and get a early 2000s Civic DX coupe with a 5 speed.

[Looneybomber]

I prefer "drafting".

I do it behind semis when I can.

[ADDirishboy]

I prefer "drafting".

I do it behind semis when I can.

That's the only time I do it. It doesn't do much for my mileage though, so I've recently stopped.

[AZhitman]

Most people who think they're drafting are nowhere near close enough to the leading vehicle to see any benefit.

Bex pulled an 80mpg tank in the Insight last year... dammit.

[Bubba1]

Most people who think they're drafting are nowhere near close enough to the leading vehicle to see any benefit.

Bex pulled an 80mpg tank in the Insight last year... dammit.

Drafting on public roads with unknown truck drivers is more dangerous than any benefits it derives if you ask me. Being that close to that truck, especially one you can't see around, you're all but guaranteed an accident if the truck driver does anything sudden.

[Looneybomber]

Drafting on public roads with unknown truck drivers is more dangerous than any benefits it derives if you ask me. Being that close to that truck, especially one you can't see around, you're all but guaranteed an accident if the truck driver does anything sudden.

I can only do it on interstates and it's tough - one foot covering the brake and one on the gas. Not at all relaxing. My best tank was low 22's with around 200 miles of drafting and my last tank was 20.8 with probably 50 miles of drafting. Normally I get around 21mpg with a lot of drafting, but due to the fact I can't relax if drafting, I'm doing it less and less on these 3hr long drives across state.

[ADDirishboy]

Drafting only gained an extra 1mpg for me, so I quit. Bubba, that's pretty much the exact reason I don't really do it anymore. That and rock chips.

[AZhitman]

...and a good way to get your a$$ kicked at the next rest area by a tired, pissed-off trucker.

[nissangirl74]

I can only do it on interstates and it's tough - one foot covering the brake and one on the gas. Not at all relaxing.

It's a horrid, horrid idea. What's a tank of gas cost versus a night in the hospital? or a funeral?

[Ajax]

I recently made a trip to Madison and back from Minneapolis. I was running late (due to getting new brakes that morning which took longer than anticipated) so the ride down was hovering around 80mph in my Protege5, excepting construction zones and lucking out on seeing the fuzz well ahead of being caught. (note: I didn't like pushing it like that, but I did make it just a minute late, without even knowing what bldg I was going to) On the way back, I never took it past 65, and accelerated very gingerly. 10mpg difference.
From what I've experienced, there's not a whole lot of improvement you can get in hwy mpg, because there's not much you're doing anyway. City stuff shows a bigger gain. I do turn the car off now and then when I head to lights that I know I'll be waiting at.

[Bubba1]

I recently made a trip to Madison and back from Minneapolis. I was running late (due to getting new brakes that morning which took longer than anticipated) so the ride down was hovering around 80mph in my Protege5, excepting construction zones and lucking out on seeing the fuzz well ahead of being caught. (note: I didn't like pushing it like that, but I did make it just a minute late, without even knowing what bldg I was going to) On the way back, I never took it past 65, and accelerated very gingerly. 10mpg difference.
From what I've experienced, there's not a whole lot of improvement you can get in hwy mpg, because there's not much you're doing anyway. City stuff shows a bigger gain. I do turn the car off now and then when I head to lights that I know I'll be waiting at.

If you improved 10mpg on that trip simply by dropping your speed from 80 to 65, you'll be surprised how much you saved if you crunch the numbers.

[ADDirishboy]

Turning the vehicle off in AZ in the summer is NOT an option. Way to hot, way to fast.

[AZhitman]

Not only that, but I'm not ok with losing power steering and brakes.

There's a bunch of little tricks that actually work remarkably well, that I learned while working on the Desert Fuel project, as well as owning the Insights.

"Spats" that split the air and direct it around the front wheels are helpful, as well as keeping air from "piling up" under the font end (by using a U or V-shaped underbody splitter). Also, the inside of the rear bumper acts as a parachute. Sealing that off with a "pan" made of corrugated plastic (like election signs are made of) is a huge plus.

Lighter wheels tires, and removing crap from the interior all help... Taping up the front seams actually makes a big difference too (hood / bumper) and folding in the mirrors...

[flohtingPoint]

13.5 mpg towing the with the Ecoboost loaded with racing gear and a steel trailer with a Z06 on the back of it.

[Looneybomber]

Woohoo 21.8mpg on my last tank.

13.5 mpg towing the with the Ecoboost loaded with racing gear and a steel trailer with a Z06 on the back of it.

Got in my buddies fairly new F350 over the weekend. Despite the fact it's a diesel, he still averaged only 13.4 mpg. I had a roommate years ago with an early 00's F250 diesel and he got around 19mpg.

Completely unrelated to MPG, autox'ing a C5 Z06 vs. C6 Z51, are there significant differences?

[flohtingPoint]

Woohoo 21.8mpg on my last tank.

13.5 mpg towing the with the Ecoboost loaded with racing gear and a steel trailer with a Z06 on the back of it.

Got in my buddies fairly new F350 over the weekend. Despite the fact it's a diesel, he still averaged only 13.4 mpg. I had a roommate years ago with an early 00's F250 diesel and he got around 19mpg.

Completely unrelated to MPG, autox'ing a C5 Z06 vs. C6 Z51, are there significant differences?

If you're going to have a C6, you'd want at least a GS (especially for the Z wheels it comes with stock) over a Z51. I'd rather have a C5Z than a C6 Z51 any day, just a better car for the class (SSR). That said, a C6 Z51 isn't a bad car, it's just not what I would bring to the table.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I couldn't possibly care less about my fuel economy, so I am about as good at hypermiling as I am at knitting and basketball.

I still manage 28-29 mpg on the highway in my LS8, and that's without trying very hard. My usual Rexburg-to-Salt Lake average is 25-27 depending on wind and how much of a hurry I'm in. That's in a V8 luxury sedan averaging about 78mph round-trip.

I checked her fuel economy today and her avg was down to 30.7 - she accelerates to red lights. Drives me nuts.

I'm glad you're enthusiastic about improving your fuel efficiency, but PLEASE don't be one of those people who imposes his way of driving on others. There's nothing wrong with NOT hypermiling. Not everyone cares about fuel economy. Some of us care about getting where we're going, hearing our engine do its thing, doing the posted speed limit, not being in the way, or any of a billion other aspects of driving that are not fuel economy. To me, allowing MPG to dictate your driving habits is just as obnoxious as accelerating to red lights is to you. We're all on the road together. Don't be "that guy."

[nissangirl74]

I couldn't possibly care less about my fuel economy, so I am about as good at hypermiling as I am at knitting and basketball.

Some of us care about getting where we're going, hearing our engine do its thing, doing the posted speed limit, not being in the way, or any of a billion other aspects of driving that are not fuel economy. To me, allowing MPG to dictate your driving habits is just as obnoxious as accelerating to red lights is to you. We're all on the road together. Don't be "that guy."

x a billion

[Looneybomber]

While I don't say anything to other drivers, I am that guy coasting for a quarter mile to red lights. It's unavoidable. At least you'll never catch me loitering in the left and I don't drive like a grandma in busy traffic since that's dangerous. I'll go with the flow.

[BusyBadger]

For me, making a few lights and arriving minutes early on short trips and and hour or more ahead of schedule on long trips is far more important to me than any added fuel costs I incurred by making it happen.