low MPG

[floored12]

Im just browsing the forum like I normally do and notice some people claim 40mpg in the summer. i never get more that 34 if i drive super cautious. I have a new air filter , regular oil changes , monitor my tire pressure..... i wish i could get 35 and Id be happy. Just kind of venting my jealousy.

[AML]

At what speeds is your driving mostly done at? What split of city/highway? Flat or hilly terrain? So many variables.

[floored12]

its about 8 miles to work split half highway (65-75mph) and there are some hills but very small. I would say my average speed is about 40-45. i get about 460 to a tank.

[WhiteSands]

Holy Smokes Batman.. Lots of details to get top mpg. For instance you get poor gas mileage driving at 65 to 75 mph. I drive no faster than 45 mph all the time and get like 57 mpg. My trip is now sitting on 650 miles with just under 1/4 tank of gas left. My personal record is 62 mpg (80% highway, 20% city) at 840 miles on one tank. This was done in October 2010 before the wx had cooled off, and was almost no wind. I do drive 8 miles to town on a 4-lane divided highway which don't have that much traffic. The actual loop to town and back round-trip is 32.5 miles.

What tires do you have, and your cold air inflation is very important. I use the Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires and run max pressure (44 psi) when they are cold. This set of tires supposed to give me a extra 8% mpg. In my testing i'm getting a 10% gain.

I always use a top tier gas from the toptiergas.com/ Choose the Retailers link for the full list. In our small city we can choose from Chevron, Shell, Phillips 66. I use the Phillips as it's only a block from some discount mom & pop station. I pay like 5 cents more per gallon for the Phillips regular which keeps the injectors and valves clean.

I picked up 2 mpg by switching to mobile 0-20W oil. I don't know if I would do the switch on a older engine, unless it don't use any oil.

When driving, I use easy acceleration and long coast to red-lights and stop signs. I always use the cruise control, even in town and as slow as 25 mph like on the small 1.5 mile paved road to our house.

My 2007 TCH driven in other states during the summer might get 45 mpg. I think the exception to my high numbers is due to the 4300 foot elevation here in the high desert of Southern New Mexico. If you ever visited white sands national monument then you know how flat it is here were I live. Although I have got really good mpg up in the nearby mountains (8000 feet) Cloudcroft, NM. My rule, what goes up has to come down. These hybrids don't use hardly any gas when coasting down some mountain.

I have my best luck for mpg during the spring and fall of the year. When my car was brand new, the first 1/4 tank was test driven by speculative buyers. When I bought the car and finished using the 3/4 tank that was left. I was amazed to see it had 48 mpg on the display. I do zero the trip at each fill and use a scangauge which helps some to improve the mpg using various speeds and techniques. By the way when I first bought the car I waiting till late at night to go out and check the (factory) air pressure. All for tires were at 40 psi. (cold)

Good luck with you quest for improved mpg. During the summer with the AC set to OFF. Try for 45 mpg then if you get 38 to 40 that's a improvement. Try some the things I mention, but slowing down now will help you the most which helps the wind resistance big time. Try driving 55 or even 50 for a while tank, you may be amazed at your mpg improvement. Your problem if your in a big city then you have other cars pushing you along so you can't do much for your mpg.

I used to drive a '94 Corolla in the Dallas, Tx traffic. Somehow I kept the little 1.8 liter engine around 35 to 38 mpg combined. I think it was me driving at 50 mph using the cruise control and keeping the tires back then aired to 38 psi, again cold.

Please note, I always go by the mpg readout. That calculated method is not that accurate and messes up big time as various stations driveways are not level at all. Your true calculated mpg will be about 1.5 mpg less than the readout. (no big deal)

[floored12]

I know my driving habits are to blame, I was jjust kind of venting. If I drive 50 on the highway Ill probably get rammed off the road. I read in one thread here someone says a K&N air filter got them 3mpg so thatll be my next thing.

[ukrkoz]

not someone. I did. I bought mine in March 2010 from a guy that claimed 36-37 at the best. I install K&N filters on all of our cars. I had 42.5 average on nav system by late September.
i also live in Seattle area, where it's very uneven terrain. Same time, I flushed her and filled with Amsoil.
I am averaging 39.6 I believe now, tracked on fuelly.
I am not a serious hypermiler, but I do drive her humbly.
most of good mpg is driving habit and less load on the car. temperatures below 55 and speeds above 55, along with city driving, kill mpg.
mine does NOT like Chevron gas. I routinely fuel at Sam's and we are both happy with it.

[floored12]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

not someone. I did. I bought mine in March 2010 from a guy that claimed 36-37 at the best. I install K&N filters on all of our cars. I had 42.5 average on nav system by late September.
i also live in Seattle area, where it's very uneven terrain. Same time, I flushed her and filled with Amsoil.
I am averaging 39.6 I believe now, tracked on fuelly.
I am not a serious hypermiler, but I do drive her humbly.
most of good mpg is driving habit and less load on the car. temperatures below 55 and speeds above 55, along with city driving, kill mpg.
mine does NOT like Chevron gas. I routinely fuel at Sam's and we are both happy with it.

i shouldve known it was you. whats your name so i got something to put with that username.

[ukrkoz]

Originally Posted by floored12

i shouldve known it was you. whats your name so i got something to put with that username.

well, that's first ever gasoline electric hybrid by Ferdie Porsche as my avatar (guy was a genius) and name is quite simple in meaning: Ukrainian Kozak, with accent on a, hence - ukr+koz. They call them Cossacks in English.