60 mpg is a pipe dream...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(danatt @ Jun 18 2007, 10:32 PM) [snapback]464464[/snapback]</div>

...But today I had a 62.9 average mpg today over a total of 97 miles driven.

Factors leading to high mpg today:
- Temperature in high 70's to low 80's
- Only 3 engine warm-ups for 2 long trips and 4 short trips during the day.
- - ICE for morning commute.
- - EV mode for ~1.5 miles to gym at lunch.
- - ICE for ~ 1.5 miles return from gym at lunch.
- - ICE for evening commute.
- - EV mode for ~0.1 miles from package store to convenience store on way home.
- - EV mode for ~0.3 miles from convenience store to home.
- *Greater than usual traffic congestion on I-91 and route 9 during evening commute.*
- Good luck with traffic lights on secondary roads.

Note that this is for a full round trip, starting and ending at the same location (home). Driving habits were the same as usual (described in my earlier post in this thread), in which I normally get somewhere between 55 and 59 mpg. I think the clincher today was the extra traffic congestion. Don't get me wrong - I'm no fan of traffic. But I guess it is a bit more tolerable when you know it's boosting your mileage. - Kind of like a consolation prize. I've actually settled into a strategy for traffic congestion which involves trying to maintain steady speed (avoiding stops and heavy acceleration) with a few judicious lane changes only when necessary. I've been surprised to find that in addition to improving mileage, I think I actually make better progress than most of the other vehicles on the road around me that typically accelerate to close the gap in front of them, and then have to break when the traffic slows.

Although the use of the EV mode wasn't the primary factor for the 60+ mpg average, it did play a role by avoiding the extra 3 engine warm-ups for those short trips which would have likely dropped the average below 60 mpg.

To sum it up, mileage > 60 mpg is certainly possible. - But many many factors need to all be working together in your favor, which is why achieving it is so rare.

 

I've seen a definite increase with age!!! now over 26,000 miles and getting better mileage!

absolutely keep after your tire inflation-

don't give up!

 

We did the same trip as you, but hardly with the good results like yours. We started at Huntington Beach
[405] to the 101 for Santa Barbara & Santa Maria. That stretch cost us 39.7mpg. It seemed that it was all
up hill from Santa Barbara to Santa Maria. Consider your driving habits have been converted !!!
Keep it up.

 

I just had my best day ever yesterday. I drive on rural county roads in northern Indiana and the traffic is nearly non-existant. For 49.4 miles I ended up with 98.2 mpg which is a new PR for me.

 

I can set my cruise control on about 63-68 and I can get 50 mpg on the interstate. Around town, 60 and up. my best tank is 56.3 mpg here in the mountains. But, as they say, I'm really working at it.


*edit*, hay, I just read your stats over at Greenhybrid. thats really not bad. You're car's still new and just at the break in period. Keep the faith, your mileage will increase.