It has been 2 months since we purchased our Vue Greenline and we continue to enjoy our new "toy". Since purchasing the Vue I have been trying to get the best mileage from it and have the following tips for anyone interested in the Vue Greenline. These observations have been made with the use of a ScanGauge II.

-- First consider your commute. The mild hybrid system is not the best choice for heavy stop-and-go traffic or very short trips. More survival tips for when you find yourself in this situation later on.

-- Second accelerate from stop moderately. Obviously jackrabbit starts will kill your fuel economy; but, so to will agonizingly slow starts. What has worked best for me was to hold the rpms to between 2000 and 2300 to accelerate up to 25 miles per hour. Once you hit 25 let off the gas until the eco light comes on. Then accelerate slowly to your cruising speed.

-- Use the cruise control smartly. On flat terrain, it works very well. On hills, use your brain not the cars. When the road dips with steep inclines, build up additional speed as you approach the low point. If you leave the cruise control on, you can coast uphill without the regen braking slowing your momentum. As your speed approaches the set set speed, hit the cancel button and finish the hill sacrificing speed for economy and keeping the eco light on. On some of the more moderate dips in the road, don't sweat it. The electric assist will help keep up your mpg. If you let the engine tach up remember you get a nice fuel economy boost after you crest the hill and coast back to your set speed.

-- If you are climbing a long hill and you have the eco light on at a reasonable speed, go ahead and set the cruise control to finish the hill.


-- The Vues sweet spot (at least mine) is between 40 and 45 miles per hour. Anytime you can travel at that speed, do it. On the interstates, keep to 65 or less. Anything higher then 65 will cut into your fuel economy.

-- Survival tips for stop-and-go. Learn the technique of driving without brakes and try to match your speed with the traffic lights. Sacrifice speed to keep the wheels turning. The fuel economy from 0 to 10 miles per hour is in the single digits so avoid this if at all possible. Part of this is learning how much the regen braking will slow down your momentum. Just because it feels like its dragging something does not mean its losing fuel economy. The snangauge shows fuel economy at times in excess of 100 mpg while the regen brakes recharge the battery.

-- My biggest complaint about the greenline is the lack of an instantaneous fuel economy gauge. Happily that can be fixed by adding the ScanGauge or other similar device. That will be money well spent.

-- My last tip is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Life is too short to worry about eeking out an extra tenth mile per gallon. I find I sometimes get the best fuel economy when I am not freeting about it.