Welcome to GreenHybrid.

You will find that your mileage will go up as your driving habits change from the Dodge Dakota to the HAH. I had the same adjustment (took me about 3 months) problem, as I went from a Ford F150 to my HCH.

When one runs a big truck at 70-75 miles per hour the difference in mileage by reducing your speed to, say, 65-70 doesn't seem signficant -- five to ten percent (though it really is). Driving my truck I would run the left lane, where appropriate, running as fast as I could, to get the drive over as fast as possible, pushing 80 frequently. Now, I hug the right side of the road, run the speed limit (65) and hit 70 on long downhill FAS runs.

My difference in mileage (remember that five or ten percent), boosted my mileage from the low 40 mpg to near 50mpg. Some adjustments in air pressure in the tires, and I now push 60 mpg.

Oh, I added a whole 10 minutes to my 60 minute (56 mile) commute. I can live with that trade off.

Good luck with your new car!

-Charlie...