GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars - View Single Post

Tink · #4 (**permalink**) 03-26-2005, 06:42 AM

Morning, Lewis.
I really believe your car sounds fine. My normal reading is, also, four bars. I, also, see two or three after a long climb.

As far as "tricks" for higher mpg, I don't believe all of what works on an anemic (by comparison) hybrid is the same for our 255 hp car. For example, the eco light on all the time - I seem to get better results just getting to my speed at normal (for me - that's faster generally than the cars around me; but not crazy fast) acceleration and into the "zone" quicker and longer. "Driving with load" is also much tougher (I believe) with this car because of all the extra power - makes the accelerator very sensitive. It can be done, but not easily.

I will sometimes anticipate hills by trying to gingerly accelerate into them and letting the energy bleed off as has been described on other hybrids, but with this more powerful one, it doesn't seem to make much difference in overall mileage.

Even coasting in nuetral doesn't seem to make much difference, although I'm still not convinced because it certainly seems, to me, it should. I've heard the arguements against it: 1) it's illegal - never heard that! At least not in TX, so I'm not bothered, and 2) you don't get you IMA regen - on a long sloping hill, I don't anyway; otoh, a sharply sloped one, yes.

My car is very new - one week today. There's a nine mile stretch of some up and down, but an overall 400 foot drop. Coasting in nuetral some, I received 68 mpg. Leaving the cruise alone up and down hills, I received 74 mpg. More and more (except in extrememe up & down situations when I try to use the "drive with load" a bit), I'm leaving the cruise alone. And we are constant hilly terain here. VERY rarely just flat.

Again, *I* don't think the ECO light all the time is the most important. I think with the hp, the car gets you up the hill quickly and allows the extreme FE on the other side to more than make up for it.

Disclaimer: I've owned a hybrid for 1 week. The advice I am sometimes shunning comes from much more experience hybrid drivers. The Accord, however, is relatively new for everyone.

I am alternating with having fun trying to figure it out and being frustrated at not making new gains.

I guess one of my frustration after two tanks was trying to achieve close to the first one with the second one. The first included a 375 mie round trip combined with another 200 miles of normal driving yielding 37.1 mpg. The second had no long trip and I recieved a frustrating 33.7. Expectations.

I am, however, LOVING my car!