I just LOVE-love-love reading posts like this one!

It makes me grin when hybrid drivers on the forum have Eureka! moments like that, where suddenly it becomes clear that a few adjustments in driving style can lead, as you said, to win-win results. Jaw-dropping gas mileage AND a more pleasant drive, a less stressful commute, and all kinds of other advantages, many of which you mentioned (obeying the speed limit= no speeding tickets, not to mention safety, wear and tear on the car/brakes, etc.).

Hooray for driving like a little old lady!

As for the highway driving thing, I have to say that being a grannie driver on the highway is a little harder, unless you're driving in rush hour, because sometimes aggressive drivers can be intimidating. However, they were pretty intimidating back when I was driving 'normally,' so it's not really much of a difference. Hypermiling is harder at higher speeds too- it's a function of air resistance, and the laws of physics hold us back a bit.

Now that you've seen what the results can be, I hope you keep trying- even highway driving can be mastered. It's been months since I had a tank below 50 mpg, and once you get to that point, you don't want to go back. Best of luck!

I have a question/observation. I've been averaging 48 mpg during daily drives and my Mileage Database should be in my signature now (46 mpg) though this involves some less-than-stellar days. I've been noting the end-of-day fuel economy for Trip A (single day use) and Trip B (since last fill-up). The last few tanks are shown below.

Date : FE for daily drive ----- FE for tank
08/18: 171.7 mi @ 44.1 mpg ----- N/A

08/21: 141.8 mi @ 52.4 mpg ----- N/A
08/22: 90.7 mi @ 49.5 mpg ----- N/A
08:23: 109.7 mi @ 49.8 mpg ----- 229.5 mi @ 49.5 mpg
08/24: 185.9 mi @ 46.8 mpg ----- 415.5 mi @ 48.2 mpg
08/25: 102.7 mi @ 50.7 mpg ----- 518.2 mi @ 48.6 mpg

08/28: 71.1 mi @ 42.2 mpg ----- 70.3 mi @ 42.6 mpg
08/29: 100.7 mi @ 43.6 mpg ----- 171.1 mi @ 43.1 mpg
08/30: 231.1 mi @ 44.2 mpg ----- 402.5 mi @ 43.6 mpg
08/31: 164.3 mi @ 45.3 mpg ----- 566.8 mi @ 44.1 mpg

09/05: 37.5 mi @ 49.5 mpg ----- 40.3 mi @ 44.7 mpg

09/06: 162.7 mi @ 43.3 mpg ----- 40.9 mi @ 42.4 mpg
09/07: (reset due to bad mpg) ----- 202.8 mi @ 40.8 mpg !?!?
09/08: 175.8 mi @ 45.9 mpg ----- 378.6 mi @ 43.0 mpg

Sometime around the 4,700-mile mark (around 09/06) I noticed that the daily FE was barely struggling to get higher than 40.0 mpg even during some nice stretches of Interstate. You can see that the pre-08/28 date the daily drives of 100+ miles were 48+ mpg. Since then I've had one good day and all the rest are basically under 44 mpg. The Oil Life % is at 50 now (since about 4,500 miles so it will be down to 40% around 4,900-5,000 miles by my calculations).

Is this an indication that the oil, though only at 40-50% life, us starting to be not as efficient and be in need of changing soon? From my last check the oil level is still at the top hole and the color is not too dark. Anyone else experience a noticeable drop aroudn 5,000 miles and/or 50% oil life?

4.5 weeks and 5,000-miles old. MAN do I love this car!

--> Averaged 685 miles/week and 49.0 mpg in first year (35.7k miles from Aug 7, 2006 to Aug 7, 2007)

I think you need to look into other things such as your driving style, tire pressure, maybe temperture change outside or even changing fuel normally used. Under your circumstances you should be starting to see an increase in mileage.

I just recently got my oil changed with 8000+ reading on the odometer and the car seemed fine and was at 5% on the display. This tank won't be as high as some of the recent tanks I posted but, I have lots of short trips and nonefficient miles on this tank too.

James


Best MPG tank: 57.7 calculated
Best Trip: 73.8mpg displayed(Palmdale"LACR" to LAX)

Thanks, birchman2. Granted the loss is not 15 mpg like others have had (with the wrong oil changed in their HCH2) but it is lower than the previous numbers. It went from 52/49/50/47/51 on the daily drives to 42/44/44/45/49/43/46 with almost every day being more than 100 miles. No day is the same for me so it is hard to compare one day to the next but certainly we can see that is is a drop of about 5 mpg.

The temps have dropped from around 90 to around 80 in the last two weeks but I would have thought that a lower ambient temp would have created a higher mpg rather than lower. Same gas (87) from the same brand of station (Sunoco) and just about identical driving styles every day. I'll monitor for another few weeks though and hope for a return to my former days. I won't change the oil yet though.

--> Averaged 685 miles/week and 49.0 mpg in first year (35.7k miles from Aug 7, 2006 to Aug 7, 2007)

I noticed the same thing in my HCH II. Changed the oil at 5K miles, with 40% left on the maint. minder, to synthetic and now the engine runs significantly smoother and I'm up int he high 40's. For the first oil change at least, I'd change it sooner than the car says to. Even taking into account the detergents, etc. in oil nowadays my oil was on the downward spiral when I changed it early.

Thanks, Mike. I'll monitor it throughout this week and if it gets worse then I'll change it earlier than recommended like you did. I did rotate the tires (at a non-dealer) at 3,500 miles (earlier that the dealer wants but no tire can go 8,000 miles before being rotated -- or no tire should have to go that far) so around 6,000-7,000 miles will be a good time to do the oil change and tire rotation.

--> Averaged 685 miles/week and 49.0 mpg in first year (35.7k miles from Aug 7, 2006 to Aug 7, 2007)

As for a non-dealer, I took my HCH II to a non-dealer for an oil change (with my own oil since they didn't stock 0w-20) and my car leaked oil for a week afterward. Evidently, they spilled oil on the underbody shroud and it kept running off, leaving a mess, and they overfilled it by 1/2 quart. The oil the dealer uses is ok (Mobil 1 is better) but if you use an oil change place, be careful!

Medicmike - I have an unfair advantage though as I used to work at a local Jiffy Lube oil change location. I get some good service since I used to work there and they take care not to spill oil on undertrays and things - or - if they do spill oil they don't hide it and wipe it off or clean it off before I leave. When I worked there I never liked changing oil on any current Audi or VW as they had those undertrays with seemingly one-chance-to-remove-before-they-break plastic screws.

I know I would not like to change the oil on a Hybrid so I was thinking of modifying my undertray for easier removal of the oil plug and filter. There is a pick-up truck like a Ford F-250 or F-350 or a GMC or something and they have a standard plastic undertray of these 4x4 trucks to prevent rocks from damaging the engine area; however, there is a round access hole with a cover that locks in place (rotate it 90 degrees and the tabs line up with the slots and you remove the cover to gain access to the oil filter and drain plug). This is what I want to do for my undertray so you don't have to remove those plastic screw-plugs each and every time for an oil change. Anyone else thought of this or done this yet?

And if they overfilled it then I apologize but almost all Honda cars take 4.0-4.5 qts so ours is a rare breed asking for a scant 3.4 qts including the filter.

--> Averaged 685 miles/week and 49.0 mpg in first year (35.7k miles from Aug 7, 2006 to Aug 7, 2007)

Hello,

I had the First Oil change done for the HCH II last week. The Dealer said it will be $65.00(ridiculously high).

Later they charged me $45.00. Still I provided a negative feedback to Honda Survey. This is a rip-off.

Anyways, the MPG is still consistent, the display shows 53.00 Mpg, my calculation is between 52 & 53.

Haven't yet seen the mpg come down.Not sure what the winter weather has in store.

ioimparo, $45 for a change is actually pretty darned good for us. 4x $5.25 (or there'bouts) for the oil alone, another $5 for a cheap oil filter (or $12 for a good Mobil1 one) and you're already at $26 (or $33) in material costs alone. Add in labor, disposal, state tax, and what not, and you're sitting pretty. Who's your dealer?

Someday I might even beat that wascally kenny!

No whammies... no whammies... no whammies...