I’m about to go on a 800 mile road trip. My 1st with the HCH.

I’ve used the techniques on this site and gone from the low 40's to the mid to high 40's with no other changes.

The only FE mod would be 0W20 Mobil 1 synthetic, and 45psi in the Dunlop’s.

I checked my tire pressure.

Any other tips? I do know going over 60-65mph kills the FE. But I dont want to go 45mph on the hwy for 800 miles. I’m thinking 55-65.

Also to cruise or not to cruise. I can get a lot more lean burn from no cruise, but don’t know if I can focus on FE for that long. I’m thinking of setting the cruise on 55-60 and forget it.

I love this car, and driven properly it will reward you with some amazing Fuel efficiency.

2005 HCH CVT
17" wheels, HID Lights. getting in the high 40's mpg.
2004 Mustang Mystic Cobra
650hp + Heavy foot = 10.4mpg
2003 Harley F-150
6000lb + Supercharger = 14.7mpg
2002 Trans Am WS6
1996 Lincoln Mark VIII
800hp + 4400lbs = bad FE

I concentrate as long as I can, usually up to 2 hours depending on conditions. Then I switch to CC to give my brain and leg a rest for 15min or so.

On flat terrain I use CC set to 60; on hills my foot can control engine load better, and I can coast in N down the backsides.

The key is to GO! Don't stop unless/until you must. One extra stop along the way can turn an incredible tank into a merely very good tank.

Discalimer: Of course, don't take any of this to the extreme and put yourself out of your comfort zone or into danger.

Draft! I've seen my HAH go from mid 30s to low 40s at 70mph by drafting.

I've driven my 2004 Prius on several trips as long and longer and am sad to report that there is a problem with hybrids on long trips.

When I drive a standard vehicle on a long trip I have to stop every 250 to 300 miles for gas. I then use the opportunity to get some coffee and get rid of the last stop's coffee. With my hybrid I still have to stop at about the same interval, but I can't blame the car.

JeffD

Cruise control is great on level terrain, but it's a FE killer on even shallow hills. I turn mine off during the part of my commute that's over a series of small hills.

Forget about drafting an SUV or 18-wheeler unless you're a NASCAR-caliber driver. It's way too dangerous.

If possible, start your trip in the wee hours (1:00-4:00 a.m.). That allows you to take advantage of relatively empty roads, and in warmer climates allows you to postpone using the A/C (another FE killer).

Learn from Jeff D.'s mistake -- avoid excessive food/beverage consumption. As "gonavy" notes, the more stops you make, the lower your FE.

Enjoy your trip!

I also would not recommend drafting due to the danger; however, I would recommend sticking with a 'pack' of vehicles. Let the folks in the front of the pack suffer from slamming into stationary air, and you and your friends benefit from getting to glide through the disturbed air in the leaders' wake.

Of course, the problem is, you need to find a pack that is willing to go 65mph or so...

The tip about stopping less is actually really important, I feel. Before I go on a long trip, I deliberately deprive myself of drinks so that there won't be a need to stop halfway. The drive I frequently take is about 430 miles, mostly on interstate 95, and for my last trip this weekend, I got 66.2 mpg (according to the display - my tank isn't finished yet, but the mpg has plummeted in city driving). The biggest thing that helped was to go SLOW. 55 miles per hour was my setpoint, and I'd let my speed get lower than that (down to about 50) up a hill - of course on the back end of the hill I'd get 55 miles per hour back easily and then have a super high FE cruise at 55 miles per hour for a while. Cruise control on flat terrain does wonders, esp at slow speeds. You can lock in >70 mpg on a slow-speed cruise. If you can find someone else doing 55-60, for God's sake, stick with them. You don't necessarily have to draft on their bumper, but if it's a tractor-trailer or an SUV, you can get a noticeable FE benefit from just sticking behind them at a safe distance.


Although I'm becoming an increasingly big fan of the "draft RIGHT behind a trailer" school of thought. The FE benefits are just so hard to fight!

just keep an imaginary car between you and the drafting car and yaw should be fine. Anymore its not worth lives for a couple of savings in cents

2003 toyota prius, 55 mpg lifetime starting.

Depending on how long your trip is, that could be risky too: you run a risk of Deep Venal Thrombosis (DVT) if you're sitting for hours-on-end without moving in the car. Sitting that long in one position can be bad for the circulation in your legs.


So even if you don't need a bio break, it's a good idea to get out of the car every couple of hours for a stretch. (But then I'm over 6.5 feet tall so there's even less stretching room in the car for me, than for most!)

don't take anyone heavy with you

Best fill 66.7 MPG, best tank 801.5 miles



laurie, central minnesota