Is it OK to call "BS" on this board? And a real discussion...

[Tim]

Amazing hybrid feats are rarely BS (unless beyond the laws of physics). They are, however, often executed under specific circumstances (sometimes, very controlled and experimental conditions). A basic statement like, "I can accellerate at the 40 MPG bar" is certainly true under the right conditions, but not all conditions (flat road is assumed, for example). If I did that on my daily route I'd be crushed. Some can, and do, do it. Rest assured. What the cars are capabile of, and what we can pull off on a daily commute are sometimes two differnt things (but not always...).

Mine is typically a progression. I need the bar at 20 to get to 10-15 miles per hour, then progressively let off until 40, then I hold that until the desired speed. That is, if roads and traffic allow. :-)

[xcel]

Hi Tim:

Originally Posted by Tim

If I did that on my daily route I'd be crushed.

___Always?

Originally Posted by Tim

Some can, and do, do it. Rest assured. What the cars are capable of, and what we can pull off on a daily commute are sometimes two different things (but not always...).

___Always! Or at least until temps drop through the rest of fall/winter/and early spring or my wonderful wife takes the car for a drive to work or the store and back

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

[tigerhonaker]

Originally Posted by mauleskyrocket

I think one has to face the FACT that to get mpg up to 40 and above in a mixed suburban environment, one cannot drive this car "normally" (I do not mean heavy handed or heavy footed) I state this in distinction to highway or trip miles in which most cars get optimal mileage.
Back to the fact. Run the air conditioning and go with the traffic flow and you will be in the thirties mpgwise. Thats not bad really. But it is not what the stickers says.

You are exactly correct in your statement and thats why I traded off my 1st HCH because I found out real quick that It will not get all that great of FE If driven in a "Normal" manner with the A/C blowing cold.

Now that I have said that, I'm ready and in fact have on order now the 06 HCH and I think from everything that I have read that it will come alot closer to doing as advertised on window sticker versus the 2005 and older HCH's.

Regards;

Terry

[Tim]

Originally Posted by xcel

Always! Or at least until temps drop through the rest of fall/winter/and early spring or my wonderful wife takes the car for a drive to work or the store and back.

Ah, it's always somthing.

Unfortunately 70% of my morning drive is on a poorly-lit 2-lane highway packed solid. There are spots I can take my time, and I do. Not on that road however. People will pass you (or try to) which creates a hazard for everyone involved. I've been getting +7 above EPA for the last 3 tanks largely due to the other techniques talked about here and a good 45 psi on the tires. I'm happy. The more I drive it, the more I love my car.

[lamu9]

My commute to work starts in Fullerton, CA (inside the city there are minor hills and very short distances to lights... so red lights mostly all the way to the freeway). I have to drive about 2 miles of that before hitting the freeway to work. After Kenny taught me some tricks to maximize mpg (yes, I'm still practicing them and maintaining an average of 56 - 60 mpg per day) I DO slowly accelerate from light to light. Why should I hit the gas in order to hit 30-40 mpg and as soon as I hit it, the light in front of me is red? So, yes I get some few yahoos who feel it is their mission in life (I confess, I was a former member) to accelerate as quickly as possible to hit the RED LIGHT before someone else? I tracked two such yahoos this morning. Guess what?! We all hit the freeway at the same time. Red lights are red lights... Just because some guy is in front of me or behind me in the lane we are still getting to the same place mere milliseconds apart from one another.

[RIHCH]

Originally Posted by lakedude

I normally hit it pretty hard and get up to speed quick using a little assist as well. I figure what is the point of all that hybrid hardware if you don't get any use out of it. It may indeed be better mpg wise to ramp up to speed slower.

I agree with lakedude. Besides the elderly, people in my area drive with their bumpers up my tail pipe. It's always race from the one light to the next. Even on my commute to work at 3 AM, I find someone riding my bumper. Unless I'm heading uphill from a stop, I'm finding no difference in MPG using a quick burst of assist then coast to recoup what was lost.

I have a good laugh when someone flys by me on the highway just to meet up with them again when they reach the lights.

[livvie]

Today, somebody was driving 20mph in a 30 and accelerating at a stop light to 15mph in 8 sec. At that point I didn't honk, i just passed him illegally. Don't really have time to get pissed at the guy, but at the same time I don't want a ticket.

[Hot_Georgia_2004]

Folowing the discussions on this thread about people getting their tailpipe run over and dangerous situations caused by tailgaters leads me to wonder if:

1. People are unwilling to change old habits
2. People are overly sensitive about the person behind (I used to be)
3. Pride on the road...for example some people I work with say they could never stand going a little slower and have all those cars passing them.
4. Are other driver attitudes here in rural, suburbia and busy Atlanta (Ga in general) vastly different than most other areas regarding tailgaing and courtesy?

I admit since I've began driving for FE I've only went as far away as Panama City FL and Charleston SC and parts of NC and So. TN but I didn't see much difference.

Perhaps the general attitude in the North, Central and Western U.S. is different than my area?

I know Wayne drove his Insight through these parts last year and I wonder if he noticed any difference?

Believe me this is not a jab or flame post but I'm really at a loss here.
People really don't bother me and I don't bother them.

Sure I get an occasional jerk behind but after he passes he's right behind his next victim.

[helterskelter683]

Hot_Georgia, you may extend your observations into NE Florida. I've never had anywhere near the rage from a car behind me people here seem to fear, and I have changed my driving habits to fit the mold of the most conservative hypermiler.

Instead, my general experience has been the opposite. It's the people behind me who have been afraid to drive confrontationally. Instead of beeping, honking, flagging, shouting, etc., they either pass me calmy or - GASP - settle in to my own speed limit level pace acceptingly.

[tbaleno]

I don't have any problems with rage around here. I get the same reaction as the two previous posts. People either settle back behind me or pass me without a thought. I do drive multi laine roads though. I'm not sure how they would react if it was a single lane. But then again if they were tailgating me on a single lane road, I would either speed up to the limit or let them pass.