Is there really a break-in period for the TCH as far as mileage goes? What kind of improvements have you seen? I understand that it is winter and my car is about a month old.
Thanks

I was getting about 36 when new, and after it broke in (I also learned to drive a bit better) I am getting around 40.

AG,
What is the weather like where you are?

I'm betting it is fairly warm wherever he is! And perhaps he has a long commute also. I was getting 37 MPG on my daily 7 mile each-way commute in the warmer weather. My last tank was 29.2! (I did manage a 37+ MPG tankful last week, but it was mostly highway mileage at 45-50 degrees F). I'm sure that spring will bring my average back up.

B. Goodman

Temps have been between 40 and 70.

I have all my tanks posted on the data base.

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/m.../car/4046.html

The things that kill me most are rain and wind. My commute is mostly east-west and most winds we have are north or south. The cross winds are almost as bad as a head wind so I am killed on both commutes by the wind. It is very rare that I have a good tail wind.

It will be interesting to see what summer brings (90-110 temps with a must for a/c).

I'd love to have 29.2. I'm getting about 26.4 if I'm really careful. I have 1100 miles on the car and it has been cold in Cincinnati. I've been trying to drive without the heater and that boost me to about 27. On the highway I can get about 33 to 34 MPG but I only make about 1 trip a week, the rest is city driving. At this point I wish I'd just bought the 4cy Camry, or for the money went ahead and got the 6 cylinder with a bunch of options. Not a great deal with this low MPG.

I think your disappointment will melt with the snows.... Even with lots of short trips, you should be able to break 30 MPG in warmer weather. What were you getting with your previous car doing the same commute? What was your previous car? My last car was a 4-cylinder 150 HP turbo VW Passat. My lifetime average for the car was about 26 MPG, but my short commute meant that my winter averages would drop as low as 22 MPG. So I'm still doing better with my TCH. Don't be fooled into thinking the 4 cylinder Camry would do as well in your current driving climate. I doubt it would. (If you're REALLY bothered, rent a 4 cylinder Camry for a week and see how you do with it.) Best wishes.

Be sure to check your tire pressure! & Don't top off your tank as you may be forcing some gas out to the ground. Finally, read some of the driving tips here--if you're pulling away from a stop like a snail in winter, you're probably hurting your MPG.

B. Goodman

My last car was an H2 Hummer and I was getting about 11MPG, so I'm doing much better! Just not what I expected.

I have to ask... why a Hybrid after that? Just tired of paying for the gas, or is it political/environmental?

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not getting in your face (I do hate SUVs and Hummers, but I don't see any point in attacking anyone about it), I'm just interested in what brought you over to (heh) the light side. :>

I was just sick of stopping at the gas station to fill up my car. It's cold in the winter and I was standing outside once every three or four days. Don't let anyone kid you, that Hummer was a fantastic car, just too time consuming filling up all the time. I'm up to almost 29 in the Camry, but I have had to turn the heat off for the most part.