I just returned from a 500+ mile trip with an average mpg of 33.4, my best ever over that distance. Both tanks were consistently good.

Here's the strange thing, the FEH was fully loaded, temperatures were 100F+, the A/C was on 75% of the time, and the loop was a combination of freeway at 70mph and slow mountain roads at altitude (6k-9k feet). With those conditions I was prepared for mid-20's mpg, not the other way around.

The only new technique that I used on this trip was keeping the rpm's as low as possible, i.e., slowing slightly going up a hill to keep 2000 rpm instead of holding a constant speed and getting 3000 rpm.

Somehow I wonder if this good mileage is related to the high ambient temperatures.

 

FWD or 4WD?

 

This is a report from an AWD vehicle. The low RPM's correspond to other items such as low or negative fuel trim values. Does Don have a Scanguage to report on various hybrid/vehicle monitors?

 

Yes, AWD. I have two SGII's. I still think the good mpg is somehow related to much higher than usual temperatures. We are having a heat wave.

 

I have been saying for 3 years that the FEH gets BETTER MPG when driving in mountians, hills, and higher elevations. It was a combination of thinner air, and lots of downhill coasting that gave you great MPG.

Without the heavy load and AC use, I don't doubt your trip would have been 38 MPG, or maybe pushing 40 MPG.

This car takes only slightly more gas going uphill, and close to zero gas going downhill.
Hence, round-trips to the mountains give better MPG than round-trips on flat land.

I noticed this effect very early in my ownership, back in 2005.
-John