I am the somewhat proud owner of a Silver 2007 HCH. I love the car, although I was in a relatively major accident just 2 months after owning the car. I took it back to the dealer for 4 weeks of repairs and was assured that it will run as if new (which it was). So far, my gas mileage has been good by most car standards, but not great in comparison to some of the owners on this forum. I have never been able to get a tank that has exceeded 42/MPG and most have been around 34/MPG.
I am doing all the things that are mentioned on the forums. Atlanta is pretty hilly and most of my driving is in the city for drives of less than 10 miles. I do not run the AC unless it goes above 95 and then my MPG plummets below 30!!! I avoid jack-rabbit starts and try to coast as much as possible...are the hills killing my MPG?
Does anyone else here have any results I can compare to driving in Atlanta? I am working hard on improving my driving techniques, but can't seem to find the sweet spot and it is getting frustrating! Thanks for the help...Oh, I have about 6,000 miles on the car.

 

Hey Todbot,
I live in Atlanta (North Fulton and Cobb) and the worst tank I ever had was about 43 when i first started driving. I average right at 50 if I don't run the air and about 48 if I run it occasionally. I will admit that when I leave Atl and go to a less hilly place it gets better but you should not have that much more trouble in the city. Are you sure you are doing everything you can to maximize your mileage. It sounds like your biggest thing would be inflating your tires to the sidewall max (44 psi). I keep mine right at 44 and I notice a huge reduction if they ever fall to even 40. Here are some of the basic things you should try if you have not already:

-drive with your shoe off
-inflate your tires to the sidewall max (44 PSI)-this will make a huge difference
-remove fuse for DTR to preserve SOC
-drive like you don't have breaks.
-anticpate redlight and coast as much as possible (try not to ever stop)
-install engine block heater for winter driving.

Let me know what else you have and have not tried. Hopefully your shortcomings have nothing to do with the wreck.

Anthony

 

Thanks for the advice!

I have routinely been driving with my shoe off to get a better feel for the sensitive pedal. It seems that I am always having to give the car gas to stay at any sustained speed, and even coasting downhill the car never gains in speed, the regen reads 2 bars and i stay at the speed I was at when I began the descent. Honestly, it feels sometimes like the car is heavy and needs to be pushed around and requires a heavier foot to keep it at speed. Do I need to anticipate a greater fluctuation in speed? Driving in the city does not allow me go super slow up a hill, then simply coast back down. I could but the other drivers would not be happy!!!

When I take off from a stop, I keep the RPM below 2000 or 2500 at the very worst. Reaching speeds of 35 which is standard for most city streets takes a bit of time, but doable. Once I am at speed I try to use a feather touch on the pedal, but quickly loose speed If I don't apply some moderate gas. I do my best to keep the meter as close to 100 as possible. Again, I wonder if I have just not gotten a feel for it, although you think I would after 7 months of ownership!

I have also kept my tire pressure at 44. This does seem to help and I prefer the feel of the car at that pressure.

I have not removed the fuse for the daytime running lights. As I understand the post on hypermiling, this will only provide moderate mpg gains and I prefer to keep safety first.
My accident was realtively extensive on the fron end. The dealer said no damage was done to the engine or its components, but I have to wonder if something is not operating correctly.

I will keep trying, but have some serious concerns that something else may have been damaged in my wreck...any other thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I live in North Georgia, and have a 2006 HCH. My lifetime mpg (as you can see) is around 43. I live on top of a mountain, about 1500 feet higher than Atlanta, and drive up and down it, and around the hills here mostly. I always use the a/c, unless "auto" doesn't call for it. I don't do anything "weird" like drive with my shoe off, fuses out, etc. Mostly, I don't floor it, and watch the instantaneous mpg readout fairly closely.
You should probably get in the mid to high 40s driving like me if you live in normal metro Atlanta. Failing that, it's either the car or you. I echo the comment about tire pressure. That will help quite a bit.
Don't floorboard it, and don't use cruise control on secondary roads (too hilly)
Good luck with your HCH. I LOVE mine.
Gary