My hybrid car has helped me to understand how to drive for better MPG.
I've been able to transfer some of these habbits while driving my non-hybrid vehicles.

My other vehicles don't have an MPG gauge, which makes it more difficult & I loose interest.
I was wondering if other hybrid owners drive their non-hybrids differently now,
and how do you get around the lack of a game gauge.

Steve

I've been trying to drive for high mileage since I got the car, but lately between final exams and such I simply don't have the interest! I think sooner or later the reality is going to hit that 3MPG in the big scheme of things isn't going to matter. Spending 90% of my brain power concentrated on strategizing my car use has got to be doing more harm than good -- it'll eventually catch up with me.

ill do it for a tank or two (err, quarter tank, when i fill up) but its just kind of driving around. some of the techniques have become second nature now, like slowing on a hill, and one that i speed up a little before hand so i dont have to drop to third to get up it. its amazing just the little things you pick up and hold on too.

I still use a lot of the techniques that I learned on the Insight on my Camaro. Although it is less inspiring since I don't have any gauges to play with or anything, its still fun getting 28 MPG in a 350 HP V8 in city driving :D .

My other vehicle is a minivan, and I do use some of the techniques. Keeping up forward momentum is a good example. When I come up to a red light, I begin braking far in advance of the light, hoping to be able to keep from actually coming to a complete stop.
I don't get to drive the van very much so my limited time in it probably doesn't have much impact. But it's still a good thing to do anyway.

Hi Hot_Georgia_2004:

___Every vehicle I drive including the ¾ Ton 4WD’s at work now get the maximum mileage treatment ;)

___Jason, just 3 mpg? You have got to be kidding me? The techniques discussed in the various Hybrid forums including here give on the order of 20 - 50% above EPA estimates, not just 3 mpg in any automobile I have driven in the past 2 years? I racked up another 107.3 mpg segment w/ the Insight (wind aided of course ;)) just this morning. That is a hell of a lot more then just 3 mpg over an EPA estimate or most averages and thus makes it worth it in all automobiles.

___In the bigger scheme of things (less then friendly foreign oil dependence), I hope most will eventually come around although even in the Hybrid forums, most don’t and will probably not for the foreseeable future :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Wayne,

Because of my driving conditions (likely 30-45 min total sitting in a line to get into a parking lot each week), my mileage hovers at about 45-50. I still use a bit of technique, but by refraining from slow acceleration and watching the energy screen constantly, I'll only drop by a few MPG.

Jason,
The real tragedy is the other cars waiting with you in line that don't have autostop or electric drive. Think of all the cars in bumper to bumper traffic that are just consuming gas at 0 mpg. Have fun, Rick

Hi Rick:

___In regards to fuel efficiency in other automobiles, how are you doing in your 01 and 04 Prius? I saw your great mileage from the 01 the other day but nothing on the 04. Is that the wife’s automobile? Ever since the wife started taking the Corolla to work instead of the MDX, its mileage has plummeted albeit still twice as good as what she was receiving while driving the MDX :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Rick,

What's auto stop? You'd think I know as I just edited a looooong 4-page article about the Civic Hybrid, but I don't know what it is :) I'll guess that it takes the place of creep and holds the car in place?