Here's an update on my current tank in the Highlander. I took the pic on my phone just before leaving for work this morning. In contrast to my last tank in the Civic, I am not driving any "extra" miles. I drive the HiHy to work during the weekdays and then do any other necessary commuting from there. From home, I use the Civic whenever it is available.

I had the fuel economy up to 40.6 mpg last Friday, but I did an engine block heater install on Saturday. After driving around afterwards to make sure the air was removed from the coolant system, I managed to drop the fuel economy down to 39.6 mpg. (I drove a little harder than normal.)

 

Man, 40.3mpg in the city in an SUV? That's killer! I just wish it could do that on the highway! Still, the 31mpg you got going to GJ is nothing to sneeze at. Thanks for the info.

 

So what you are tips for hypermiling? I'm lucky to get 25 in my 400h.

 

I do have my tires pumped up to 44 psi--the Goodyears. Also, my best FE comes when I am driving in my suburban area at relatively slow speeds (rarely over 40 mph). I take advantage of the hills in my area to do a lot of gliding.

In the Prius, people usually just glide by adjusting the foot pedal until there are no arrows. However, I find it difficult to find this balance in the HiHy. I'm not sure if it is me or if the HiHy is just more sensitive. (I have never driven the Prius.) Instead, I just make sure the engine shuts off and shift to Neutral. It accomplishes the same thing.

Another thing that helps me is that I have a ScanGauge hooked up in the HiHy. This was very important for me so that I can track my FE for various segments instead of just the tank. Also, I just installed an engine block heater last weekend that makes a noticeable difference in fuel economy for those first several minutes.

I am still learning the vehicle. It is very good to read about the Prius as much of it directly carries over to the Highlander Hybrid. In particular, one thing that really helped me out was learning about the various warm-up stages. Before, I was quite frustrated when I couldn't get the Highlander to go into the full hybrid mode. After reading the following link, I at least know the "rules" and can try to work around them.
http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/five-stages.txt

Depending on the season, type of driving, and who's driving (me or my wife), the Highlander's numbers will be all over the place.

 

Here is an update on my current tank. I made a trip to from work to Boulder and then home after work today. The picture was taken after I pulled into my garage.

 

Its a shame that you chose Ego over intellect in this reply.

I too, bought a hybrid and gleefully joined this site. However, after a while it became painfully obvious that the 'green' in this site was not actually present.

In order for it to be 'green' , one must actually care about the enviroment.

Instead, the major players on this site are those who choose to live 100 miles from their jobs. Topic after topic, thread after thread, is not based on helping the enviroment or conserving gas at all.

Much to my dismay, the site is actually about folks who buy hybrid vehicles, and do anything -and sometimes it means the theatre of the ubsurd - to milk their MPG readings.

So I stepped back and asked myself 'why' ???

Enthusiast? Enthusiast for WHAT?

For EGO. Bragging rights that you drive 8000miles a MONTH, get 60 , 80 MPG , and SAVE SO MUCH MONEY vs driving a regular gas car.

Well, it was highly dissapointing to discover that:

-if you CARPOOL this 100miles to work each day, it cuts the fuel consumption by HALF, which is a better savings on buying gas and the enrivronment than ANY hybrid car could EVER offer.

-if you simply MOVE CLOSER to your job, or get another job closer to your home, you SAVE THE ENVIROMENT and reliance of foreign oil .

If you are one of the majority in here, you live fairly close to work. You dont need to carpool.

The money you save in your 600 to 1000 miles a month adds up to about $14.86 per month.

We now have to factor in the extra THOUSANDS we paid for the priveledge of getting a hybrid vs the standard model, and the JOKE was on US the whole time. Takes about 15 years for the average 1000 mile per month driver to BREAK EVEN.

The tax credit was a BAIT AND SWITCH for many, and the joke again was on us, the consumer. SOME of us got the full credit, MANY did not. I was fortunate to get the whole thing.

The only people on this site who can BOAST 'substantial savings', are the ones BUYING MORE GAS per month , polluting the enviroment way MORE per month than the average 1000 mile per month driver, cause they are DRIVING 5000 miles per month.

The biggest joke i envisioned was the happy hypermiler driving 5000 miles per month , waltzing into the gas station for the 3rd time that week, telling the attendant how much money he is 'saving' as he forks over another wad on a full tank. The BEMUSED attendant doesnt have the heart to tell him he spends MORE on gas than 90% of his clients.

You say im condesending, you say im pessimmistic.

I actually CARE about the enviroment and gas consumption.

-Not using 'wet ice and towels ' instead of turning on the AC.

-Not PUSHINIG my car into the parking lot so I dont upset my MPG averages.

I could go on and on at the mind numbing intelligence insulting methods these guys go to , for WHAT? What is the point????

In the end?

Its a TOY. Just another TOY, and the whole point to play with the toy , milk as much percieved MPG as possible, so they can run to their computer, log onto this site and GLOAT.

There are no doubt sites dedicated to car pooling, ELECTRIC cars, and boycotting oil whereever possible.

This site is for middle to upper middle class americans to PLAY WITH THEIR TOYS.

If you really care about the enviroment, you will see this reality once you have been around for a while.

 

D@mn! Why are you so bitter? Is it because everybody is not just like you?

Many people have reduced their gasoline usage by buying hybrids and/or driving more efficiently. Even if it is not your idea of fun, is it a problem if people have fun while doing it?

I am so sorry that "hypermiling" is not in the Tom Davie approved list of "green" things to do.

Please tell me who are these drivers that are logging 5,000 miles per month. Who are these "major players" on this site that choose to live 100 miles from their jobs?

 

To me (not to get in the war above) hypermiling is just a game. I try to get our 07 hhy up as high as I can just to see what it would take. There is no ego involved, more just a personal desire to save a few bucks. It is just a game to keep me from listening to boring commercials on the radio and focus on my driving more.

 

The value of this site is to provide information not just to current owners of Hybrids but also to those considering a Hybrid purchase. A common misunderstanding is what type of driving routine (trip distnce, speed, highway vs suburban vs city) yields the best fit for the Hybrid's advantages.

This site is valuable in providing such insight if the threads are searched. Those considering a Hybrid can make a more informed choice based on the data here. Kudos to all those spending the time and effort to provide such information for all to share.

You appear to be disenchanted with your Hybrid purchase. You mention that your Highlander is typically driven for short trips to the grocery store 3 times a week and only has clocked 4200 miles in a years operation. Under these driving conditions, the hybrid advantage is marginal and your mileage reflects that (24.6 MPG). You may have been better off financially, keeping the 8 MPG Chevy Trailblazer you previous had before the Highlander purchase.

A PHEV would be ideal for your application but of course is not yet commercially available.

 

We have 8,000 miles on the HCH which we bought 11 months ago. That, combined with the 2,000 miles on the Subaru, means our household drives around 11,000 miles annually which is pretty decent in my opinion. Considering most of those 11k miles were at 48.7mpg, I do not feel ashamed of my carbon footprint.

However, what I was not counting on in buying the hybrid was how much FUN I would have driving it! The fact that you come here and berate us for actually having fun with our cars (and in the process cut down on the amount of gas we use) is pathetic. First off, you are largely preaching to the choir here, which makes your tone even more condesending. Secondly, there are a lot of us here who work from home, car pool, bike commute and do whatever they can--not everyone here drives 8k a month. Finally, not everyone has a choice to live right by work, and I would sure rather see people drive hybrids than gas guzzelers.

Now if you want to take this rant further, please put it in the general forum and quit trolling in my thread.