Wow, rburt07... impressive post.

For anyone else reading and looking for real-world experiences, I use all of the same techniques as often as possible, though I can't say I hold to them religiously. I live in CT - lots of hills and varying speeds, so it's difficult to find long, straight stretches of road at a 35-45 mph speed (the best for mpg). I can't avoid but accelerate up hills pretty much anywhere I drive, so that takes a toll on the mpg.

Cold is the factor that has so far had the greatest impact on my driving. I bought my TCH used last March, just as the weather was warming up. My first tank was 36.0 mpg, and I was never below 38 mpg again until late October (getting just over 40 mpg for much of the summer). But it has plummeted of late. Two tanks ago was 35.2, my last tank was 32.8, and my current tank is even lower. And we haven't even hit the frigid weather yet.

My driving style hasn't changed at all since I was getting 40+ mpg in the summer, so for those of you wondering about the effect of cold, there it is.

 

Yeah, cold sucks. I bought mine June 06, loved the usually 40+ mpg I was getting (though highway commutes, there were days it was under 40). Then it cooled down. My lowest tank calculated out to under 30mpg, during the coldest part of last winter, mid-Feb I think. I'm seriously hoping that the stuff I've learned (full hybrid mode plus my change in routes, most importantly) will make a big difference this year. So far it's looking hopeful--had a bunch of days recently with the temps in the low 20s, and FE has seemed mostly to manage to stay in mid-30s. Since my lifetime FE is just over 35 now, and that's purely because of the cold last winter, if I can manage to pull around 35 at the worst of the cold weather here in MA, I'll be happily watching my lifetime numbers climb consistently after the lull for the winter.

 

Here is a tip I just started using but it will only apply if your commute starts off somewhat similar to mine.

If you can stand it, leave the climate control system off until you get on the highway.

I drive 23 miles on the highway to get to work but I have 3 stop signs/lights (and sometimes a few school buses) to stop for before I get on the highway. It's approx. 1 mile to get to that last light before the highway onramp. With the climate control on, the ICE would never shut off on the way to the highway (even sitting still waiting on school busses) because it was trying to keep the cabin warm.

I have now started leaving climate control off during my "first mile" and even when it's 32F out the ICE will now shut off when I come to a stop on my way to the highway. If you can stand the cold for a little bit it's worth a try. It does help though to have a garage that keeps your car 15-20F warmer than outside.

 

It's sure good to see you guys come out talking gas mileage again. I'm sure the new car owners are pleased on picking up some pointers on improving their gas mileage.

I was a little disappointed in my car at first but after that first 5000 oil change to 0w020 synthetic, it seemed a little easier to get better fuel mileage.

I picked up the tip on the in city routes for best mpg. Our city is about 200 feet higher in the northern part. We around the city by using the west bypass from were we live south of town. Starting north, we make a few stops then drive toward the south on a main street here in town.

During the summer I can almost do that in the EV mode. Although it's rather level from Walmart the mile south to the overpass. I hate the red light being there as its a gas guzzling upgrade from a standing start. If there is no traffic sometimes if the batteries are charged good, I can ease up it about 20 mph without the engine. Its steeper on the downside going south and about 1/8 mile to another red light where we turn left. I lightly ride the brakes charging the batteries till I stop at the red light. No traffic again I can run EV mode for about 1/4 mile at slow speed then the engine comes on. I'm headed south toward el paso on the 4-lane highway to home.

It's strange. The scan gauge I added shows a average of 33 mpg when I fill the tank. Evidently the traction battery works more than shown on the readout to get the cars mpg into the 40 range.

 

Good tip, Mystifier. I tried it this morning, as I've been frustrated that the automatic shut-off doesn't kick in on my way to the highway anymore (5 traffic lights, a couple of stop signs, and some relatively long, gradual downgrades that I traveled entirely in the EV mode during warm weather). It actually shut off significantly more than before, and the difference in mpg for the four miles or so before I got to the highway was huge on the trip gauge. I had barely been cracking 25 mpg in the cold weather (for those first four miles), but I got it up to nearly 35 mpg today.

My commute is fairly short, so those first four miles have a major impact on my overall mpg. I think I can handle a few minutes of a chilly car interior for that drastic an improvement. :-)

 

I basically leave the heat/AC off by default, all the time. Turn the heat on (one notch on the fan) as needed to clear fog/frost, then turn it off again (plus turning it off at stops).

 

I've been leaving the heat off for about 2 miles until I get to the interstate in the mornings. I've found turning it on before that
1 - does give much heat until about 1.5 miles
2 - significantly reduces MPG

So in my mind its really only about 1/2 mile that I'm living without the heat.

On my way home its a bit trickier. I've got about 3 miles and than a long 30MPH downgrade (about 1.5 miles) which I can do EV if the car will get into EV. So I need to warm up the car and get to at least S3 before I get to that point. That's a lot of cold to tough out. What I've been trying quite successfully is to do the first 1.5 miles or so with it off (wouldn't help much yet) and with the lights and stops I'll get to S3. Then hit auto to take the chill off for the next 1.5, and then turn it off again for the downgrade run (or the ICE was coming back on during that EV run). The interior has warmed up significantly that I don't notice the cold at all. Once the EV run is done I'm highway for a while so I pop it back to auto until I'm almost home. Another EV run there I turn it off again but by then the car is nice and toasty.

 

Thursday night, Dec 13th we went to a midnight movie. I remembered to park the car on the south end of the theater. I backed it in hoping to keep the engine the least bit warm. This is a new theater with the long hallway and exit doors at each end. Nice to just walk out, get in my car and drive off.

On the 10 mile trip home I noticed it was 32 degrees outside. I messed around with various speeds. Seems this time, 47/48 miles per hour seemed best. No traffic on the highways as it was 2:30 in the morning. I was on a rather flat stretch and saw the engine and battery both were propelling the car. After a few minutes it was just on the engine. The mpg needle was sitting on 60 mpg. It would sure be nice if the car would do that more often. Looks like it has most to do with how level the highway is and the driven speed.

 

Maybe that was... heretical mode? I don't have the nav so I've never seen it and have no clue how to get into it....

 

I may have said that wrong. When both the engine and battery were propelling the car, I was showing about 50 miles per gallon. I then felt that little nudge and the mpg needle dropped to 60 while showing the engine dropped to a lower rpm. It seems to simulate being in overdrive. In the TCH its even better with gas mileage like it gets in whatever mode that is. Probably due to the Atkins cycle engine at the highway speeds.