That's probably the difference. I pay great attention to the car, SoC gauge, rpm, state of assist/regen, etc. I don't "just drive it," I fiddle with it constantly

 

I try to. Though it's pretty easy for me to zone out for the 30 minute trip. If I'm actively paying attention, I can usually hit the low 40s. It sucks out here though because we get a bit of all 4 seasons (usually in the same week) so it'll be too cold for the battery to be very efficient, then too hot and needing the AC which kills the IMA (and gives my car crap performance to boot).

 

I can't glean your location from your prior posts, but conditions here in AZ are 6 months of summer and 6 months of not-summer. The mpg in the heat is actually better as long as I can NOT run the A/C or subject the battery to too high temps. When it's 115°F+ in the sun, the interior of the car can approach the danger zone for the batteries, so the BCM will avoid use of the IMA system until the interior gets cooled with A/C.

On my way home last night I reset the A trip and was cruising the SoC/Instant mileage gauge for max economy while keeping relatively comfy with the A/C on 82°F. I was doing nicely in the 48-51 mpg range when a recal triggered... recal + A/C = all efforts wasted on a single trip... by the time I parked the car after 15 miles, it was 41.

 

Yuck - Central Kansas here so weather is all over the place. Most my driving is flat land so I can coast some, but not very far.

 

I hail from OK, so I know similar terrain and weather...

 

Stopped actively posting long ago (when Green Hybrid reset the fuel economy tracker), but still have a 2006. First IMA battery just being replaced at 82,300 miles, along with the dreaded "hole in AC" repair. Battery is under warranty, but AC and condenser repair around $800...not worth complaining about, as I'm hoping to keep this car around for our future teens to drive a couple years.

 

$800? That's nothing. Dealer wanted $1,900 for a new compressor.

I replaced it with a salvage yard unit. Less than $400 total including the bullsh1t $140 diagnostic fee... not to mention... the 50mL of magic compressor oil that costs $55.

 

I was concerned it would be close to that! They replaced the compressor and hoses, recharged system (and whatever else) for $875 all in.

As to the battery, I can't believe how well the car actually runs with a new battery: Starts up the next morning, not in periodic recal mode ... hoping this car might make it for our teens to drive in a couple years. (As it was, this is about the 4th time the dealer and I have been down the battery road. During the "settlement," I had a supervisor drive the car, but of course, thought it was fine. Whatever. This time either the Check Engine light *really* was a battery code, or they finally got approval to trigger the warranty.)

 

They were charging me $1,100 in parts alone. I'm almost willing to admit you might have found a black swan... an honest dealer.

Glad to hear you got the battery sorted. The new ECU code will stretch batteries WAY past where the original program would flag them as bad enabling multiple daily recals, terrible mileage and gutless performance. The only time they would actually do it is if you got an IMA light or a IMA pack related CEL.... which is why you never every reset codes without visiting the dealer first when your IMA pack is under warranty.