Your fuel economy is actually not too bad (about average). Using the air conditioner reduces your fuel economy 10mpg or more.

There are many simple techniques you can use to increase your fuel economy listed in this forum. Using just a few of them will increase your MPG by 3-5. Use as many of them as you are comfortable with. At this point, I suggest you use your cruise control whenever possible.

Enjoy your new car!

 

I see this 10 mpg figure thrown around, but have never seen it substantiated, and I have to think it depends tremendously on 1) what your F/E already is, 2) how you drive, and 3) how exactly you're using the A/C. Frankly, I think the only people who see a 10 mpg drop with A/C are hypermilers already at 55+ mpg who run the A/C full blast (temp set to Lo, fan on high).

In part because I'm only just finishing breaking mine in, in part because I'm still learning how to drive it, in part because it was winter when I bought it, I've never seen more than 48-49 mpg average over a 30+ mile drive. (Obviously, in the right conditions it's easy to average 70-80 mpg with these cars for a few miles, but I can't make that stick over a longer drive where I have to do anything other than cruise at 35-40 mph.) The average for our car is still going up -- I'm about to have my first 47-48 mpg tank ever -- again, thanks to break-in, warm weather, and learning curve (including my wife's learning curve).

But that mileage has been *increasing* while we've started using the A/C. Now, you could argue that if I wasn't using the A/C my mileage would magically be 50+. I don't buy it -- I just don't see a 10 mpg difference either in the instant MPG or in the avg MPG when the air is off versus when it's on. *At most* I can detect a 1-2 mpg difference. Usually I can detect no difference at all or a difference of only a few tenths. Obviously there *is* a difference anytime you make a small motor spin a heavy compressor -- I'm just saying that it's barely big enough for me to drive the difference, and it's certainly no 10 mpg or even 5 mpg. So I don't see how to claim that a 10 mpg drop is normal for this car, apart from specific circumstances.

Anyone want to enlighten us on what specifically the circumstances are when you see a 10 mpg drop when you hit the A/C? What's your mileage dropping from and too, and how are you running your climate controls, and what's your climate and hills?

thanks --
doug

 

Doug, I've had my HCH-II for a whole year. And I am happy to say that it has been fun. I do not doubt the 10mpg figure since we all throw numbers around that are in part derived from our experiences. So please, do not look at the 10 mpg as an authoritative figure. It is not. However, I would not be surprised if a show of hands would agree with the 10 mpg figure.

Based on my experiences I would not agree with the 10 mpg however. I do use the AC regularly and I do not report such losses - not even close. I have my own approach to mitigating the FE effects of using the AC and I have posted extensively to that effect.
What I am trying to say is that we don't all have to feel helpless when using the AC. There are ways of managing the impact on FE so that it is as minimal as possible and that surely explains why some of us report a much lower hit.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

Clearbox,

Many have posted great ideas for you. Someone gave you a link to Tarabell's Tips - it's a good one. I will mention 2 things. Patience and DWL. I do accelerate like an old grandmother. I coast and I use the Driving With the Load techinques. I got a block heater and use it still as I live in WNY state. Just keep trying and try the different ideas. These are great cars - Congrats & Good Luck!!

 

When I do long trips on the interstate I like to set what I call in my head a "trap." I'll drive along at 55 mph (getting awesome FE) or so until a fast moving (65-75 mph are great) semi-truck comes up behind me. If I see one appraoching I'll accelerate so that as it gets to me I will be almost as fast as it is going. I then draft it with about a 3 second gap. Sometimes this gap will widen or shorten as it changes speeds or the terrain changes (I'll DWL). Doing this I'll get around 60 mpg at the 55mph speed and around 52 or so at the 70 mph or so speed (with drafting). These trips I do are across the Appalacians too. I would like to see what I could do on flat ground!

Obviously this won't help on crowded commutes but I thought I would share. I feel bad for those that have no choice but to face those messes everyday.