I think your talking about the transition from level drive to climbing a hill when using the cruise control.

The cruise works best on near level driving. I do use it when climbing a mountain, once I have found the proper speed where the engine seems to run best. That includes if the grade is consistently the same on the way up. I usually climb at 45 mph which varies only about 2 or 3 mph when using the cruise.

 

SwissPete, is your A/C typically on or off?

 

Cruise control on even some of the slightest of inclines seems to cause the transmission to downshift to 4th, shoot the RPM to 3000 and on declines, it engages fuel cut and slows down then the RPM might surge just to get back to speed.

Cruise control for me is only good when the ground is level.

(Driving a non-hybrid but I assume the principles are the same)

 

That would depend on the speed you are driving. Using the scan gauge I adjust my speed starting up the long 8% grade to 3200 rpm (usually 45 mph) and engage the cruise. I turn off the cruise to use the throttle manually before I start the steeper 16% grade.

 

To the op, I personally am convinced that there is are good TCHs and there are better TCHs. I think my TCH is one of the ones that gets average mileage. Some people here seem to have a better TCH and report mileage that there is just no way I could ever get with my vehicle. Period. Even allowing for different topography, climate, etc. I have tried all the tricks. I have even tried ignoring mileage, etc.

As a reference, I get about 38 around town in the summer, 35 in the winter, and about 40 on a trip on a flat-ish road, like I-95. I drive no more than 5 over the speed limit.

 

I use a top-tier brand of gas. I air the michelin tires up to 40 psi cold. About 35 on other brands. I drive 5 to 10 mph under the speed limit. On long trips I get around 47 mpg when I drive at 60.

Were talking West Texas and New Mexico type traffic. No way could I do that if we lived back in and around Dallas.

During the Summer it's much easier to get your best gas mileage.

Your car should perform just like mine. I have found in humid areas it seems to lower the gas mileage.

 

"I personally am convinced that there is are good TCHs and there are better TCHs"

While there is always this possibility, unless the vehicleis not functioning correctly, the driver and driving conditions have everything to do with FE. For example, when my wife drives our Prius, she averages in the low 40's. When I drive it, its FE 'magically' increases to the high 50's.

Highway speeds, short trips, hills, cruise control, cold weather and the A/C are all FE killers.

 

Because, I assume, she is not trying to squeeze the extra juice out, like you and I do. She is just driving it.

Sure, there could be something mechanical, but I have asked Toyota about it before, and they said there is no problem.

There are some on this board that report regular mileage in the mid to upper 40s, and some in the 50s. I have tried ubber hard to do that, but cannot come close. My tires are over-inflated, I have tried pulse and glide (or whatever it is called), etc. No way.

 

Use a quality brand of fuel and try driving 38 to 42 mph with cruise when possible. Anticipate red lights and stop signs, long coast saves gas. I use the cruise when in the city. I drive slightly slower then the other traffic so I have plenty of room to stop if needed.

 

I agree with rburt. It's the little things that add up to a big difference.

One more thing that surprised me was the roadways themselves. Some have a higher rolling resistance than others. If I go east from town I average about 42-44 mpg on a round trip (4 hour total). If I go west, I average 39-41 on a round trip (6 hours total). This is observed over multiple trips all in summer months.

Speed is a big one. Here the speed limit is 100kmh (62mph) I cruise between 90-95 on divided highway, and at the limit on 2 lane.

we went on a road trip this summer, and with major distances between points, we drove the speed limit. The limits in ND & SD are 75. Those segments we averaged in the mid 30s, MN & WI where the speed limits are lower, our averages went up. Over the 2800mi trip we averaged ~38.