Just thought I'd share since MPG is what brought me here.

I have a 2007 1LT 2.2L. I drive 40 miles round trip, 8% of that interstate, but the trip home can get congested.

The car is bone stock other than Mobil 1 oil, though I'm going to be testing a tune from Trifecta Performance very soon.

I get between 28-30mpg for a week, depending on my habits and extra driving I might do.

My techniques include:
1. Shift to neutral at stoplights to reduce tq converter drag on the engine. You may not even feel the change, but if you watch the injector pulse widths on a scanner you can see the difference. Every little bit helps

2. If I'm going to be stopped for more than 1 minute, I shut the car off. NO IDLING!!!

3. In stop and go traffic on the interstate during congested commute hours, I "pulse" forward on the gas, then drop into Neutral and coast. This technique can preserve your DIC MPG average and keep it from tanking when you're stuck in a slow-moving traffic jam.

4. "pulse" the A/C off and on. Luckily I park in a garage at home and a parking garage at work. Therefore I don't really have to cool the car down. I will run the A/C on full cold and then cycle it off...you can get a few minutes of cool air out of the vents before the outside air warms things up again. I know the A/C compressor cycles on/off on its own, but this is a way to extend the "off" cycles.

5. Shift to N and coast any time you are moving downhill.

My plans are to analyze improvement in MPG after the tune, and then look at aftermarket exhausts and possibly doing an exhaust manifold mod per GTOMIKE's thread in the 2.2L forum.

Interesting techniques... some I use and some I never thought of.

Let us know!

That all sounds great. Using the pulse is how I can get 26-28mpg in TRUE STOP and GO...as long as the stops don't last too long. The combination of the boost gauge and inst-mpg have allowed me to see 36 on the highway over extended drives, 30ish overall since i bought my SS 7000 miles ago, and never have i ever seen less then 28mpg for a tank except my first (26.2).
Keep in touch...im working on a diy "reapir your driving" thread for those that actually WANT help increasing their FE.
I am exhausted to keep typing the same things...so I hope the thread allows me to just say "follow this link to salvation" lol....

I could see people doing this if there was some kind of improvement, but I get better mileage than you and I drive in a "spirited" fashion, as a few members might agree with. So I say just enjoy the drive! :smile:

I could see people doing this if there was some kind of improvement, but I get better mileage than you and I drive in a "spirited" fashion, as a few members might agree with. So I say just enjoy the drive! :smile:



Some of us "enjoy" efficiency :)

There is an improvement by hypermiling. Accoding to the poll in this forum 85%+ of the owners can't come close to my mileage EVER. We are all driving the same vehicle....many are getting 30% less...thats a $1.20 a gallon on a cheap day.

What mpg do you get while driving spirited???? I hope you do get better mileage....tell us your methods......but....

We need the facts....

Back it up. Or it's drivel


And I think my SS has plenty of spirit......about 55% more...lol
Just Joshin with you.......:)

The whole downside to trying to save all this money, is that one day, you may overshoot neutral and pop it into reverse. ASK ME HOW I KNOW. You then relize that you didn't save a dime, and maybe spent an extra thousand for a trans that was perfectly fine before your downshift. This is really not good for your car, and if the mfgr knew people did this a lot, they would design the auto trans in a similar fashion to the manual, with a reverse lock-out. Also, I've heard rumors before that putting your car in neutral while rolling down hills is illegal in some states. Any truth to that?
I saw a Jeep rolling through my neighborhood this morning. I could hear him re-starting the car after losing some speed on the turn. Don't you lose power steering and power brake functions? I'm not so sure sacrificing ANY amount of safety is worth what you save in gas. The gas pedal has saved my ass in many accident situtions, almost dead even with the brake pedal.
I thought I was getting better mileage after I switched over to synthetic oil, but I also noticed my average speed for the week increased, and I'm getting to work on time and NO OIL can possibly to that. There are just less drivers on the road. Here in NJ, your mileage drops when you get on the highway, like it's the opposite of EPA standards.

There's and old expression that goes someting like "what you gain on the swings you lose on the see-saw". All those extra mechanical actions employed to save fuel cause wear and tear on the starter, shift linkage, battery, the ignition cylinder lock. They will wear out prematurely (after the warranty has expired, of course) and cost you more to fix than all the gas you saved.

BTW, those are actuals, not DIC averages. I've found the DIC is usually .7-1.0 mpg higher.

It has occurred to me I might prematurely wear out the shifter linkage. I haven't decided if that is enough to dissuade me from the technique yet, however.

As to 1Panel2NV, I get that these cars can be fun, but I bought mine for practicality and MPG. The month before I bought the HHR in '07 I had just sold my 440hp highly modified Trans Am, so I have never fooled myself into thinking I can replicate that experience with a 2.2L FWD 4-banger. The pursuit of higher MPG is today for me what getting that 11.99 1/4 mile timeslip was 5 years ago.

I get between 31-34mpg by staying between 60-65..that's it.....I find if I do 70-80 like I used to mpg drops off pretty quickly


I don't think it is just me but I have noticed that traffic overall has slowed down quite a bit on the highway..



Goose

Just saw on the news this morning...

UPS saved several million gallons of fuel last year by eliminating and greatly reducing LEFT TURNS. It appears the rational was waiting for traffic to clear to make the turn and in waiting to make the turn in line.

Interesting concept. What do you think "cleveland"....willing to try it???

I'm like 1Panel2NV and diskullman. I drive mine normally, with a little bit of a lead foot, and have averaged 27.4 since I have had the car (I never have reset the DIC). About 60% of my 60 mile daily commute is interstate, so that may be part of it.

Just saw on the news this morning...

UPS saved several million gallons of fuel last year by eliminating and greatly reducing LEFT TURNS. ...snip...



So that's Why JARRETT never got to race the truck. All those nasty left turns.....:D

Yeah....

I wonder if NASCAR will consider going clock-wise on all the tracks, instead of counterclock wise:D ;)

Just saw on the news this morning...

UPS saved several million gallons of fuel last year by eliminating and greatly reducing LEFT TURNS. It appears the rational was waiting for traffic to clear to make the turn and in waiting to make the turn in line.

Interesting concept. What do you think "cleveland"....willing to try it???

I unfortunatly worked for 4 months at FEDEX home delivery for a post school job until I found an engineering related position. They had a sophisticated (sometimes too much so) program that calculated the 110 stop, 100+mile 10 hour santa-clauss-fest known as home delivery routing instructions. You never had to back up, minimized left turns, etc etc.....somtimes it would even make up its own roads...lol

Anyway... I already minimize left turns.....but I do leave in at least 1 so I don't circle my apartment.

I haven't turned off my car on the highway ever, and I don't turn off my car at stoplights. My 5 speed spends a great amount of time in neutral though!!!

I need to clarify I don't turn the car off in traffic..just into neutral. But at a drive through or anywhere else if I'm going to idle for more than 1 minute I shut it down.

I'm at 34-36 mpg going to work at 65-70 all freeway with cruz on. I average 29-30 for the week. The drive home in traffic and the climb up hill to my house kills the MPG. 2Lt Panel, 5 spd. Mobile 1.

To the point of coasting. In California it is a ticketable offence. I got a warning years ago when I was driving my '48 Studebaker that coasted automatically when you were not pressing on the gas peddle. It was marketed as a "Free Wheeling" device.

Check out this website on Hypermilling: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1207

It has an article from Motor trend magazine, 1956:

I'm at 34-36 mpg going to work at 65-70 all freeway with cruz on. I average 29-30 for the week. The drive home in traffic and the climb up hill to my house kills the MPG. 2Lt Panel, 5 spd. Mobile 1.

To the point of coasting. In California it is a ticketable offence. I got a warning years ago when I was driving my '48 Studebaker that coasted automatically when you were not pressing on the gas peddle. It was marketed as a "Free Wheeling" device.

Check out this website on Hypermilling: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1207

It has an article from Motor trend magazine, 1956:

How can they catch you coasting?
When I coast in front of cops....they go around me..lol
34-36mpg at 65mph avg is the same as I get. I'm at 33.7 for the last 4 days with 50% city and my longtest trips are less than 15 miles so far. Not too bad, but the weather sucks here (rain..then more rain)....no motivation to drive spirited....

By planning routes to eliminate traffic stops, timing traffic, reducing left turn and shifting into neutral at traffic lights, I have been able to average 25.1 mpg city according to the DIC. Best highway so far is 38.4 mpg, keeping speed to 55mph. Not reccommended during heavy traffic!

I have been improving my mileage with some of these techniques as well.
I drive a 2007 LS Automatic. I have been able to get it up to around 33MPG.
What I am find that kills my mileage is the AC. I can loose up to 5MPG running it. It has been hot enough to need it recenlty. I also find that my route to work also can make a big difference. Since I go from Costa Mesa to Aliso Viejo, the temptation is to use the toll road. That big 6% hill always costs me in fuel/MPG, not to mention the toll fee.

I tend to get my best mileage running at 65 - 70 in cruise control. I tend to get run over if I go much slower...

Not to hijack your thread, but this is something I've been wondering and it is a technique you use: After you coast downhill, does dropping the tranny back into drive at highway speeds cause any additional mechanical problems?

I actually find I get the best mileage if I keep my RPMs between 2400-2700 no matter how fast that happens to be.

After you coast downhill, does dropping the tranny back into drive at highway speeds cause any additional mechanical problems?


No. Remember the tq converter is unlocked in this state, so its not like you're trying to jamb a stick shift into gear w/o using the clutch. The RPMs jump up to 2000-2500 and engine compression will start to slow the car down, so you have to get into the gas some to maintain your speed. I'll coast until I drop a couple MPH before going back into Drive.

The whole downside to trying to save all this money, is that one day, you may overshoot neutral and pop it into reverse. ASK ME HOW I KNOW. You then relize that you didn't save a dime, and maybe spent an extra thousand for a trans that was perfectly fine before your downshift. This is really not good for your car, and if the mfgr knew people did this a lot, they would design the auto trans in a similar fashion to the manual, with a reverse lock-out. Also, I've heard rumors before that putting your car in neutral while rolling down hills is illegal in some states. Any truth to that?
I saw a Jeep rolling through my neighborhood this morning. I could hear him re-starting the car after losing some speed on the turn. Don't you lose power steering and power brake functions? I'm not so sure sacrificing ANY amount of safety is worth what you save in gas. The gas pedal has saved my ass in many accident situtions, almost dead even with the brake pedal.
I thought I was getting better mileage after I switched over to synthetic oil, but I also noticed my average speed for the week increased, and I'm getting to work on time and NO OIL can possibly to that. There are just less drivers on the road. Here in NJ, your mileage drops when you get on the highway, like it's the opposite of EPA standards.

i dont know what you are talking about but my auto trans will not let me shift into neutral unless i have my foot into the brake pedal. besides pay attention and you wont miss neutral. I dont know if it is like this in the hhr but my gmc truck does not engage reverse until you hit the gas from drive.

I getg 28.3 mpg according to the DIC with about 50/50 driving. worst think i have found for your gas mileage is ac and fast starts. I do feel the need to get into it every once in a while.

Random but does ne one know what the tranny in the hhr is rated for hp wise?

i dont know what you are talking about but my auto trans will not let me shift into neutral unless i have my foot into the brake pedal. besides pay attention and you wont miss neutral. I dont know if it is like this in the hhr but my gmc truck does not engage reverse until you hit the gas from drive.

I getg 28.3 mpg according to the DIC with about 50/50 driving. worst think i have found for your gas mileage is ac and fast starts. I do feel the need to get into it every once in a while.

Random but does ne one know what the tranny in the hhr is rated for hp wise?

I'm pretty sure Reverse is locked out while the car is moving forward, but N is not. You just push the shifter forward. I move in and out of neutral a dozen times on my way to work.

I get between 31-34mpg by staying between 60-65..that's it.....I find if I do 70-80 like I used to mpg drops off pretty quickly


I don't think it is just me but I have noticed that traffic overall has slowed down quite a bit on the highway..
Goose

Same here in So Cal Goose.
I travel to San Diego a great deal from South Orange County and over the past 10 years what used to take 45 mins increased to 1 1/2 hrs. Of late especially since school was out in the spring. It's back down to 45 mins to 1 hr travel time from my front door. That's a HUGE change especially since population in San Diego has grown exponentially.
I am seeing the summer tourist evident by the out of state plates picking up in numbers but nothing like I've seen before, even the Zonies (AZ) aren't as many as usual.
News reports 1million folks are going to hit San Diego this weekend :nuts:
curtsy
E'

I get between 31-34mpg by staying between 60-65..that's it.....I find if I do 70-80 like I used to mpg drops off pretty quickly


I don't think it is just me but I have noticed that traffic overall has slowed down quite a bit on the highway..



Goose

My first two tanks of gas, I've gotten 31.7 MPG overall.

For the last 2 months, I haven't been going above 60 MPH. Today I decided I won't go faster then 55. What funny is that when I first started...I felt like the slowest person on the road at 60...but now...only 2 months later...traffic in general is WAY slower. At least around Cleveland....

My HHR only has 975 miles on it and it's never been over 65!

My first two tanks of gas, I've gotten 31.7 MPG overall.

For the last 2 months, I haven't been going above 60 MPH. Today I decided I won't go faster then 55. What funny is that when I first started...I felt like the slowest person on the road at 60...but now...only 2 months later...traffic in general is WAY slower. At least around Cleveland....

My HHR only has 975 miles on it and it's never been over 65!

LOLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I amprobably the slowest thing on the road, but i can tell more and more people are following me everyday..... i even found some people doing less than 60 in the slowlane with NO TRAFFIC AT 5:30AM when I'm driving to work. I have no problem at all doing 58-60mph on the way home, everyone just goes around. I feel like people are starting to "GET IT".

I've been doing a little P&G in the city lately when the traffic is not to thick. My avg mileage is 33 even (last 150 or so miles), and thats with no extended highway (max 15 miles).....so since i am getting 34-36 on the highway, I must be getting 30-32+mpg in the city. I can tell that If I really wanted to drive focused I could get 34+ in the city.

My goal of a 600mile 15.5 or less gallon tank will be realized soon with a little P&G on the highway.

sorry cleveland when i said neutral was locked out i meant reverse, i have also found you have to push the shift button along with the brake pedal so the chances of missing neutral are almost zero unless something i broken on your car!

Has anyone taken to "flintstoning" their HHR yet? Cutting out the floor panels so your feet can assist on starts & stops?

I usually get my girlfriend to push when we are stuck in really bad traffic (ie. construction delays or accident tie-ups.) It's good to get some fresh air and exercise every now and then!!

I usually get my girlfriend to push when we are stuck in really bad traffic (ie. construction delays or accident tie-ups.) It's good to get some fresh air and exercise every now and then!!

I get that exercise on my bike. I took out my chariot cougar with my mountain bike. I "simulated" my son with 8 light reading books (calc, diff eq, cheme thermo, process control) and three bags of very old and very fat paint balls. That was about 33 pounds, plus the carrier equals 64+ pounds. I took a 35 mile ride, for my first ride towing anything... ever. Went smooth, the carrier is so sick!
Anyway about hhr's...the carrier, my 20inch frame mountain bike, fit in just fine with the 60/ seat down at the 40 up. I could fit one more bike in carry my son in the back, gear room , plus an empty passenger seat. This is somthing the competition could not do....no VW, no Subaru, maybe an ugly torque steering Caliber, no Element, and no scion..lol. Not the mileage (33mpg this tank so far), not the power (bsr tune money went to the carrier and his Mom's bike lol), and not the interior space.

So I was commuting into work today at my usual 29 mpg speed, and I noticed a Honda Insite with an older guy driving, slipstreaming a Big Rig in the RH lane. Always kind of liked that car although my son co-drove one across country, and after climbing the Rockies swore he would never drive one again (compare that with a turbo 2.0 *laugh*). Anyway, being in the left lane I saw it coming, a large spit-off truck re-tread, you guessed it, passed right under the big rig and totally nailed the Insight. I had accelerated hard to get out of the way, and give him an opening but no way he could react. Good news he did not create a huge accident, bad news he destroyed a lot of front end body work and maybe more. Moral=don't draft a big rig.

Moral=don't draft a big rig.


Amen to that....In fact don't draft anything ...ever! Drafting is like driving with your eyes closed. Moreover why was an INSIGHT drafting.... dosen't that POS get 60mpg???!!!

I live in Michigan and a lot of people could save gas if you drive like some do.
#1 Don't stop at STOP signs just cruse on through.
#2 (Not sure how this works) Pass on double yellow lines and in intersections.
#3 If the car in front of you is using the 2 second rule pass them and draft.
#4 If your on a 4 lane road cut from lane to lane to take advantage of other
faster cars in the draft
#5 Yellow lights mean go like hell it so you dont set through a red light.
I hope this helps with hypermiling.

Amen to that....In fact don't draft anything ...ever! Drafting is like driving with your eyes closed. Moreover why was an INSIGHT drafting.... dosen't that POS get 60mpg???!!!

Edmunds says 70mpg...:confused: http://www.edmunds.com/honda/insight/review.html

Darn thats high.....just no power. Rated at 67 HP on its 1.0 ltr engine

I avoided the draft.... I enlisted

Edmunds says 70mpg...:confused: http://www.edmunds.com/honda/insight/review.html

I avoided the draft.... I enlisted

NICE!

if it boosts gas mileage just 1 mile, it's still worth.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/07/09/mileage.products.ap/index.html

if it boosts gas mileage just 1 mile, it's still worth.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/07/09/mileage.products.ap/index.html

Sorry charlie....youll probably lose mileage with this stuff. Spend the $150 on a scangauge and get 20% better mileage through something real! Better driving. Or if you have an SS use the instmpg and the "vacuum gauge" to accomplish the same thing.

Sorry charlie....youll probably lose mileage with this stuff. Spend the $150 on a scangauge and get 20% better mileage through something real! Better driving. Or if you have an SS use the instmpg and the "vacuum gauge" to accomplish the same thing.

How can a scangauge improve mileage? I never heard of it, and would like to get more info.

How can a scangauge improve mileage? I never heard of it, and would like to get more info.

Scangauge II, its a device that reads and displays your obd(computer) information. It will tell you what is happening while driving. Read up on it, it will help you drive more efficient when you want, and how inefficient when you feel the need to speed. It is a TOOL that will help you learn to drive better in context of mileage. This is what REALLY helps mileage, as reading books help your knowledge. Sell it once you are done with it, or show a friend on their car.

This is NO gimmick.

Others are Dash Daq, and Dashhawk.

i cannot reccomed which is best, but if you do not have a boost gauge and inst-mpg, this is the best solution that I know.

I live in Michigan and a lot of people could save gas if you drive like some do.
#1 Don't stop at STOP signs just cruse on through.
#2 (Not sure how this works) Pass on double yellow lines and in intersections.
#3 If the car in front of you is using the 2 second rule pass them and draft.
#4 If your on a 4 lane road cut from lane to lane to take advantage of other
faster cars in the draft
#5 Yellow lights mean go like hell it so you dont set through a red light.
I hope this helps with hypermiling.

Sounds like Southern California to me. Makes me so mad I could cuss when I am trying to maintain a safe distance behind the car ahead and three people try to jam their cars in there.

I'm all for getting the best fuel mileage possible but some of these recommended techniques are just dangerous. Drafting is only one of the dangerous ones. You try to draft off the wrong person and they are going to jam the brakes on. I read on one site that one of the best hypermiling techniques is to weave from lane to lane so you never have to stop. Yeah, real safe! The HHR gets close to 30mpg. Good enough. I set the cruise while on the interstate to keep from staying on the gas all the time. Granted, I usually set it about 80. My Jeep gets 10mpg. My Cadillac gets about 16. I'll settle for the 30 of the HHR without playing all the driving games. Having all those things on your mind while driving sounds a lot more dangerous to me than talking on a cell phone.

While I don't believe in it, I respect everyone else's rights to 'hypermile'. Right up to the point that they put me of my family in danger.

Hypermilling is not drafting..lol
It's not breaking laws...at least anymore than those that don't hypermile.

Hypermiling is not a game.

It's driving.

Most people do not have the skill, attention span or ar too busy doing something else other than driving to hypermile.

I am amazed how many people feel that driving a manual is to taxing, or inconvienient. When you are forced to "drive" your car, not just "ride" in it, you be safer on the road. Your right hand should be driving the car, not eating, drinking, changing CD's, smoking, applying makeup or cell phoning!

I notice people driving 80 or more, thats a game. If you crash you'll probably be seriously injured or die. They dont put crash dummies into cars and crash them at over 75 because the dummies cost too much...lol J/K but you get my drift.

Driving like you late or in a general hurry makes you dangerous to yourself and others around you.

Most don't really get all of this until they get into an serious accident. I bet the next day they pay a little more attention to their speed, and others (doing dangeros things) around them.

My statement was not based on your description of how you hypermile. I have no doubt that an intelligent person can do it just fine. My statement was based on what I have read on the internet about the lengths people are going to to try to gain 1 mpg. I am mainly concerned with the people who have the most need to stretch every penny out of a gallon of fuel - kids. Not because there is anything wrong with kids. Mostly because they generally work minimum wage jobs and are struggling with today's fuel prices.

And the reason I have a problem with that is that they are the same ones who made drifting a past time. And the ones who not invented, but got out of hand with street racing, etc. They are the ones who already weave in and out of traffic on the interstate barely missing the corner of your car, usually while having their seat laid so far back you can't even see them and their music so loud it drowns out my own radio.

I mentioned talking on a cell phone before. There are a lot of people who can do it successfully behind the wheel of a car. As I'm sure there are hypermilers. But the distraction is the same, and the amount of discussion about the subject on the internet shows that people are going to extraordinary (read as dangerous) lengths to make the mpg average go up.

the one aspect that is the MOST DRAMATIC on mpg is not mentioned and it is the formula that the EPA just changed in the MPG calculation for cars when the ESTIMATED MPG by manufacturers took a hit last year by about 10-15%....

the RATE OF ACCELERATION was calculated so DRASTICALLY LOW or more accurately IMPRACTICABLE that no person on earth could get a car to accelerate so slowly......

BUT with practice you can achieve a consistantly slow accerleration combined with a slower overall speed of say 60-65 and arrive at your destination 10 minutes later, BUT one 1000lb gorrilla lighter (in terms of frustration) and with a few extra bucks in your pocket.....i was employing these techniques with the '04 sebring i replaced with an '08 LS 2.2L and will continue to employ them.....i find it more amusing to look for the "ROAD RAGE" incidents in the making as the WORLD FLIES by here in the DFW area.....i swear every single driver here is illiterate because the posted limits seem to read 80+/WOT, whatever is greater.....

And the reason I have a problem with that is that they are the same ones who made drifting a past time. And the ones who not invented, but got out of hand with street racing, etc. They are the ones who already weave in and out of traffic on the interstate barely missing the corner of your car, usually while having their seat laid so far back you can't even see them and their music so loud it drowns out my own radio.

Wow I'm sure glad people here don't generalize.:lol:

FYI- I'm 50+ and we would do what is now called drifting in the 60's & 70's. We called it dirt tracking. Heck we would even do it on motorcycles. I still have my 8mm movies of a group of us doing it. Video cameras were not invented yet.:D I ran radials in front and bias ply tires with a huge sway bar in the rear on my autocross VW and could hang it out big time.. It was a blast.

As far as street racing. Ya gotta go back to the 40's & 50's. Street racing is what started NHRA.And you're in B'field. Home of one of the oldest NHRA drag strip in the nation! Heck, I belonged to a club that even had a portable Xmas tree for our nightly events. Oh and we didn't just go straight line. So.Cal. Canyon races were well attended too!

Loud music is not a current thing either..Rolling Stones at max volume was cool in the 60's as well;) You must have lead a very sheltered life. There is really nothing new in the car culture, just new names and different cars.

Drifting, street racing and seeking MPG are totally unrelated...Can't we all just get a long:lol:

My statement was not based on your description of how you hypermile. I have no doubt that an intelligent person can do it just fine. My statement was based on what I have read on the internet about the lengths people are going to to try to gain 1 mpg. I am mainly concerned with the people who have the most need to stretch every penny out of a gallon of fuel - kids. Not because there is anything wrong with kids. Mostly because they generally work minimum wage jobs and are struggling with today's fuel prices.

And the reason I have a problem with that is that they are the same ones who made drifting a past time. And the ones who not invented, but got out of hand with street racing, etc. They are the ones who already weave in and out of traffic on the interstate barely missing the corner of your car, usually while having their seat laid so far back you can't even see them and their music so loud it drowns out my own radio.

I mentioned talking on a cell phone before. There are a lot of people who can do it successfully behind the wheel of a car. As I'm sure there are hypermilers. But the distraction is the same, and the amount of discussion about the subject on the internet shows that people are going to extraordinary (read as dangerous) lengths to make the mpg average go up.


I hear ya, and agree. However I doubt that kids care about hypermiling...the "demographic" of hypermilers are not street drift racing, snot nosed, Ludakris listening, laid back seat types. These kids care about image. Hypermiling is not sexy...lol I would guess (but just a guess) that I am much closer to the age of these "kids" than you are. I also think that using a cell phone in a car while driving impairs people as much as the .08 limit here in ohio.

I just don't want people to get the idea that hypermiling is all these dangerous things. Just because dateline wants a "sensational" story and depicts hypermiling as turning your car off 10 times in a 30 minute highway commute, or drafting/slipstreaming big rigs, does not mean that is the definition. My definition is efficient and legal driving. i think most that do would agree.

the one aspect that is the MOST DRAMATIC on mpg is not mentioned and it is the formula that the EPA just changed in the MPG calculation for cars when the ESTIMATED MPG by manufacturers took a hit last year by about 10-15%....

the RATE OF ACCELERATION was calculated so DRASTICALLY LOW or more accurately IMPRACTICABLE that no person on earth could get a car to accelerate so slowly......

BUT with practice you can achieve a consistantly slow accerleration combined with a slower overall speed of say 60-65 and arrive at your destination 10 minutes later, BUT one 1000lb gorrilla lighter (in terms of frustration) and with a few extra bucks in your pocket.....i was employing these techniques with the '04 sebring i replaced with an '08 LS 2.2L and will continue to employ them.....i find it more amusing to look for the "ROAD RAGE" incidents in the making as the WORLD FLIES by here in the DFW area.....i swear every single driver here is illiterate because the posted limits seem to read 80+/WOT, whatever is greater.....

I bet i can beat your mpg without accelerating slowly :) In fact I only accelerate slowly when I know I'm going to stop VERY soon.

Wow I'm sure glad people here don't generalize.:lol:

FYI- I'm 50+ and we would do what is now called drifting in the 60's & 70's. We called it dirt tracking. Heck we would even do it on motorcycles. I still have my 8mm movies of a group of us doing it. Video cameras were not invented yet.:D I ran radials in front and bias ply tires with a huge sway bar in the rear on my autocross VW and could hang it out big time.. It was a blast.

As far as street racing. Ya gotta go back to the 40's & 50's. Street racing is what started NHRA.And you're in B'field. Home of one of the oldest NHRA drag strip in the nation! Heck, I belonged to a club that even had a portable Xmas tree for our nightly events. Oh and we didn't just go straight line. So.Cal. Canyon races were well attended too!

Loud music is not a current thing either..Rolling Stones at max volume was cool in the 60's as well;) You must have lead a very sheltered life. There is really nothing new in the car culture, just new names and different cars.

Drifting, street racing and seeking MPG are totally unrelated...Can't we all just get a long:lol:

I want to do more than "get along". I hope to educate those that are willing to listen. I want to contribute what I learn with my lovely HHR SS. Right now I would like to contribute 37mpg over a 30 mile round trip (same route there and back) in the suburbs/city, no highway, never faster than 43mph never slower than 25mph unless nearing a red/stop. I also avoided irritating 99% of the non "gas and brake" drivers. That is hypermiling. Comming soon 600 miles in one tank. I hope to get it done before summer ends in cleveland. No dangerous stunts required, nothing illegal. Like your post Hotrod...we can get along...it's nice when my dad (circa '49) whose first new car was a '69 z-28 302 he raced the crap out of, would never believe a front wheel drive j-body could be a "supersport"...then drive my hhr he beged me not to buy, and say "Yeah i like that little car".

Wow I'm sure glad people here don't generalize.:lol:

Drifting, street racing and seeking MPG are totally unrelated...Can't we all just get a long:lol:

No... Don't generalize much.. But thanks for joining in...

What I did was talk about a particular group of people. Not general at all. Actually very specific.

Do people make up there mind much before reading posts? :lol:

I also didn't say any of the things were new. I just commented on the fact that hypermiling sites tell you to weave in and out of traffic to keep from having to slow down or stop, and that these are the same things that these 'mostly kids' do.

And while I have lived in Bakersfield for a few years, I am from the Georgia. You know, rednecks and all that. I understand racing heritage. Owned quite a few hot rods in my day. Even raced them and drove them fast. But was still always courteous when in traffic. That is what is missing today.

And although my musical tastes have mostly always been country, I know about our loud music back in the day as well. Played in rock bands before I could find anyone my age to play country with me. And you know as well as I do that we didn't rattle our cars apart back then because the music was so loud. There is loud music, and then there is just a bunch or rattle noise as you mostly find today.

I guess if you take both of my posts together you understand more what I am saying. Quoting just the one makes it easy to misinterpret it and pick it apart.

And Yes, we can all get along. I get along with everyone. I thought we were just having a discussion here.

I bet i can beat your mpg without accelerating slowly :) In fact I only accelerate slowly when I know I'm going to stop VERY soon.
i have read and tried to absorb, maybe i'll learn something in the process.....
Comming soon 600 miles in one tank. I hope to get it done before summer ends in cleveland. No dangerous stunts required, nothing illegal.
NOW YOU HAVE MY FULL ATTENTION.....

No... Don't generalize much.. But thanks for joining in...

And Yes, we can all get along. I get along with everyone. I thought we were just having a discussion here.

Songman,
Not trying to argue and not get a long... Just poking at some of the generalizations about drifters, etc. A little levity.:lol: That's why I add the smiley faces etc.:smile: The posts were just getting to serious.

By the way, Coasting & weaving in and out of lanes can get you a ticket here in California. They term coasting as not having full control of the car and weaving means you are running faster then the flow of traffic..:roll:

i have read and tried to absorb, maybe i'll learn something in the process.....

NOW YOU HAVE MY FULL ATTENTION.....

I re-read my post and it came off a bit "short". I was in a hurry. Sorry. What i meant was that I have been trying more aggresive techniques to improve city mileage. I have reached the point where i TRULY get annoyed if I do not get 450 miles out of 14.25 gallons. Or 31.5mpg overall. I do a lot more city driving now (no more work and/or pleaseure long trips :( ), and I liked when my dic saids 32.3 (33 hand calculated) after 450 miles. Now since my avg mph has decreased from 43 or 44 down to 32-34, it take more effort to get 31.5-33 mpg. I know that my hhr SS 5 speed will get 36mpg on a flat dry smooth road with 87 octane windows/sunroof up or down, no a/c, 34+ tire pressure at 60mph on brainless cruise control. So to get 38 I would need to play '"rollercoaster" with each and every hill I encounter. That means, set cruise at 50, drive at 60 (yes this takes patience and skill) and very slightly accelerate on the downs in preperation for the ups, and glide the ups until the cruise kicks in right at the crest of the hill. If you are able to "read the road elevations" beforehand, you can ever so slightly gain mpg above 36 by doing the rollercoaster. Yes this is not what I would do if i wanted to get someplace fast, and no i would not do this on a 2 lane highway. I stay in the slow lane, or one over to let the semi's by. I can get 38 this way over longer highway trips. It becomes second nature after a while. I am an ex-amature mountain bike racer, so I am used to reading even the slightest grades and road elevations. My coefficient of drag on the bike is around 0.90 versus the hhr's 0.354 so I am keenly aware of the effects of wind, rain, rough roads and terrain on mileage.

My problem comes in the city, where I cannot predict all lights, stops, stupid drivers...etc. So I have been "pulse and gliding" where I can. The hhr ss i think saids 22 on the sticker. I have been getting around 31 completely in the city with alot of stops, but fairly short lights. As I get better, or simply take the same roads day in and day out, I should get to 33 or more. Certain routes (hilly in a good way) would yield 35 or more. I'm still learning.

Illinois, being a flat state, is great for hypermiling. We drive on back roads about 45-50 mph and get anywhere from 35-40 mpg.. our average highway/city mileage is now up to around 28mpg (drove in chicago & st. louis). If we drive from champaign to st. louis, we average 33mpg going 70mph with cruise control and better if we drop down to 65 and shut off the air conditioner. we have had our car 1 month and love it we already have over 2500 miles on it.

Look I understand "Hypermiling" to a certain extent after all I bought my HHR for the sole reason of gas mileage. My one ton dually Chevy 454 gets terrible gas mileage. I have done a little experimenting and "Drafting" does save gase mileage big time. Once I got stuck in a bad cold front on my motorcycle I got in and drafted a Semi to keep from freezing and make it home. Drafting for gas mileage or what ever is not smart but it really does make a huge difference.

My HHR gets about 28 MPG on the highway at 80 MPH, 32 at 70 and 36 at 60 MPH. I usually drive 70 but do try not to eccelerate and stop too quickly to get the best I can from it and still get there. Drafting is probably good for 10 MPG more but sooner or later will cause a problem.

One thing that pisses me off worse than anything is people going 41 MPH in the fast lane. Sure they get better gas mileage but I sure hope they signed their organ donor cards. They are an accident waiting to happen. I passed an old lady today and she was going LESS than 45 on the highway in the fast lane, I honked my horn when I finally got around her and she flipped me off! Stupid old lady probably thinks she is doing her part for the environment. No problem just do it in the slow lane.

There are some good tips here to improve mileage.
What I am curious about is anything mechanical such as exhaust, air filter, chip etc that will give any definative improvments. Bruce

Look I understand "Hypermiling" to a certain extent after all I bought my HHR for the sole reason of gas mileage. My one ton dually Chevy 454 gets terrible gas mileage. I have done a little experimenting and "Drafting" does save gase mileage big time. Once I got stuck in a bad cold front on my motorcycle I got in and drafted a Semi to keep from freezing and make it home. Drafting for gas mileage or what ever is not smart but it really does make a huge difference.

My HHR gets about 28 MPG on the highway at 80 MPH, 32 at 70 and 36 at 60 MPH. I usually drive 70 but do try not to eccelerate and stop too quickly to get the best I can from it and still get there. Drafting is probably good for 10 MPG more but sooner or later will cause a problem.

One thing that pisses me off worse than anything is people going 41 MPH in the fast lane. Sure they get better gas mileage but I sure hope they signed their organ donor cards. They are an accident waiting to happen. I passed an old lady today and she was going LESS than 45 on the highway in the fast lane, I honked my horn when I finally got around her and she flipped me off! Stupid old lady probably thinks she is doing her part for the environment. No problem just do it in the slow lane.

There are some good tips here to improve mileage.
What I am curious about is anything mechanical such as exhaust, air filter, chip etc that will give any definative improvments. Bruce

I think tunes are good for a few mpg, maybe a CAintake/header/exhaust, but i just focus on driving. I have begun seriously hypermiling this past week, and 38+ is no prob on the highway, and 33+ no prob in the city. It just takes a little concentration, but it is becoming second nature...lol

So far this week, 34mph avg, 33.7 mpg about 100 miles. Not bad for such a low avg speed.