I'm in pursuit of absurd mileage. I'll be tracking every trip I make on this 16.2 galllon tank of 87 octane in my 08'ss. I'll just update this specific post as i count down to empty. I will give a estimate temperature, wind if any, terrain descript....assume no A/c unless noted, front windows cracked, sunroof on vent NO CRUIES CONTROL EVER, I'll note how many times I turn off my engine other than first start and last stop, passengers....traffic etc. 36psi tires after parked in 80 sun degress all day. The avg mpg/avg mpg is the actual overal mpg shown on the dic, and the second is the "calculated by hand-split mpg". Any suggestions or comment would be appreciated..negative or positive. Not much else to say..so here goes.

Okay I think I have the format figured out.....
Day one...

TotalMiles. TripMile. AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
12.4 ____ 12.4 ____ 43.0 ____ 43.0 ____ 39.2 ____ 39.2 ____ 465.0 ____ 635.0 ____ 75.8% _______ 27.1 _________ 44.8%
24.6 ____ 12.2 ____ 38.0 ____ 34.0 ____ 37.4 ____ 35.7 ____ 480.0 ____ 605.9 ____ 63.9% _______ 26.1 _________ 36.8%
27.4 ____ 2.8 _____ 33.0 ____ 15.3 ____ 35.4 ____ 24.1 ____ 472.0 ____ 573.5 ____ 0.0% _______ 21.0 _________ 14.7%
39.6 ____ 12.2 ____ 34.0 ____ 36.5 ____ 35.7 ____ 36.4 ____ 486.0 ____ 578.3 ____ 63.9% _______ 26.1 _________ 39.4%

Not sure if it is clear or not, but this is four seperate drives during the same day. I only turned of my ignition during trip 2 and trip 4 once (memorized lights sequence) and im doing 30-45 in the city and 55-65 on the highway. Trip 3 was me house shopping, horrible mileage there! Also there was a decent wind against me on trip 4. I either need to slow to 55 or accept a loss of i think 2-3mpg. I went 60..lol

Only an engineer would take MPG this into the details. I mean that in a good way, though. I wish I had the patience to do the same. I do think it good that you're using 87 octane for the testing, as that has been a question in my mind about the SS: how does it perform both in MPG and drivability on regular unleaded.

Only an engineer would take MPG this into the details. I mean that in a good way, though. I wish I had the patience to do the same. I do think it good that you're using 87 octane for the testing, as that has been a question in my mind about the SS: how does it perform both in MPG and drivability on regular unleaded.
i due suffer from a little madness from time to time. Check out what time I placed that first post. I get up everyweekday at 5am (12:30 am friday night since my last update changed the time)

I figure I would help put some things to rest. An promote effcient driving with whatever vehicle you already own and without slap this on your car gimmicks. As i get a basline, i would be willing to slap on some cheap gimmicks, and put them to the test.

That bsr tune has my name on it. i should save enough in gas to buy it in a year or so...lol



I just re-read my last sentance. In no way do i mean that the bsr/hahn tune is a gimmick. Just relativly cheap and significant power, no BS, and no mileage penalty...possibly better with 91....... who dosen't want more of that!

Cleveland... what techniques do you use to improve MPG? You're obviously not doing any joyriding or quick starts.

Cleveland... what techniques do you use to improve MPG? You're obviously not doing any joyriding or quick starts.

No, ....no quick starts, no speeding, no "fun". I am just experimenting with the limits of my driving savvy and the fuel economy (FE) potential from this 2 liter.

Basically I drive 5 below the posted limit.

No cruise control EVER

Use Pulse and Glide (P&G) when advantageous...well actually Pulse and Neutral-glide.

Turn off my car at stoplights if I can predict a long wait. Or at any 6-way stop/ 4-way with dual turning lanes.

Glide whenever possible, any hill, or elevation that wont cause more then a 5mph drop.

Start-up with just the engine, I can make it to the highway from my apartment without ever touching the gas pedal ...approx 1 mile.

Memorize frequent routes, for elevation, stops, lights, turns, traffic patterns etc.

Never idle

Never ever ever draft.

The best feedback i get is simutaneously using the "vacuum gauge" and the inst-mpg. I keep the VG at -10 or under whenever possible, and the inst-mpg as high as possible while keeping the speed up..


The most difficult thing is adjusting to the combination of elevation change, 55-65, and the VG at -10. When all these meet, I get about 40mpg. It is the transition between flat sections that takes some concentration.

I would like to say that I do not sacrifice my safety for this pursuit. If traffic is going 70 in a 60 I do 62ish, if they are doing 65 I am doing 57ish, if i lived in a state that would let folks drive 75 on cruise without the fear of driving by THE MAN, I would do 67. I like to keep an 8ish mph below the natural flow. I can go slower if there are 4 or more lanes. But when there are three and dense traffic ....or simply 1 or two lanes, i don't make the entire world wait for me. Usually i can avoid this as my daily routes do not put me in this situation, or I can choose a different route.

I love great handling cars, and like a little power like the next guy. But that is for the next tank!

I can talk for days if you want more specific answers about technique.

Day number two!

TotalMiles. TripMile. AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
39.8 ____ 0.2 _____ 33.0 ____ 4.8 _____ 35.6 ____ 22.9 ____ 483.0 ____ 576.7 ____ 0.0% ________ 21.0 _________ 9.0% street to garage
68.2 ____ 28.4 ____ 37.0 ____ 44.6 ____ 35.9 ____ 36.3 ____ 513.0 ____ 581.6 ____ 78.9% _______ 27.3 _________ 33.0% to friends
95.6 ____ 27.4 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 36.3 ____ 37.3 ____ 485.0 ____ 588.1 ____ 74.5% _______ 27.0 _________ 38.5% from friends detour construction

I was driving and talking with my best friend most of the way, I was kinda distracted from hardcore hypermiling. But a much more enjoyable drive...lol. I dropped from 36.5mpg overall to 36.3 in the 1.7 miles from the highway to my apartment due to an accident in the busiest place in ohio on saturday night. I turned my car off for a while but i had to weave through drunken traffic, a few cruisers and some 300C's with 24inch rims...lol
My parking garage is 3 stories below ground, so getting in and out drops a bomb on FE. Oh well, the price i pay for security and convience. driving out is much worse because after a cold start up, using the gas to pull away, instead of just the idle will yield about 2mpg for the .3 miles. So in other words I got about 37-38 on my way TO my friends house not counting getting out of the garage...amazing what little things do to FE.

When you can't stand going easy on it any longer and have a few horsepower moments with it, I'm interested in how it performs under bosot on the 87 octane fuel.

When you can't stand going easy on it any longer and have a few horsepower moments with it, I'm interested in how it performs under bosot on the 87 octane fuel.

I prefer 94 octane actually, I don't hypermile for the $$ savings, just to push a limit..... just because it's there. I don't have a monitor, dashdaq (man does that think look sweet), dashhawk, scangauge.... etc to monitor timing, a/f ratio, fuel/air demand vs delivered.... So i would not be able to give any scientific data on performance. I drove to Niagara falls, and all over PA on a tank. That was the trip where I check out the top speed of this little motor. I was also carrying a full load: 3 passengers and luggage, so at 750 pounds of passengers and luggage, my 4100 pound hhr reached 130+ just fine. As for droppin the hammer after toll-stops, it felt sluggish, but that was due to the weight and maybe 90+temps. I have a feeling that at 15psi or less of boost, 87 is just fine. Now at 21-23 and 6000+rpm if i was tuned, 94 all the way.

out of curiousity, why no cruise? cruise will do nothing but help your mileage

out of curiousity, why no cruise? cruise will do nothing but help your mileage

I have to disagree on that. Come to a hill and the cruise will down shift in order to maintain the set speed (automatic tranny). If the cruise is off you can regulate the gas pedal so that you will lose speed but the tanny will not down shift as soon or at all, depending on grade and length of the up grade you are on.

I have always argued that as well...

Cruise is great for maintaining a certain speed, but cruise cannot determine what is best for the hilly terrain or slower traffic that is coming up.

right, but cruise control is your friend. i think a lot of cars have it setup so that when cruise is engaged fuel trims are leaned out substantially.

also, as far as shutting off the car, unless you're waiting for a bridge or a 5 minute traffic light, there are open loop tables in the pcm that will automatically richen the mixture upon startup for a set amount of time even if the engine is warm so depending on that mixture & how long its set to stay rich its usually not worth it for any short amount of time

out of curiousity, why no cruise? cruise will do nothing but help your mileage

If anyone wants to kow why i'm really doing this....

The quote above is exactly why.

I want to ppprrooovveee what is real and what is just hearsay.

Look at my mileage.....can YOU do better with cruise????

Try it and see....you will answer your own question :)

right, but cruise control is your friend. i think a lot of cars have it setup so that when cruise is engaged fuel trims are leaned out substantially.

also, as far as shutting off the car, unless you're waiting for a bridge or a 5 minute traffic light, there are open loop tables in the pcm that will automatically richen the mixture upon startup for a set amount of time even if the engine is warm so depending on that mixture & how long its set to stay rich its usually not worth it for any short amount of time


I am loving this already......

An experiment is bringing of all sorts of opinions...

And in the end we will have learned alot.....

What you say is true....but after a cold start up. I know nothing of the tables for A/F. I dont need to........ just as the first person do discover that the earth is round never saw the earth from space.

I get 2mpg out of my garage....for .3 miles....then after a mile I'll be up to 40mpg.......If I stop my car, turn it off, and then turn it back on (assuming its still hot), Ill get 40mpg right out of the gate.

Try it and see.....

Also check out the mileage gain by using idle to get going versus the gas pedal after a cold start up. Those first .5-1.2 miles will yield 3 TO 4 TIMES BETTER MILEAGE. Quick shift from 1 then 2 then 3 ...4...5 in like 75 feet. No gas, stay way away from the gas pedal. You will hit 25+mph in no time on flat ground. I have to brake before cutting into traffic from my jobs parking lot ....and i never even came close to touching the gas. If not ...be prepared to see 2 or 4mpg...ouch.

I have always argued that as well...

Cruise is great for maintaining a certain speed, but cruise cannot determine what is best for the hilly terrain or slower traffic that is coming up.

Yes cruise is for maintaining speed. I studied this in Process Control in my junior year. My prof was explaining how difficult it is to control reactions (reactors, chemical procesess, etc), and he used cruise control to demonstrate a GREAT and ACCURATE system. However the control is for speed...not load. And cruise from what i believe (could be wrong here ...i am theorizing) is a feed forward design. So cruise prepares for a hill by making sure you can climb it to INFINITY. I'm in ohio, the elevations rarely change more than 150ft at the extreme in a single hill. So I can use "load control" versus "speed control" to "rollercoaster" over small hills. That is where the boost--- i mean vacuum gauge comes into play. That is also why drive in a speed range of 50-65 depending on the hills and their length...cruise will hold it within 1mph like 63-65. I want to crest the hill at 55 and be rollin the bottom at 65 or more in a 60mph zone.

I will use cruise control on the same routes that i drove without on my next tank so i can plot the differences. I can already tell you that i might get home from work 2.5 minutes quicker (whopee?) but i will lose minimum 3 mpg.

i did get 39.2 mpg on my first day leaving work.

As in interesting side note to the cruise control discussion here. I use cruise control on every stretch of flatter road that requires a constant speed. I'm very diligent in shutting it down when approaching hills so that I can manage the RPM's myself in the HHR.

This weekend my girlfriend and I went out to the lake and took her new (2008) VW Golf (City model) and I was driving back with the cruise control on. On a few of the mid sized hills I was amazed to see that the VW did not drastically increase engine speed to go up the hill. The RPM's actually dropped up to 200 RPM and the car slowed about 5km/h (2 mph or so.) On the larger hills it did increase engine RPM's to maintain speed but it's much more gradual than the HHR. I was really shocked to see that it actually maintained engine load and let the speed drop a few km/h.

As in interesting side note to the cruise control discussion here. I use cruise control on every stretch of flatter road that requires a constant speed. I'm very diligent in shutting it down when approaching hills so that I can manage the RPM's myself in the HHR.

This weekend my girlfriend and I went out to the lake and took her new (2008) VW Golf (City model) and I was driving back with the cruise control on. On a few of the mid sized hills I was amazed to see that the VW did not drastically increase engine speed to go up the hill. The RPM's actually dropped up to 200 RPM and the car slowed about 5km/h (2 mph or so.) On the larger hills it did increase engine RPM's to maintain speed but it's much more gradual than the HHR. I was really shocked to see that it actually maintained engine load and let the speed drop a few km/h.

I do believe that some (maybe in the past but not currently) that some cruise control systems have been set up this way. Some even allow for a greater mph range to accomidate flat but rolling terrain. My hhrss is not one of these vehicles, and I have been noticing that not only does it pick up rpm too soon, it lets go too late. I didnt drive yesterday, but ill post todays in the evening. Im stil holding 36mpg.

Right now I am hypermiling with my 2007 HHR LS. I am using 6.9 liters per 100kilometers which equates to 40.93 mpg city/highway combined. My tires are @ 40 psi cold. :smile:

Right now I am hypermiling with my 2007 HHR LS. I am using 6.9 liters per 100kilometers which equates to 40.93 mpg city/highway combined. My tires are @ 40 psi cold. :smile:

Manual/automatic?

40 psi cold...wow, im under that on the hottest day, on the highway.....
what is the terrain like near you
length of average drive from cold start , to stop.
Octane?
Any tricks or techniques being employed.
What speeds? the posted limits and what you actually drive.
A/c?
Window open?
The 2.2 should do better then my 2.0, any mods on your car?
Current odometer?
Etc.

Help, teach, learn contribute.
Many here get in the low 20's lol. Help them out.

Have you really gone more than 600 miles before a fill up? That would be sweet!

Day 3..... I stunk it up on the way to work...it's been so windy. I rode my bike yesterday, so I didnt need to pull out the SS. I did put 42 miles on it, I only drank a half gallon out of my camelback....so thats 84mpg, can I count that??

TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
108.1 ____ 12.5 ____ 13.5 ____ 37.0 ____ 37 ____ 35.9 ____ 33.1 ____ 467.0 ____ 581.58 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 22.3% to work
120.2 ____ 12.1 ____ 13.4 ____ 37.0 ____ 37 ____ 35.9 ____ 35.9 ____ 489.0 ____ 581.58 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 32.6% from work

Manual/automatic?

40 psi cold...wow, im under that on the hottest day, on the highway.....
what is the terrain like near you
length of average drive from cold start , to stop.
Octane?
Any tricks or techniques being employed.
What speeds? the posted limits and what you actually drive.
A/c?
Window open?
The 2.2 should do better then my 2.0, any mods on your car?
Current odometer?
Etc.

Help, teach, learn contribute.
Many here get in the low 20's lol. Help them out.

Have you really gone more than 600 miles before a fill up? That would be sweet!

The real trick to getting 40 mpg is to convert from L/100km to UK/Canadian gallons. The 40 mpg stated is actually 34 mpg in american gallons.

This is interesting! I wish you could do a tank on almost all city driving rather than highway. Compared to my low 20's mpg, this looks amazing...but I do 95% city and average 18-20 mph. 75% highway driving is a totally different animal.

What I'd be interested in seeing is a fuel efficiency coefficient(?) (rating) based on your average mph, distance, mpg, etc., in order to extrapolate, for example, 22.5 MPG at 20 MPH into X MPG at 35 MPH.

I've been trying to think of a way to do that, but got stumped.

The real trick to getting 40 mpg is to convert from L/100km to UK/Canadian gallons. The 40 mpg stated is actually 34 mpg in american gallons.

LOL....
I've been bashed before for being too negative, or a know it all, so I let the conversion slide. 34.1mpg actually.
I am seeking input, not just to correct others math.
No problem, but as you can see ..you can do better if you have the inclination

This is interesting! I wish you could do a tank on almost all city driving rather than highway. Compared to my low 20's mpg, this looks amazing...but I do 95% city and average 18-20 mph. 75% highway driving is a totally different animal.

What I'd be interested in seeing is a fuel efficiency coefficient(?) (rating) based on your average mph, distance, mpg, etc., in order to extrapolate, for example, 22.5 MPG at 20 MPH into X MPG at 35 MPH.

I've been trying to think of a way to do that, but got stumped.

Don't be stumped, I'll make a spreadsheet for you in excel. I only posted the first few parameters of my excel spreadsheet because it would not fit on the sceen, in one single line. When I get through with the tank, i'll begin to put together a correlation between speed, average trip distance, and %city/highway mix...so that anyone can check how well they drive for efficiency regardless of there specific driving environment.

One thing to remember is that I change my techniques based on the situation. For example, if I am stuck in city traffic, but the lights are short, I'll pulse and glide(coast), ill slightly annoy the drivers behind me, but we'll all get there exactly the same overall speed, and save a little gas. What is the point of racing to a red when you are 100% sure it will be red when you arrive. If the lights are long, ill cut off the engine until the cross light turns yellow, then turn the key and pull away in 1st........2nd on a downhill of course. If the lights are not always red, or I am the last to arrive at the light (happens a lot and i like that), I'll time them and maintain a constant slow speed, coasting and braking slightly , so that when it is green i can pull away in 2nd or 3rd while the gas hogs in front of me race of to the next red light.

All this means is that for nearly any situation short of new york cabbies (honking when the cross light is still green so you will be the first through) you can get 27+mpg. Pulse and glide is great in stop and go highway traffic, even better than cruise at 65. If you do stop for a long time, just turn your car off.
Hint: make sure you turn your lights to manual from auto at night so as not to alert anyone to you gas sipping ways.
later

Lol...newsflash....get up too late to make breakfast, and Mcdonalds will crush your mpg.

I actually turned my car off three seperate times in the drive through (it is actually faster than walking in at this location) and use idle to pull forward each time. I probably doubled the mileage by this alone considering it took them 12 minutes from start to finish to get me fed. It would not be much of an experiment if I just drove back and forth to work at 36.3 mpg anyway, so I actually wanted to see how bad it would be. 17.6mpg is REAL BAD.. Anyway Now you know tat if you drive a couple of miles to the local drive through, and leave you car on the entire time, after a cold start up----12-17mpg is probably what your getting. Ill mix it up this weekend with some longer trips to see if i can do a 40mpg drive at some point.

TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
132.3 ____ 12.1 ____ 13.2 ____ 38.0 ____ 51.9 ____ 35.7 ____ 33.8 ____ 449.0 ____ 578.3 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 25.0% to work
133.4 ____ 1.1 _____ 12.1 ____ 37.0 ____ 8.9 ______ 35.4 ____ 17.6 ____ 442.0 ____ 573.5 ____ 0.00% ________ 21.0 _________ -16.2% cold start to mcdonalds drive through and back
145.3 ____ 11.9 ____ 12.1 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.5 ____ 36.7 ____ 409.0 ____ 575.1 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 35.5% from work

Day 5? i think...lol Mysteriously my trip to and from work has dropped from 12.2 miles to 12.1 then 11.9 and now 11.6. I think I have discovered a worm hole in route 90.

TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
145.3 ____ 11.9 ____ 12.1 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.5 ____ 36.7 ____ 409.0 ____ 575.1 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 35.5% from work
157.3 ____ 12.0 ____ 12.1 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.3 ____ 33.0 ____ 407.0 ____ 571.9 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 22.1% to work
168.9 ____ 11.6 ____ 12.1 ____ 38.0 ____ 60.0 ____ 35.2 ____ 33.9 ____ 405.0 ____ 570.2 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 25.3% from work
Ignore the trip mph....as the mileage racks up, the resolution of the avg mph (1mph) is screwing with the split odo (0.1mile) so this parameter will be inaccurate.

Ok I am not trying to a smartelic but just making a statement. I drive 31 miles one way to work as of right now I am getting 32.6 mpg NOW when the wife drives we get about 29mpg but I have noticed that she likes to accelirate quikly when she takes off. Will that alone explane the milage differance?

Ok I am not trying to a smartelic but just making a statement. I drive 31 miles one way to work as of right now I am getting 32.6 mpg NOW when the wife drives we get about 29mpg but I have noticed that she likes to accelirate quikly when she takes off. Will that alone explane the milage differance?

Drops to 24 when my wife drives. :roll:

As for the wormhole on I90, they filled in some potholes, decreasing the up and down distance. Potholes in Cleveland have been known to swallow cars. :eek:

And.... a Real engineer would have posted an Excel spreadsheet with graphs. :p:

Drops to 24 when my wife drives. :roll:

As for the wormhole on I90, they filled in some potholes, decreasing the up and down distance. Potholes in Cleveland have been known to swallow cars. :eek:

And.... a Real engineer would have posted an Excel spreadsheet with graphs. :p:

Do you know how to post that here? That would be great because i'm tired to copying and pasting the information from my excel spreadsheet into this little box. I guess that would be a simple task for a programmer. Let me know how. and I will do just that :)

Although funny, the potholes are not why my distance to work is dropping and or varing despite the fact that I take the EXACT same route everyday.

Ok I am not trying to a smartelic but just making a statement. I drive 31 miles one way to work as of right now I am getting 32.6 mpg NOW when the wife drives we get about 29mpg but I have noticed that she likes to accelirate quikly when she takes off. Will that alone explane the milage differance?

It depends. As I watch other drivers accelerate I realize that what I consider "fast" is slower than 75% of the population. When I accelerate slow, anyone under 75 years of age is thinking WTF! let me around this HHR S-uperS-low so I can hurry up and WAIT at he the next red light. So, I am assuming that your wife accelerates very-fast under my definition and you simply accelerate fast. If this is true then yes her foot is a little heavy, and that could EASILY drop your overall mpg down 1-3mpg. Also I have noticed that some people (sorry mom and ex-gfs) go directly from the gas to the brake. Your car will not suddenly explode or spontaneously combust if you glide/coast, or even glide in neutral (easier in the manual), I'm suprised how many women (usually safer drivers according to insurance companies) practice the cabby style of driving. Watch her closely, see if she is doing this. That is probably teh bigest factor. If you want to be sneaky, just reset the odo-b, avg spd, and avg-mpg before the next time she drives it. As long as she puts more than 10 miles on it, and isnt delivering the morning Plain Dealer, you will get a good idea about the weight of her foot.

P.S. Sexist comment are for levity. Hardy Har, laugh a little were just kidding.

Day #6 and I'm getting better at this. I fixed the worm hole, P&G on the highway is more comfortable now.

Quick story.

I was going home I90west and was passed by a couple of ladies on speedbikes. They were nabbed by two cops about a mile later. Not sure why unless they were speeding until they passed me and saw the speedtrap. Oh well, $350 down the tubes. As I looked in my rearview I watched the cop almost ram the second bike due to braking late and not realizing the amount and SIZE of the gravel on the shoulder. I'm pro-law, but tend to be anti-cop. No reason to make chase like Bullit, when they clearly yielded right as soon as they heard the sirens, and then throw gravel riding right up behind them, almost losing control. Whatever.

I also coined a new term for (well I've never heard it)

Yo-Yo,

I find that some drivers simply drive at whatever speed the person in front is driving. If i go from 54 to 63 back down to 55 then 64 so on and so forth, in the slow lane (4 clear open lanes total). Why would you attempt to drive 65 behind me??? You would thing the first time I slowed to 55 you would go around. But nooooo, you just hit the brake, then once I pulse, there they are again right onmy bumper, then the glide, their on the brakes again?? There ar 3 other lanes, and the limit is 60, the cops just laid the smack down on two people, if you want to set cruise on 65-70 (60mph zone) move left a couple lanes???

That is a Yo-Yo.

TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
211.4 ____ 12.2 ____ 11.7 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.1 ____ 33.5 ____ 358.0 ____ 568.6 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 23.9% to work
216.0 ____ 4.6 ____ 11.4 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.1 ____ 35.1 ____ 357.0 ____ 568.6 ____ 0.00% _______ 21.0 _________ 67.1% to Arbis, the hell with that mcdonalds
228.3 ____ 12.3 ____ 11.4 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.2 ____ 37.1 ____ 370.0 ____ 570.2 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 36.9% from work

The only way I could think of is to become a premium member and attach the file to your post, or put it on a web site and link it.

My data base is a couple weeks of resetting the average MPG on both ends of my commute of 35 miles. Going to work was a consistent 29MPG and going home a consistent 33MPG. This was with cruise at 65. The difference I'm sure is that work is about 600 ft higher in elevation than home.

The only way I could think of is to become a premium member and attach the file to your post, or put it on a web site and link it.

My data base is a couple weeks of resetting the average MPG on both ends of my commute of 35 miles. Going to work was a consistent 29MPG and going home a consistent 33MPG. This was with cruise at 65. The difference I'm sure is that work is about 600 ft higher in elevation than home.

It is difficult to get mpg's in the 40's without taking longer trips. The cold start up, parking garage, and Downtown city driving is hurting me. However this is a test of 600 miles under my normal routes and habits. I looked at my last few to work and home and have come to a conclusion. Asuming 75% highway and 25% city my actual hwy/city split is 40/28. Longer drives with a warmer car on relatively flat , non windy roads is almost 42mpg hwy. Any higher then that and other drivers might take notice (read annoyed), or would required semi-dangerous or frowned upon FE techniques, or some type of modification/tune.

Got to experience a "yo-Yo" on the way home from my p/t job last night; rode behind me for 3 miles making faces before chossing one of the two other lanes to pass :roll:

Got to experience a "yo-Yo" on the way home from my p/t job last night; rode behind me for 3 miles making faces before chossing one of the two other lanes to pass :roll:

I just feel that MY CAR is not a cruise control device. Do not use ME to set your speed. It's quite aggravating. If they wanted to pulse and glide in sequence behind me, no prob. But seriously I am NOT going to move left to allow you to pass on my right. The person that Yo-Yo'ed behind me yesterday was getting off at an exit 5 miles from where they got behind me? I did in fact move left because I feared that they would rearend my beloved SS.

I was rear-ended on the highway in 2005 1 mile after getting on the highway leaving work. I pulled into the middle lane (3 lanes) on 176N 2 miles before the eastbound interbelt merge. Left lane is at a standstill, middle (the one im in) is stop and go, the right lane is flowing free at 50+. Stop and go....3 times, go..then stop..go then stop, go then stop, go then CRASH! WTF, you saw me the first 3 times. We anyway she never hit the brakes before smashing me at 35-40mph. Her head was turned 90 degrees talking to her passenger. The s10 blazer behind her (high enough to see through the car window in front if paying attention) hit the second car. The second car wasn't driving to the condition, but Yo-Yo'ing the car that hit me. I had no escape to the right or left because of traffic.

The moral is she was Yo-Yo'ing me , but didnt pay close enough attention. GRRRRRRRRR!!!!! Drive your car or HHR, don't have me driving FOR YOU. 6 months of upper back and neck therapy later i began to feel like normal.

Day 7. Yep nothing too special here. I'm still getting 42/29 hwy/city. It will be easy to get 600 miles on a tank the next time from what I've learned so far

TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
240.5 ____ 12.2 ____ 11.5 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 35.1 ____ 33.3 ____ 332.0 ____ 568.6 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 23.1% to work
252.7 ____ 12.2 ____ 11.5 ____ 38.0 ____ 81.3 ____ 35.3 ____ 39.8 ____ 327.0 ____ 571.9 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 46.9% from work

I'm pro-law, but tend to be anti-cop.

How disappointing. Why don't you like us? :nuts:

How disappointing. Why don't you like us? :nuts:

ya, what he said?

ya, what he said?

I might like you guys, cause I haven't met you yet on the road. However i've never thought "man what a nice public servant that was"...."or man glad he's keeping me safe". I'm probably just unlucky. However on the flip side, I've never met a mean or rude state patrolman. Odd. But true. I would imagine I'd quickly reconcile my feelings the first day i really needed one of you :lol:

Day 8.... Took a trip to a mini-family reunion, my brother and his girlfriend rode with me...so add 370#'s....lol J/K bro. But seriously I took an all city route of death 10 miles, seemed like 15 lights slash stop signs, moderate traffic. They didnt seem to mind my driving style too much. It's almost no effort to time lights and they barely noticed how many times I started the engine after coasting. What is all the extra effort worth???

Try 30+ mpg in the city. Even more impressive is that although the route was simple and I have driven it before, I did not have the lights "timed" from repitition (like my work or parents house trips) nor did I slow the flow of traffic (no slow starts).

My 600 mile effort is still being hampered by my short trips (11.4 mile avg) and almost 100% cold starts.
TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..
265.7 ____ 13.0 ____ 11.6 ____ 37.0 ____ 24.5 ____ 35.0 ____ 30.0 ____ 300.0 ____ 567.0 ____ 65.00% _______ 26.2 _________ 14.6% to parents parking garage in/out
275.5 ____ 9.8 ____ 11.5 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 34.8 ____ 30.1 ____ 302.0 ____ 563.8 ____ 0.00% _______ 21.0 _________ 43.5% to park
285.0 ____ 9.5 ____ 11.4 ____ 36.0 ____ 20.2 ____ 34.7 ____ 32.0 ____ 254.0 ____ 562.1 ____ 0.00% _______ 21.0 _________ 52.5% from park
297.3 ____ 12.3 ____ 11.4 ____ 36.0 ____ 36.0 ____ 34.8 ____ 37.3 ____ 250.0 ____ 563.8 ____ 75.00% _______ 27.0 _________ 38.1% from parents

Cleveland, no worries dude, its good.

Days 9-10-11...had to burn some fuel driving way too fast during mile 360.6+, even misse my exit..lol 14miles....vs 12.4.
I searched for moses after that rien during the preseason opener for the Brownies!

I still need to tak a long trip to bring my avg mpg back up.

TotalMiles. TripMile. Avg trip …...AVGMPH. TripMPH…. AVGMPG. TripMPG… FuelRange…. Projectedrange. %highway.. epa projected mlge.. Hypermile improvement over epa..


309.7 ____ 12.4 ____ 11.5 ____ 37.0 ____ 110.8 ____ 34.7 ____ 32.5 ____ 254.0 ____ 562.1 ____ 63.90% _______ 26.1 _________ 24.3% to parents
322.1 ____ 12.4 ____ 11.5 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 34.7 ____ 34.7 ____ 275.0 ____ 562.1 ____ 63.90% _______ 26.1 _________ 32.9% from parents

334.2 ____ 12.1 ____ 11.5 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 34.7 ____ 34.7 ____ 227.0 ____ 562.1 ____ 75.80% _______ 27.1 _________ 28.2% to work
346.6 ____ 12.4 ____ 11.6 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 34.6 ____ 32.1 ____ 211.0 ____ 560.5 ____ 63.90% _______ 26.1 _________ 23.0% from work

360.6 ____ 14.0 ____ 11.6 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 34.3 ____ 28.2 ____ 193.0 ____ 555.7 ____ 63.90% _______ 26.1 _________ 8.1% to parents with smashin a turbo eclispe
372.8 ____ 12.2 ____ 11.7 ____ 37.0 ____ 37.0 ____ 34.4 ____ 37.6 ____ 172.0 ____ 557.3 ____ 63.90% _______ 26.1 _________ 44.2% from parents in torrential downpour monsoon

I didn't see it mentioned in your post and it would be nice to know if your car is a manual trans or automatic. Also, do you have the luggage rails on the top or not? I think without them there would be a slight less drag during highway cruising.

I didn't see it mentioned in your post and it would be nice to know if your car is a manual trans or automatic. Also, do you have the luggage rails on the top or not? I think without them there would be a slight less drag during highway cruising.

I have a manual, lsd, all options, no roof rails.

Okay I finished that tank off last week. I've been too busy to get the results together, but here is the synopsis from memory.


When I pulled into the gas station my odo-b read 511.7 miles.
My Average MPG read 34.5
My average speed for that distance was 37 mph.
My low fuel light came on once about one mile from the gas station.
My trips averaged 11.5 miles or about 45 starts-to-park
Nearly all trips (90%+) were "cold starts".
Tire pressure ranged between 33 and 38 depending on ambient temperatures.
The fuel cut auto cutof said 14.394 gallons.
So my actual MPG was 35.55

I estimated that 6 driven miles were not recorded by the odo because of the wormholes located on I90.

That brings my mileage for this endeavor to 36mpg.

So had i run all 16.2 gallons in my tank down to E, I would have reached 582 miles before I had to walk. 18 short of my goal.

The cool thing is that I did go through a major storm, did 20 over the limit for 10 miles keepin in front of a late 90's eclispe turbo, 3 drive through fast food restaurants, two short house searching trips, a half dozen trips into and out of my 3 stories deep parking garage, and a 20 mile round trip through stop sign riddled suburbia hell.

I never pushed tire pressure to 44 or whatever peopel are doin
I didnt use anything but the clutch, vacuum gague and the inst mpg to help me.
I never pissed anyone off or slowed traffic just to reach my goal, I either moved right, or sped up to normal flow speed.
I never took a trip longer than 30 miles.
No cruise control ever!
No a/c ever!

I have to check the data but I believe I averaged about 67% highway and 33% city.

I would guess that my HHR SS 5 speed, was getting 39/30Highway-city

Was it worth is.

YES!!!! It's tough at first, and becomes as easy as driving manual after a tank.

Cost savings?
Not that this was my motive, however I will save about $1.36 a gallon on the highway and $1.68 in the city by hypermiling if gas cost $4.00 a gallon.

Extra benifits are that my brakes will last a really long time, and my oil life will extend wel past 10,000 miles...lol.

Very impressive. I will be taking my first long highway trip since getting my SS in july so I am looking forward to trying to get as much from a tank as possible. Thanks for the great string of posts!


SPPD

i think you should have bought a Prius, more your style of car w the driving you do
then you could work out charts figuring out ways and length of time it takes to get your money back you spent extra for the Hybrid
Why did you buy a SS?
and if you like the HHR all you need is an LS or LT

i think you should have bought a Prius, more your style of car w the driving you do
then you could work out charts figuring out ways and length of time it takes to get your money back you spent extra for the Hybrid
Why did you buy a SS?
and if you like the HHR all you need is an LS or LT

In a prius I could get between 60 and 70 mpg using the same techniques I did in my HHR. Serioulsly. Guys are pulling over 1000 miles on a tank in those. And their tanks are tiny!

I think my HHR SS is the best vehicle out there for the 22,800 I paid.I either have more interior room, more power, better looks, or better economy. Usually 3 out of 4 if not 4 out of 4. Let me know if you disagree...lol

My style of driving is going to work, taking care of my 11 month son, and carrying my mountain bike places I can get muddy.

What is your driving style???

I didn't "spend extra" for a hybrid because at 39/30 and 260/260 hp/trq I don't need one!

I want my cars to perform like my mountain bike; stop-go-turn. I like all hhrs because they are cool, however the one that s-g-t the best is the SS

SO THAT IS WHAT I "NEED".

I'll make sure to send you picture when i get the tune, intercooler, cai , exhaust and pretty red pipes..lol with my avg-mpg reading 36mpg.

Later

Very impressive. I will be taking my first long highway trip since getting my SS in july so I am looking forward to trying to get as much from a tank as possible. Thanks for the great string of posts!


SPPD

I forgot to remind everyone that I did this on 87 octane.

I always get better with cruise, but i have a 5 speed so theres no up and down shifting, i also drive 50 miles to work all freeway, no traffic.

I always get better with cruise, but i have a 5 speed so theres no up and down shifting, i also drive 50 miles to work all freeway, no traffic.

It's not that hard to beat cruise control even with slight inclines. Cruise control cannot predict what elevation changes are coming. In addition cruise control maintains a constant speed, not load. If I P&G then i will really whip cruise control economy.

You can't get mileage like I do with cruise. Period.

But I stay out of the way, and I don`t speed up slow down, I hate being behind thoses people :) and like the other guy said, I didn`t buy this for gas savings, that`s what the motorcycle is for.

But I stay out of the way, and I don`t speed up slow down, I hate being behind thoses people :) and like the other guy said, I didn`t buy this for gas savings, that`s what the motorcycle is for.

I understand, and agree it can be annoying to follow someone who drives with constant load, however unless you are in the slow lane, you'll never be following me :) Also, if you P&G correctly, and the person behind me isn't a YO-YO (my definition of a person that drives exactly the speed of the person in front of them like they are connected with an elastic string: read negative), I will still average the same speed as a person on cruise, i will gain distance then get pulled in, however i will never be "caught" unless the person behind me speeds up also.
If said person catches me, then they are in effect speeding up and slowing down just like me. So who is annoying? Many truckers (my slowlane friends :)) vary speed with terrain (sometimes just because of the hill steepness up AND down) and i drive miles and miles, they get close, then far, then close, then far, i never slow them up.

I've tried hypermiling at "elevated speed", and i can increase fuel economy while going above 70/75 over cruise also. The techniques work regardless of speed :)

Efficient driving....is efficient driving.

well i`ll put it this way, your efficient driving is work and mine is not and the 5 to 10 dollars I would save a week isn't worth the trouble, i can ride my motorcycle once a week and more than make up the difference, heck if I ride twice I can drive my SS at 80 and still be ahead besides I bought an SS for hot rodding and fun, if i wanted super mileage i would have kept my cobalt or bought a Japanese car.

well i`ll put it this way, your efficient driving is work and mine is not and the 5 to 10 dollars I would save a week isn't worth the trouble, i can ride my motorcycle once a week and more than make up the difference, heck if I ride twice I can drive my SS at 80 and still be ahead besides I bought an SS for hot rodding and fun, if i wanted super mileage i would have kept my cobalt or bought a Japanese car.

My mountain/road bike beats the crap out of you "MOTOR"cycle in MPG. I get anywhere from 17-25 miles per quart. 68-100 miles per gallon of gatorade. HA!

Which Japanese car with similar interior room, and 260 hp gets better mileage?? I'll help you out, dont search for what you won't find :)

Chevy rules.

I could get stupid high mileage in a cobalt xfe!

While on my Absurd mileage pursuit I saved the equivalent of $16 per week if I was to drive like that all year ...18,000 miles.

I know that it would be work for you. But its actually a lot of fun. Adding two + three was hard a long time ago, but after you LEARNED it was the simplist thing on earth. Some people think that going to the strip is just driving in a straight line, never really going that fast (107mph big whoop), for an ABsurdly short distance (i can run a quarter mile in 52 seconds?? If i chased you down the track, id get there a whopping 38 seconds late, big whoop) over and over again.
And still other think driving in an endless circle for 500 miles is like getting tortured by Saddam.
Hypermiling is no more work, or no less fun than all the other racing "sports".

This is all true, and all in JEST! So don't get surly:thumb:

it`s still the question? why get a high horsepower car if all your going to do is try to get great MPG? I know it`s fun to drive but so is a mini cooper and you can now get it in a clubman which is a lot longer for the room you want, and it is like driving a go cart on rails. my point on this whole thing is why buy a 4wheel drive if you never engauge it, why buy a corvette if you not going to hit 180 every once in a while, do you think the averege ferrari buyer wonders what his MPG will be, quit being a pansey and stand on it, waste some gas, it`s the american way!! and ride you bike occasinally to make up for it :D :D :D

P.S. buy superunleaded, because your SS deservies it:thumb:

LOL, there is no penalty in getting as SS model. The questionis why not get the "high horsepower" model?

The mini clubman is tiny. As in ABSURDLY SMALL. At 6'1'' 190 i don't think that the clubman is sized perfectly for me. Check the stats, an HHR is like 25-33% larger in everyway that matters...Legroom, cargo room...etc.

The clubman is slow comparison,even the S model is quite a bit slower.Though I could hypermile the clubman to well over 43mpg overall, why spend a lot more money, and get less space, less power and higher repair/maintenance costs?

Its an awesome car, but not for me.

The hhr ss is not bad in turns, an hopefully better once i get the sway bar.

Most people never use 4wd. They always carry the weight, and pay the premium. But if you put a recorder on how many times the atuo-engaging 4wd kicked in, over teh course of a year, I'd say 95% or less of driving miles would be in 4wd.

Uh 180mph? Where did you do that? My dads 03 wont do more than 170. As I told another member. If your not on two wheels, your not going fast... Period.

I don't think theres much that is average about a guy buying a ferrari. Looking at the mileage that these types of cars accrue (rob report) they spend most of the time in a garage or valet parking lot.

A couple of years back I passed a enzo ferrari while crossing the golden gate bridge. I passed him at 60...lol It was black with South Carolina plates. Nice car. But he was just crusin. Another idiot crashed one right after I was in Cali, he destroyed the car, and it technically wasn't his/stolen. OOPS, yeah yeah, he was using the car "like it was designed to do"...to bad its illegal...lol and dangerous, and he almost killed himself and others. Good thing that carbonfiber shell is tough.

I waste gas everytime I drive. I just like wasting less than most people.

Since I don't want to get surly,
Ill forget that you called me a PANSY

P.S...... ill get that superunleaded if you can get 36+mpg over a tank in your daily driving wil greater than 30% in the city. No trips longer than 25 miles. LOL, I won't hold my breath.

:thumb: Well you dad should have bought a 2007 Z06, 191 MPH per tomtom GPS, and while you gas mileage might not change with regular unleaded your performance will, that has been proven many times, compression needs octane, and when you turbo is at full boost your compression is very high:thumb: don`t get me wrong if your car doesn`t ask for it it`s a complete waste of money.

:thumb: Well you dad should have bought a 2007 Z06, 191 MPH per tomtom GPS, and while you gas mileage might not change with regular unleaded your performance will, that has been proven many times, compression needs octane, and when you turbo is at full boost your compression is very high:thumb: don`t get me wrong if your car doesn`t ask for it it`s a complete waste of money.

True. I dont generate lotsa boost. If i was that type of driver I would use 94. If I was going to race or run from the cops ..94, if i wanted to go 155mph, again 94. Heat, high loads, etc, 94 all the way. But with the vacuum gauge at -10, no need, gettin 40mpg at 55. If i'm in texas, ill bring a tank of 94. We can check out the upper limits of the speedo....together.

actually we have a gas station that sells 104 octane, of course it`s like $7-8 a gallon, would love to see what that would do:thumb:

Higher octane is required for best performance and economy. In the old days before computer controls it would destroy an engine to run it if it did not have high enough octane. Now with todays computer control systems what it does is retards the ignition, downshifts into a lower gear and may even add additional fuel to protect motor. This hurts mileage and performance but saves the motor and definatly increases life of engine.
Todays computer control systems are very good. They sense detonation and make changes to protect motor in split seconds. They allow the car to have higher compression, boost and better horsepower for better mileage and performance. All of the variables the computer control have a huge effect on performance, mileage and durability of the motor. Plus they save you moeny every day. We used to have to change points, plugs and plug wires every 5000 miles or less. Now they last for 100,000 miles.

When the highest octane is needed most is when the motor is under a high load, low RPM pull (lugging the motor) such as getting on the highway in top gear at low RPM.
In those situations higher octane will definatly help your performance and mileage. If your motor requires 93 octane in those situations then 104 would not give you any more performance or mileage. But it does give you a larger safety margin. So you are completly right that if your motor does not need the octane it is a waste of money but if it does need it then it is a waste of performance and mileage atleast at the times it is needed. Your car may only need the higher octane 2% of the time and the computer can compensate for that so it may be better for you to use the cheaper gas.
Your decision based on your needs from the vehicle and budget.

The computer in your cars does many things most are not aware of. Most are somewhat rich because it is always better for a motor to run rich than lean as far as performance and durability. Lean motor detonates and hurts parts if not controlled by computer which hurts performance and mileage. Most monitor the engine temp and if you lose a water hose or something it will actually dump huge amounts of fuel and retard the ignition (safe mode?) to allow you to make it to a service facility. Gas mileage may be 4 MPG (wild guess) and top speed may be 35 MPH but it can get you to safety.

The computer control system also has to allow for a certain percent of variance on the sensors and there are many on these cars. If one of the sensors is off 3% then that will effect performance and mileage. Once again the factories will choose rich over lean to be safe. This is also one of the reasons some cars will perform and get better mileage than others.
There definatly is some mileage and performance gains in the computer control or tune. Todays cars are soo much better in so many ways than long ago but there are still improvements that can be made.

This is common sense curly1 (above quotes).

My father force fed all this stuf to me (lifetime auto mechanic by trade) when I was 9-12 years old. We didnt throw baseballs we changed head gaskets and timed engines on sundays.

To be honest he is the one that taught me to drive stick, and made it important to know how to drive for mileage

The uncommon part is my mpg. He saids the same things that you say, xxl and many other.

The point where may dad stops the conversation,is when his thoughts and the REALITY meet ,and don't line up.

He looked at me like I was in an idiot when I said i would be willing to put 87 in a "turbo engine".

One day he wanted to drive my hhr ss (a car which he also thought i was an idiot to buy)..were talkin drag racing rear wheel drive only v8 man, don't park your foregin ^&%& in my sight GM retiree.

Two things he learned real quick.

My hhr is sweet, and im sure that pride felt good goin down. (which is why he wanted to drive it...lol). The convertible corvette was probably offended sitting in the garage.

Second, that when he got into my hhr and turned the key, the dic was up on avg mpg.....and the 35.6 staring him in the face was priceless. I said nothing. He (drinks a little.....well not so little) said "you've been getting THAT kinda mileage" expeletives deleted...lol .... I said well that is only over the last 350 miles, You told me to only run high-test so i'll get 94 as soon as this tank of 87 runs out :)

When he brougth it back after les than 50 miles it read 31.3....lol

The only way the quotespeople keep posting here matter is if they can prove it. So the challenge still stands, if you want me to eat my words and pride, you better get 37mpg overall or better. Otherwise your just pissin in the wind.

Cleveland HHR SS 36mpg 517 miles on 14.4 gallons = 1
Haters, octane this, knock sensor that= 0

Better step up.


Oh a third thing my dad learned

His chemical engineer son is no idiot :)

He passed away in 1993 but I think he would like my HHR. It is a sporty looking economy car that actually runs decent for what it is.

Your Dad is probably impressed with your mileage, I am. It is better than my mileage. From your DIC when he brought it back he probably was impressed with performance to. He may have had his foot in it some.....

He passed away in 1993 but I think he would like my HHR. It is a sporty looking economy car that actually runs decent for what it is.

Your Dad is probably impressed with your mileage, I am. It is better than my mileage. From your DIC when he brought it back he probably was impressed with performance to. He may have had his foot in it some.....

My dads foot lives on the floor of whatever vehicle he drives :) I think he got the bug back in '69 with his 302 z28, the first new car he ever bought. I can hear him saying it now.... Huggar orange , and ivory interior...lol, 4 inch bore three inch stroke 7000rpm. Take em third on the top end.
later

This is interesting! I wish you could do a tank on almost all city driving rather than highway. Compared to my low 20's mpg, this looks amazing...but I do 95% city and average 18-20 mph. 75% highway driving is a totally different animal.

What I'd be interested in seeing is a fuel efficiency coefficient(?) (rating) based on your average mph, distance, mpg, etc., in order to extrapolate, for example, 22.5 MPG at 20 MPH into X MPG at 35 MPH.

I've been trying to think of a way to do that, but got stumped.

My mother-in-laws car has the instant MPG feature which I think is what you're looking for. However, for those of us who don't have that, try resetting the ECON while you're moving at various speeds on level ground. It would also help to maintain a conservative amount of pressure on the gas pedal while you're doing this. I haven't actually done this yet but I am willing to bet that your best fuel economy is going to be in the 40 MPH area on level ground.

It makes sense to me that fuel efficiency is like an arch. In other words it's going to start out low (like from a stop) because it takes more energy to get all that weight moving from a stopped position. Once you're moving you're going to peak out at a certain speed (again assuming level ground) and once you exceed that speed the efficiency is going to go down again. If you drew this out on a graph it should look like an arch. This concept is supported by lower city averages universally among automobiles (except hybrids) and Newton's law of motion when referring to the need for double the energy to increase speed by another half as much as you approach the speed of light (or try to anyway).

I don't claim to know exactly what I'm talking about but I think I'm making sense. LOL Anyway, I'm going to try exactly what I suggested and post the results at some point in the near future. I've been averaging 28 lately and the only change I've made is accelerating gingerly from stops. It takes a little longer to get up to speed but you'll still get there and to hell with the people behind me!

Regardless, good luck.

My mother-in-laws car has the instant MPG feature which I think is what you're looking for. However, for those of us who don't have that, try resetting the ECON while you're moving at various speeds on level ground. It would also help to maintain a conservative amount of pressure on the gas pedal while you're doing this. I haven't actually done this yet but I am willing to bet that your best fuel economy is going to be in the 40 MPH area on level ground.

It makes sense to me that fuel efficiency is like an arch. In other words it's going to start out low (like from a stop) because it takes more energy to get all that weight moving from a stopped position. Once you're moving you're going to peak out at a certain speed (again assuming level ground) and once you exceed that speed the efficiency is going to go down again. If you drew this out on a graph it should look like an arch. This concept is supported by lower city averages universally among automobiles (except hybrids) and Newton's law of motion when referring to the need for double the energy to increase speed by another half as much as you approach the speed of light (or try to anyway).

I don't claim to know exactly what I'm talking about but I think I'm making sense. LOL Anyway, I'm going to try exactly what I suggested and post the results at some point in the near future. I've been averaging 28 lately and the only change I've made is accelerating gingerly from stops. It takes a little longer to get up to speed but you'll still get there and to hell with the people behind me!

Regardless, good luck.

I have and can do better than 40mpg, however i will need to slow the flow of traffic. i don't do that when i hypermile. I hypermile so that only the people who think that a 35mph zone is a race get annoyed that I accelerate slowly. Most people never notice what i'm doing. i took a trip last weekend from akron-canton ariport to a mohican campground in ohio. 37.3mpg and I was able to stay infront of semi's on the open road in the slowlane..avg mpg in the overall was probably 65ish maybe 63....posted limit was 65 for cars 55 for semi's. No turning off the car at stop lights...and the area near mohican is a serious rollercoaster of a road, not flat at all...lol.

You need to do many things, time the rollers, keep the clutch to the floor whenever possible, never go so fast as to need braking for a stop, or light (youll need some, but try to limit how much). Coast the uphills down to 60ish, make up time on the downs.

The HHR SS can easily get 37mpg on the open road once warmed up with an attentive driver. 39-40 in favorable conditions/terrain.

I use third gear a few times to pass on a two lane highway, I could pass 3-6 cars at a time!!!!!! Without worrying that the on-coming opposite lane (the one I was in) would cause me to re-enter MY lane.

I bet you could better your economy by removing the spare tire, floor mats and everything else not bolted down like the owners manual etc. Oh and use the washroom before you leave! Probably be pushin 45-50mpg.

I bet you could better your economy by removing the spare tire, floor mats and everything else not bolted down like the owners manual etc. Oh and use the washroom before you leave! Probably be pushin 45-50mpg.

I was up in Tobermory/Lion's Head (Ontario) over Labor day weekend. Your speed limits are slower everywhere up there. All you have to do is obey the posted limits and youll do better than the average American. I'ts also very very flat, not many stop lights and very low traffic except right in the cities or rush hour. Up there (i didnt bring my SS) 39-40 is as easy convicting OJ.

Driving back to Florida from Raleigh I was getting 30.2 mpg averaging (DIC) 62 mph, using cruise control at ~65-70 mph all on I-95. I've seen a consistant drop in mileage since the 10% ethanol mandate. I'm getting what the car is advertised at, but I used to get about 34-35 mpg earlier in the year over this route. After 37K miles, I'm thinking a changing out the air filter.

I am in Texas and I do not know of anyplace that does not have 10% Ethanol. Most all say they may contain it on the pump but when you ask most do not know or say it does have it.
Hard to say how much it effects the mileage especially since we do not know the exact percentadge of it.

Curly.......

That's a really good point .......regarding the percentage of content! I remember back about 8 years ago, the local GM people did a little un scientific survey/study.

They sent 5 pick up trucks to 5 predetermined, product identified, gas stations. Each truck had five, 5 gallon empty gas cans. Each truck was assigned a specific brand of gas (and again, specific locations of each specific brand station). The drivers were to get 5 gallons of regular 87 octane ethanol enhanced gas from various areas of greater Phoenix, label the cans and return to the facility for the "samples" to be analyzed.

Note....the difficulty in located ethanol stations was a problem. MTBE was still allowed at that time, for portions of our calender year. But some stations were using it as a designer fuel because it was also cheaper on the wholesale market.

The result revealed 7-18% level of ethanol. With inconsistancy through each brand. The discussion led improper/sloppy mixture of the ethanol at the distribution point. Which is the tank farms here in Phoenix.

The Brands.....

Exxon
Texaco (now gone)
AM-PM (Atlantic-Richfeld)
Chevron
Diamond Shamrock (largest independent, in this area, at the time).

I would bet that SOME percentages are STILL off.