Gears =>> engine revs. If I mope along in first I will burn no more than flying in 5th, engine revs being equal.

Average speed on the DIC is just that..an average over a period of time. Has no bearing on or equation to mpg.

 

Perhaps the same amount of fuel in 5th and 1st gear, but you will travel a lot further in 5th hanece more miles as in miles per gallon.

 

That's true!

Average speed will give you an idea of what's going on, not a definition. Let's be real. We don't go moping around in 5th gear at 20 mph all the time. The average speed tells me that you are doing stop-and-go driving with the lower gears. We all know that stop-and-go driving has a great affect on fuel economy.

Also, if you are doing 50mph in 5th vs. 110mph in 5th, you will get lower fuel economy from wind resistance.

Average Speed Matters.

 

And hence the gear predominently driven in is another variable in mpg. Average speed still means nothing with respect to MPG. I could have an average speed of 60 in 5th and same average speed driven in 4th and burn more in 4th because the engine is working harder and reving higher.

 

I think we can all agree that average MPH is not part of the equation for MPG. No one is arguing this.

I thought this thread was to talk about how everyone else was doing with the fuel economy of their HHR. Do we need to go back to the very first post? I think my point of observing average MPH will give you a clue on why one person would get 15 MPG while someone else getting 20 MPG with CITY driving. Better yet, why are we not getting the MPG of CITY that is on our window sticker?



It seems like some one at EPA has an interest with Average Speed.

 

Thanks!

 

I am getting great MPG in my 2.4. I consistently make a 45 mile trip each way (most of it is highway) and according to the DIC (I reset it before the start) I am getting 40-43 MPG. I only use premium gas (93 octane), try to accelerate easy, and keep it within 5 MPH of the posted speed limit. The only modifications I have made to my HHR are I removed the stock air filter and installed a cone filter directly to the intake of the air box, and I have a 4" canister muffler on the tail end. I also get about 28 MPG average (city and highway).

 

Not sure if this is the right place, but I'll post it anyhow. My DIC Econ was showing it's usual 22 or 23 in town when I pull into McDonalds for my morning breakfast and juice. As soon as I pulled out of the drive thru window, my Econ shot up to 68 and then started back down. Now that was really weird. I wish now that I had taken a picture with my phone. It's back to its normal setting now but I found that to be very strange.

 

Well for the 610 miles to the Dells and back, my average at 70 mph was 31.1 mpg, my work drive that is 75% highway/25% city averages 27.9 mpg really regular over the last 2 years...

 

That is the great boost McD's gives. Musta stuffed a McGriddle into the tank?

Sorry could not resist. Not trying to trivialize your question.