First Road Trip! 600 miles/Gas Mileage, etc.
 

Well we just got back from our first road trip in our Premiere Edition. We've had it a week and a day and we have 1100 miles on it now. Went to visit my parents for the weekend for a 600 mile round trip. Got 26.6mpg on the way out and right at 28mpg on the way back home after a detour through the city due to road construction on the highway. Gas mileage could have been better had I stayed at the speed limit more. Going with the flow of traffic I ended up going between 75-80 for a while. No biggie. Overall trip average 68mph (through town and everything). It rides like a dream on the highway! So smooth and quiet! What a joy to drive!

A couple things that kind of bugged me on the trip. With the cruise control engaged, it down shifts like nobody's business going up almost any sort of incline. To me a car should be able to pull it's own weight up a mild interstate incline with little effort. On the way back I didn't use the cruise at all. Perhaps a reason the gas mileage was better on the way back. Not near as much downshifting going on.

The other thing was going down the hills. This is the first car I've ever driven that actually slows down when you take your foot off the gas going down a hill. Seems the laws of gravity work opposite on the HHR. I'm used to gaining speed when going down hills, not losing it. Something with the gear ratios? I dunno.

All and all it was a great trip and I'm very satisfied with it! We passed quite a few other HHR's on the road and waved at everyone we could! :one:

Have not experienced this problem except on very tall steep hills.

"the SURGE" as I call it, was a surprise to me also when 1st got RR...am used to it now and like it...but I use the cruise with caution unless on open highway...when in traffic I like to have more control than the car does...Don't want to LUNGE into someone....;)

i just pulled a 500 mile RT this week. i averaged 33MPG going and an average of 74MPH and averaged 30MPG with about 3-400LBS of stuff in the back and 72MPH average on the way back. cruise control on 90% of the time...i love my LS

The cruse control kicks down at 60 mph. When you start up a small incline activate the cruse at 60 mph and hold on. Some of us found this wayyyyy back in 2005. It shows you how you can be put back in your seat.