beginning hypermiling success

[TexasAggie]

I just started on this journey about a week ago, so this is probably a story you've all heard many times before.  Anyway, I have an ~30-mile commute each way, so I decided to start driving the speed limit, use the cruise control as much as possible, and avoid unnecessary acceleration.  The result?  My tank average has gone from 26 mpg to 35 mpg already!  Woo hoo!!!!

[Rezdent]

Impressive!
I bet you will be getting even better results over the next few weeks.

[Cromacster]

If you have an instantaneous fuel mileage gauge on your car or one of the bluetooth OBD and a phone app......you can probably do even better than your cruise control.  Unless your commute is extremely flat, which in texas I guess it might be.  Also play around with the speed. just going the speed limit won't guarantee better mpg's.  My car is more efficient at about 62 than it is a 55, just based on how the gearing is.

Good work, now play around with it and try to do better!

[TexasAggie]

Thanks for the suggestion about gearing.  I'm going to start watching the tachometer.  The bulk of my commute is interstate highway.  And yes, it is pretty flat, so I'm going to see at what speed between 55-65 works best.

[k-vette]

What are you driving?  Im at a show today and had about an hour drive.  This was a shot along the way.  See the instant on top left?  That is REAL.  Gauge is highly  recommended for better mpg.  It will pay for itself.

I ended up here at about 51mpg avg.  2006 corolla with over 200k miles.

Before hypermiling,  my average was in the 20's as well.  I used to think 40mpg was impossible, but my best avg over a full tank was 47.  I wasnt able to hit 40 without the gauge.

It can get better!

[TexasAggie]

2008 Lexus ES350.  Paid for.  ~135k miles.  It has a built-in realtime readout of tank average mpg.  Do you think that is good enough or would a gauge that provides an instantaneous readout be worth the investment?

[Donovan]

If you have an instantaneous fuel mileage gauge on your car or one of the bluetooth OBD and a phone app......you can probably do even better than your cruise control. 

Does anyone know if the OBD-II devices can really be relied on for this? I ask because I've been tracking my mileage by dividing miles driven since my last fill-up by amount of gas I just put in (assuming I topped off both this time and the last) for a while. With my Focus, I typically come out ~30-33mpg with that equation, but I recently got an OBD-II device (with the android Torque app) and it is saying that I'm am pulling off more like 46mpg...which is significantly different and sounds rather insane :p

[k-vette]

Instantaneous is VERY useful.  So yes, id say its worth it. 

Donovan - Does it have a calibration setting of some sort?  Many gauges have a setting so you can run through a tank of gas, and adjust the result for accuracy.  After 1 tank and adjusting it will be spot on.