Joined
·
16 Posts
I've just moved from a 1985 Buick Skyhawk to my shiny 2002 CVT, and I think I need to shake some of my old driving habits to improve my MPG. I'm flirting with 60mpg on the way to and from work in Seattle-area rush hour traffic, but often end up with 54-55mpg after climbing the big hill to my house. Please critique me! =D
Heading into work, I begin with ~7 miles of twisty 35mph road, followed by ~8 miles along a hilly 60mph freeway. The freeway begins with a big hill, which I've been trying to power up quickly on the theory that the more I use the battery for hill climbing, the better it will be. I've been learning how to feather the gas along the twisty road, but still tend to be a little lead-footed after driving the Buick for 8 years.
My car tends to really sip the battery. I don't think I've ever seen the monitor drop more than a couple of bars, but I can't decide whether there's a problem or it's simply my driving habits.
I'd dearly love to bring my trips - and eventually, each tank - over 60mpg. The car's lifetime average was at just 48.6mpg at 26k miles when I got it, so I think I may have to make up for the previous owner's neglect. Best MPG so far was along a slight downhill at freeway speeds - 140 over a couple of miles - but that came down to 60 by the time I got home.
Advice? =)
Heading into work, I begin with ~7 miles of twisty 35mph road, followed by ~8 miles along a hilly 60mph freeway. The freeway begins with a big hill, which I've been trying to power up quickly on the theory that the more I use the battery for hill climbing, the better it will be. I've been learning how to feather the gas along the twisty road, but still tend to be a little lead-footed after driving the Buick for 8 years.
My car tends to really sip the battery. I don't think I've ever seen the monitor drop more than a couple of bars, but I can't decide whether there's a problem or it's simply my driving habits.
I'd dearly love to bring my trips - and eventually, each tank - over 60mpg. The car's lifetime average was at just 48.6mpg at 26k miles when I got it, so I think I may have to make up for the previous owner's neglect. Best MPG so far was along a slight downhill at freeway speeds - 140 over a couple of miles - but that came down to 60 by the time I got home.
Advice? =)