Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 21

Thread: Only Hypermilers Understand

  1. #11
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    3,022
    Thanks
    1,810
    Thanked 692 Times in 564 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post

    And, of course, almost everyone who attended the autocross I was at is probably getting no more than 25 mpg, and most of them are running more expensive premium fuel. So, they would have used 2.23 gallons at a cost of $6.47.

    Bottom line is that it cost me half as much as anyone else to drive to my autocross yesterday, no matter which route I took, or how fast I chose to drive, which is cool. But, really... we're only talking about $3. I'm not really doing this to save money. And I'm not going to save the planet. I just enjoy the challenge of doing it!

    Just had to share this. I know some of you will understand.
    My Mirage will get around 4.4 L / 100 km's, or up to around 53 USA MPG gas mileage..maybe more hypermilling it. Like in the summer months. Wintertime, in traffic or fast on the highway, and you will achieve 6-7 even.

    5-6 in normal winter low traffic commute. Then again winter driving I don't have my Mirage in overdrive, all the time, right, I will drive in lower gears for more natural traction control. You would think in 4th gear you would burn more gas than in 5th, but I don't think that's always the case in my Mirage.

    I have been known to speed pretty fast on the freeway... only now and again, no end goal lol that's no good..and I'm certainly long-overdue for a ticket, that I have yet to ever have in 19 years of driving. 20 years actually in January happy new years. I drove across much of Alberta and Michigan this year, and many places are 75 mph speed limits now.

    Fast through Flint and Alberta. Everywhere used to be 55 mph speed limit, and strict. Like in NY state, I was driving there years ago. I heard you'd get nailed going 56, and the cops want your visa.

    I'm even doing the Ferrari driving experience in the spring, so I get speed and cars alright of course. I won't even drive the Ferrari like I could, because it's not mine and the helmet will be uncomfortable.


    Last edited by dspace9; 12-31-2019 at 07:46 AM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  2. #12
    Senior Member highwire's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Midwest
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    131
    Thanks
    46
    Thanked 40 Times in 31 Posts
    Hi all, new forum member. I bought a new 2019 Mirage back in July and it's been everything positive I've read about it. My previous car was a Ford Focus 2000, which at the time had some decent fuel economy on 4 cylinders (26 city, 34 highway-Avg 28 combined). The noise of that CVH engine was magnitudes louder than so-called noisy engine of Mirage, so when my Focus broke down after 19 years of service, I was ready for this little engine that could. I was actually drawn to it because so many people hated it, but then I realized that from my experience driving the Focus, less is more, and many drivers out there have more- whether it's cylinders or altitude (joke).

    I really appreciate this car because, well it actually was designed for fuel economy, with its drag co-efficient of 0.27. Hypermiling is not new to me, but with CVT there are some interesting tweaks that I am learning. First, like with my Focus, I never go in Neutral (it is not worth the risk nor savings- I already average over 46mpg per fill up. Second, The RPM count appears to affect MPG. The higher it is, the more i let go of the gas. I understand uphill it is normal. But I try to gradually accelerate so that gears shift gradually as well. Apparently this is not always the most fuel efficient, but the sounds of accelerating too quickly usually causes more short-term fuel economy losses especially in stop-and-go traffic. A majority of my driving is in 45-55mph routes with 10 or more stop lights but during off-rush hour intervals.

    I have noticed a few trends. The best lane for fuel economy, when there are two lanes is the right lane. When there are three lanes, it is the middle lane. Why do I "believe" this? Well, because the left lane has the most variable speeds and also the most dangerous at times. In a two-lane (for one way) the cars in the left lane tend to brake 3-4x more often than the right lane, because most hypermilers appear to have more time and space to let their car slow to a crawl at a stop light, whereas the left lane draws the ire of speedsters when you try that. However proper signalling is also important- I always signal when changing lanes- Unfortunately, not signalling causes confusion with the flow of traffic. Another rule I have is, as much as hypermiling is ideal, it is not the cardinal rule. It is only preferred when the car distance is more than 6-7 cars apart at a moderately fast speed- 50mph. When driving at 30mpg-3-4 car lengths is appropriate. Tailgaters tend to limit the benefits of hypermiling in the left lane- even if driving at an appropriate speed- whether it is 45 or 55mph. Therefore I only pass cars in the right lane if they are going a little too slow, and quickly return to the right lane so that the fast cars rarely tailgate between the slow cars in the right lane and my own.

    In a three lane setup, the right most lane is not always the most fuel efficient for one very crucial reason. It is the exit lane, where the left lane drivers tend to exit at fast speeds. It is also the lane where the merging cars tend to vary their speed. Therefore, the center lane has the least speed variability. It also should be considered an unwritten rule that the center lane is not a left lane, but it is often treated as such. I feel that the center lane is best moderated by the drivers of that lane, rather than the left lane speed. The center lane on roads between 45-55 mphs allows for the best fuel economy, because the RPM of the car drops to about 1500 on a lower automatic gear (based on the sound). I do not know much about the gears in a CVT, but that when accelerating between 30-50, the RPM will reach over 3000RPM sometimes even 3500 uphill, so that the efficiency of fuel is best gradually accelerating and even letting go of the gas when the RPM spikes to over 2500. The only issue with this is that at a red light or when some cars expect the car to accelerate, they are left impatient. I once saw a bumper sticker on a Smart Car. It said, "Think I accelerate slow? Wait til I go uphill."

    I think this is the main issue with driving. Cars are wonderful inventions of the 20th century. They let us go from Point A to B. But ultimately the road is a shared property. It requires constant re-negotiation of personal space for safety and smoothness of the ride. The more I enjoy my ride, the less I feel someone wanting to drive 20mph faster than me will enjoy theirs, even if I am driving the speed limit. I also will say that driving in the left lane wears out the break pads 3x faster, even if more red lights are avoided. The reason is because the left lane has a lot of like-minded accelerators who use up their brake pads from having to drive as fast as possible as often as possible by accelerating and braking as often as possible. Therefore fuel economy is not the primary interest of hypermiling. It is often a secondary concern. I like having brake pads that will last me 40-60,00 miles or more. My Focus's brake pads were worn rotor to rotor- granted it was my first car, a hand-me-down, and well maintained for 15 years. But I am erring on the side of caution by not wanting to overuse the brakes- by not driving at speeds that requires them as often. Thank you for reading. I look forward to this forum. It appears to have some great info, and I will try to provide as much info as I can on this terrific car.

    By the way, I bought this car even though I want an electric car in the future- perhaps 10 years from now. Mainly because I want fewer parts, and oil changes won't be needed in an electric. But I think this car could be an electric in the future, if Mitsubishi makes one. Otherwise, 3 cylinder is all I need. (in fact, I would have preferred 2-cylinder like the TwinAir Fiat 500 in Europe, or a single cylinder opposing piston. But this is good enough! Lol.
    Last edited by highwire; 01-10-2020 at 10:52 PM.

  3. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to highwire For This Useful Post:

    Eggman (01-11-2020),inuvik (01-10-2020),Top_Fuel (01-12-2021)

  4. #13
    Moderator inuvik's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Coos Bay, OR
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    3,835
    Thanks
    4,761
    Thanked 1,562 Times in 1,120 Posts
    Great write up and welcome to the forum!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)


  5. The Following User Says Thank You to inuvik For This Useful Post:

    highwire (01-10-2020)

  6. #14
    Senior Member highwire's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Midwest
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    131
    Thanks
    46
    Thanked 40 Times in 31 Posts
    Thanks Inuvik!

  7. #15
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    3,022
    Thanks
    1,810
    Thanked 692 Times in 564 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by highwire View Post

    By the way, I bought this car even though I want an electric car in the future- perhaps 10 years from now. Mainly because I want fewer parts, and oil changes won't be needed in an electric. But I think this car could be an electric in the future, if Mitsubishi makes one. Otherwise, 3 cylinder is all I need. (in fact, I would have preferred 2-cylinder like the TwinAir Fiat 500 in Europe, or a single cylinder opposing piston. But this is good enough! Lol.
    Maybe it is just my driving style, but I find with my 5 speed manual Mirage, I naturally drive in a sorta hypermilling mentality.

    It all boils down to using the clutch as a brake all the time, and keeping space from other cars on the road, so as to be able to use my clutch as a brake safely. Slowing down with the clutch petal saves you from speeding tickets, since red brake lights are a siren call to the police nailing speeders.

    The driving style of tailgaters, who just drive fast up to one car, then the next, & so forth it's so annoying. I like my space away from the herd when I'm on the freeway.

    *edit sorry
    Last edited by dspace9; 01-10-2020 at 11:24 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  8. #16
    Senior Member highwire's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Midwest
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    131
    Thanks
    46
    Thanked 40 Times in 31 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by dspace9 View Post
    Maybe it is just my driving style, but I find with my 5 speed manual Mirage, I naturally drive in a sorta hypermilling mentality.

    It all boils down to using the clutch as a brake all the time, and keeping space from other cars on the road, so as to be able to use my clutch as a brake safely.
    I thought about a manual but I never learned to drive one- I went with the CVT because it had better fuel efficiency. The Ford Fiesta discontinued a 1.0L Ecoboost manual with three cylinder- I had thought of buying one 5 years ago. But it's nice to know Mitsubishi is still selling in the sedan market.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to highwire For This Useful Post:

    dspace9 (01-10-2020)

  10. #17
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    3,022
    Thanks
    1,810
    Thanked 692 Times in 564 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by highwire View Post
    I thought about a manual but I never learned to drive one- I went with the CVT because it had better fuel efficiency. The Ford Fiesta discontinued a 1.0L Ecoboost manual with three cylinder- I had thought of buying one 5 years ago. But it's nice to know Mitsubishi is still selling in the sedan market.
    Never too late to learn, and it's like learning how to ride a bike - once you can do it, you know it for life.

    So many advantages: longer engine life, more control of the road, more control of the engine, better acceleration like especially in an econobox.

    Take a look at this 3 cylinder kei car. I have a subscription to Road and Track eh.

    https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...9121263&src=nl

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  11. The Following User Says Thank You to dspace9 For This Useful Post:

    highwire (01-10-2020)

  12. #18
    Senior Member highwire's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Midwest
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    131
    Thanks
    46
    Thanked 40 Times in 31 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by dspace9 View Post
    Never too late to learn, and it's like learning how to ride a bike - once you can do it, you know it for life.

    So many advantages: longer engine life, more control of the road, more control of the engine, better acceleration like especially in an econobox.

    Take a look at this 3 cylinder kei car. I have a subscription to Road and Track eh.

    https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...9121263&src=nl
    That's a nice Kei car. I would feel comfortable driving one in parts of Asia, but not with the speeds and size of cars in the U.S. Btw, the car barely slows down at the top sign at 2:15...
    Here is how I like to stop at stop signs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmritVqtZY4
    Last edited by highwire; 01-10-2020 at 11:46 PM.

  13. #19
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    3,022
    Thanks
    1,810
    Thanked 692 Times in 564 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by highwire View Post
    That's a nice Kei car. I would feel comfortable driving one in parts of Asia, but not with the speeds and size of cars in the U.S. Btw, the car barely slows down at the top sign at 2:15...
    Here is how I like to stop at stop signs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmritVqtZY4
    Haha that's funny. Very small and tall van, kei style, with a very small wheel-base. And no weight. Look what happens when they try to stop quickly.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  14. #20
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    Russellville, KY
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    69
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    22
    Thanked 28 Times in 19 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post
    When I was a teen and 20-something, every trip I took was all about getting there as quickly as possible. The longer the trip, the more critical it was that I "break a record" by doing it faster than before. And even on shorter trips, every car in front of me was a target to pass. Must drive faster!

    Then I got into sports cars and performance driving in the 90's. That replaced some of that "getting there faster" with "taking the scenic route", and the "record-breaking" became the challenge of taking every curve as fast as possible... faster than before. (I won't deny that I still do this to some extent, though I usually combine it with hypermiling and/or attempting to drive with minimal use of the brakes) Must corner harder!

    Then I got into hypermiling when I bought my Yaris back about 2009. Now, I suffer the curse of always trying to maximize my fuel economy. I recognize that I don't have the time or inclination to be completely nuts about it. But, I set goals for myself, and I feel defeated if I don't achieve them. Must use less fuel!

    So, I've been at it pretty hard lately. I've made a few hour-long trips netting me well over 55 mpg, and my typical driving around town trip will get me 45+ if it's not too short and/or I don't get stuck stopped in traffic for too long. (I'm not turning off the engine and giving up my AC!) Pretty happy with the results. Having fun with it. Striking that balance between max fuel economy, "getting there", and not holding up traffic.

    Decided to do some math to answer the question: "How much money am I actually saving doing this on a typical short trip?"

    Yesterday, I drove to an autocross about an hour away. Didn't leave the house early enough to get away with not taking the Interstate, but I was early enough that I could keep my speed under 65 (speed limit was 70 for most of it), and I netted 47.1 mpg on the way there. On the return, I had plenty of time, it was 7pm, and I absolutely did not feel like dealing with I-4 traffic. So, I took the back roads, which was actually a few miles shorter. Took about 20 minutes longer. But, I got home with 57.5 mpg for that return trip. Win! I still haven't seen the elusive 60... but, getting closer. (and I haven't even jacked up my tire pressures... never turned off the engine, either... or even turned the AC off)

    Today, I made a 4-ish mile trip out to dinner and back. Cold engine both times (long dinner with car guys, was there for 4 hours). On the way there, I took the most direct route and it was rush-hour. I was able to keep speeds down below 40 and didn't get held up too much. I got stopped briefly at 3 of the 6 possible traffic lights, and netted 42.7 mpg. Not horrible for such a short trip with traffic. On the way back, it was 10:30pm. I didn't want to wait at the long light to make a left turn, so I went straight (it was green) and made the next left onto a slower, but less busy 2-lane (rather than the 6-lane that would force me to drive 40-45 even at that time of night) where I could pulse-and-glide from 42>30 repeatedly. Turns out, that route was 1.4 miles longer, and took about 4 minutes longer. But, I did dodge all but one traffic light, and didn't stop for long at that one. (plus, got a great long DCFO glide approaching it) Netted 51.0 mpg on the way home. Excellent for such a short trip, I was pleased. (my goal was at least 50)

    On the short trip, I used 0.10 gallons on the way there at a cost of about $0.25. On the way back, because I added 20% to the length of the trip, I used 0.11 gallons at a cost of about $0.28. So, my hypermiling on that trip, while it was fulfilling, cost me 3 cents!

    Yesterday's longer trip, I used 1.19 gallons at a cost of $2.97. The return trip was 6.7 miles shorter, AND much better MPG, so I used 0.85 gallons at a cost of $2.13. My hypermiling yesterday evening saved me 84 cents! And cost me about 20 minutes on what would have been a 1-hour drive.

    For kicks, I calculated what would have been my "worst case" for yesterday's trip. If I'd been running late, I could have easily shaved 10 minutes off of that trip by upping my peak speed from 65 to a "5-over" speed of 75 mph... and upping my non-highway speeds similarly. I've done this before, and anytime I get this car over 70, MPG drops below 40. Usually down around 38! So, worst case, I'd have used 1.47 gallons at a cost of $3.67.

    And, of course, almost everyone who attended the autocross I was at is probably getting no more than 25 mpg, and most of them are running more expensive premium fuel. So, they would have used 2.23 gallons at a cost of $6.47.

    Bottom line is that it cost me half as much as anyone else to drive to my autocross yesterday, no matter which route I took, or how fast I chose to drive, which is cool. But, really... we're only talking about $3. I'm not really doing this to save money. And I'm not going to save the planet. I just enjoy the challenge of doing it!

    Just had to share this. I know some of you will understand.
    You sound a lot like me. When I was younger cutting driving time on any trip was my challenge. Back when I was in my late teens-early 20's the factory I worked at was about 25 miles from where I lived my fastest time for the trip was 18 minutes. I used to drive from Elkton, KY to Rossford, OH a couple times a year to visit one of my cousins. According to the odometer in my car it was 460 miles. The fastest I ever made that trip was 7 hours for an average speed of over 65MPH. The posted speed limit nationally at that time was 55MPH. I kept the c/c set at 85MPH on the open road. Where I lost my time was driving through cities on the interstate (Dayton, OH, Cincinnati, OH, Louisville, KY) and on about a 50 mile stretch of 2 lane that involved driving through 3 small towns with posted speed limits of 35MPH. I've always been one to keep a check on my fuel mileage but I really got into trying to do my best in the early/mid 90's and am still doing it today. With the cars I'm driving now all getting 30+MPG it's not so much about saving money or the environment, it's about the challenge. I bought my '16 Versa in Feb. 2019 my worst tank to date in it 42.345MPG in cold/wet weather and the best to date is 55.656MPG in hot/dry weather. My lifetime average thus far in the Versa is 48.81MPG. Most of my driving is on rural 2 and 4 lane roads with 10-15% small town driving at speeds in the 40-55MPH range. Since Covid 19 hit and we don't do as much going as we used to a lot more of my driving has been in the 40-45MPH range just to be out of the house doing something. The best mileage I've ever got in my '97 Ford Escort wagon is 49.85MPG on the interstate at 55MPH on a cool summer morning with 1 or 2 windows down to keep cool.



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •