Archives

First off, I cannot explain how happy I was when I found this place linked from a post on Digg about a fantastic hypermiler (I'm new, so forgive me if I miss a term or two). My Dad has had his Camry Hybrid (2007) for almost a year and is averaging the 40 mpg the sticker promised-- he is very happy. Whenever I drive it, though, I strive for better. It's amazing to be the best at something on the road, especially when it's illegal to be the fastest. And hey, my wallet is thicker for it.

I live in Phoenix, Arizona (think lots of flat desert with high temperatures) but go to school in Tucson, Arizona (more of the same). I drive home frequently, and the trip on the I-10 is exactly 100 miles. This is my first year of college, and for it, I worked all summer to buy my first car. I looked everywhere, and test-drove pretty much everything before I settled on my 2007 2.5 liter, 5 cylinder Jetta with 6-speed auto. This was before my appreciation for higher FE, and average a poor 30 mpg; I often regret my purchase. Despite this, I have vowed to improve my milage, and that's why I'm here!

The car isn't exactly the most fuel efficient thing; it's very heavy. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar Jetta so I could get an idea of what numbers I should strive for (I did search, too, but no dice). Most of my miles are on the the I-10 I mentioned before, with speeds at 75 mph. I generally travel at an even 65 or 70 mph with the cruise on, without air-conditioning, and the windows up. There are also several of construction zones with speed limits of 55 mph-almost 30 miles of them-and I do take advantage of those. With this type of travel in mind, between Phoenix and Tucson, does anyone have any suggestions for me? At this point, I don't feel quite comfortable trying out the some of the more advanced techniques (Drafting < 1 sec?), but suggestions are very welcome.

Finally, my car lacks a FE monitor. My Dad claims that the monitor in his Camry is what produces his good milage, and I agree. I would love to add one to more car, but so far have only found this one (http://www.scangauge.com/). Suggestions in this area would be great, too.

I look forward to trying all this out to improve my FE, and would like to thank everyone here. This is exactly the place I was looking for!

Welcome! If you want feedback, the ScanGauge is a tested and proven device. At first in seems expensive, but it is one of the few things in this world that can truly pay for itself with the knowledge you gain from it. Do you 100% need it? No. But you definitely want it!

I'm thinking that a Jetta, though not ideal, should be a very fuel efficient car when driven right. Get those tires up to max sidewall, read through the articles, and don't hesitate to ask questions. (We'll never get on your case for asking questions!)

If you keep your speeds at 55ish you'll see much better mpg too.

Hi mt2:

___Welcome to CleanMPG!

___Your Dad is dead on about the feedback the TCH’s various FCD screens offer. Without feedback, you are locked in to the ways of the past. Even after learning and using everything available, taking away an SG-II, consumption screen or FCD meter, you can easily lose 5 - 10% even after hypermiling boot camp :)

___WRT the Jetta, I am seeing a 25 combined and 28/30 highway (85 – 07/08 EPA). For the long highway drive, I suspect 40 - 45 should be pretty easy using the basics but once A/C is engaged, mid to high 30’s is more than likely the result. I understand the need for A/C in the Phoenix area for 5 months of the year but if you can stand not using it (evening/night commutes), by all means try to use it sparingly.

___For SG-II, look to the left of your post ;)

___Good Luck and again welcome.

___Wayne

Thanks guys for all the gracious replies. I went ahead and ordered the SG-II and I'm really looking forward to using it. At low highway speeds (55 -65) is it better to use CC or to judge from SG using your foot? At this point, I don't think my foot is near as well trained as the CC since it's pretty flat, boring travel. I've also got to get my tires pumped up to the wall max (thanks for that easy tip!)

I'm also thinking about P&G-is it worth it? I have an automatic, as you know, and I don't know yet whether I can tow it on all four wheels, so FAS is out, at least until I can figure it out. My question is two-fold. Is P&G still worth it if I only shift to neutral and leave the ICE on? Second, what kind of delta would be best for my car and this type of drive. The top speed is 75 mph, and I'm comfortable traveling at 55 - 60 mph on it now.

Welcome mt2
You'll find that you can obtain better FE using your foot instead of CC. Even with your Tuscon-Phoenix drive, which isn't as flat as it seems. My favorite scangauge feedback is the throttle position sensor (TPS).

Keith