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I think I am starting to get the Aveo figured out. Last week we went to visit relatives in Northern Michigan and averaged 47.66 mpg over 1592 miles.

The first tank was best at 57.74 mpg over 496 miles. I'm sure no one here is surprised that this was the tank that was driven mostly on back county roads where I was free to pulse and glide between 30 and 50 mph. The key seems to be to keep MAP around 10 on the pulses. Apparently the ECU just dumps gas if you get much higher than that. It also helps to have a nice tail wind. I don't think that this was a short fill--the second tank (mostly interstate/US highway) checked in at 47.

It was interesting to see how much worse traffic was where drivers were less courteous. For years I've noticed that any little construction project on I-196 south of Holland MI would tie up traffic for miles. On the way up we stopped or crawled for about an hour for a simple two lane to one merge in moderately heavy interstate traffic. On the way back traffic was relatively light, but we needed a pit stop in Holland. The 7-11 was about a half mile down a main local road where I would have to cross three lanes of traffic to get in the left turn lane.

Apparently driver's ed is different around there. What I was taught is that drivers should maintain following distances in order to (among other things) allow orderly lane changes by surrounding traffic. The Hollanders on the other hand interpreted my blinker as an indication that they should honk, close the gap, and give me the finger. After three or four of those and with my distance to the left turn lane shrinking I quit worrying about finding a decent gap and changed lanes and made the other lane jab its brakes. Maybe they just didn't like my IL plate.

Presumably I-196 is always so backed up for any little merge because the Hollanders prefer to cut each other off and give each other the finger instead of merging in a courteous, orderly fashion.:rolleyes:

Enough ranting about traffic though. Here is a description of the main destination and some pics. We went to my family's orchards on Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay near Traverse City MI.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/WifeandLighthouse.jpg My wife by the OMP light house with sign showing map location.

The family orchards are about halfway down the peninsula a little south of the small island in the west arm of the bay. One of my ancestors allegedly had a smugglers camp on that island back in the 1850's. The Fords owned the island in the mid 20th Century.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/Lighthouse.jpg A better picture of the lighthouse.

I didn't grow up on the farm, but I worked the harvest for several years for the cousin who runs the farm. Our trip's timing was motivated by the end of cherry season. This was the earliest cherry season we could find in any of our farm records. The season seemed to be about 2 weeks earlier than usual. Hard to say whether it's global warming or just a garden variety weather fluctuation.

Here's the sign they have at the main orchard with a view of Lake Michigan and adjacent orchards.http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/wilOrch.jpg

Cherries (both sweet and tart varieties) are the main fruit in the orchards but we also picked some Asian Plums and Apricots that were ripe while we were there. http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/Fruit1.jpg

The cherries were ripe enough that we needed to process them immediately: here I am in the background "helping" my mother can pie cherries and make cherry jam.http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/Canning.jpg

Processing 75 pounds of cherries makes a lot of pits: fortunately we have help getting rid of them.http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/Chipmunk.jpg

To a chipmunk a cherry pit is like a small nut.http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/ChipmunkPit.jpg

So they get pretty enthusiastic when they find a plate full of them.http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/ChipmunkinDish.jpg

After I had completed my mother's honey-do list we headed back home, where our barn swallows had a couple of new mouths to feed. Swallow on duty on front porch rail:http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/BarnSwallow.jpg

Hi Rich:

FANTASTIC Drive report and fantastic FUEL ECONOMY!!!

I loved the Human Interest pics of your mom canning the cherries and the Chipmunks helping with the cleanup :D

My wife, son and I were at the Old Mission lighthouse two years back and I remember it like it was yesterday.

Thanks again for sharing and tell you mom to save some of that pie for you and your family! Mmmmm, fresh cherry pie… I can almost taste it :)

Wayne

Hi Rich:

.....

..... for sharing and tell you mom to save some of that pie for you and your family! Mmmmm, fresh cherry pie… I can almost taste it :)

Wayne

Pie is more my wife's thing. She made one while we were up there. I left the picture in the out-takes on her computer. I always tell her she needs more practice ;), but she wins blue ribbons anyway. It's almost cheating to use hand picked and pitted, fully tree ripened cherries from a prime growing site in a baking contest.

Great to see that kind of mpg out of the Aveo. Is yours a sedan? I am getting a scan gauge soon and can't wait to fine tune and get some better mpg's. Do you have any advise for another Aveo driver.... What the car likes...? I know speeds of 40 are friendly to the avg. You find P&G to be pretty effective in the Aveo? Anyway thanks for the inspiration with the numbers you showed and I will bounce some questions off ya if I have some... Great story ,trip and Pics. MPG most of all!!!

My Observations about our Aveo (hatchback):

1. Not very Aerodynamic (better than a Ranger though). I think the Sedans may be a little more Aero.

2. Geared to buzz (similar to a Fit)

3. Poor gas mileage when cold.

4. Over-sensitive accelerator pedal (compared to other vehicles I drive) at relatively light pressures. All of the throttle play is in about the top half of the pedal play.

5. Efficiency drops dramatically at medium to high throttle. (More than in the Ranger)

If I pulse and glide between 50 to 30 mph in warm weather without letting the MAP reading climb above 10.5 I can do pretty well. The gas pedal is pretty "goosey" so going barefoot may help. Traffic usually is too impatient for me to want to P&G much during my regular commute.

What do you mean geared to buzz? I have the sedan style Aveo but they are the same otherwise... I would like a hatch style car for the function of it over the sedan but this will do for me for now. I will know more soon when my sgii shows up but what is the MAP reading on the sg? Also do you do nice off at all during your p&g or do you leave it on always? Any fas? Lastly what is your tire pressure at? I run mine at 44 psi which is max sidewall. BTW thanks for the reply.

What do you mean geared to buzz? I have the sedan style Aveo but they are the same otherwise... I would like a hatch style car for the function of it over the sedan but this will do for me for now. I will know more soon when my sgii shows up but what is the MAP reading on the sg? Also do you do nice off at all during your p&g or do you leave it on always? Any fas? Lastly what is your tire pressure at? I run mine at 44 psi which is max sidewall. BTW thanks for the reply.

Geared to buzz means it doesn't have a high top gear. The engine "buzzes" at 3000 RPM at 60MPH in 5th gear rather than "loafing" at lower RPM's. I find myself looking for the 6th gear it doesn't have nearly every time I drive it.

MAP stands for Manifold Air Pressure -- it measures the "vacuum" on the air intake side of the engine. A wider open throttle translates into a higher MAP value, but other things like RPM effect it too.

I generally freewheel with the engine off (ie. FAS) when I'm gliding. It makes the steering feel different so you might want to practice that someplace safe before trying it in live traffic.

I run with tire pressure at 44 (max sidewall)--and I'm not as diligent at checking it as some around here.

That makes sense to me about the gearing... I go for 6th all the time.Funny isn't it ? Never had it to put into. So in your p&g you accelerate slowly up to 50 and glide with engine off to about 30 then bump start and do all over again for max efficiency? I have not done any p&g.I have never had anything to read to see how efficient it was or that I was with it in my car.With the scan gauge I am getting I can do some of that and actually see how I am doing. I do coast with engine off alot already and your right the steering is all together different.

Got to love Northern Michigan! I have a cabin an hour from Grand Traverse in Frankfort, MI. It's beautiful up there! :D

As you indicated to me the p&g when given time (traffic) is very effective. I wish I had alittle more availability to do so.