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I'm retiring it from hypermiling, and giving it to my daughter's family. It has 97,000 miles on it, the last 20,000 as a hypermiled vehicle.

My mpg had been dropping recently, and the brakes have been sticking. I thought my son-in-law could fix it, but my mechanic convinced me to replace the master brake cylinder, which wasn't releasing, before I drove it to New Mexico. My recent mpg efforts had dropped below 35 mpg on trips to SoCal and Yosemite because of the dragging brakes.

My current trip to New Mexico was an eye-opener. I got 42 mpg yesterday, and 43 mpg today, on my 1100 mile drive to Albuquerque. Starting from Kingman, AZ this morning, I averaged only 38 mpg on the climb to Flagstaff. For the rest of the day, I nursed my mpg with every pulse, building the tank average to over 43 mpg, close to 200% of its 22 mpg EPA combined estimate.

Hi Darrell:

Well if it had to go, it had to go. What is your next vehicle?

Wayne

I'll probably wait to see how the market goes. I like the idea of a small 1.2 or 1.4 liter turbo, but it doesn't look like any are coming out soon, contrary to expectations. Maybe the Fiat 500 or Scion IQ will deliver smething new.

If I have to get another vehicle in the interim, a 2G Prius or an Echo would be near the top of the list.

Hi Darrell:

The 2G Prius' right now can be picked up for a song! And when gas goes back up, you will be selling it for what you paid for it too ;)

The Cruze ECO will use the 1.4L T but I suspect GM marketing is already calculating the premium they will charge for the better FE without adding a thing other than $25 worth of aero, taller ratios and lower RRc based tires... Which in most cases are less costly.

I cannot wait to hear of your purchase whatever it may be as I think you are going to be amongst the ranks of the elites in no time at all ;)

Good Luck

Wayne

Thanks, Wayne. I'm not one to push for record distances on a tank of gasoline, but my final two tanks in the Sentra could both have passed half kilotanks. I filled the first tank at about 485 miles, and the low fuel warning light hadn't gone on yet. The final tank is at 466 miles, and easily has another 60 miles before the warning light would go on. I have the Scangauge set very conservatively, so the current tank may well be over 44 mpg when topped off. That's my daughter's worry now.