xcel
04-23-2006, 06:58 PM
Hi All:
___A post from June of last year … Before last weekend, I was never offered the opportunity to drive an HCH in the CVT or 5-speed stick format. After Tbaleno, GreenAndBlue, and I finished our day with the AH last Sunday, Tbaleno and I drove back to Maggiano’s at Old Orchard here just north of Chicago and had a delicious meal. Afterwards, I was allowed to drive his HCH for a nice and easy, relatively distant round trip segment. I was always a bit afraid of the HCH’s w/ a CVT given the few reports of forced autostops and the bang that accompanies the reengagement. Hot_Georgia_2004’s posts come to minds … After an ~ 25% highway, 75% traffic free suburban throughway round trip, I was thoroughly impressed. Although I was probably driving a bit to cautious for Tbaleno’s taste, Forced autostop and re-engagement at speeds of 28 mph or less were as smooth as the HCH’s CVT was when leaving a light, sign, or parking lot. I was also impressed with the manner at which she would maintain 60 + mpg during a slow and steady acceleration from about 20 - 25 mph on up and how she would maintain that ~ 60 + mpg readout at any steady speed all the way to maybe a maximum of 58 mph as that is all I had her up to during my time behind the windscreen. Whoever designed that CVT knew exactly what he or she was doing in regards to receiving very high FE.
___Being used to Honda Auto tranny’s over the years (not the smoothest of the bunch), that CVT was like butter as most of you already know. Although I did not have the same control over FE as I would have with a stick, the CVT performed magnificently. I thought I might negatively affect Tbaleno’s lmpg or tank but after all was said and done, I actually helped out by a notch or two w/ a 65.x mpg segment from parking lot to parking lot. It was the ease at which I achieved that FE that was so interesting. I was using the light traffic - suburban/city hypermiling techniques of course but I did not have to incorporate any thought or actions into shift points at varying RPM’s and speeds a manual driver is always conscience of. The Accord’s Auto has idiosyncrasies that have to be dealt for maximizing one’s FE unlike the HCH w/ the CVT. Nice car, nice price, and best of all, relatively easy to hypermile without much experience or thought I would say.
___The next accessory that I thought was rather ingenious was a 12V meter reading the 12V battery from inside the driver’s forward view. Tbaleno has a kick @$$ stereo setup and because of all the amps and speakers, there is quite a large accessory draw. What he did was to pick up a Ricer gauge cluster add-on and in one of the gauge openings, he installed a 12V meter. He was telling me that once 11.7 - 11.8 V was breached; it was time to start her back up and receive some charge off the ICE/pack before the draw takes the little guy down to the point of losing boot up capabilities. Nice little addition and it was incorporated in such a way to look almost factory. It was dark but it appeared almost OEM in its implementation. I hope he can upload a pic or two if he has not already as it was indeed a nice addition.
___Tbaleno, thank you for the test drive as I hope I can return the favor someday.
___Good Luck
___Wayne
___A post from June of last year … Before last weekend, I was never offered the opportunity to drive an HCH in the CVT or 5-speed stick format. After Tbaleno, GreenAndBlue, and I finished our day with the AH last Sunday, Tbaleno and I drove back to Maggiano’s at Old Orchard here just north of Chicago and had a delicious meal. Afterwards, I was allowed to drive his HCH for a nice and easy, relatively distant round trip segment. I was always a bit afraid of the HCH’s w/ a CVT given the few reports of forced autostops and the bang that accompanies the reengagement. Hot_Georgia_2004’s posts come to minds … After an ~ 25% highway, 75% traffic free suburban throughway round trip, I was thoroughly impressed. Although I was probably driving a bit to cautious for Tbaleno’s taste, Forced autostop and re-engagement at speeds of 28 mph or less were as smooth as the HCH’s CVT was when leaving a light, sign, or parking lot. I was also impressed with the manner at which she would maintain 60 + mpg during a slow and steady acceleration from about 20 - 25 mph on up and how she would maintain that ~ 60 + mpg readout at any steady speed all the way to maybe a maximum of 58 mph as that is all I had her up to during my time behind the windscreen. Whoever designed that CVT knew exactly what he or she was doing in regards to receiving very high FE.
___Being used to Honda Auto tranny’s over the years (not the smoothest of the bunch), that CVT was like butter as most of you already know. Although I did not have the same control over FE as I would have with a stick, the CVT performed magnificently. I thought I might negatively affect Tbaleno’s lmpg or tank but after all was said and done, I actually helped out by a notch or two w/ a 65.x mpg segment from parking lot to parking lot. It was the ease at which I achieved that FE that was so interesting. I was using the light traffic - suburban/city hypermiling techniques of course but I did not have to incorporate any thought or actions into shift points at varying RPM’s and speeds a manual driver is always conscience of. The Accord’s Auto has idiosyncrasies that have to be dealt for maximizing one’s FE unlike the HCH w/ the CVT. Nice car, nice price, and best of all, relatively easy to hypermile without much experience or thought I would say.
___The next accessory that I thought was rather ingenious was a 12V meter reading the 12V battery from inside the driver’s forward view. Tbaleno has a kick @$$ stereo setup and because of all the amps and speakers, there is quite a large accessory draw. What he did was to pick up a Ricer gauge cluster add-on and in one of the gauge openings, he installed a 12V meter. He was telling me that once 11.7 - 11.8 V was breached; it was time to start her back up and receive some charge off the ICE/pack before the draw takes the little guy down to the point of losing boot up capabilities. Nice little addition and it was incorporated in such a way to look almost factory. It was dark but it appeared almost OEM in its implementation. I hope he can upload a pic or two if he has not already as it was indeed a nice addition.
___Tbaleno, thank you for the test drive as I hope I can return the favor someday.
___Good Luck
___Wayne