New to Hypermilling - Better MPG in an SUV?

[doogly]

Hey everybody, I'm a Junior in high school and was given a 1999 Honda CR-V by my Grandparents as a gift. Buying gas was always a problem for me because I don't have a job or time for one because I do sports. I make about $25 a week taking care of kids. I read this article: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feat...permilers.html and became very inspired by it and how easy it is to improve your gas mileage just by driving differently. I was wondering what are some ways I can improve the mileage in my car that doesn't cost anything. So far I've tried to: limit braking, accelerate slowly, keep my windows up, turn off the AC, and don't use the defroster (thank goodness it's summer). I'm going to check my tire pressure soon and make sure that it's at the highest recommended level. What are some other simple things I can do to improve my mileage whether it be in driving technique or not? Any suggestions? I don't know how low I can get it because it's a mini SUV and has huge wind resistance. My daily commute is too and from school mostly along back roads with speeds between 35 and 45 and mostly gentle turns with a few stop lights. Thanks for your help!

[lamebums]

Hi and welcome to CleanMPG! It's good to see more people in my age group these days looking to improve their mileage.

For starters, keep doing what you've been doing - slow down, don't take off as hard or anything like that. And then press up your tires to the max sidewall (underinflated tires from my experience is easily 10%) and read the article on hypermiling. Your MPG's will go up in no time.

Good luck!

[Vooch]

get a iFCD (scan gauge) you will be shocked at how better your MPG will get once you get instant feedback

[rdprice64]

A few additional things that have worked for me and my little SUV:

- see if there are any other wind resistance things you can do: remove the roof rack; remove the front license plate and its holder; etc.
- use google maps to see if there is a shorter route to school, I went from 12.5 miles each way to 8.0 miles, cutting 9 miles off each day.
- Only fill-up early in the morning, cooler temperatures cause less evaporation.
- If there is a stretch of non-stop road, try Cruise Control (even at 35-45 mph). More experienced people can do better than CC, but often I can't.

These have helped me, I hope they help you too!

Good luck,
Rob

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by doogly

Hey everybody, I'm a Junior in high school and was given a 1999 Honda CR-V by my Grandparents as a gift. Buying gas was always a problem for me because I don't have a job or time for one because I do sports. I make about $25 a week taking care of kids. I read this article: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feat...permilers.html and became very inspired by it and how easy it is to improve your gas mileage just by driving differently. I was wondering what are some ways I can improve the mileage in my car that doesn't cost anything. So far I've tried to: limit braking, accelerate slowly, keep my windows up, turn off the AC, and don't use the defroster (thank goodness it's summer). I'm going to check my tire pressure soon and make sure that it's at the highest recommended level. What are some other simple things I can do to improve my mileage whether it be in driving technique or not? Any suggestions? I don't know how low I can get it because it's a mini SUV and has huge wind resistance. My daily commute is too and from school mostly along back roads with speeds between 35 and 45 and mostly gentle turns with a few stop lights. Thanks for your help!

Welcome to CleanMPG. To answer your question: Yes, you can get better mpg in an SUV. In fact, you can get better in any vehicle with the right techniques. I see that there has been some pretty good advice given already. At $25/week a Scanguage may be difficult to swing but it will be well worth it to set a goal of getting one as soon as possible. The route planning that was mentioned is another thing that works well for me. In most cases, the shorter rout will be better. However, there are a few cases where a slightly longer route can be better. The key is whether or not the route uses less fuel overall. Time of day can be important to. If a trip can be made at a time other than rush hour it will help. Also, try to group several trips into one to keep the engine at a warmer more efficient temp as much as possible. As was mentioned by Auston, it is nice to see younger people getting interested in fuel economy. Hopefully you will be an example that others in your age group will follow. Keep reading and ask us lots of questions.

[mintsk8er]

Welcome doogly! I hope you enjoy discovering the wealth of info here on this site. I, too, am what most people would call a youngn' at 20 years and struggling to keep up with crazy gas prices.

A word of warning though ( )

1. You WILL get better gas mileage and save money.
2. Hypermiling is addictive.
3. Your friends and family may become suddenly fascinated by your gas mileage to the point where you can't confront them without the topic arising ( spoken for truth ).
4. You'll start to think everyone who doesn't hypermile drives completely crazy!
5. ...And many more conclusions may be drawn by yourself!