Month of April 2026 (Nat’l Avg price $4.064)

Thanks for starting our thread, Gord.

It was close to 40 deg F all day, and the wind that was NE 15
in the morning was NE 18 on the way home.

I'll just show the numbers for the tank :
219.9 miles, fcd = 69.8 mpg.

I go to Michigan at 4:20 AM tomorrow (Amtrak), so just a few 4.3 mile
trips until I get home again on the 7th. ( Italics accidental)

 

Gas finally hit 3.999 for regular in my area.
Last weekend, I drove home a new 2026 Chevy Trax to use as a cold weather car. This past winter was bitter and not having a heated steering wheel is a literal pain when you have arthritis. They had a deal on these cars - almost $4k off, and 2.9% for 48 months. My investments are earning 5%+ so it'd be dumb to take the money out to drop on a car. The day I drove it home was cold and damp, and the heated wheel is exactly what I needed. The Trax is the lowest priced car you can buy with a heated steering wheel. Nothing else even comes close, and the cash on the hood made it a no-brainer.

I have been driving it this week to give the Elantra a rest as it reached its 32k odometer milestone. The Trax is rated 28/32 and in my daily commute out-&-back-home, it's bouncing around between 40.5 and 45.5 averages. It does have an instant mpg gauge I have been using for guidance, but I think I am going to treat it to an ultragauge soon. The car has a tiny turbo engine and it seems to need a very trained right foot to keep the boost down. A visible display of throttle position and engine load should make it possible to hit 50mpg averages.

To get the heated wheel, I was considering trading out of the Elantra for a Maverick hybrid. But the prices on them have gotten plain stupid, and the gap between the Elantra trade value and the Lariat-trim hybrid was the same as what the Chevy cost me. And so far, I have been getting numbers with the Chevy that are right around what the Maverick hybrid can deliver. And no way Ford would have financed the Maverick at 2.9% for any length of time, so it made more sense to get the Trax. We have a lot of cars in my extended family, so now I have a spare if someone needs a loaner while their daily driver is in for repairs. And I still have the Elantra to get the big numbers on my daily commute on weeks when I am driving it. Had I traded out of it, I would have one car that would be a hybrid but would not be anywhere near as capable as the Hyundai I already own.

 

Interesting, a Tesla Model Y owner in Canada parks his EV for the winter and drives an older Trax as long as there's salt on the roads.

 

Hope the Trax works well for you, Chris. I kinda miss not having a second car, but I know my Fit is in good hands now with my old friend Kelly.
I think it's a good thing to keep your Elantra.
My Elantra at 26 months is just a smidge under 20K miles and works beautifully. I would love a heated steering wheel but I'll wear gloves.
50 MPG from the Trax may be tough, but I'm sure you can do it.

 

Woo-hoo!

 

Home from Michigan. Used very little gasoline. Of course, I don't know how much diesel fuel
the train drank. Elantra sits at 229.4 miles, 413 remaining, fcd = 68.7 mpg. Now I will drive to work three days,
then to Hanover Park Saturday. Still a bit under 20K miles.

 

Fantastic! Unlikely anywhere in the US with highways.

 

Between new speed cameras going up in many areas and higher gas prices than Americans are used to, I'm hoping to find more tolerance for lower speed spectrum, closer to psl.

Hey Wayne, doing ok?



Add: Oh, the Ioniq 5 is our trip car because it is more comfortable for Joyce. It seems pretty efficient, but not Model Y level, at least on a gut level. I've never really compared under identical conditions. During resort areas' off-season, we've been heading to Ocean City MD about once a month. I have stuck with the Tesla superchargers for reliability. I subscribe when I need it. The Ioniq's 800V system accommodates 400V chargers just fine. I have no need for the shortest pit stops. The flat charging rate at 125kW up through 70% suits me. 20-30 minute stops are ideal for us.

 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I go back to work. This tank has about 150 miles
remaining. I will need to fill up Thursday night. Not expecting prices to drop.
Slow leak in tire is fixed. All tires at sidewall max (44 psi on OEM tires)
This tank is currently about 69 mpg.

 

Tank + 571.5 miles, , 90 remaining.

Fcd = 69.3 mpg

 

Today was okay. 60 deg F AM , 72 deg PM.
33.1 miles, fcd = 71.4 mpg
32..7 miles, fcd = 80.0 mpg

Bought fuel at Pride in Naperville (home of free air).
631.8 miles, fcd = 69.8 mpg ,
$4.339, 9.874 gal, 31 miles remaining