[mutynee]

Hey guys. Im a newcomer to this site, and Im enjoying everyones input so far. But i was curious to see what peoples tips were on how to get better gas mileage. Such as accelerating faster, braking sooner, etc. I used to have a Dodge Durango, so the difference in MPG for me has literally been cut in half, if not, more.

Also, i was curious to see what mode people drive in. I use the "normal" mode, but does anyone else use the "sport" mode? Which one gets better MPG? I have about 2500mi on my CT so Im still getting the feel for this awesom car.

Hope everyone is havng a great day and i look forward to everyones input

 

[hdave]

I think there is a HUGE post on some Prius forum about this, I'll post it up if I find it.

 

[Termin8r]

Such as accelerating faster, braking sooner, etc.

You save a lot of fuel by realising that kinetic energy, both building it up and losing it, costs fuel. So accelerate gently and brake as little as possible. Be gentle on the loud pedal, look far ahead, anticipate, start coasting as soon as you know you'll probably have to decelerate or come to a stop soon.

If you really want to get serious about saving fuel in a Toyota/Lexus hybrid, amble on over to a Prius forum. That's where the really anal fuel saving types hang out. They've done it all before, conducted every possible experiment, tested all conceivable driving modes and they know how to get every last yard out of every last drop of dinosaur juice. Prepare to be surprised by some of their findings (like don't use the electric drive battery too much) and methods.

 

[Sleepypete]

A couple of rules I'm trying to follow are extensions of

Be gentle on the loud pedal, look far ahead, anticipate, start coasting as soon as you know you'll probably have to decelerate or come to a stop soon.

If you're starting off in traffic and you don't think you'll get to the traffic light before it goes red : be gentle and try to keep it in the Motor Only zone;

No point letting the engine turn on if it's just a tiny sprint before the next lights.

When you're thinking brakes will be needed, try to avoid hitting the bottom of the charge zone - that's when you've reached the maximum rate of energy regeneration and braking heavier leads to using brake pads. It means starting the braking earlier and being more gentle.

Temperature affects the braking thing - when the batteries aren't in the correct temperature zone the maximum recharge and discharge rates aren't as high as they can be, so mechanical braking takes over from electro-braking earlier.

Cold running - I'm thinking working the car a little harder may help when just starting out when it's cold. Idea is that it'll warm up the bits quicker.

Motorway speeds - I need to do more motorway driving to figure this out more but economy will be better if the car can settle to low rpm. In sport mode, I managed to keep consistent 75mph with the car settling to about 2250rpm. In normal, I was having trouble keeping to the consistent 75mph. I think if you keep a consistent speed, the car will allow the revs to drop as the gearing goes higher. Constantly changing speed leads to the gearing staying lower. Kinda like the car going for 8th gear instead of staying in 5th.

Sport vs Normal - I'm likely to do my first real extended motorway run this weekend, so I'll know more about whether Sport works better than Normal when going at motorway speeds.

Stop-start - if you know you're in for a little while of 0-15mph stop-start traffic, use Eco. It lessens throttle response for a more chilled out trundle. Nothing to do with economy Just that sport ain't what you want if you're only going to go 50 yards and then stop again

Last thought - hybrid is all about smoothing out the energy you use. You put energy in by letting the engine burn fuel, you don't want to waste that energy by letting it make the brakes get warm.

 

[midcow3]

If you are really serious about hypermiling

If you really want to hypermile:

increase the pressure of your tires to the maximum recommend clod pressure = 51 psi

change wheels with lighter alloy wheels and cut you rolling weight in half.

Try to always drive at 42 mph; never go on highways. 42 is the optimum speed for the maximum engine economy.

Accelerate very gradually, never in power zone

Anticipate stops an slow down way before and brake slowly.

Turn off air conditioning.

Turn off all electrical accessories. dim your instrument panel.

Most of the time use you DRLs even at dusk and dawn until you absolutely have to turn them on. Never use your fog lights.

Keep your car waxed and cleaned. keep you wheels cleaned.

Put Rain-X on your windshield and try not to use you wiper blades at all

Don't car any passengers and minimize the weight you carry, including never filling over 1/2 tank ( gas weighs 6.1 lbs. /gallon)

Go on a diet and lose some weight.

Always drive in the eco-mode

Leave you car parked as much as possible; combine as many trips together as you can. If possible ride a bike instead of driving your car.

 

[Bigleftyinaz]

Imho 51 psi isn't needed. Approx 40 is all that is needed

 

[hdave]

These made me LOL

Go on a diet and lose some weight.


If possible ride a bike instead of driving your car.

 

[TAZII]

No fog lights or wipers? I think that stuff only applies to the plug-in electrics to save the battery and maximize it for drive train use. As long as you're not in extended stop and go traffic, the battery stays in the zone of 50-65% charged. If extended stop and go drops battery charge to 40%, the engine kicks on to charge up to 50%. Otherwise the battery stays charged by normal engine operation.

Coast as much as possible. Anticipate stops and slow downs and coast into them instead of braking so much. Eco mode doesn't help too much. Cruise control is not better than your own control. It tries too hard to maintain set speed, at the detrement of fuel consumption.

 

[Termin8r]

No fog lights or wipers? I think that stuff only applies to the plug-in electrics to save the battery and maximize it for drive train use.

The energy needed to run electrical things like lights and wipers needs to be generated, which costs fuel. It's not much, but minimising the use of electric equipment does help in maximising MPG in all cars.

 

[prosperity]

Enjoy!

Don't worry, be happy! The CT is a lovely little car and you'll get good fuel economy almost no matter what you do. Drive it and enjoy it. http://www.ct200hforum.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

[Don]

Turn off all electrical accessories. dim your instrument panel.

Keep your car waxed and cleaned. keep you wheels cleaned.

Put Rain-X on your windshield and try not to use you wiper blades at all
QUOTE]

Oh midcow3, you're such a silly person... I think I'm going to leave my CT in the garage and just wax and polish it.

 

[midcow3]

My comments were extreme -- bordering on satire WHOOSH!

Turn off all electrical accessories. dim your instrument panel.

Keep your car waxed and cleaned. keep you wheels cleaned.

Put Rain-X on your windshield and try not to use you wiper blades at all
QUOTE]

Oh midcow3, you're such a silly person... I think I'm going to leave my CT in the garage and just wax and polish it.

Actually most of my comments were extreme bordering on satire , which went over most everyone's head WHOOSH!

However, it is interesting the ones you picked out, because keeping your car clean and waxed does make a difference and so does Rain-X, maybe only minimally and even less with CT200h rain repelling glass, but anything that can reduce the co-efficient of friction with the wind improves mileage.

===============

I personally don't hyper mile. I usually drive conservatively, but if the flow of the traffic on I-45 is 75-80 that is the speed I go. Life is just too short and actually gas cost is most of the time a minimum outlay in the overall scheme of things. Yes, if I had a long daily commute then I would look for a very economical car.

You have to enjoy life and smell the roses I have had Lexus before and like their quality, luxury, and attention to features and detail. The CT200h was perfect for what I was looking for,(1) good mileage, (2) reliability,(3) 4-door hatchback with fold-down seats, (4) ability to transport my dog, (6) navigation, (7) good stereo, (8) clear instrumentation with white lettering, (9) decent performance, and (10) manual shift

Well hey, 8 of 10 isn't that bad

 

[Boldlygo]

On the subject of gas mileage, I did some calculations, and compared to my last car (Mazda CX-9), I save $100. in gas for every 1000km driven (based on gas @ $1.20/l)

 

[midcow3]

On the subject of gas mileage, I did some calculations, and compared to my last car (Mazda CX-9), I save $100. in gas for every 1000km driven (based on gas @ $1.20/l)

Hey Boldygo , let's say the average per month driven is 2000km or 1250miles per month so let's say a savings of $200. I would also estimate that most peoples net monthly budget is somewhere around $6,000 or higher.

Assuming $6,000 a $200 savings only represents 3.3% and they probably have a $750 CT200h car payment.
If a person really, really wanted to save money they could ..... But then again we need some reason to justify the luxury and beauty of the Beast, CT200h

Most people don't understand economics, especially the US governmental entities ( not I refrained from the word leader) , if you like I could give you a short course in budgeting and economics I have the required college training ...but hey that is a different matter.

To me 39 mpg and fun and pleasure is better than 51 mpg bored, old foggie, complacent, and liassez-faire

 

[Sleepypete]

Let's see ...

I do roughly 7000 miles a year

Focus ST170 (old car) - 32mpg average (28 in town, 36 on long runs)
So that's 218.75 ImpGals per year, at £1.33 per litre that makes £1322 on fuel per year.

CT200h - 46mpg town, estimate 52 on a run (will know more there this weekend when I do a 100mile+ run), let's say 50mpg average
140 ImpGals over the year, for £846 in fuel

Nifty And I'll hopefully get more mpg too as I learn how to get the best out of the car .

Oh - meant to comment earlier :

(8) clear instrumentation with white lettering

Was amazed yesterday. I was driving into low sun, where I always had trouble with glare on the instruments as my shades and glasses are getting old enough to lose their anti-sun coatings. The CT ? The main instruments were probably clearer in the low sun ... Wow.

 

[Boldlygo]

Hey Boldlygo , let's say the average per month driven is 2000km or 1250

Then I would be saving $200 / month! Awesome.

Right now I have 13000km on my car and I bought it late May.

 

[midcow3]

Who cares about mileage in your case ?

Let's see ...

I do roughly 7000 miles a year

Focus ST170 (old car) - 32mpg average (28 in town, 36 on long runs)
So that's 218.75 ImpGals per year, at £1.33 per litre that makes £1322 on fuel per year.

CT200h - 46mpg town, estimate 52 on a run (will know more there this weekend when I do a 100mile+ run), let's say 50mpg average
140 ImpGals over the year, for £846 in fuel

Nifty And I'll hopefully get more mpg too as I learn how to get the best out of the car .

Oh - meant to comment earlier :

Was amazed yesterday. I was driving into low sun, where I always had trouble with glare on the instruments as my shades and glasses are getting old enough to lose their anti-sun coatings. The CT ? The main instruments were probably clearer in the low sun ... Wow.

Wow only 7,000 miles a year, get a performance vehicle! like a M3 or C63 or ISF . Maybe in the future a CTF; watch it will come a F-sport with some swagger ... well maybe a heck of a lot of swagger!

 

[Sleepypete]

Wow only 7,000 miles a year, get a performance vehicle! like a M3 or C63 or ISF . Maybe in the future a CTF; watch it will come a F-sport with some swagger ... well maybe a heck of a lot of swagger!

Lol - I seem to cycle between Sporty Car <> Cushy Car.

2 cars ago it was a Ford Puma which, rarely for Ford, was a cracking little vehicle. If a little kiddy walks past shouting "MommyMommy It's a Spaceship", definite Big Grin time. The Puma was a great little car while it lasted.

I made the mistake of going for a ST170, which should have been Puma but a little bigger ... Not quite. I was bored very quickly because the Focus chassis wasn't nearly as good as the reworked Fiesta chassis that the Puma had. Yep - quicker but without giving the confidence to put the extra power to good use.

Fingers crossed for a CT300h in a few years time

PS I suspect my 7000 a year will go up. I didn't really want to drive the Focus anywhere, I have the opposite feeling with the CT

 

[rdalemercer]

Isn't it really about how many GALLONS you use? Do you want better mpg or lower fuel costs? OK, we bought a hybrid because we want BOTH, but read on....

Here's my scenario:
I have three routes that I can take to work (75% of my driving miles per year)
1. 9.6 miles (lots of start/stop, trafic and basically annoying)
2. 12.3 (mix of street and highway driving - not so annoying)
3. 17.2 (mostly highway - minimum annoyances).
note: use Google Maps to enter your original and final destination and then "play" with the route to find your shortest route that is "doable" for you)


So, using those three routes as the basis for my calculation:
1. 9.2 x 250 (days per week that I work) x2 (there and back) = 4800 miles / 40 mpg x $3.67 ($/gallon) = $440.4
2. 12.3 (same calc as above) = $593.96 (@38 mpg - high speeds, less mpg)
3. 17.2 (same calc as above) = $876.72 (@36 mpg - higher speeds, less mpg)
note: you can increase this difference by improving your mpg, but the basic premis - IMHO - is more about gallons per year than it is mpg since the difference between the three routes is not so significant.


So, *my* result of using google maps and re-routing my daily drive nets $436.32(annual cost avoidance). A 10% change in mpg yields between routes 1 and 3 is also calculated.


I still try to maximize my "MPG" by changing my driving habits and it's still interesting to "best" my previous mpg rating for that route, but my point is that we can *reduce* our consumption of gasoline (and the resulting expulsion of noxious gasses from our tailpipes) by re-routing our daily commute. The result is lower gallons consumption AND lower fuel costs = more money in my pocket. The ancillary benefit is fewer miles driven each year should also equal less maintenace cost, less wear and tear and (all things being equal) a higher resale value due to lower overall miles that you put on the car.


I can find a lot of uses for $436.32 (it's just about a payment, right?)


That's my .02 worth.....

 

[sdjay13]

hahaha...nice.