Comments on: Hypermiling in My Old Subaru…

By: Peacedog

Peacedog — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:04:30 +0000

Yes, you saved yourself 4mpg. But you made yourself look like a little old lady doing it. Good, irony intended, for you.

It amazes me how stupid normally intelligent people get trying to save a few bucks.

Hey, you could save all that money by riding a bicycle everywhere. (Along with all of the other unemployed granola munchers)

By: Segwyne

Segwyne — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:17:18 +0000

This is the first time I have heard the term hypermiling, but I guess I have been practicing it for a while now. I admit to driving 5 over the limit, and including taking it to 70 on the interstate, but I try not accelerate or decelerate any faster than necessary. I just checked the numbers for my car (a 1998 Mazda Protogé, automatic transmission) and I get much better mileage than they show. Last time I checked it, I was getting 37-38 mpg. Now granted, I use the car primarily for long trips, so 95%+ of that is highway mileage. So, yeah, it does work. I haven’t tried making only right hand turns yet, though.

By: The numbers don’t lie! Hypermiling works! » GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:16:11 +0000

[...] Hypermiling in My Old Subaru… [...]

By: mark

mark — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:06:08 +0000

I’m on my second Forester (’07) with the 4 speed automatic, so I’m limited compared to a stick. Staying at or below the speed limit is not difficult. A big help is beginning the trip early and not being in a rush. 50 is generally better than 60 due to aerodynamic drag. Speaking of that, removing the roof rack when not in use may help a tad. Keeping the windows up also helps a bit, as well as saving your hearing. Limit the use of headlights. Keep the motor in tune, and use the best oil you can afford. I use synthetic. It stays slipperier longest and markedly reduces the buildup of gunk on the internals. I had to have the head gasket replaced on one side of the previous Forester at 90K and the mechanic said it looked like new inside, so he checked a few things with a micrometer and they were within spec for new parts. I’m sold.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:45:23 +0000

Two years ago as gasoline prices rose I backed off the accelerator. Instead of going at the upper speed limit I dropped my average speed 5 mph. I saw an 5 mpg improvement over three tankfuls. I dropped my average speed another 5 mph, not to exceed 55 mph and realized another 5 mpg increase. That was in a 1987 Subaru GL stationwagon (man. trans). When I parked it last November I was consistently averaging around 33 mpg each fill. I now am driving a 1995 Subaru Legacy L sedan 5 speed trans. at similar speeds and am consistently getting 35+ mpg. I maintain tire pressure at 40-42 psi (thats at the lower limit of the psi rating listed on the sidewall by the tire manufacturer.) I accelerate gently, cruise in the right lane and use synthetic oil.
I parked the 1987 in the back yard with 309k letting the license lapse. It still runs great but due to holes in the body barely gets warm inside in the winter. The 1995 has 212k, has a tight body, excellent drive train and runs great. I expect to exceed 300k with it also.
I’ve enjoyed 5 Subarus. I’ve owned the ‘95 twice. Our daughter owned it for four years. I love the AWD, reliability and economy. I see no need for an engine larger than 2.2 liters. Anyone who wants to race should get trained and go to a race track.

By: Gideon

Gideon — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:02:45 +0000

Driving in neutral in an automatic can burn up the transmission. An old boss did that to his work car once; he used to put it in N coming down a long mountain road. I don’t know if newer cars have this problem.

Staying off the break and turning off the engine as much as possible (unless you need a new starter) make the biggest difference. A vehicles in Japan have an automatic shut-off when the car is stopped (it starts again when the gas is pressed), like the Prius.

By: Update on Hypermiling - Improvement from 20.0 to 24.4 mpg! » GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow

Thu, 15 May 2008 03:07:15 +0000

[...] Hypermiling in My Old Subaru… [...]

By: Michael d'Estries

Michael d'Estries — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:10:07 +0000

As my ‘01 Forester is stick, I’ve been driving a lot in neutral — especially since Ithaca, NY is blessed/cursed with hills. It definitely helps — our ‘08 Civic (which is automatic) has also benefited from shifting into neutral on large hills or slopes. My old Hyundai used to lose power steering when I did this, so I tended not to use it too often — the new car, however, is good as gold.

One of the nice things with the new Civics (and I’m sure other cars) is the tire pressure monitor. No longer do you have to guess if it’s getting low — the car will just let you know.

And don’t think automakers aren’t paying attention to hypermiling – back in January, Groovy told you that Toyota is planning on installing a “driving efficiency” monitor that lights up the dashboard green when you’re getting the most out of your gas tank. At least it’s something to look at!

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:55:32 +0000

I have an ‘02 Legacy that I can generally get about 30mpg from using a lot of these techniques.

One other thing that can help (in my opinion) is installing a high performance Air Filter such as one from K&N http://www.knfilters.com/. My whole family and a number of friends have installed either a K&N filter or some equivalent (e.g. TRD performance filters for Toyotas) and we all think it has helped.

K&N advertises them for improving power and acceleration by allowing less restrictive airflow, but they won’t make any claims about improved mileage, because that really depends on driving using these techniques. Assuming you drive to maximize mileage, an air filter that allows better airflow can be a good investment.

By: melissa

melissa — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:55:59 +0000

I would like to know how you pick the number. For instance, when I bought my PT Cruiser the dealer told me to try not to let it rev over 3000 RPM.