Debating acceleration techniques

[why?]

you'd really have to try both and figure out what works for you. There is so much difference in driving terrain alone that what would work for me might not work for you.

I live on a main road, and it might take 1/8 of a mile to hit 50mph, which is the speed limit. I don't rev the car above 2000rpms, I don't press the pedal down very hard at all.

I do almost always get at least 36 mpg while driving very short trips, at speeds almost always 50mph or below.

The one thing that seems to really make a difference to me for the Yaris is rpm's. Allowing the car to rev between 2000 and 3000 rpm dropped my gas mileage. I can't come anywhere near putting the pedal to halfway before I hit 2000 rpms in every gear.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

There is so much difference in driving terrain alone that what would work for me might not work for you

^^^^^ This. The terrain here (flat + gentle hills in a few areas) is quite different from where I lived when I first got my Yaris (Marin County,CA). The topography here (in addition to fewer traffic controls, traffic flow, etc.) allows one to achieve better fuel economy than in Marin pretty easily.

[Yaristeve]

I believe, in general, it is true for any car that you should accelerate briskly (not WOT), short shift a bit and get into the highest gear you can that does not result in lugging the engine. So many magazines and tv shows (Mythbusters is one, I believe) have run tests and it seems that they always get the same result: reduce time spent accelerating and get into the highest gear you can. And yet, there are still people and organizations that say to accelerate smooth and slowly...

Oh, and make sure you drive with your tailgate closed on your pickup trucks!

[why?]

Originally Posted by Yaristeve

I believe, in general, it is true for any car that you should accelerate briskly (not WOT), short shift a bit and get into the highest gear you can that does not result in lugging the engine. So many magazines and tv shows (Mythbusters is one, I believe) have run tests and it seems that they always get the same result: reduce time spent accelerating and get into the highest gear you can. And yet, there are still people and organizations that say to accelerate smooth and slowly...

Oh, and make sure you drive with your tailgate closed on your pickup trucks!

Briskly is a bit of a misnomer though. In the Yaris you don't need to floor it to accelerate enough to shift in the next gear. I doubt I ever get to 1/4 throttle in my car.