Fuel Economy

[Nigal]

Did you happen to list how you were able to achieve such results somewhere already? I didn't wanna ask if you'd already posted it somewhere.

I just filled up today and got an all time high of 40 mpg out of my tank. I swear with 29,000 miles on my sedan it's almost as if it's just breaking in. I picked up some Mobil 1 0W-20 for an oil change tomorrow and am interested to see if there's any increase.

[BailOut]

Nigal,

I am glad to see your enthusiastic interest and point you to my stickied thread in this forum, "Fuel Efficiency and the Yaris".

Enjoy!

[GotYaris?]

Well my first 2 tanks of gas have gotten me approx 33.7 mpg...not exactly crazy about those numbers but I drive 35 miles one way to work and do anywhere from 65MPH to 75MPH, ac is off going to work and on coming home. I am going to take a highway trip from DC to NYC soon and see if it gets up into the 40pmg range.

[Nigal]

I was getting 34-37MPG when I first got mine but it slowly got better as I put more miles on.

[swng]

Originally Posted by Nigal

I was getting 34-37MPG when I first got mine but it slowly got better as I put more miles on.

Seems to be a common trend.

[ChinoCharles]

308.46 miles
7.365 gallons
41.9 MPG
95% city driving
Shell 87

[glxBoSS]

Wow... Impressive, maybe I'll get up to them numbers once I break my lil car in Charles.

[ChinoCharles]

I'm impressed myself. That is a 10 MPG increase from the first tank I logged on the car. I took on some driving techniques straight from the hypermilers and its working well for me. I'm not turning the car off while moving or anything. I'm smarter than that. What I am finding is that you can shift at 1500-2000 RPM in this car all day without having to use too much gas to compensate. As most of my driving is done in 35-45 MPH zones chocked full of stop signs, I find that when accellerating from a stop it is beneficial to give each gear until about 2000 RPM and shift. That puts you in second at 10 MPH, third at 20 MPH, fourth at 30 MPH, and fifth at 40 MPH. On my next tank I am aiming for 45 MPG. I have a couple mods on the way that may help me even further in my newfound quest to stick it to the Saudis. Stay tuned.

[Nigal]

I remember hearing that BMW did a study to determine at what RPM gets the best MPG and they found that shifting below rpm gets better than higher rpms. This last tank full I simply cut my speed by 10 mph; 65 from 75 on four lanes and 55 from 65 on two lanes. As of last night I had 300 and it just fell below the half tank mark. I drive a rout for work so it's the same every day. The strangest thing is that I still arrive at my destination at almost the exact same time as when I speed. I'll report back when I do my fill up and report my mileage.

[Racer X-8]

Originally Posted by Nigal

... The strangest thing is that I still arrive at my destination at almost the exact same time as when I speed. ...

Not so strange, for 2 reasons:

1. If you pass thru a series of traffic lights, they could be programmed and will stop you if you're over the speed limit. I could bore you with a long story about me versus a Greyhound bus that was in a hurry late one night,,, just believe it.
2. 10 miles @ 55mph = 10 minutes, 55 seconds. 10 miles @ 80mph = 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The 10 mile difference = 3 minutes, 25 seconds. Using "you" generically---> Now you have to ask yourself "Is 3-1/2 minutes worth it?" The answer to that should almost always be "NO". Heck, a visit to the restroom would use-up all of that. If you're late to get to work, would 3-1/2 minutes really matter that much? How about you leave home on-time and not try to make it up by driving dangerously. <--- Using "you" generically.

[ojo]

I've had my Yaris for a little over a month, and I have to say that I am very happy with my mileage so far. I got 34.5 mpg on the first tank and have gotten 35-37 since then. I drive 35 miles one way to work and drive about 70-75 mph. I definitely notice a difference in mileage when I floor it at a green light, but when I accelerate more smoothly and gradually, I can keep good mileage while still driving semi-aggressively.

[Nigal]

Originally Posted by Racer X-8

Not so strange, for 2 reasons:

1. If you pass thru a series of traffic lights, they could be programmed and will stop you if you're over the speed limit. I could bore you with a long story about me versus a Greyhound bus that was in a hurry late one night,,, just believe it.
2. 10 miles @ 55mph = 10 minutes, 55 seconds. 10 miles @ 80mph = 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The 10 mile difference = 3 minutes, 25 seconds. Using "you" generically---> Now you have to ask yourself "Is 3-1/2 minutes worth it?" The answer to that should almost always be "NO". Heck, a visit to the restroom would use-up all of that. If you're late to get to work, would 3-1/2 minutes really matter that much? How about you leave home on-time and not try to make it up by driving dangerously. <--- Using "you" generically.

[whine] Math is hard and stuff... LOL!

I've been trying to leave home about 5-10 minutes early to make the difference. One of the best things about driving slower is that I don't end up stuck behind the damn soccer moms in minivans going 65 in the fast lane.

[swng]

Originally Posted by Nigal

[whine] Math is hard and stuff... LOL!

I've been trying to leave home about 5-10 minutes early to make the difference. One of the best things about driving slower is that I don't end up stuck behind the damn soccer moms in minivans going 65 in the fast lane.

Very sensible friend!
BTW, I would take the opportunity and sidetrack a bit to mention that one of the safe ways to save fuel is not to follow the car in front too closely (aka tailgating). Whilst taking advantage of the draft created by the car in front is good when everything is on the move, tailgating, especially in city driving conditions, will usually result in a need to brake repeatedly and abruptly, and will prevent the use of good anticipatory driving techniques. Such are hardly good for fuel economy.

[leowhy]

Originally Posted by swng

Very sensible friend!
BTW, I would take the opportunity and sidetrack a bit to mention that one of the safe ways to save fuel is not to follow the car in front too closely (aka tailgating). Whilst taking advantage of the draft created by the car in front is good when everything is on the move, tailgating, especially in city driving conditions, will usually result in a need to brake repeatedly and abruptly, and will prevent the use of good anticipatory driving techniques. Such are hardly good for fuel economy.

unfortunately that is not possible in where i live... the traffic here is bumper to bumper situation...

[Nigal]

i don't draft. With my attention span and the weakness of the body panels in this car I'd end up with a 1.5 liter engine in my lap with my legs cureled around it.

I did fill up yesterday and with the new slower driving I've been doing I got like 42.4 mpg. I got the stock tires pumped up to 44 psi now and will see what kind of difference it makes if any.

[swng]

Originally Posted by Nigal

i don't draft. With my attention span and the weakness of the body panels in this car I'd end up with a 1.5 liter engine in my lap with my legs cureled around it.

I did fill up yesterday and with the new slower driving I've been doing I got like 42.4 mpg. I got the stock tires pumped up to 44 psi now and will see what kind of difference it makes if any.

Nice to learn about that. The mpg numbers are good and apparently already better than EPA ratings (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/mpg/overall-high.htm ) granted that it has basically been day to day driving that has helped achieve them. Thumbs up!
On the other hand, over pumping the tires may result in the treads in the middle wearing faster. I do not know how far the tires have to be over inflated for this to occur. Intuitively, I think the tires will have to be significantly over inflated for any uneven tread wear to become noticeable in a short span of time. I can be wrong. Anyway, if uneven tread wear does occur, then there may be a need to weigh between the cost of the fuel saved and the cost of the tires to the extent that they may need to be replaced prematurely in order to be safe.
Any input will be most welcome.
Safe and happy motoring!

[uncleyaris]

[bnther36]

As of tomorrow I have had my Yaris for a whole week!

Filled it back up this morning; it took 9.489 gallons for 402.1 miles to give me 42.375 mpg. This week was about 75/25 hwy/city driving with a day or two running A/C. Not too shabby for completely stock and just under 1000 miles.

I'm sure that there is an oil owner somewhere hating on me