From 38mpg to 45mpg on 07 hatchback by hypermiling and detailing exterior

[07liftback]

Sorry to revive my old thread but I think part of the improvement could have been from drafting behind large trucks 70-80% of the time. On my way back from Los Angeles, I was only able to obtain 38mpg where I still drafted behind trucks 50% of the time and stayed under 60mph, usually 50-55mph. Not sure how everyone else in this forum is getting 40-60mpg easily on the freeway.

[Ilovemyyaris]

Originally Posted by 07liftback

Sorry to revive my old thread but I think part of the improvement could have been from drafting behind large trucks 70-80% of the time. On my way back from Los Angeles, I was only able to obtain 38mpg where I still drafted behind trucks 50% of the time and stayed under 60mph, usually 50-55mph. Not sure how everyone else in this forum is getting 40-60mpg easily on the freeway.

Maybe... you're mostly going up hill?

I notice I get about 42 mpg going to my grandparents house, coming back I get about 47 mpg semi consistently. Back road going about 45 to 50 mph. Apparently grandparents house is at a higher elevation.

ALso, unless I'm within a car length distance with big trucks I don't notice much mpg increase. I have to be pretty close to them and cop pulled me over once and explained he wasn't too happy to see that. Legally you need to be within two car lengths he explained but didn't recommend doing that either.

Anyways I only got like 3 maybe 4 mpgs extra from that distance. I think I might get 1 or 2 mpgs at two ish car lengths behind big rigs. Which of course is better than nothing as it adds up. Going 70 on the highway gets me about 38 to 39 mpg within 100 miles. Same distance behind trucks got me 40 to 42 mpg. Of course it seems like the farther I go the better mpgs I get. went from georgia to michigan and got about 47 mpgs on the highway but it took a few hundred miles to max out mpgs. And of course on the way up and on the way back I got different mileage. but I believe 47 was the average for both trips.

[dogsridewith]

what was the spacing to trucks on the 47 mpg run?

Originally Posted by Ilovemyyaris

Maybe... you're mostly going up hill?

I notice I get about 42 mpg going to my grandparents house, coming back I get about 47 mpg semi consistently. Back road going about 45 to 50 mph. Apparently grandparents house is at a higher elevation.

ALso, unless I'm within a car length distance with big trucks I don't notice much mpg increase. I have to be pretty close to them and cop pulled me over once and explained he wasn't too happy to see that. Legally you need to be within two car lengths he explained but didn't recommend doing that either.

Anyways I only got like 3 maybe 4 mpgs extra from that distance. I think I might get 1 or 2 mpgs at two ish car lengths behind big rigs. Which of course is better than nothing as it adds up. Going 70 on the highway gets me about 38 to 39 mpg within 100 miles. Same distance behind trucks got me 40 to 42 mpg. Of course it seems like the farther I go the better mpgs I get. went from georgia to michigan and got about 47 mpgs on the highway but it took a few hundred miles to max out mpgs. And of course on the way up and on the way back I got different mileage. but I believe 47 was the average for both trips.