Went from 32mpg combined to 37mpg (changed from "normal" driving to mild hypermiling) - Toyota Yaris Forums

Kal-El · 05-26-2012, 11:16 PM

So I've been calculating recent tanks and have averaged 32-33 mpg. 32 matches the EPA combined estimate so it's an acceptable number for me. However, my renewed interest in squeezing out the best MPG possible had me switch to mild hypermiling on this last tank. I was able to up it to 37 MPG. This is very good I think considering it's 50/50 city/highway. It is 115% of EPA estimates. Keep in mind that I have wide 16" wheels on my Yaris and I used A/C 50% of the time. I have also not yet changed original spark plugs on a car with 122,000 miles on it. Also, I go though drive thru's all week, which has a lot of idling down time.

These are the techniques I used to achieve this:

Again, these are all reasonable hypermiling techniques. I refuse to do anything that adds unnecessary wear and tear to the vehicle (which negates fuel savings), do anything unsafe, or create road rage by annoying other drivers.

These are nothing new, but just thought I'd share my experiences.

- Drive while barely using the gas and brake pedals. That's right. You'd be amazed at how little you really need to use them. The brake pedal is just as bad to efficiency as the gas, so lay off it. It's all about gauging traffic and lights way ahead of you and feathering the gas as light as possible. Most people remain on the gas right up until they need to brake. Even when they see a red light or stop sign. It's ridiculous. When ever accelerating, do so with an extremely light foot. Accelerate just fast enough not to drive the person behind you nuts. There's a happy medium from racing off the line and disrupting traffic.

- Maintain all the built up momentum you can. Tying in with the above, why brake prematurely when not completely necessary? When exiting off the highway, I begin to coast in gear ahead of time and without braking, take the exit quicker than most in order to maintain momentum. Often times, I won't need to hit the gas again until the exit ramp is completed.

- Using DFCO (deceleration fuel cut-off) to its maximum advantage. Again, this ties into maximizing momentum. The car jumps to infinite mpg when decelerating in gear with your foot off the gas. Simply do this as much as possible. Again, look way ahead of you for red lights, stop signs, and traffic and stop gassing it as soon as possible keeping just enough momentum to make it to the stop.

- If you drive a manual, shift as early as possible without lugging the engine. If I'm on level ground or on a downhill, then I'm in 5th at about 30mph. Keep those RPM's as low as possible!

- When getting into your car, don't start the engine until you are ready to go. Ever notice how you normally get in and start immediately and then put your belt on, play with the radio, or any of a number of other things before actually taking off? This minute of idling gets you 0 mpg and it adds up with each start. And don't think that the car needs "warming up". It doesn't.

- I also incorporated some pulse and glide. Accelerate slowly and then coast a bit and repeat.

- And obviously, just drive the speed limit. Pretty simple. In some cases, you may even dive below, particularly on the highway - especially if you're in a state with a limit over 65. In some cases, I kept it down to 60 in a 65.

I do not go to such extremes as constantly shutting off the engine at every red light or coasting with the engine off. Some argue that there isn't much wear and tear but I disagree. I don't think it's worth it. I also don't draft. I don't over-inflate my tires. I could bring it to 40 mpg with such techniques, but early repair bills are much more costly than a little saved gas.

Sorry for the long post and redundant material, but I just figured I'd share for anyone frustrated with their mileage. Incorporate the above, and I assure you that you can beat the EPA ratings.

05-26-2012, 11:16 PM	#1
Kal-El Drives: 07 Yaris S Sedan 5-Speed Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,179	Went from 32mpg combined to 37mpg (changed from "normal" driving to mild hypermiling) So I've been calculating recent tanks and have averaged 32-33 mpg. 32 matches the EPA combined estimate so it's an acceptable number for me. However, my renewed interest in squeezing out the best MPG possible had me switch to mild hypermiling on this last tank. I was able to up it to 37 MPG. This is very good I think considering it's 50/50 city/highway. It is 115% of EPA estimates. Keep in mind that I have wide 16" wheels on my Yaris and I used A/C 50% of the time. I have also not yet changed original spark plugs on a car with 122,000 miles on it. Also, I go though drive thru's all week, which has a lot of idling down time. These are the techniques I used to achieve this: Again, these are all reasonable hypermiling techniques. I refuse to do anything that adds unnecessary wear and tear to the vehicle (which negates fuel savings), do anything unsafe, or create road rage by annoying other drivers. These are nothing new, but just thought I'd share my experiences. - Drive while barely using the gas and brake pedals. That's right. You'd be amazed at how little you really need to use them. The brake pedal is just as bad to efficiency as the gas, so lay off it. It's all about gauging traffic and lights way ahead of you and feathering the gas as light as possible. Most people remain on the gas right up until they need to brake. Even when they see a red light or stop sign. It's ridiculous. When ever accelerating, do so with an extremely light foot. Accelerate just fast enough not to drive the person behind you nuts. There's a happy medium from racing off the line and disrupting traffic. - Maintain all the built up momentum you can. Tying in with the above, why brake prematurely when not completely necessary? When exiting off the highway, I begin to coast in gear ahead of time and without braking, take the exit quicker than most in order to maintain momentum. Often times, I won't need to hit the gas again until the exit ramp is completed. - Using DFCO (deceleration fuel cut-off) to its maximum advantage. Again, this ties into maximizing momentum. The car jumps to infinite mpg when decelerating in gear with your foot off the gas. Simply do this as much as possible. Again, look way ahead of you for red lights, stop signs, and traffic and stop gassing it as soon as possible keeping just enough momentum to make it to the stop. - If you drive a manual, shift as early as possible without lugging the engine. If I'm on level ground or on a downhill, then I'm in 5th at about 30mph. Keep those RPM's as low as possible! - When getting into your car, don't start the engine until you are ready to go. Ever notice how you normally get in and start immediately and then put your belt on, play with the radio, or any of a number of other things before actually taking off? This minute of idling gets you 0 mpg and it adds up with each start. And don't think that the car needs "warming up". It doesn't. - I also incorporated some pulse and glide. Accelerate slowly and then coast a bit and repeat. - And obviously, just drive the speed limit. Pretty simple. In some cases, you may even dive below, particularly on the highway - especially if you're in a state with a limit over 65. In some cases, I kept it down to 60 in a 65. I do not go to such extremes as constantly shutting off the engine at every red light or coasting with the engine off. Some argue that there isn't much wear and tear but I disagree. I don't think it's worth it. I also don't draft. I don't over-inflate my tires. I could bring it to 40 mpg with such techniques, but early repair bills are much more costly than a little saved gas. Sorry for the long post and redundant material, but I just figured I'd share for anyone frustrated with their mileage. Incorporate the above, and I assure you that you can beat the EPA ratings.