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California98Civic · 07-15-2011, 02:38 AM

Hypermiling an unmodified auto-trans SUV is a pain! I respect those of you who can do it. My wife drives a 2010 Subaru Forester, a mid/small SUV. EPA rates it 27 hwy and 20 city, 22 combined. I just drove it nearly 900 miles on a family camping trip--stuffed with camping gear. The trip average was 31.2mpg on the stock gauge, which I calculated overstated by about 1mpg. So I scored a 30.2mpg average on mostly highway but often mountainous (5000ft) terrain and serious LA and Santa Cruz traffic jams. But I had to work hard! I had a 130 mile long stretch in a strong headwind (then virtually the same wind at my tail coming home). Neutral was my friend. So were the very hot temps. I staggered the A/C my family wife and daughter love. Kept everyone cozy. And the trucks I slip-streamed at a 4 or 5 car-length distance to get 36mpg and 40.5mpg for two 30-mile stretches certainly helped.

Props to those driving these things and actually trying for FE! Yikes I don't want to run that experiment again.

07-15-2011, 02:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
California98Civic Cyborg ECU Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Coastal Southern California Posts: 6,299 Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe Team Honda 90 day: 66.42 mpg (US) Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike 90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US) Thanks: 2,373 Thanked 2,174 Times in 1,470 Posts	Hypermiled an SUV Hypermiling an unmodified auto-trans SUV is a pain! I respect those of you who can do it. My wife drives a 2010 Subaru Forester, a mid/small SUV. EPA rates it 27 hwy and 20 city, 22 combined. I just drove it nearly 900 miles on a family camping trip--stuffed with camping gear. The trip average was 31.2mpg on the stock gauge, which I calculated overstated by about 1mpg. So I scored a 30.2mpg average on mostly highway but often mountainous (5000ft) terrain and serious LA and Santa Cruz traffic jams. But I had to work hard! I had a 130 mile long stretch in a strong headwind (then virtually the same wind at my tail coming home). Neutral was my friend. So were the very hot temps. I staggered the A/C my family wife and daughter love. Kept everyone cozy. And the trucks I slip-streamed at a 4 or 5 car-length distance to get 36mpg and 40.5mpg for two 30-mile stretches certainly helped. Props to those driving these things and actually trying for FE! Yikes I don't want to run that experiment again. __________________ See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.