Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Extreme Hills = Great Mileage! DFCO rocks!

Miller88 · 08-15-2013, 03:26 PM

Yesterday I had to go from Syracuse NY to Albany NY and then to Brattleboro VT, then back to Syracuse NY.

Car is a 2011 5 SP focus.

On the leg from Syracuse NY to Albany NY, I took US 20. A lot of hills. Steep hills. I had two passengers and their luggage for a week's trip. A lot of the hills would require me to drop out of 5th gear and go up in 4th. Very few required 3rd gear.

The 140 mile stretch got me about 40.9 MPG calculated. There was a lot of extra weight - passengers and luggage.

The stretch from Albany NY to VT was even MORE hilly. I also had to drive through the City of Troy both times and Benngton VT. The road is VERY hilly and curvy.

The hills were so steep that I'd have to be in 3rd gear with my foot pretty deep in order to even maintain forward momentum! A few of them just bogged the car completely in 5th and 4th gear. Some of them were so bad that foot to the floor in 4th gear it'd just slow right down and be bogging (at 2000RPM!)

However, with the long downhills I was able to DFCO about half of the trip. I did find myself using cruise control a lot and holding the DECEL button ... as that's the only way my car will hold itself back on hills.

The leg of the trip that I went from Troy to Brattleboro was 44MPG. I have no doubt that if I employed more hypermiling techniquies I would have been able to get 46 or higher. I was in a hurry in both directions.

I did get to see an 18 wheeler blow a turbo!

08-15-2013, 03:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Miller88 Master EcoModder Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: NY state Posts: 501 XJ Cherokee - '00 Jeep Cherokee Sport 90 day: 12.96 mpg (US) FoFO - '11 Ford Focus SE 90 day: 36.78 mpg (US) Thanks: 1 Thanked 51 Times in 38 Posts	Extreme Hills = Great Mileage! DFCO rocks! Yesterday I had to go from Syracuse NY to Albany NY and then to Brattleboro VT, then back to Syracuse NY. Car is a 2011 5 SP focus. On the leg from Syracuse NY to Albany NY, I took US 20. A lot of hills. Steep hills. I had two passengers and their luggage for a week's trip. A lot of the hills would require me to drop out of 5th gear and go up in 4th. Very few required 3rd gear. The 140 mile stretch got me about 40.9 MPG calculated. There was a lot of extra weight - passengers and luggage. The stretch from Albany NY to VT was even MORE hilly. I also had to drive through the City of Troy both times and Benngton VT. The road is VERY hilly and curvy. The hills were so steep that I'd have to be in 3rd gear with my foot pretty deep in order to even maintain forward momentum! A few of them just bogged the car completely in 5th and 4th gear. Some of them were so bad that foot to the floor in 4th gear it'd just slow right down and be bogging (at 2000RPM!) However, with the long downhills I was able to DFCO about half of the trip. I did find myself using cruise control a lot and holding the DECEL button ... as that's the only way my car will hold itself back on hills. The leg of the trip that I went from Troy to Brattleboro was 44MPG. I have no doubt that if I employed more hypermiling techniquies I would have been able to get 46 or higher. I was in a hurry in both directions. I did get to see an 18 wheeler blow a turbo!