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A few observations, as well as a description of how my last tank got me almost 42 in hwy driving with passenger and luggage:
-I don't believe the 3100rpm thing with VVT-I. Every time I look up the 1NZ-FE engine we have, I don't see anything about a specific RPM. I think it's exactly that, variable valve timing - early versions from Honda might have done it after 3100, but I think ours is more variable than that. Still, I try to shift under 3000.
I just got 42mpg on a trip from the Bay Area to Arcata, 250 miles north. I filled up at Costco in Santa Rosa ($3.95/gal, $3.92 on the way back!) and had to get about 2 gallons around Ukiah so I didn't run out. Of course, I added them to the mpg calculation! ;-)
I was able to do lots of EOC on the longer hills between Ukiah and Eureka. One thing about the boxy shape that actually benefits us is that we can get going downhill at a good clip and the wind keeps us from going too fast. That way, EOC can last longer without using the brakes and running out of brake boost. On many of the hills, I was glad the car would not coast any faster, as that would cause me to have to turn the car on when I ran out of brakes. On shallower downhills, I would end up coasting too slow for traffic and wished for a little better aero. But lots of EOC contributed to this tank.
I had a heavy chest (furniture! ;-) ) and a large chair inside that I was delivering to my aunt on the way up, and luggage, so it was a pretty heavily loaded trip, and I had my cousin and his luggage on the way back, so it could have been even better. Also had inflated tires to 48psi before I left.
I guess the important thing here is hills and lack of traffic. I won't be shy about taking a hillier, less traveled route next time I'm traveling long distance or even locally, provided it allows me to do some EOC.
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