Anyone gets >40mpg consistently in his/her xb?

[Z man]

Originally Posted by xbUser

Finally, I got scangauge tonight. I hope I can get more than 44mpg with that. hahaha...

How do you like it so far?

[xbUser]

So far, it is still the first tank, I don't know how accurate the gauge. Since I top off the tank in the last refill (waste gas), I've got 250+miles less than half tank. So, I don't count this tank as a real mpg improvement.

From my observation, with normal acceleration, not cruising, not rapid or slow acceleration,
1st gear -> <10mpg
2nd gear -> <15mpg
3rd gear -> <25mpg
4th gear -> <30mpg

Under traffic congestion, even 1st gear can gives you 40+mpg. What I am doing is running very slow with little gas to maintain the motion. Neutral saves more gas, but it will stop. Also, will waste clutch. So, don't stop if possible.

So, I would go up to 40 or 45 mph as soon as possible and cruise with 5th gear, which gives me 40-50mpg, sometimes up to 70mpg with slightly downhill.

In freeway, I try to keep 40+mpg if possible. Sometimes it is very hard, especially going uphill. I don't want to slow down too much. Also, I want to drive faster than 60mph. So far, my max is 70mph, but just a while in downhill. Most time I am driving between 50mph to 60mph. I am still finding the sweet speed for cruising.

I don't notice any mpg drop after 3100rpm. So, even vvti click in, as someone mentioned before, I don't see any mpg dropped. So, I am free to go as fast as I can in downhill.

In this early conclusion, I drive faster in town (try to cruise at 40+), but slower in freeway (not maintaining speed at 60mph, but maintaining 40+mpg)

One more, the fan will turn on after 202F. Driving in freeway (60mph) is around 184F, stopping at light will increase 2F every few seconds. Driving in town is around 194F. With the upper grille blocked, the fan turns on only few times, not too bad.

[Z man]

That's awesome man. I want more information! I'm starting school next week so money will be tight, I don't know if I can get a scangauge since I love buying Nikes so much.

[xbUser]

I know. My camera broke. I want to buy a new Canon 5D, too. $1750!! is a lot. However, I believe scangauge is a good INVESTMENT. Investment has money return. My camera is expense, no money return for me.....

I just ordered Monroe shock yesterday. Not expensive. Around $60 for 2 includes shipping. It should come next week. My brother will install it for me in the next weekend. I hope it will smooth the ride as other forum say. The ride is too choppy as my tires is 44psi now.

Since I topped off the gas last tank, this tank lasts very long. It may run 6 days rather than 5 days as usual. It may break 500miles. Now, 280miles only pass a hair of half mark. I can tell the unusual high mpg in this tank. hahaha...

[Z man]

Originally Posted by xbUser

I know. My camera broke. I want to buy a new Canon 5D, too. $1750!! is a lot. However, I believe scangauge is a good INVESTMENT. Investment has money return. My camera is expense, no money return for me.....

I just ordered Monroe shock yesterday. Not expensive. Around $60 for 2 includes shipping. It should come next week. My brother will install it for me in the next weekend. I hope it will smooth the ride as other forum say. The ride is too choppy as my tires is 44psi now.

Since I topped off the gas last tank, this tank lasts very long. It may run 6 days rather than 5 days as usual. It may break 500miles. Now, 280miles only pass a hair of half mark. I can tell the unusual high mpg in this tank. hahaha...

Wow that's really great for the half tank. My best could have been over 250 this time, I'm not there yet, but too much city driving is hurting. My tires say the max is 40 psi, so I have it there, I don't know if I should go for much more. My box rides quite well to me, I go over railroad tracks much faster than most people and it's not too bumpy. I like "feeling" the road, I get a better sense of it.

Also, I was wondering, what is your mpg on flat roads going 70 mph? I hate going that fast because I feel like the drag is increased too much.

[xbUser]

As I said before, top off the tank created an illusion of great mpg of half tank. 3/4 tank runs 360miles and light on 410 miles (before reaching the last mark). The third quarter has bad mpg since running to the top of mountain and many stops in Berkeley. Finally, I run 453.9 miles before fill up the tank. Of course, break my own record as predicted. I believe next tank will come back to normal.

I tried running 70mph today. Only show 32 to 35 mpg. I need 28tps to maintain the speed. To get 40+mpg, only need 20-22tps. Maintaining 50mph in uphill, I need 25 to 28tps. So, you can tell running 70mph in flat road needs more power than running uphill @ 50mph. To maintain 40+mpg, 65mph and 70mph only happen in downhill. Faster than that, I will get less mpg. I have to slow down little bit (use less gas) to achieve the highest mpg. Of course, when going down a long, deep slope, I will put in neutral to get >300mpg.

As we all know, xB has poor air dynamic. Aero mod is the only way to improve highway fuel efficiency. I hope I can run like 65mph or 70mph with 40+mpg. After changing the shock, I will plan for belly pan.

[brickinthewind]

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.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by brickinthewind

I think it's exactly that, variable valve timing ........... On shallower downhills, I would end up coasting too slow for traffic and wished for a little better aero.

Sounds like you need some variable aero to go with your vvt

I have actually rolled down my windows for air-braking.

[brickinthewind]

Metro, I know! I was using opening all the windows as an air brake - when you roll down all 4 windows that little bucket catches quite a bit of air - didn't hurt that it was pretty hot and that helped cool us down.

I think I need a Transformer(tm). Hypermileatron?! Maybe the truly advanced hypermiler who has power brakes can set up retractable air brakes? Make the sunroof open straight up?

I doubt Michael Bay is going to include Hypermileatron in Transformers 2, but we can dream . . .

[whokilledthejams]

@brickinthewind:

From what a quick googling can tell me, VVT-i does not engage at any particular time. The engine decides on the fly whether to advance or retard timing given a combination of rpm, load, etc. It's similar to the newer iVTEC system on newer Hondas. For reference, Toyota's VVTl-i is closer to the older VTEC system that just engages automatically at a certain rpm.

@xBuser:
Have you done any aeromods? My modest half-grille-block and Moon discs help me get a solid 37mpg (averaged over a tank, as I don't have an SG2 yet), at as-steady-as-I-can-hold 65mph, while pulsing the AC on and off every few minutes.