Broke 40 mpg on my first full tank

[puddleglum]

I've finally started driving my new to me 2000 Echo on a regular basis this last month. I know 40 doesn't sound like much for an Echo, but I'm really pleased. When I bought it I was hoping for low to mid 30's this is a pleasant surprise. All my driving is stop and go city, mostly during bumper to bumper rush hour traffic and road construction. All my trips are short, 1-5 miles (avg is probably 2-3). My commute is only 4 miles each way and that is one of my longer drives. Temps have been 20-40*F with limited ability to plug in so getting it up to temp is a challenge. I've been focusing on winterizing mods which seem to be helping. I doubt I will maintain this once winter sets in but I'm still learning how to drive it so time will tell. I know for certain my technique has room for improvement. It's good to have a goal, right? No matter how bad it gets, it will still be way better than the 12-14 mpg I was getting in the van that this replaced.

[Ecky]

Nice improvement. You might well see 50mpg in the summer without any changes to your driving.

[elhigh]

Nice!

According to the scorecard, 40 is 20+% over what the EPA says, so evidently it IS pretty good for an Echo.

And since you're doing all city and short trips, it's even better.

[Daox]

Yeah, I'd say thats a great start! Nice job.

[cowmeat]

It's always good to see another hypermiler doing his thing!

[puddleglum]

Thanks guys. This is the first time in over 20 years that I've driven a standard on a regular basis. I'm hoping I can improve my hypermiling skills over time. I'm finding that I need to/can drive it differently than my automatic car.