Glimmer of hope
 

With my last couple tanks back down to 34 MPG and less, I was getting discouraged.

First I got the screw removed from my tire and I thought "ok, now we're in business".

Then I hit a lot of traffic, had some stupidly bitter cold days, and changed my route to one that is cheaper, but will be on average lower MPG.

This tank started off pretty darn bad. A good tank will hit just under 100 miles by the time it gets to F after filling. Not so much. Then yesterday it was warm, and I actually hit ~36 MPG on the way to work. This was exciting because I had been hitting 33 and stretching to get 34. I checked my tire pressure after work and sure enough the guys at the STS were nice enough to drop my tire pressure by 10-12 PSI in all 4 tires. Half an hour later I had them back up to ~45 (51 sidewalll max).

This morning, I actually saw 40+ MPG ever so briefly and finished my commute at just under 39. Come on spring!!! :turtle:

This morning, it was 50* with the wind behind me. Nearly hit 42 MPG on the way and put the car in park at 40.86 MPG. Hooray warmth!

Wow, thats really good, especially considering its automatic! I sure wish I could get my wife to drive our Matrix a bit more conservatively. I won't complain too much as she keeps it above EPA during summer, but we've seen a huge hit during winter too. Low to mid 30s have been regular lately where very high 39s and low 40s was the average in summer.

damn.......crazy how airpressure plays on your car.

Yeah, cold + low tire pressure = bad MPG news.