Mom's 1999 Plymouth Voyager results

[ankit]

So my mom drives a Plymouth Voyager with a 3.3L V6 engine. I have taken out her middle bench seat since she doesn't drive around too many people at a tim ever since I got my license. Then I also took off her roof rack. She replaced her tires with narrower ones, not for ecomodding but just because that's what the mechanic put on .

Long story short, turns out she is a Hypermiler without even trying to change her driving style where I on the other hand try so hard and still she gets the same MPG as me.

Tomorrow we are going on a long trip and I am going to try to drive close to 60 mph, maybe I can see something close to 30 mpg.

I don't know what the point of me making this thread is though, I guess I just got over excited about her MPG.

[Red]

Good luck. The 3.3 isn't that bad of an engine. Last time I was heading down to LA, its highway MPG was bouncing between 21-30MPG at 65-70. You should be able to pull off 30 MPG if its all flat and you keep it at 60. Cruise control sucks though for some reason it can never find a happy spot

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Red

Cruise control sucks though for some reason it can never find a happy spot

I second that -- on hills, the 3.3 looses speed, downshifts, and revs like mad past the target setpoint (especially above 60 mph).

RH77

[DifferentPointofView]

Cruise control on any vehicle without truck-like torque seems to do that on hills, no matter what the manufacture. It's all about the foot technique

[Red]

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

Cruise control on any vehicle without truck-like torque seems to do that on hills, no matter what the manufacture. It's all about the foot technique

True, and the power band of the 3.3 is all that ground 210 ft-lbs @4k and 180hp @ 5k. Ours putters around at around 2250 or so RPM on the highway so its not making enough power to haul its bulk around.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

30 in a Voyager? Get out!

The best I've been able to get in the 2000-2007 is 18 City/ 25 Highway out of the 3.3L (that's in the short wheel-base with just me in it...) Pile on passengers, cargo, A/C, and highway speeds -- and that dropped like a rock.

Not to blatantly dispute your goal, that sounds tough and perhaps in the ideal speed range of 55-60 MPH most of the time could produce those results as indicated. With the old '88 we had, 25 was the norm with the Mitz 3.0L V-6.

Best FE to ya, but that vehicle is tough to hypermile...

RH77

[ankit]

Yea I know it is a really impossible goal but I just said it as something to look forward to. My mom drives on a 55 mph road and by herself no luggage (way less weight than we will have today) to work everyday so she is probably getting optimum mileage and this trip will most likely drop the MPG, but we will see.

I was just trying to be optimistic. :-P

[metroschultz]

Go for it,
Don't let the naysayers put you off.
I'm rooting for you.
S.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by ankit

Yea I know it is a really impossible goal but I just said it as something to look forward to. My mom drives on a 55 mph road and by herself no luggage (way less weight than we will have today) to work everyday so she is probably getting optimum mileage and this trip will most likely drop the MPG, but we will see.

I was just trying to be optimistic. :-P

That's proper goal setting, though. I consistently set my goal for 40 MPG, but I've only achieved in once in mixed driving.

You set it higher than you'll likely achieve, so you really push for it. I get it...

RH77

[apgrok1]

Over the weekend, my wife's Kia van averaged 23.7mpg at around 65. With the wind behind us, we were getting over 25 with the van loaded to the tilt. Maybe we should have a minivan mileage competition?