Anyone ever get tired of Hypermiling for a day?

[Project84]

For now, the only drastic differences I've made have been my interstate travel speeds. I REFUSE to go over 60mph. Before, I was averaging about 71-72mph, then they raised the local interstate speed limit to 70mph and I was averaging 75mph.

Changing that to 60mph has yielded me a steady MPG calculation, even as winter fuel has entered my area. I hope that before winter is up, I get off my lazy butt and make the hot air intake, IAT sensor mod, and PCV catch can. Perhaps it'll happen this weekend? I can only be optomistic.

[101mpg]

As above - I HATE being tailgated. Without affecting my mileage noticeably, I first a) let off the pedal. Dropping from 60 or 65 down to 55 on a 70 stretch will remove the offenders. MOST people will pass as they are in such a hurry to get to & from work to pay off their insane debt. (A noticeable feature of those who are careless with their MPG. They run up so much debt and pay so much interest they have to work harder and more for their money, causing them to spend more to fund it, needing more debt, etc.)

My rule of thumb is if I cannot see the license plate, I jam on the brakes. 2 MPH loss when there is unsafe distance between me and the idiot behind cures it in 99% of cases.

And I am not pronouncing judgement on those of you who tailgate semis. I feel that unsafe - I don't partake. YMMV.

I have stopped dead on the freeway twice, however. Both instances were idiots who felt they had better reflexes than me, so their tailgating was "totally warranted" in their eyes. They felt that if a deer jumped out in front of me, insert other emergency here, they could stop, even with less than 10 feet between us, if I had to jam on my brakes.

Nothing like an enraged 6'3" guy with a totally ticked off look, goatee (I apparently look ferocious with it, I've been told), and being puffed up due to the upset - uncoiling out of a car and heading backwards to make people roar off.

[Improbcat]

When I'm alone in the car I tend to concentrate more on hypermiling, it give me something to do to pass the time. Plus watching my average MPG for the trip makes it feel like I'm playing a video game & trying to get the high score.

I've noticed that now even when I'm not paying close attention, the things I've learned hypermiling have affected my driving habits. Some fuel-saving techniques have become second nature. For instance, I used to average 70-80MPH on the highway, since buying Box and paying closer attention to my MPG I average 55-62MPH. This is so ingrained now that when I was "in a hurry" to get somewhere on Sunday I drove at 70MPH, and that felt fast (still got ~35MPG for the trip).

[JanGeo]

Forgive me my fellow hypermilers for I have driven a 2007 Prius today and liked it. The trip computer showed about 276 miles at 49.8mpg and when I returned from my trip it was 309 miles 50.3mpg. Looks like from the increase that I was getting about 53mpg average on this trip which included a lot of stop lights and a high bridges. I had no idea that the newer Prius could run on electric only at 55mph even if only on a slight down hill it added up on this trip. I also found that the initial acceleration pretty good for the first 15-20mph and then the acceleration dropped off but I managed about 37mph on only electric pretty consistantly. I did max the battery charge going down the Newport Bridge again. I also got a bit of an eye ache and neck ache looking through the windshield - definately not the same as my xB. There has been a big improvement in the gas pedal control from the 2005 model allowing much better control of coast - electric accelerate and a good deal of pedal travel before the engine starts.

[jBubb]

I stop hypermilling when I'm late for work.

Otherwise I generally never get tired of it..... I find it's fun and gives me something to focus on while driving, hehe.....

[basjoos]

I'll occasionally let loose and travel with the speeders in the fast lane. Fortunately my cd is low enough that I get very little loss in mileage as long as I keep it below 80mph.

[8307c4]

I think general fuel economy (as in, gallons per week) is as if not more important than miles per gallon... Because I can boost my mpg by 20%-35% easy so long I take the traffic-less long winded detour, but if it consumes more fuel for the trip what's the point?

Say I have to go across town from one end to the other, big city.
Take the roads right through center, or take the beltways?
Which is better, 100 miles at 17mpg, or 140 miles at 23?
5.88 gallons the first way, 6.09 gallons the other.
Ok, bad example, the distance is a bit extreme and the difference is minimal, but to make the point that greater mpg isn't always better per se.

That and there are times it just aggravates me to no end, every once in a moon by god I'm going to do a WOT acceleration and the hell with it, now that it's out of my system I can leave it parked longer.

So my mpg has gone down, but I'm staying within my fuel dollar budget.

[DRW]

I'll admit that I enjoy a brief WOT blast once in a while. I'm usually hypermiling though. I rarely find myself driving in the middle ground where I'm going too fast for good FE, but not fast enough to have any fun. For me it's either maximum hypermiling, or maximum accelleration. Hypermiling wins out. The thrill of max accelleration is what my other car is for.