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HHR Real World MPG Numbers
Fuel economy is becoming increasingly important. What kind of mileage are you getting out of your HHR in the real world?
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I keep track of every gallon that I put in my cars on an Excel spreadsheet and on my past two GM minivans I find that the fuel economy display is off an average of 7.5 %. When it says that I am getting 22.5, I am only getting a little over 20mpg. You might want to keep track for several fillups and take a running average and compare it to your readout.
Good luck,
Euphorbia
This jibes with the experience I have with the DIC. I reset the thing every time I fill up and when I do the calculations I generally see actual mileage a couple MPG under the DIC. In town I am getting 25-26 mpg actual, but you should understand I don't drive during the congested part of the day and spend little time sitting at lights, etc. (I actually just walk to work.) In pure highway driving, on mostly level interstates at 65 mph in fair weather, I actually get 34 mpg actual, which sort of boggled my mind the first time. I didn't believe it until it came out that way three times in a row in round trips to Hot Springs, AR. My daughter doesn't get but 30 in the same vehicle, OTOH she's 28 and I'm 52, I am sort of easy on the pedal.
haufniensis
in New Orleans
haufniensis
in New Orleans
I used the cruise control. The 2.4 with automatic would kick down a gear on long hills (with a definite resulting notch up in drive train noise), but it was never short on power and when cruising in fourth the engine was notably quiet. Overall there was very little tire or wind noise, especially for a hatchback or small car. By contrast I recently drove a Dodge Caliber that transmitted much more tire and road noise into the cabin.
I was also impressed with the HHR's on center feel and tracking. It was very easy to drive long distance with no wandering or uncertainty through the wheel. A recent trip in an otherwise beautiful Toyota Corolla was marred by steering that always felt like it was trying to find the groove and never did. I wouldn't want to live with the Corolla's wandering ways. It's possible the Corolla (another rental) wasn't representative, but I've driven three different HHR's and all illustrated how it should be done. Maybe the relatively long wheelbase helps the HHR. That said the HHR is a cruiser, it is not set-up for sports car agility. The HHR rewards smooth driving not cut and thrust.
additives usually needed to clean injectors and the like.......
Last tank was 28.6 that 60% around town and 40%highway.
I have been driving with a soft touch. I figured these calc. by hand,, seems like the computer is just a little off...
I will keep posting as I will be putting lots of miles on the vehicale in the near future.
If you have any questions ..just ask!
My best indicated/calulated mpg to date (stickshift 2.2 Cobalt Coupe LS) is 39.1 mpg, my worst 32 mpg, with average commuting mileage between 33-34 and average road trip mileage between 34-36. (A combination of an easy, long freeway, commute and easy driving habits and a stickshift). This clearly beats my former all time mileage highs of 33 mpg on my commute.
Your HHR mileage is much better than my automatic '06 PT which gets 23-24 on my commute and 23.5-24.5 on road trips.
After 10,000 miles I have zero complaints with my 2LT Automatic.....runs with no ping on 87...seems to have more power with 91....ave @ 27 mpg. Love the handling with the 17s.
:confuse:
Also, the average is calculated since the last reset. If you filled the tank and reset the computer and then drove only 20 miles locally before your 80 mile round trip, you will have put on at least 20% your mileage in local driving. I suspect you had some local driving at your destination (if nothing else, just getting back to the highway) since your 33.5 mpg average dropped to 32.4. No car gets it best mpg until the car is fully warmed up. So depending upon how long the car sat and in what temperature, your return trip could have included anywhere from 5 to 10 miles of the car not operating at peak efficiency.
If you want to get an accurate reading of your average mph, you should not reset the computer at each fill-up. The reading would/should be accurate for that tank of gas, but it does not give you a "real average". There are so many variables; temperature, wind resistance, steady speed vs accelerating and slowing, terrain, etc. And then there is the issue of a "fill-up." Topped off one time vs removing the gas hose once it automatically shuts off. If you've kept record of manual calculations, recompute your mpg based on using 1/2 gallon more and 1/2 gal less. The difference should be noticeable. "Fill-ups" are not always the same. Calculating your mpg over several tanks tends to average (minimize) the several variables.
Of course, if you're going on a trip and just want to see how you do on the highway, reset the computer when you are getting on the highway and note the mpg when you are exiting the highway.
The same principles apply to average speed. Many people are amazed to see that they average say, 24.5 mph, while they drive on a 45 mph road to work. They aren't considering slowing and being stopped for stop signs or red lights. Then there is the lower average speed in the time it takes to accelerate back to cruising speed.
The computer is constantly measuring whenever the engine is running.
Weighted average will give you a more accurate result.