I just wanted to give the results of my new driving style and it's impact on mpg.

As some of you know from my other posts, my 'normal' driving style is WOT through 1st and part of 2nd to my crusing speed, then 6th - wash rinse repeat, all the way to work and back. I drive about 32 miles round trip, with 32-36 lights depending on the timing. Most stretches between lights I cruise around 50-55 (limits are 45) depending on traffic.

I have a an '05 MCS, with a 15% pulley, JCW intake, cold plugs and MTH tuner file.

Under the above conditions I was getting a consistant 21 MPG.


In light of recent changes to fuel prices, I decided to optimize my driving style, as this is undoubtedly the biggest area for potential improvement anyone can change.

Now, I use 1/4 throttle, with VERY occasional 1/2 throttle bursts, shift between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm, use almost every gear almost every time, yet still maintain my regular top speed. I still get to work at the exact same time every day, and I have not changed anything else.

My mileage this week has been a consistant 29.5mpg.

I will admit the first couple days it was hard to get used to. Hard to fight the urge to get out in front of everyone, hard to sometimes be passed off the line. The feeling soon wore off replaced with a GOOD feeling, as I knew I had greatly extended my range, and am saving a LOT of money - and am not losing ANY time. I now find it interesting to try to maximize every trip, and enjoy the ride and sounds.


Something to consider to anyone that needs the improvement.

 

Tell this to SUV drivers .

Good stuff

 

Hey that's a great report!!! I, too, have felt the urge to conserve w/ gas prices going insane, but I haven't taken such a methodical approach. I think I'll give it a whirl!! Thanks!

 

Kaelaria, I following a similar driving style here. I shift between 2K-3K RPM and avoid sudden braking or "Jack rabbit" starts from traffic lights. I also use the higher gears all the time. For example at 40MPH I am already in 5th gear to keep the engine turning below 2,500 RPM.

Also keep your cold tire pressures, at least, to manufacturer recommendations and make sure your MINI is maintained properly (Oil changes, filters, etc).

Whenever possible (Mostly at night) I turn off the A/C and drive with the windows down.

So far I am getting between 22-24 MPG in the city.

My MCS is bone stock.

 

I do not use the a/c when I'm alone, unless it's raining. I found a consistant drop of 2.5 mpg using the a/c.

I already experiemented with tire pressure and found it had zero effect to raise psi any above recommendations. The sidewalls are simply too small and thin to have an effect.

Yes of course it's assumed your car should always be in proper condition and within specificaions.

 

It has been awhile since I checked my mileage... I topped off this morning to check out how I'm doing... With the price of gas, I am once again patting myself on the back for buying a MINI... One of the guys here at my office bought a Honda Accord Hybrid and I think my mileage is nearly as good as his! :impatient I was surprised to hear he's only getting 26mpg in town and 31mpg highway... that's good, but I thought hybrids got better than that! I mean if you're gonna buy a boring car for the sake of gas milage, I would want better gas mileage.

 

You have to remember - driving style ALSO has an impact on hybrids - if he's simply flooring it everywhere mileage is still going to be low.

Look a a Geo metro for example (or Suzuki swift). 1 liter three cylinder, got 55 mpg with a 5 speed when shifted low. Well, in pizza delivery mode, my friends were lucky to get 30 from it.

It's all in how you drive it.

 

Hybrids are one of the biggest scams orchestrated by the Auto industry

It has been proven time and time again that the extra cost and complexity of Hybrid vehicles provide little returns in terms of actual and real world fuel economy and cost recovery. For a hybrid owners to see the "real" savings of purchasing one of these junkie cars, they would have to keep it for over 10 years and even then, they would not break out even.

Hybrids will soon become an obsolete technology from yesteryear. No one will want to buy an used Hybrid car with ancient technology Hybrids are expected to have the worst resale values of all cars in the market, including SUVs.

 

You think its expensive to fill up your gas tank, try replacing hybrid batteries

 

Like $4K-$5K a pop? Hybrids SUCK!

 

My car has a JCW package and as difficult as its been, I have been making a point to shift below 3000RPM. I drive ~30 miles each way to work, mostly on the interstate. By shifting low and keeping to 65-70mph, I have been getting 33-34mpg. I have noticed that if I go much faster than 70 (say the typical interstate speed around here - 80) my mileage goes down to ~28-29mpg as the engine is running near 4K RPM and if I drive like this and shift at higher RPM's my mileage goes down to 25mpg. At 65-70mph, the engine runs at ~3K RPM and seems pretty happy.

 

I've also started driving more "carefully" in the last few days. I have an MCSa and (according to the computer, I know) I am getting a little over 25mpg with 100% in town driving.

The first morning that I reset the computer, I managed to push it temporarily into the 30mpg range, but didn't have the AC on. Hard to do here in North Texas though, and once I put it on, the gauge started dipping considerably.

--- Jay

 

You probably would not be getting mileage like that if you were pumping out 255 hp like his Accord Hybrid. I would not say they are boring.

Personally, I have been saving by switching my commute to my bicycle. Now if they would only do something about the one hill between me and work...

 

Uh, not to support the flaming but the Accord hybrid is a "performance hybrid" meaning that it gets the same (if not a little better) mpg than the normal accord but you get more power. So you can't compare the Accord Hybrid's mpg to something like the honda insight which is a fuel-effiecent hybrid. FYI, Lexus is doing the same "performance hybrid" thing with the RX400h. Read up before you flame... :impatient

 

"Performance Hybrid" is pure bunk!

My brother in law recently bought a new 2005 Honda Accord VP sedan equipped with the 2.4L 4 cyl 160HP gasoline engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission. He is getting the same or much better fuel mileage compared to the Accord Hybrid model, which sells for $12K more than his "bare bones" 4-cyl Accord.

The Accord is a nice family car, but would never pay $30K for one, much less a Hybrid version with mediocre fuel economy.

 

The batteries are fully covered by the warranty for between 7-10 years and 100-150,000 miles depending on which hybrid you are talking about.

 

The hybrid Accord performs better than the standard V-6 Accord and gets mileage as good or better than the 4-cylinder one. That doesn't seem so bad to me.

 

That may be so, but the "better" mileage figures are still marginal. No Honda Accord is worth $30K to me.

 

Funny - a lot of people say the same thing about a MINI

 

Not to beat a dead horse (too late?) but depending on your geography, buying a hybrid vehicle allows you to travel in the high occupany vehicle (HOV) lanes with no passengers. In our area (DC), there's about a $4000 - 6000 premium to by a hybrid vs. non-hybrid version of same car. People don't justify it based on non-existent fuel savings, but on their ability to circumvent the HOV rules and not sit in traffic.

That could start a whole 'nother discussion for a whole 'nother thread.

BTW - my auto computer today just showed a slight tick up in my MPG to 10.7. Of course, I'm driving my Lincoln Navigator while I'm waiting for my MINI to come in!!! Talk about pain - requires premium gas and has a 30 gallon tank - do the math - yeee-ouch.

 

Accord hybrid is a joke, it just give you relief (gas) for getting a gas mileage as a 4-cylinder. That is stupid to pay $30+k premium for something that can be be achieve with a base 4-cylinder for aound $20k.

 

Back to the MPG suggestions...

Has anyone put **gasp** regular unleaded in their MINI? It could save money mos def, but will it hurt my MINI in the long run?

 

Did you notice any change in MPG after installing the tuner file?

 

That may not be true, since lower grade gas will also worse the mpg. So the money you saved on the gas is paid on the less mpg. On the flip side that may not be true, some car require reg. unlead, when you filled with premium it doesn't help to improve horse power or mpg. I read a similar test on a Honda Accord, and that is the result of it.

 

Sorry to go off topic, but I just have to comment.

Dono about that. Actually, Detroit was pretty slow getting into hybrids, and only did so after early imports from Japan were very successful. If there's a scam, I think its the way that Detroit is trying to kill the technology by targeting SUVs as the platform for it. It will improve their milage, but not by the amount people are expecting.

A co-worker with an early Prius has had it over 4 years, commutes in it every day, and has over 110,000 miles on it. She's had no major problems and gets amazing milage. She's not worried about battery replacement and feels that she has saved enought in gas to make it worth while.

I don't think hybrids value over time has been "proven" either way yet. I only know of the very good experience of a single individual. If you have studies with real statistics, it would be interesting the hear them.

As for "junkie," again, my co-worker's car doesn't seem junkie, it seems well designed and dependable. Why would you characterize them as junkie?

"Obsolete technology," well, I dono. Time will tell. The internal combustion engine is definitely on the road to obselence. The only question is when. Hybrid technology looks like a good way to stretch the life of that engine, its infrastructure, and the remaining fuel until a replacment can be developed.