Woohoo, first 400 mile tank!

[Black-ohio-brabus]

Will the mpg be lower on a new car untill it's broken in? My car has just 13 miles on it

[Kermit]

Some say the magic # is around 2,000 miles for when you get an increase in mileage. I won't confirm that as I've had pretty consistent mileage over all my miles.

[h20m0f0]

Originally Posted by Black-ohio-brabus

Will the mpg be lower on a new car untill it's broken in? My car has just 13 miles on it

Are you bragging?

[angry_norwegian]

I'm not willing to spend 150 dollars or so for a scangauge or similar, so what are the clues to hypermiling a Smart?

What's the sweet spot when it comes to RPM at top gear?

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by angry_norwegian

I'm not willing to spend 150 dollars or so for a scangauge or similar, so what are the clues to hypermiling a Smart?

What's the sweet spot when it comes to RPM at top gear?

I'm not really a hypermiler, but my commute lends itself to better economy - no city traffic, no stop and go, two lane roads with 45 - 55 mph speed limits, and a 70 mile round trip commute. I do stick to a non-ethanol fuel that the car agrees with and I minimize AC use, but I'm not afraid to use it. Though I may cut it off climbing a steep hill or merging on the interstate and if it's not too hot, I'll run with one window open. I check my tire pressures every so often, but i don't run them high (about 28 front, 33 rear when cold) on 195/50 tires.

If you keep it around 50 mph for a good long drive (perfect for WV back roads!) with minimal or no AC, you'll be rewarded with good mpg, all other factors being equal.

[Flogler]

2nd tank and it went from 32 to 38mpg

[Dave777]

Originally Posted by angry_norwegian

what's the sweet spot when it comes to rpm at top gear?

50-55 mph.

[rfernatt]

New record on the way home from the Dragon meet: 407 miles from Robbinsville, NC to Clendenin, WV with a couple stops along the way. The gas gauage dropped to 0.0 as I pulled into the gas station and I filled with 9.186 gallons. Not bad considering all the mountain climbing on I-77 and some A/C use.

[unicycle]

Uh-oh. Not that whole 'how much gas does the smart hold' issue again! I don't think I could fit 9.1 gal in my car if I tried. I'm guessing that you typically overfill a bit and that you really used up everything in you car on that tank!

Lately I've allowed the attendant (this is in NJ, one of only two states where you're not allowed to fill your own car) to put in up to the next 50 cent or dollar amount, which means overfilling a few extra flounces, but I don't go past that.

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by unicycle

Uh-oh. Not that whole 'how much gas does the smart hold' issue again! I don't think I could fit 9.1 gal in my car if I tried. I'm guessing that you typically overfill a bit and that you really used up everything in you car on that tank!

Lately I've allowed the attendant (this is in NJ, one of only two states where you're not allowed to fill your own car) to put in up to the next 50 cent or dollar amount, which means overfilling a few extra flounces, but I don't go past that.

Nope, no overfills here! I always let the pump shutoff at the first click and this was the case here. However, it was a different gas station than I usually use. I've had a few tanks over 9 gallons when the tank is low, but I can believe it is filling the filler neck somewhat. I also did not have the 7/8 gauge issue which seems to happen when the tank is too full, just 8/8 like usual with the first click off.