50mpg on latest road trip

Achieved a new personal best today, just had to share.

I achieved 4.7l per 100km average "indicated" for a 6 hour highway trip totaling 450 kilometers.
2012 v, luxury package, 16" wheels, 33000km since new last august. I'll start off with saying this is my first hybrid, and i'm learning alot about driving effeciently since owning my first prius, but i'm far from a hypermiler. I try to limit my max speed to 60mph and try not to accelerate too briskly, brake too hard, coast down hills within the speed limit, thats about it, otherwise I set the climate control at a comfortable setting on auto and leave the AC on all the time.

So the trip started in Kamloops, BC this morning around 9am. Filled up before leaving kamloops and reset trip A. Made a couple rest stops along the way and ended up in Vancouver a couple hours ago.
I took Highway 1 all the way through Cache Creek, Lytton, Hope. My average cruising speed was between 55-60mph, never more than 60 except on the long downhill grades where i would let the car glide to just a bit over the speed limit instead of letting regen slow me down. Used cruise control all the way, no speed dropoff climbing hills.
Average temperature was 8* celsius, 2* in the morning when i left and 12* by the time i arrived in Vancouver.
Had maybe 4psi above factory recommended pressure in the tires.
Total cargo load including driver was around 350 pounds. Lots of tools, a bbq, random household items.
Weather was clear and sunny all the way, roads nice and dry, wind was minimal most of the day, though i felt there was a slight tail wind the last bit of the trip between abbotsford and vancouver.
As I say this was my "indicated average," actual is probably more like 5.1l/100km but still the best i've done yet.

What i've learned: speed is the worst enemy of highway mpg. If you can cruise under 60mph you can easily achieve US EPA rating, even transport canada rating is possibly within reach . Also short city trips are worse than long highway trips. When running errands round Vancouver last week I couldn't get my average to display better than 5.4, Thats driving as efficiently as i can in the crazy traffic here and all the hills.

Besides the excellent fuel economy on the trip I was pretty impressed how the car handled in the twisty mountain roads, held the corners very smooth and stable 10 or 20kmh over the limit. Didn't attempt to push it beyond that as there is next to no road feel through the steering, hard to tell where the limit is, and didn't feel like testing out the vsc on dry pavement at 60mph.

 

Yes it is one of my favorite drives through BC. Takes an extra hour or 2 compared to coqihalla but much more scenic and relaxing road to drive.

Come to think of it my trip was actually downhill overall. Kamloops(1200ft) and probably higher at some points through the fraser valley, right down to sea level on the coast.

And in regards to hand calculated mileage vs indicated, filled up yesterday and it worked out to be 4.84 actual vs 4.8 indicated so pretty darn close. Again this confirms what i've experienced before, that using a single tank of fuel in one drive results in the indicated mpg matching perfectly to actual mpg, whereas in normal day to day driving, short trips, going a week or 2 on one tank, the indicated is always 0.4l per 100km higher than actual.
It could be just where the pump clicks off and different nozzles at different stations fitting differently so not getting a consistent fill up. Regardless, I drove 455km and could only stuff 22 liters in the tank. I love this car!