Lifetime mileage

Watch out for spreadsheets... mine somehow disappeared on me. 4 months of mileage data, gone.

 

Am I the only one here that does not scrupulously record mileage data?
Please say it ain't so. I mean seriously -- mileage data?? With which to do what? :roll: Most of my aquaintances in their gas guzzlers don't want to hear it anyway. I did keep some mileage data in the winter because I took deliver in December. My mileage sucked. I like the heater blasting and the car nice and toasty....it's murder on mileage here in colder climes as all will tell you. I just answer the typical, "How's that jelly bean on gas?" question by saying I can drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor on $2.00 worth....a scietifically inaccurate answer. "Wow!" is the standard reply. Here abouts sitting at the pump making journal entries or spread sheet calculations after a fill up is guaranteed to get horns a blowing, especially if I've pulled into the station that's 2¢ less than everyone else which is every time. That gas tank bladder is a huge variable IMO. I fill up when the last square is blinking and the mileage is around 440 to 510. Oh and I don't jump through hoops to drive it. I just drive it. Do I have to leave the forum now? Go to my room??
Namaste,
Paul

 

Galaxee..Backup...Hey got some news about performance. You were right, you do have to experiment and learn the car to your situation.

On the third fill up, I started and paid no attention just drove for about 40 miles, then I noticed the MPG performance was 37.5 ??!! So I re-hablilitated the tank..

First I tried avoiding the AC when I could, that helped. I also noticed that with or w/o the AC you can accellerate FAST w/ engine to 25-35 MPH, then carefully monitor and ease the foot, to trigger either re-charge (green) or coast (nothing) and gently maintain the speed of the car, which gave me the 99.9 MPG during those times, and of course when coming up to speed, very poor MPG, but the AVERAGE was greatly improving. Got the tankfull MPG now to 41.7 MPG. You had mentioned the speed build up before. I have also found in my situation, even at 25 mph when safe to do so, I can use the cruise control and do better MPG then I can. One big problem is hearing the changes and the engine, also concentrating both on the road for safety and on the car itself for mileage, that is work, but I assume as I do it more and more this will become second nature and I will have an easier time of it. You and also I gather input from your husband who works on the cars was very valuable. In my area the users are frustrated by the same problem as you know, and I am determined to show them this car can do it no matter what. Again thank you for your help.

 

Galaxee..Backup...Hey got some news about performance. You were right, you do have to experiment and learn the car to your situation.

On the third fill up, I started and paid no attention just drove for about 40 miles, then I noticed the MPG performance was 37.5 ??!! So I re-hablilitated the tank..

First I tried avoiding the AC when I could, that helped. I also noticed that with or w/o the AC you can accellerate FAST w/ engine to 25-35 MPH, then carefully monitor and ease the foot, to trigger either re-charge (green) or coast (nothing) and gently maintain the speed of the car, which gave me the 99.9 MPG during those times, and of course when coming up to speed, very poor MPG, but the AVERAGE was greatly improving. Got the tankfull MPG now to 41.7 MPG. You had mentioned the speed build up before. I have also found in my situation, even at 25 mph when safe to do so, I can use the cruise control and do better MPG then I can. One big problem is hearing the changes and the engine, also concentrating both on the road for safety and on the car itself for mileage, that is work, but I assume as I do it more and more this will become second nature and I will have an easier time of it. You and also I gather input from your husband who works on the cars was very valuable. In my area the users are frustrated by the same problem as you know, and I am determined to show them this car can do it no matter what. Again thank you for your help.

 

IAltmann, glad to hear it. It does become second nature after a while. All those years of driving regular cars has made you not used to paying attention to what the car is doing. You;ll learn to just feel it as you drive and not even strain to know what the car's up to. You're obviously improving dramatically if you're already up to the low 40s. I think I told you before (but maybe not) that my short trips end up getting me about 44-46. I'm trying to hit 47 right now, but I keep ending up at 46.9... Short trips are really a killer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Paul113\";p=\"104971)</div>

[font=Comic Sans MS:d99cc3cb58]You are not alone, Paul. I just drive my Silver Cloud. I think my driving has changed some; I'm calmer without the shifting and revving, so I'm not in as much of a rush, so MPG has gone up, from casual observation.

I get better milage than I have ever gotten in any previous car I owned. When people ask, I say I get about 45 to 50 MPG, and they are impressed because it's better than they have ever gotten in any car they have owned.

Then I say, "I don't really care about the milage; my Silver Cloud has practically no emissions. Breathe easy."
[/font:d99cc3cb58]

 

I use my spread sheet to track every thing related to my car. Fuel, oil changes, all inspections etc. etc. It's not just for tracking mileage. If I ever have a problem with the car and there is any question about warranty, I'll print the spread sheet and take it in. All work done will be entered. Dates, mileage every thing. As I do all my maintance work I have to have proof so have all the reciepts put aside to go along with the spread sheet. Not just for mileage but for every thing related to my car. And I back it up every time I update it. I lost half of it one time, luckily I had it on the D drive.

 

I use the spreadsheet to figure the total cost of ownership, factoring in the resale market value.
Then I factor TCO/Mile.

I am going to adjust it to separate operating cost/mile from ownership cost.

I also estimate gas savings compared to my '99 Saturn SL2 that got totalled.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Paul113\";p=\"104971)</div>

Paul, you are not alone. I don't do any of that. I considered doing all the Excel thingy is "too much" (hope I won't be banned after saying that... lol). I am just happy to see my average is around 57MPG each tank. I drive about 100 miles each day to work round trip, and I fill up once a week, love my Prii.

Scott

 

That's the way ScottY., I write down the mileages and all that on the GAS receipts, and reset on fill ups that's all. Can do the spreadsheet later if I want, with as few fill ups as I get, it's easy. It is not bad to have a good record, if ever needed, but we all have other lives too.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"105479)</div>

I doubt mine's unique but about 50 yards from the gas station after filling up it resets itself.
Glad I'm not alone on the record keeping thing.
Namaste,
Paul

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IALTMANN\";p=\"105479)</div>

I doubt mine's unique but about 50 yards from the gas station after filling up it resets itself.
Glad I'm not alone on the record keeping thing.
Namaste,
Paul

 

I just keep the records., the car will reset itself, but then you're driving and you can't write nothing down. This way you have a record that can be converted to a written record, + I also use it at the end of the year for deductions on the IRS, due to volunteer work...etc...