Trying to avoid highways to save gas on the way to work.

OK, I have gotten up to 51-52 MPG average, but long to reach 60.

One of my steps tonight was to search on Mapquest for a route to work that avoids highways. I went to Mapquest and under Advanced Options, I checked shortest route and avoid highways. The results, 29 mile commute became 116 miles. What is up with Mapquest? Is this "Mapquest on Drugs"?

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If I check "Quickest Route" and "Avoid Highways", it comes up with something reasonable. It appears that "Avoid Highways" is taken less literally when checking "Quickest Route" and it allows the 1/2 mile of Interstate 5 to get across the Columbia River, but if you check "Shortest Route", then "Avoid Highways" is strictly enforced as "Absolutely Not One Inch of Interstate", which forces the detour up to Longview, WA to cross the river on a two lane "highway", but not an Interstate.

My Garman didn't do much better. I may have actually found a use for the high number of way points on Prius NAV so I can force a route that makes sense. If Toyota could add a best MPG route option, then their NAV would really be something. They should get all the grade data incorporated in DVD, and then tie it in with the Cruse Control for a best MPG Cruse option.

Seriously, make me wonder why the cruse couldn't be reprogrammed with a software upgrade to maintain best MPG opperation withing upper and lower speed limits by monitoring engine load and RPM. I propose this as a good project for one of the Hypermiling Computer hackers to develope and sell to the rest of us at a reasonable price. Here is how it can work. You accelerate to the lower speed limit and press the set button once for a high limit of +3MPH, twice for a high limit of +5 MPH, 3 times for a high limit of +8 MPH or something similar. The MPG cruze control takes over by maintaining RPMs and load or whatever other factors the computer can monitor to maximize MPG, rather than maintain a constant speed.