With this post, I’d like to open up a new category – Environment.
For the past year, I’ve been trying to get the best gas mileage possible – that was one of the reasons I got rid of the 2003 Impala, and got the 2007 HHR. Going from 6 cylinders to 4 cylinders saved on gas. Also, moving to a newer vehicle reduces your CO2 emissions because of newer fuel burning technologies.
Anyways, I’ve been trying to adjust my driving habits as much as possible as well. Since the HHR is a 5 speed, I have the ability to put the vehicle in neutral and coast :) I’ve been doing that a lot lately, especially down hills :) I also try to drive around in the highest gear possible – such as coasting around the city in 4th or 5th gear to keep the RPMs down.
You know what? …it is working. My commute to work (I car pool with my wife, …I drop her off, and then I drive to my work myself) is local, but it includes %100 city driving. I’m averaging around 7.4L/100km to 7.8L/100km daily. Not bad for city driving, considering that is 31.8 MPG and 30.1 MPG respectively. Our gasoline bill per week (including commuting, grocery-getting, hockey, and various visits) is about $25. We live, work, and play locally – so we consider ourselves lucky for sure.
The image below is a bit exaggerated, but I was getting 2.5L/100km for about 2.1km down a hill – thats 94 MPG!!!!. The HHR has a driver’s info system that gives you mileage calculations on the go – it is pretty cool, and what really sparked my interest in “how-low-can-I-go”. I’ve also upgraded to a K&N air filter which will increase gas mileage even further. I will be installing the filter when it gets warmer, and when we have less snow outside :S.
