In my original post about hypermiling the Ford Escort with an automatic transmission, I mentioned about setting out to beat the NRCAN highway fuel economy rating for the entire trip, with a goal of 5.7 L/100 km overall. How did I do?

3143 total kms
184.7 total litres

5.88 L/100 km
48 mpg imperial
40 mpg US

The car is rated for 6.3 L/100 kms on the highway, which I beat by 7%. I fell slightly short of my intended goal - there was a bit more city driving in the trip than I expected - but I’m happy enough with the result. The Scangauge was a huge help. Cruise control would have made a difference.

I’m not a big fan of automatic transmissions. You have less control over the car. My diesel smart car actually has a manual transmission with an electronically controlled clutch, and that helps me achieve 100 mpg on longer trips.

Still, even with any auto tranny, it’s driver behaviour that most impacts the fuel economy. Had I driven faster or more aggressively, I would easily have landed 7 L/100 km trip overall, resulting in an extra $50.00 of fuel cost.

Translate this for a family minivan or small SUV. $100 extra for trip. Or a larger SUV, pickup - perhaps $150 or more…

You don’t have to have a hybrid to save fuel. Just drive smarter.

Be sure to check out my article Hypermiling for better fuel economy for other useful information.

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