Please note that this is NOT scientifically rigorous testing, but merely a compilation of observations I've made in my daily drive. There are obvious things you can do to help your MPG that aren't covered here- these are Patriot-specific...
My vehicle is a 2008 2.4L 4x2 CVT.
Tire pressure is 45psi.
Everything else is stock.
Readings are made with a Scangauge II. See below for information on where to get 'em. I'm not in the sales business.
1.) Peak Highway MPG is at 56-58mph.
Average on straight 'n level is ~33mpg. At 65, this drops to 31mpg, and then to ~27 at 75mph. MPG actually drops off (slowly) as you get slower than 56mph.
2.) Drafting off of other vehicles, especially big trucks, offers a BIG bump in MPG.
In ideal conditions (low traffic, high visibility, no road hazards) you may want to consider slowing down and drafting a safe and reasonable distance behind another vehicle, preferably a large truck. At speeds of 55-60mph, I am consistently seeing improvements of +5mpg over 'naked' cruising. At higher speeds of 70-75mph, the benefits decrease to +2-3mpg. Drafting off of smaller vehicles (passenger cars, etc) offers anywhere from a +1-4mpg bump, depending on cruising speed, distance of draft, and size of draft vehicle.
3.) Neutral is preferable over normal CVT operation for long downhill coasts.
I am consistently seeing longer, better MPG coasts while in "N". Engine RPMs are higher when transmission is engaged, and although the ECU cuts most fuel to the engine in coasting situations, it still consumes 0.4gal/hour, and engine braking is noticeable. In "N", the engine consumes the same amount of fuel but rolling resistance is decreased, meaning longer, faster coasts are possible (hence higher MPG). Note that coasting in "N" means you need to be prepared to shift back into "D" when you finish your coast! You can see instantaneous MPGs of up to 200mpg while coasting in "N". As an example, I came down off a mountain pass using a combination of "N" coasting and slow accelerations in "D" and managed almost 50mpg over a 30 mile stretch.
4.) 2008 Autosticks can improve city (low-speed) MPG by shifting manually...sometimes.
For hill climbing, there appears to be little difference between CVT automatic and shifting manually using Autostick. However, on FLAT roads where you're maintaining a constant speed (such as when traffic lights lights are timed at 20 or 25mph), you will see a nice improvement in MPG by using your Autostick. Shifting into "5" as soon as possible after reaching 18 mph will increase MPG on flat roads. Same goes for shifting into "6" at 23mph. Reasoning here is to keep engine RPMs and fuel consumption at lowest possible level. Shift back into "D" at speeds above 40mph, as most efficient highway speed drive gear on CVT is not accessible with Autostick. Also, if you intend to reach highway cruising speeds, a standard acceleration using CVT programming is probably preferable as it gets you to cruising speed quicker.
5.) Air conditioning hurts MPG by a LOT.
At 55mph, MPG dropped by approximately -3mpg (10-12%). At city speeds of 20-25, the decrease was -2mpg (still 10-12%). At a high speed of 75, MPG did not decrease much at all, between -2 and -3MPG, although the percentage drop was still around 10%.
6.) Based on 5., windows DOWN in town, UP on the highway.
Haven't looked at exact numbers yet of windows up/down...but I'd say based on the results above, on a hot day you'll see the slightest MPG impact by driving with AC OFF, windows DOWN in town (where air resistance is least), and with windows UP and AC ON when you're cruising at highway speeds, especially 75+ MPH.
7.) Winter tires KILL mileage.
I ran the stock tires from August '07 to December '08, and put about 32,000 on them. Decided to try some winter tires (studded Hankook iPike 215/70/16) this winter. Huge hit in MPG. I've been averaging about 25.3 this winter versus 27-28 the year prior. Yikes. I'd believe that's primarily because of the increased rolling resistance of the studded, more aggressive tire.
Updated 03/22/09
My vehicle is a 2008 2.4L 4x2 CVT.
Tire pressure is 45psi.
Everything else is stock.
Readings are made with a Scangauge II. See below for information on where to get 'em. I'm not in the sales business.
1.) Peak Highway MPG is at 56-58mph.
Average on straight 'n level is ~33mpg. At 65, this drops to 31mpg, and then to ~27 at 75mph. MPG actually drops off (slowly) as you get slower than 56mph.
2.) Drafting off of other vehicles, especially big trucks, offers a BIG bump in MPG.
In ideal conditions (low traffic, high visibility, no road hazards) you may want to consider slowing down and drafting a safe and reasonable distance behind another vehicle, preferably a large truck. At speeds of 55-60mph, I am consistently seeing improvements of +5mpg over 'naked' cruising. At higher speeds of 70-75mph, the benefits decrease to +2-3mpg. Drafting off of smaller vehicles (passenger cars, etc) offers anywhere from a +1-4mpg bump, depending on cruising speed, distance of draft, and size of draft vehicle.
3.) Neutral is preferable over normal CVT operation for long downhill coasts.
I am consistently seeing longer, better MPG coasts while in "N". Engine RPMs are higher when transmission is engaged, and although the ECU cuts most fuel to the engine in coasting situations, it still consumes 0.4gal/hour, and engine braking is noticeable. In "N", the engine consumes the same amount of fuel but rolling resistance is decreased, meaning longer, faster coasts are possible (hence higher MPG). Note that coasting in "N" means you need to be prepared to shift back into "D" when you finish your coast! You can see instantaneous MPGs of up to 200mpg while coasting in "N". As an example, I came down off a mountain pass using a combination of "N" coasting and slow accelerations in "D" and managed almost 50mpg over a 30 mile stretch.
4.) 2008 Autosticks can improve city (low-speed) MPG by shifting manually...sometimes.
For hill climbing, there appears to be little difference between CVT automatic and shifting manually using Autostick. However, on FLAT roads where you're maintaining a constant speed (such as when traffic lights lights are timed at 20 or 25mph), you will see a nice improvement in MPG by using your Autostick. Shifting into "5" as soon as possible after reaching 18 mph will increase MPG on flat roads. Same goes for shifting into "6" at 23mph. Reasoning here is to keep engine RPMs and fuel consumption at lowest possible level. Shift back into "D" at speeds above 40mph, as most efficient highway speed drive gear on CVT is not accessible with Autostick. Also, if you intend to reach highway cruising speeds, a standard acceleration using CVT programming is probably preferable as it gets you to cruising speed quicker.
5.) Air conditioning hurts MPG by a LOT.
At 55mph, MPG dropped by approximately -3mpg (10-12%). At city speeds of 20-25, the decrease was -2mpg (still 10-12%). At a high speed of 75, MPG did not decrease much at all, between -2 and -3MPG, although the percentage drop was still around 10%.
6.) Based on 5., windows DOWN in town, UP on the highway.
Haven't looked at exact numbers yet of windows up/down...but I'd say based on the results above, on a hot day you'll see the slightest MPG impact by driving with AC OFF, windows DOWN in town (where air resistance is least), and with windows UP and AC ON when you're cruising at highway speeds, especially 75+ MPH.
7.) Winter tires KILL mileage.
I ran the stock tires from August '07 to December '08, and put about 32,000 on them. Decided to try some winter tires (studded Hankook iPike 215/70/16) this winter. Huge hit in MPG. I've been averaging about 25.3 this winter versus 27-28 the year prior. Yikes. I'd believe that's primarily because of the increased rolling resistance of the studded, more aggressive tire.
Updated 03/22/09
