This time, a high mile per gallon number was recorded in Europe and not with a Peugeot. A group of German motor journalists managed to get 3.2 l/100 km (73 mpg U.S.) in a Skoda Fabia TDI Greenline. The car had a 1.4 TDI (diesel) engine good for 80 HP. The thirty-six journalists (we're guessing not all of them at the same time) drove the Czech subcompact for 124 km (about 80 miles), using normal highways between Austria and Germany and never going below 60 km/h (40 mph). The only "trick" they used was maintaining as constant a speed as possible. The 73mpg figure handily beats the official EU highway cycle figure, which is 4.1 l/100 km (57mpg). Skoda belongs to the VW group and is based in the Czech Republic.

[Source: Auto Presse]

Since the advent of the hybrid at the turn of this century, an increasingly large group of hardcore fanatics have taken up hypermiling. For the uninitiated, hypermiling is the practice of using modified driving techniques to get the maximum possible fuel efficiency. There are hypermilers who claim to get over 100mpg from their Priuses and Insights. The problem is that techniques like pulse and glide involve significant fluctuations in speed. By accelerating quickly and then coasting for long periods using regenerative braking to recharge the battery as much as possible and then repeating ad nauseum, they minimize the load on the engine. This is fine when a vehicle is driving in little or no traffic. Unfortunately, when there are other cars around, an extreme hypermiler can pose a real impediment. Differences in speed are often a source of accidents and people who aren't driving hybrids won't want to be stuck behind someone coasting along. There is nothing wrong with trying to maximize fuel efficiency and everyone should be trying to drive efficiently. However, even hypermilers need to be cognizant of other drivers around them and avoid being obstructive.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Even veteran hypermilers will probably find something worth remembering in this list of 100 ways to increase a vehicle's miles per gallon. Sure, the list starts with the basic, heard-em-before ways to get more distance out of the fuel in the tank of the car you already drive, but how many of you have considered an "ice vest" instead of air conditioning?

If you're just getting into the hypermiling game, EcoTrekker's 100 items (made up of tips, links to other articles to read, and online resources) should provide you with plenty to practice as you drive. Some of my faves are #9 (finding the route with the least amount of traffic and stop signs, even if it's slightly longer) and #77 (ridge riding to avoid puddles). Oh, and #53. :) Missteps in the list include #73 (the Lexus GS hybrid should not be on anyone's list of best cars to hypermile in) and #12 (only works if you already drive a hybrids).

[Source: EcoTrekker / Amy Q]

For Americans who have never driven in Europe, it might be hard to imagine driving through six countries on a single tank of fuel. In the U.S. it would be hard to drive through six states on a single fillup. British hypermiling enthusiasts John and Helen Taylor set out to see just how far they go in a pair of Jeeps, in this case a Compass and Patriot. The official range of those too models is 473.5 miles. Unlike the U.S. versions, these European Jeeps are equipped with 2.0L diesel engines rated at 36mpg (Compass) and 35mpg (Patriot) combined.

The couple set out from London and headed for the Channel Tunnel. Once they got off the train, they set off through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. They ended up in Slubice Poland, 698 miles from their starting point. Each vehicle used about 48L of diesel with the Compass achieving 55.6mpg (U.S.) and the Patriot doing slightly better at 56.2mpg. Pretty impressive numbers for crossovers (come on, these are not SUVs even if they are Jeeps, in name at least). Head over to the Chrysler Blog and check out the video.

[Source: Chrysler Blog]