desh9583

Hey I have been averaging about 30 MPG with 1200 miles. Its a brand new NAH (2009) and those are the first 1200 miles. Is that good or should I be doing something differently? I have been driving the car normal and some people suggested I should use more cruise control when on the highway, which is where I do most of my driving?
Any tips? I appreciate it!

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altimusprime

for a 09 hybrid? that sounds not so good. i'ved averaged 29+ mph in my 03 2.5 altima when i drive responsibily my 09 toyota venza v6 averages 30 mph. maybe after your next fillup moniter how you accelerate from lights and stops signs...automatics u can throw into neutral when deccelerating also. try that and just drive smart in general and see how that works. i personally have never driven a hybrid but if you really average 30 mph. i would go talk to my dealer.

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desh9583

I managed to get 34MPG driving from work today. I guess I have to soften my stance on the accelerator. I love the car btw...

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goinghybrid

Im getting about 35 to 37 miles per gallon right now.

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VictorE1123

I drive this thing hard and get about 27 mpg. When i actually try to get decent mpg, i typically get 34+... and definitely don't pop it in neutral when decelerating. Hybrids charge the batteries during deceleration/braking...

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07 Hybrid
Nismo 19's, Nismo lugs, Eibach prokit, Stillen RSB, Racingline endlinks, Fujita intake...

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maltimad

Hello everyone. I'm a former Toyota kid from a very Toyota family. However, I just bought a 2007 Altima Hybrid with about 30,000 miles and loaded to the gills with every possible package. It was quite a deal, since they're not sold in my state (Oklahoma). I'm loving how the car drives, and the interior is a great place to be with great comfort and electronics.

My question to you all is have you noticed any mpg change in your NAH's using premium fuel (91 octane in OK) versus lower octane fuel? I drive about 70% highway (with half that in a dense morning commute), and 30% city. I filled my old car ('93 camry - excellent car) with 87 octane with Shell's pro-clean 91 octane every fifth fill-up to clean out cylinders, valves etc. I'm trying to figure out what gas to put it my new AH for best results. Thanks in advance!

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rtking

With the winter formulation of gas (87 octane), I'm getting 35-37 mpg at 75 mph on the freeway (average speed of about 51 mph per on-board computer.) I go about 650-675 miles per tankful.

If I drive the Altima Hybrid more aggressively, I get closer to 33 mpg... still plenty acceptable given the performance.

BTW, I was thinking about lowering the car and the impact to mpg. After all the calculations, I've determined that the Altima Hybrid (with spoiler and Cd of .30) needs 10.13 hp @ 60 mph to overcome aero drag. A lowered Altima Hybrid (1.5" drop) will require 9.87 hp at the same speed. So, making the assumption that a near proportion of gas consumed to hp created, the Altima gains about 2.7% efficiency, or about 1 mpg.

Also, as you guys may know, a vehicle must increase horsepower exponentially in order to overcome aerodynamic drag as speeds increase. Just for grins, I did the same calculation for 75 mph and the Altima Hybrid needs 19.79 horsepower at 75 mph to overcome aero drag, or about 95% more power than at 60 mph.

The Stillen header in combination with the K&N filter has me intrigued though. I'm wondering what increases in mileage I might achieve by making the motor more efficient as most of my commute is freeway and I'm using the internal combustion engine for all of that time.

Sorry... probably too much information (TMI), but thought I'd share.

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rtking

Congrats on the NAH! I'm sure you'll love it. I'm loving mine and have put 61K miles on it in 1.5 years of ownership. Zero problems with the car!

As for premium fuel... there's no reason to use it. The NAH's ECU was not programmed with a timing map to take advantage of it, so you're not making any additional power with the more expensive fuel. In terms of keeping the fuel system clean, I just use a good brand of gasoline (Shell, Chevron, Unocal) and once in a while (i.e. once a year), I'll add a bottle of Chevron Techroline fuel system cleaner.

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altimusprime

thanks desh9583, and rtking ur absolutely right. i hate when people think premium fuel is beneficial over regular in all cars. for our altimas good quality regular(not wawa or non-branded stations) works best. and fuel treatments in moderation are great

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maltimad

Thanks, altimusprime, and rtking!

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Camperguy

Averaging about 37.8 combined city/highway about 80% city. Worst tank I got was with my wife driving in winter 28mpg, best tank I got was a back route to NH got 45mpg@45mph.

Bill

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gameguru1360

does everyone who owns an altima hybrid think it's worth it for the fuel economy or do you still prefer the regular combustion engine versions??

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rtking

It takes a long time or driving a lot of miles per year to financially justify the hybrid. And even then, the increased cost of replacing the hybrid battery pack at some time will weigh into the equation. Environmentally, there's justification to drive the hybrid, but then it becomes a case of paying a premium to "befriend the environment."

For me, I have a 172 mile, nearly all freeway, round trip commute. I thought the hybrid would offer better fuel mileage. In hindsight, a regular Otto-cycle 4 cylinder (gas) or a diesel would have given me the same, or better, mileage.

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MrHiggles

All I say is, the environment will out live me...

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