Fuel Economy Update

I am getting ready to fill up the Cruze with a 4th tank of 89 octane. Here in So Cal, 87 is the cheapest, and 91 is best. There are a few "76" stations around that offer' off to the side, stand alone pumps with 101 octane. My first tank of 89 was basically around town and to work for that week. Then last weekend, the second tank was all highway, to Cottonwood Arizona, to visit my parents. I left at 0530, set the cruise control at 70mph to the border, then set the cruise to 75mph all through Arizona. Cottonwood is at 3200 feet, and there are a couple of mountain passes along the way north of Phoenix that are 4000 and 5000 feet. From my home to my folks, is 500 miles according to the odometer, and I used 13.2 gals; which equaled 37.87 MPG.

For the drive home, I again left at 0530, set the cruise control to 75mph all through AZ, and at 70 for most of CA. When I got outside of Los Angeles, I got 9.7 gals after 389 miles; which equaled 40.1 MPG. The rest of the drive into Los Angeles and then west out of LA to my home was stop and go.

When I made the same trip just after Christmas, my overall average mileage was only 36MPG for both ways, however I was going faster both ways the entire time.