He averaged just 88.3 miles per gallon.

Most drivers would take a victory lap if they managed to squeeze that kind of mileage out of increasingly precious gasoline. Even on this, a bad day, Hudgin coaxed 28 mpg more out of his 2000 Honda Insight hybrid than its federal highway mpg rating.

Hudgin’s disappointment — he usually averages about 100 mpg this time of year — stems from his pride in being no ordinary driver.

He’s a hypermiler, part of a loose-knit legion of commuters who’ve made racking up seemingly unattainable mpg an art. And a sport.

Hypermilers practice such unorthodox techniques as coasting for blocks with their car’s engine turned off, driving far below speed limits on the freeway, pumping up tire pressure far beyond car and tire makers’ recommendations and carefully manipulating the gas pedal to avoid fuel-burning excess.

They endure not only occasional honks from other motorists angry at their slow-poke ways, but intentional discomforts, as well. Like keeping the air conditioning off and windows barely cracked on a more than 90-degree day. Or parking in the boondocks at shopping centers so they can motor head-first toward the exit rather than backing out of a space.

Just about anything for an extra one, two, maybe even four mpg. With their odd fixation and log-book scribbles obsessively tracking their mileage, the hypermiler community might in other times be typecast as tightwad eccentrics. But in an era of $4-plus-a-gallon gas, they’re garnering increasing attention as driving superstars, even saviors of the planet.

“More power to them if that’s important to them, and they are accomplishing a goal that also benefits society,” says Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal.

Automakers are taking notice. Honda will install an instrument in a new hybrid it will roll out next year that cues drivers for gas-saving actions, such as when to ease off the accelerator, says spokesman Sage Marie.

Hypermilers share their triumphs and secrets on a handful of websites. They also gather in some cities as a subset of clubs for hybrid-car owners, which many now are.

Driving safety advocates laud some of their habits — but heap scorn on others.

“Probably the most beneficial aspect of hypermiling is its emphasis on a less aggressive approach,” says Geoff Sundstrom, spokesman for AAA, formerly the American Automobile Association. “The downside of hypermiling is some of the techniques can be extremely dangerous.”

Turning the engine off while coasting can, in some cars, leave the driver without power steering or brakes and allow the possibility that the steering wheel will lock up. Drivers can endanger themselves and others if they go too slow for the pace of traffic.

How about that urge to “draft” trucks — follow close behind for less wind resistance — on the interstate?

“There’s another term for that. We call it tailgating,” Sundstrom deadpans.

Safety first

Hudgin, a 56-year-old professional pilot, says serious hypermilers always put safety before mileage. Sure, he doesn’t mind using a truck as a windbreak — but only, he says, if he can stay at least three seconds back.

During the afternoon drive with a reporter, he observes all traffic laws in a mix of city and highway driving.

But having to make a stop at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, grabbing a quick taco at a Mexican restaurant and getting stuck in rush-hour traffic on Interstate 10 take their toll on his usual mpg.

Normally, Hudgin says, he can roll up 100 mpg in warm weather, about 90 in the winter. But on this day, the kiss of mileage death came when his hybrid’s battery started recharging, which causes the hybrid’s gasoline engine to work harder and burn more gas. Those few minutes on the freeway slashed his mileage temporarily to a paltry 48 mpg, according to the car’s computer. That’s 12 below the two-seat, three-cylinder Insight’s EPA mpg rating for highway driving.

Hudgin is not new to the mileage game. When Hudgin was young, an uncle drove a 1955 Morris Minor, a small English car, to Canada and bragged about 50 mpg. “I thought, ‘That’s phenomenal.’ And it made an impression on me.”

Hudgin has owned a series of compact vehicles known for their little engines and big mpg, such as a Subaru Justy and Chevy Sprint. He had a long commute, he says, and needed dependable and cheap cars.

Some mileage tricks he found himself. “I started going the back way, slowed down from 55 to 45 miles per hour and saw an increase of 16 mpg,” says Hudgin, who flies executive planes for the state of Arizona.

Slow going on the byways tacked 19 minutes onto his commute, but he says he didn’t mind.

In 2001, he bought his then-slightly-used Insight, an odd-looking car that was the first hybrid sold in the USA, though in limited numbers. It got the highest EPA mileage rating of any model until it was discontinued. He got 59.6 mpg from his first tank of gas.

Not bad, he says, but around 2005, he discovered the world of hypermiling, including Internet sites such as CleanMPG.com, Greenhybrid.com and several others where hypermilers share mileage tactics.

Finding miles online

Hudgin says tips culled from the sites helped him improve until in 2006, he averaged 112 mpg on a tankful while practicing to be part of a six-man team for the Insight Marathon, a mileage contest. All the claims are unverified, but Hudgin and other hypermilers say the proof is the car’s own mileage computer.

Others claim similar triumphs. Randall Burkholder of Blackwell, Okla., whose Insight was used in the marathon, says the team got 164 mpg. He says 100 mpg is pretty routine on his 82-mile round-trip commute to work as a machine programmer.

“We know what the cars are capable of,” he says.

Another hypermiler, Sean Welch of Coon Rapids, Minn., says he often gets more than a thousand miles out of the 10.6-gallon gas tank on his Insight. He says he uses the same techniques in his non-hybrid 2002 Hyundai Elantra and also gets astounding mileage.

“Hypermiling is a whole suite of tools. It’s half science and the other half is art, knowing when to apply them,” says Welch, 31.

Some of the science comes from a gauge hypermilers put into cars that don’t have one built in that offers a continuous reading of their gas mileage at any moment. Without such gauges, it’s hard to figure out what works or what doesn’t.

“There’s no magic pill,” Hudgin says. “You really need to change your driving style. If you’re talking on your cellphone (behind the wheel), it isn’t going to happen. You have to concentrate on your driving.”

Hypermilers have their own lexicon for their tricks.

There’s “pulse and glide,” in which the driver speeds up then shifts into neutral or turns off the engine to coast. There is “ridge riding,” which is driving the car off center in a lane to keep its tires out of the tracks worn into pavement from years of traffic.

A natural result, of course, of all this intense study is competition for bragging rights as top hypermiler.

Many will gather in Madison, Wis., on July 19-20 for Hybridfest, which will pit hybrid owners from Florida to California in a contest to see who can get the best gas mileage over a scenic, winding, 30-mile loop.

The entry classes cover a wide range of hybrids, from tiny Insights to one for the guy bringing a new Chevy Tahoe full-size SUV hybrid that is government rated at 21 mpg. “He’s pretty sure he can get 35,” says Eric Powers, who is organizing the event as part of the Dane County Fair.

Adapting to road, weather

The strategy behind winning such rivalries is knowing which techniques to use at different times, based on weather and road conditions. Not all work on any given day.

“If you leave some on the table, that’s fine,” says Wayne Gerdes, who runs hypermiling site CleanMPG.com and holds seminars. Gerdes says he gets more than 40 mpg out of his 2003 Ford Ranger pickup.

Drivers don’t have to be as extreme as the top hypermilers, however, to get better mileage.

Slowing down and laying off the brakes has helped California Highway Patrol Officer Heather Hoglund get about 10 mpg more out of her private car, a Toyota Prius hybrid.

But she says she’s cautious about using hypermiling techniques: “Don’t get so hooked on your hypermiling you don’t put your foot on the brake when you need to.”

Using a little gas for comfort

Hudgin’s wife, Laural says she happily uses her air conditioning and has stopped turning her engine off during stoplight waits “because it dragged down the battery.”

Yet, by driving smoothly in her diesel-powered 2004 Volkswagen Golf and carefully trying to time stop lights to avoid waits, she averages nearly 50 mpg, she says, about 10 mpg better than the car’s EPA rating.

“She’s a hypermiler in her own right,” Louis Hudgin says.

But like any spouse, he admits, “I have to bite my tongue while she’s driving.”

TELL US: How do you make every mile per gallon last?

You can get more gas by volume by purchasing gasoline at that time. You’ve probably noticed that gas prices soar shortly before an upcoming holiday when many of us travel farther distances to visit family and friends. So try to fill up before that price-jump surprises you! Be sure your gas cap is tight or your gas might be vaporizing into thin air, literally. If your vehicle is in poor running condition it uses more gas. So invest in a tune-up. Replace a dirty air filter because a clogged filter can damage your engine, reducing gas mileage efficiency. Check those spark plugs as well. Under-inflated tires are gas-guzzlers too, so have the air checked. I personally dislike using cruise control because it feels I’m not in control. However, if you don’t have that issue, you should use cruise control, as it does keep your driving speed steady and that does help fuel economy.

Turn off your engine if you’ll be idling for more than thirty seconds. Starting and stopping the engine uses some fuel; sure, but idling the engine for long periods of time uses more. Plan ahead. The less you have to stop the better your gas mileage. So when you see other drivers racing to the red light to beat you they are wasting gas. Better to attempt to catch as many green lights as possible, as the less stopping you have to do, the better gas mileage you’ll get. Accelerate slowly and take more distance and time when you brake.

This way of driving is effective at reducing gas mileage. The more weight you’re carrying with you, the worse gas mileage you’ll get. Attempt to stick to the basics. For safety’s sake too, it’s not a good habit to be lugging around heavy items in the carriage along with passengers. When you must travel with luggage, etc., it’s best to put them in the trunk, as hauling stuff around on a rack messes up aerodynamics and your car’s workload increases.

Lastly, I’ve heard that both running the air conditioning as well as driving with your windows open are going to reduce your fuel economy by as much as 10%. Well, whether you’re hot or just want some fresh air, do whichever you like. There is really no major difference between driving with the windows down or using the AC when it comes to conserving fuel. AC uses a mere 1-mile per gallon. Obviously, you never want to run your AC while windows are down! Let a cool head prevail!

1. Buy a good used sub-compact car that gets great mileage and use it for the daily commutes to work and store, etc.

2. Car-pooling and sharing the cost of gas or charging per passenger, per ride, will reduce your own costs.

3. The tried and true mechanic’s advice: Tune-up and keep the tire pressures at optimum.

4. Driving habits we can recall from drivers ed: Reduce speed, accelerate gradually, slow down before traffic signals require you to brake.

5. Maximize each trip efficiency: Do more things each trip and plan your route in advance.

6. Don’t carry extra weight around in the car – ditch the spouse and kids!

It has virtually no noticeable effect when driving on the highway, and while it’s a little more noticeable when it comes to city driving, it may not be worth the discomfort if it’s a particularly hot day. Another thing I try to do is avoid breaking abruptly. Breaking gradually is better for your mileage. Hopefully these tips will help you save some gas money!

In the summer time it is possible for some of the liquid gasoline to turn into vapors inside your gas tank. To avoid this fill the tank to the normal full level and try to keep it there. This reduces the amount of space available for gasoline vapors and actually increases gasoline mileage.

You can also improve gasoline mileage by keeping the tires of your vehicle full of air. Check the tires before you have traveled a long distance or before it gets to warm during the day. Warm air expands in the tires and may give a slightly false reading. Keeping the tires full with air may save up to 5 per cent on your total gas mileage.

Free

Air in the tires more air equals less rolling resistance and more freeway friendly gear ratios (if the tires are inflated bigger they act like an increased overdrive). At the very least tired should be set at what the manufacturer of the car recommends, but I experimented with my 1987 Porsche and found I like about 45 pounds in the tires. It saved about 2 mpg, for free. Additionally replace the factory tires with tires that are the same width and a little taller, even more overdrive gearing with less tire on the ground rolling resistance.

Knock off the jackrabbit starts- my Porsche has a MPG gage which is basically a glorified vacuum gage but it is a constant reminder of loss and a good tool to show you how much foot you should use when.

Combine trips- or shop at places where you can get everything, or multitask like Super Wal-Mart, Target or Big K.. Bank online and have direct deposit.

Regular maintenance

Tune up- At the very least you can change the plugs every 3,000 miles. If you can’t do it, many High Schools and Community Colleges will fix your car for free for the students getting a chance to gain experience.

Wax on wax off- Mr. Miyagi said it best, a clean car with wax on it reduces wind resistance.

Replace the factory air cleaner with a large volume low restriction intake. Check local ordinances before you buy and modify. Be careful what you are buying because some of those intakes can get pretty pricy, so shop around decide what you want, check out everybody’s price including eBay. Keep your old air filter and box in the event you need to pass smog sometime. Some good air intakes are under $100.00. The intake doesn’t have to be the best, you are seeking to reduce restriction, not race Indy.

Repair

Exhaust . . .specifically the Catalytic Converter most cars now come with a straight thru converter (where you can see daylight when you look down the exhaust). This is imperative and if you have the other type, you must replace it with this type. Cost between $100 and $300.00 dollars, with a savings of about 3 MPG. Consider replacing the muffler with a low restriction muffler or glass pack. Check with local ordinances on noise and muffler replacement.

Repair body damage- this can and usually does detract more from your mileage than not cleaning and waxing, particularly if the damage is in the front or on the side.

If your coil fails look into something that provides a little more spark.

Cam shaft- should you need a cam shaft there should be a number of suitable replacements that offer better fuel economy that are cheaper than a factory camshaft.

I should note that these aren’t just random guesses at what might help. I have a 2000 Chrysler Town & Country mini-van that has a digital display showing you in real-time your miles per gallon. As I’m driving, I can see second by second how my miles per gallon are changing. It keeps a running log of these numbers and has a second display to show you your average miles per gallon. I have tested each of these tips independently to see if they help or not. (Yes, I’m a big nerd and actually do this kind of statistical analysis for fun. Then again, I’m now getting 25 miles per gallon in a six-year-old mini-van. Who’s laughing now?)

Okay, here you go…

• Don’t accelerate quickly. – I used to be a relatively aggressive driver. I would speed up quickly from stops, accelerate into the fast line quickly on the freeway, and so forth. If you accelerate gradually, though, it can really help your miles per gallon. Your car won’t be working as hard. You’ll be a safer driver to boot.
• Let your car brake itself. – I wasn’t so bad with this one, but I used to often wait until I was somewhat near a stop before braking down to a halt. Anticipate stops ahead of you and just let off the accelerator, letting the car slow itself down.
• Drive at the speed limit on highways and freeways. – This was the hardest one for me to do. I would consistently drive 5, maybe 10, miles per hour over the speed limit. Last year I wouldn’t have cared about this one. Now, my choice is between driving 5 miles per hour slower on highways and freeways, or paying for gas more often. At $3.00 a gallon, I’m now more willing to drive 5 miles per hour slower. And you know what? I find that I don’t really get where I’m going any later than I did before. Funny, that.
• Use cruise control. – This really helps your miles per gallon a lot on long stretches of road. Where I live there is a drive I often have to take that’s about a half-hour drive. I tested this out on that drive and was surprised at the difference cruise control made. I tried driving the exact same speed with and without cruise control and using cruise control consistently gave me a 4-5 miles per gallon advantage. If I worked the accelerator myself, even being very consistent and alert to how I was driving, I would get about 24-25 miles per gallon on this highway stretch. (This is using the real-time miles per gallon display, mind you.) With cruise control on, it would increase to 29, and then vary between 27 and 30 depending on the road conditions. Not bad.
• Don’t use the air conditioner. – This can be a hard one in the summer, but with fall settling in, it’s not that tough anymore. Every time I turned the air conditioner off, I saw an immediate increase in my miles per gallon.
• Accelerate before hills. – (If you live in the Midwest, ignore this. What you call a “hill” is what we in Oregon call a “speed bump”.) Accelerate before you get to a hill, and then let off the accelerator once you hit the hill. Let your momentum carry you up the foot of the hill. Accelerating before the hill is easier on your car than accelerating on the hill. If it’s a big enough hill, you’ll still need to accelerate while you’re on it, but then you won’t have to use the accelerator on the entire hill.

And now here are some things I haven’t tested, but are supposed to help.

• Clean out your car. – A lighter car will get more miles per gallon.
• Check your tire pressure. – Low tire pressure makes your car work harder. Don’t over-inflate your tires.
• Change your air filter. – A dirty filter will decrease your miles per gallon.
• Get a hybrid car. – Well, duh. However, hybrids aren’t for everyone. If you have long stretches of highway or freeway driving, a hybrid won’t give you much of an advantage. They are also less powerful when it comes to hills.
• Do more in one trip. – Less trips equals less gas.