So, living in KC, I usually average around 28 to 30 MPG. That's mostly in town driving with a 20 mile highway stint twice a day (if I drive the fit to work and back).

Recently, we went to Colorado to do a bit of late season snowboarding and stayed in Dillon Colorado for close access to A-basin, Breckenridge and Loveland (Loveland FTW!!!!!).

Dillon and the surrounding area is the total opposite of Kansas City. KC is flat as shit. The mountains of Colorado were taxing the poor fit so much, I had to shift at 5000 RPM to keep up with all the turbocharged Outbacks and Audis. Something about the 9111 feet of elevation kept the fit low on power and alot of hill climbing and descending everyday meant that we were driving the hell out of our fit.

That said, our gas mileage averaged out at 39.78 MPG!! WTF?!

For comparision.. At home, elevation is 909 feet. 28 MPG. Dillon is 9111 feet. 39 MPG.

Why is it that 8200 feet higher in elevation made for 10 more MPG, despite making the fit run like shit? I expected the altitude difference to affect the car, but I wasn't expecting to get over 330 miles per tank!

Has anyone else experienced a change in MPG for the better as they've climbed higher in altitude?

 

i think i loose mpg when in higher elevation. isnt that thinning out the air?

hmmmm...not sure though.

 

Elevation has been proven to improve mileage. To sum up the results, there was a gain of 5.xx%-34.xx% mpg depending on incline -vs- decline -vs- steady elevation driving (not up or down hill).

here is the link. you are looking at test "V".

http://www.nesea.org/greencarclub/re...nomy%20exp.pdf

 

Hmm. Well if thats the case.. I wonder. Wasn't the MPG testing for the Kraftwerks kit in the mountains? Maybe the kit itself didn't really help the mileage and it was just the altitude??

I gotta go back through that thread. (Where's 3.0 already??)

 

There's two things going on here. First, less air at altitude means that the maximum horsepower is lower. A properly designed engine will inject the proper amount of fuel for the *mass* of air drawn in, not the volume. So at full throttle, less air is drawn in, less gas is injected, and less HP is produced. Another way to think of it is: high altitude is the opposite of turbocharging.

Second, less air means less air resistance means better mileage, especially at higher speeds.

So, the effect of high altitude is lower power but higher mileage.