King of the Hypermilers: 59 MPG in an Old Honda Accord

With gas prices climbing towards $4/gallon (I was in San Francisco last week, where gas prices had already passed that level a while ago), it's no surprise that people are trying to maximize their car's MPG.

But Wayne Gerdes takes it to the very extreme: he's the king of the hypermilers, and can get 59 MPG in a plain old Accord.

But you may not want to try it ... here's why:

I'm thinking that hypermiling consists of driving like a 90-year-old in a mobile sweat lodge, but I'm about to find out I'm wrong. Really, really wrong.

"Buckle up tight, because this is the death turn," says Wayne. Death turn? We're moving at 50 mph. Wayne turns off the engine. He's bearing down on the exit, and as he turns the wheel sharply to the right, the tires squeal—which is what happens when you take a 25 mph turn going 50. Cathy, Terry's wife, who is sitting next to me in the backseat, grabs my leg. I grab the door handle. As we come out of the 270-degree turn, Cathy says, "I hope you have upholstery cleaner."

Here's an interesting article by Dennis Gaffney for Mother Jones: Link - Thanks MoonCake!