Cruze drivers get `hyper' over fuel economy

More people are finding out the Chevrolet Cruze compact car gets great gasoline mileage. They literally don’t know the half of it.

An Australian couple, John and Helen Taylor, got 64.42 miles per gallon driving a manual transmission 2012 Cruze Eco 9,552 miles around the U.S., according to GM and trip sponsor Shell Oil. That’s half again better than the 42 miles per gallon at which the car is rated for highway driving.

There are a number of caveats.

First, the Taylors are “hypermilers,” meaning they use special techniques to boost their gas mileage.

They used the highest gear they could safely when going downhill in order to build momentum for the next hill.

They also drove three to five miles an hour below the speed limit, something few people seem capable of doing.

Also, the mileage is a bit skewed if they stayed on the highway for their entire trip. Most travelers will venture every now and then into the city for sightseeing, visiting, whatever.

Other factors, such as weight and number of passengers and luggage or weather conditions affect fuel economy.

And, frankly, there’s a reason why automatic transmissions are more popular than stick shifters -- they’re a lot less work.

Some Web posters noted the cost of extra nights sleeping in a motel or meals that would be required by driving slower and spending more days on the road. There’s also the fatigue factor of more hours behind the wheel.

Still, it shows GM is working hard to help this country do more with the energy it has. It's hard to argue with that.