[kubu4]

Bellingham, WA

Well, this is part of the problem. Bellingham is rather hilly compared to Reno, NV. I've driven in Bellingham and some of those streets are very steep (e.g. Alabama St.); they will absolutely kill your MPG. So, if you're just driving around town in a relatively hilly city like Bellingham, the MPG you're seeing is nothing out of the ordinary and would be expected.