| mgthe3 |
The old timers here should know of my really heavy lead foot in the Mo, screech and skitter all the way to work and back, new tires at 29k.... etc etc.
Then I paid $4 a gallon for gas the other day.
Got my attention.
I got 27mpg on the way home yesterday, 29.5 on the way in this morning.
How?
70 mph max on the freeway and less than 1500 rpm on city streets.
I guess some folks look at me as they go by and say, "Yep another old man".
Fug'em, I have 80 miles on a fresh tank and I'm still above full.
:2: |
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| wa4qfy |
This past weeking I went to pickup my daughter from College, and on the way down I was paying $70 per tank, and had to make several fillup along the trip. So I guess I will be joining your club shortly.. ;)
<soapbox> But you want really ticks me off, around here in the St Louis area, there is a big convience store with initals QT and about 6 months ago it started charging 0.15 more for plus and an addition 0.15 for premium, instead of the normal 0.20 delta between regular and premium. Then sure enough within a week all of the other gas station jacked up the prices also. Yet you get away from the city, and it's the 0.20. It's bad enough that the gasoline companys are making money like crazy, now the middle men have found a way to stick us also....
Arrrgggg... </soapbox>
The good news I found a station this week that is on the way home that has only a 20 cent delta. |
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| DMordarski |
| I with you with this one... 3.57 a gallon last fill up... 63, I'm going to OKC next month for work, I'll set the cruise at 69, be the slow one in the right lane, and listen to the Sirius!!! :D |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by DMordarski
be the slow one in the right lane
At least you know to be in the right lane! That's FAR more intelligent than most people on the road! :D |
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| woossh |
Here's another possible savings on slower speeds. NO TICKETS!!
My wife drives the speed limit everywhere. I speed, almost everywhere, well, did. She has shown me we catch up with speeders at the red lights, and on the highway we are passed 2-3 times by the same car. Turtle and hare syndrome. Speeders must stop more. One trip to Lubbock 2 vans of scouts passed us 4 times and the last time was going into the Lubbock city limits. Over 200 miles we arrived at the same time driving the speed limit.
Does not always work out well though. On one trip an officer stopped us and ticketed her for 85 in a 70. We had a jury trial and won the case. Long story, but interesting.
I now drive the speed limit and find I am not as safe a driver as I am not always looking for officers. |
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| zebelkhan |
| I decided to join the crowd and reduced my commute speed down to between 60 to 65 mph, from usual 75 to 80 mph. It is now a very boring drive but my average mpg is 26. At $4.26 per gallon (last fillup 91 octane), I calculated I will be saving about $40 a month. |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
I decided to join the crowd and reduced my commute speed down to between 60 to 65 mph, from usual 75 to 80 mph.
Wow. Wish I could do 80mph on my commute! I'm lucky if I can get up to 60 before hitting another stop-and-go section... :D
Having my commute as slow as it is certainly doesn't improve my MPG, though. Something about being STOPPED a good portion of time time kind of kills those mpg numbers. :rolleyes:
I've been thinking lately how much it would cost to go buy an old CRX (favorite of all the cars I have owned) and do a complete electric conversion. Love to have that as my commuter car! |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
Wow. Wish I could do 80mph on my commute! I'm lucky if I can get up to 60 before hitting another stop-and-go section... :D
The only way I can do it is to leave my home after 9 am, and return from work at 7 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
I've been thinking lately how much it would cost to go buy an old CRX (favorite of all the cars I have owned) and do a complete electric conversion. Love to have that as my commuter car!
Let me know when you are ready to get started and I will join you! |
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| mgthe3 |
29.3 this morning!
I shocked my Honda Civic buddy, he gets less.
hahahahaha |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by mgthe3
29.3 this morning!
That is amazing! Best I can do is 27.5 mpg @ 60 mph on flat freeway |
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| mgthe3 |
| I musta had a tail wind: today I got 27.3, identicle speed and traffic. |
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| Gonzo |
Fellas, quick question, how are you determining that you are getting that kind of milleage? Are you using the digital readout?
If so not to burst your bubble but it at the very instant... using it for that moment in time would be like putting it in nuetral while coasting down a hill and saying "look, I'm getting 100 MPG"
For that moment you are getting 27 but what is the average for a tank, how about 3 tanks how about over a month? |
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| mgthe3 |
I reset the MPG average at the top of the ramp before getting on the freeway. The ending mileage when I pull into the space at work or in my driveway is what I post. Considering that I use most of my time commuting on the freeway, that is what I measure. I know I got ~150 miles out of the 1st quarter tank, that is very unusual.
I watch the graphical display showing me a real time measurement of what is going on; I find my foot gets even lighter by watching it. Sometimes it goes down below 10MPG on startups, sometimes it goes above 30 MPG on coasts. I am learning the program of TQ lockup I imagine --unlocked it is pretty bad. When accellerating and I feel/hear it lock, I back off the throttle and achieve much higher MPG with a very light foot -- all that with acceptable accelleration.
I'm not stupid enough to take a 1 mile sample to say I'm getting X MPG. |
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| jkster107 |
I am jealous. I've only got a 2 mile commute to the train station, but I make up for it with crappy mileage. The last two tanks I've driven with my accelerations always under 2000, but still seeing an average (by the computer) around 18. I've got to sit down with the receipts + odometer readings and figure out my actuals.
I'm thinking that between the altitude and the steeper grades here in Denver, I'm never going to see much above 20. And 2000 rpm barely gets me off the line when the stoplight is at the bottom of the hill.
I've started poking around for a nice, light Honda or Toyota for an all electric conversion. I figure I could even capitalize on Denver's 300+ days of sunlight while parked at the train station. |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by jkster107
I am jealous. I've only got a 2 mile commute to the train station
You jealous? Me jealous....90 miles per day commute and no public transportation...:mad: |
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| Homer |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
You jealous? Me jealous....90 miles per day commute and no public transportation...:mad:
I have the same problem... my commute is so short my car just warms up as the ride ends... so my mileage usually stinks |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by Homer
I have the same problem... my commute is so short my car just warms up as the ride ends... so my mileage usually stinks
You live in New Jersey and consider a short commute to work a problem? I would call it a blessing.:21:
-njjoe |
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| Gonzo |
quote:
Originally posted by mgthe3
I reset the MPG average at the top of the ramp before getting on the freeway. The ending mileage when I pull into the space at work or in my driveway is what I post. Considering that I use most of my time commuting on the freeway, that is what I measure.
I'm not stupid enough to take a 1 mile sample to say I'm getting X MPG.
No one is saying that you are stupid but it sounds like you are determine your MPG with your head in the sand... curious what is your milleage from your house to your parking space at work for something like a week? I think you might be in for a surprise. |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by Homer
... my commute is so short my car just warms up as the ride ends...
Make sure you change your oil often.....:4: |
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| Corin |
My company is planning a move to downtown Bellevue within the next year, which will most likely make parking a nightmare. However, it makes taking the bus much easier. Rather than 2 transfers to where we are now, it will be 0 transfers (still have to drive to the park-n-ride).
Trouble is, about half of my commute time now is just getting to the point where I could get on that bus (short distance, backed up traffic with all the stop signs). When the time comes, I'll be considering one of those electric-assist bicycles. That way I can whiz by all the stopped cars on the way to the park-n-ride, then take the bus right to the office.
Then the problem becomes I miss my MO because it stays parked in the garage all week...
OR, I go get myself an old Karman Ghia and convert it to be pure electric. 40 mile range, 70mph top speed. That should cover my round-trip commute!
http://www.electricvehicleswa.com/e...conversions.php |
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| Homer |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
Make sure you change your oil often.....:4:
I still follow the old 3000 miles rule for this reason :) |
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| mgthe3 |
quote:
Originally posted by Gonzo
No one is saying that you are stupid but it sounds like you are determine your MPG with your hand in the sand... curious what is your milleage from your house to your parking space at work for something like a week? I think you might be in for a surprise.
Door to door 2 days running, with air, with traffic stopping, 25.2 MPG.
No surprise here.
Like I said, what I varied mainly was over 80% of my commute.
My hand isn't in the sand, neither is my head.
:rolleyes: |
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| rtking |
quote:
Originally posted by jkster107
I am jealous. I've only got a 2 mile commute to the train station, but I make up for it with crappy mileage.
No joke - the stop and go of city driving really hurts mileage. Got 7.9 mpg average on the Murano, and my Mercedes C230 gets 15.5 mpg on the same commute. (5 miles to work, one way, with an average speed of 9 mph.) On the highway, the Murano gets me 23 - 24 mpg (I have to try the slow-down suggestions everyone is offering!) and my C230 gets 32 mpg.
I got fed-up yesterday when I filled the C230's tank and it cost $70! So I bought a 2008 Yamaha Vino 125 scooter. 96 mpg! (With my weight, probably closer to 65 mpg.) |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by rtking
I bought a 2008 Yamaha Vino 125 scooter. 96 mpg
You know why? Because it has a CVT.....:) |
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| Eric L. |
| I think one trend I can see here is that longer commutes definitely impact fuel economy very positively. My commute is very short - 5 or 6 miles in city traffic, and I get around 15mpg around town. |
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| mgthe3 |
I am going house hunting soon.
Unfortunately, where I want to move will have a negative impact on my fuel economy.
Currently I live less than 2 miles from the freeway. There are usually two stops on the way, especially at 5:45 AM. When I get off the freeway to work, there is one stop on my 1/2 mile of street driving to the parking deck. On the way home it is 1/4 mile to the freeway and 1 stop after getting off the ramp to the house.
Where I want to live will probably entail a dozen stops either way with long line traffic lights; definitely an economy killer.
Perhaps I should just look farther up the freeway rather than farther off of it.
;) |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by mgthe3
I am going house hunting soon.
Unfortunately, where I want to move will have a negative impact on my fuel economy.
"Hey, I increased my mpg for my commute from 15mpg to 26mpg! I'm saving so much money!"
"Cool, how did you do that?"
"I moved farther away from the office, so my car has time to completely warm up on the commute."
"um.... How much farther?"
"Well, my commute USED to be 2 miles on back-roads. Now it's 45 miles, but mostly freeway. I must be saving a TON on gas since I'm getting better mpg numbers, but it SEEMS like I need to fill up more often...."
:2: |
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| Eric L. |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
"Hey, I increased my mpg for my commute from 15mpg to 26mpg! I'm saving so much money!"
"Cool, how did you do that?"
"I moved farther away from the office, so my car has time to completely warm up on the commute."
"um.... How much farther?"
"Well, my commute USED to be 2 miles on back-roads. Now it's 45 miles, but mostly freeway. I must be saving a TON on gas since I'm getting better mpg numbers, but it SEEMS like I need to fill up more often...."
:2:
Yep, in the end all that matters is how much you spend overall. |
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| rtking |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
You know why? Because it has a CVT.....:)
LOL! True, it does!
I tried the tecniques described here and, lo-and-behold, better mileage! The sweet spot for the Murano seems to be between 55 and 65 mph. I tried not to exceed 2500 rpm and keep rpms in the 1500-2000 range. Despite being passed by almost everyone on the freeway, I was able to achieve 28 mpg (indicated on the trip computer) for a 22 mile average. We then ran into LA traffic where I purposely left 3 car lengths in front of me to keep from coming to a complete stop (trying to avoid using a lot of gas and power to overcome the moment of inertia to get the car rolling again.) All this paid off as I averaged 26.1 mpg over 36 miles (including the 28 mpg I averaged for the first part of the trip.)
City mileage does take a huge toll on gas mileage though. |
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| zebelkhan |
| I have started to see more and more drivers driving at lower speeds. Past couple of days, I have actually passed quite a few cars on my daily commute, and I set the cruise Control at 65 mph. Still boring, but a library of nearly 4,000 songes in my carouter helps.......:D |
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| mgthe3 |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
"Hey, I increased my mpg for my commute from 15mpg to 26mpg! I'm saving so much money!"
"Cool, how did you do that?"
"I moved farther away from the office, so my car has time to completely warm up on the commute."
"um.... How much farther?"
"Well, my commute USED to be 2 miles on back-roads. Now it's 45 miles, but mostly freeway. I must be saving a TON on gas since I'm getting better mpg numbers, but it SEEMS like I need to fill up more often...."
:2:
Taken in the full text....
Where I WANT to move would be about 4 miles longer commutes.
With all the long line lights it would equate to more than a 20 mile increase of freeway time.
BUT, if I moved 5 miles up the freeway, it would be much less overall spending for fuel if it were as close to the freeway as I am now.
I have always laughed about how the mother inlaw will drive 20 miles to save 50 cents on a sale. She is after the bargain -- not what it takes to get it. |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by mgthe3
I have always laughed about how the mother inlaw will drive 20 miles to save 50 cents on a sale. She is after the bargain -- not what it takes to get it.
Ha! Yeah, some people crack me up. I had a co-worker who took an afternoon off to get to a store and save about $50 on a special sale. Problem was, he was a contractor who gets paid hourly, so the afternoon he took off work was actually unpaid, and he would have made a LOT more than $50 if he worked that afternoon... :)
Of course, it did allow him to get it before they sold out, I suppose, so maybe there was some sense to his madness. |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by Corin
Of course, it did allow him to get it before they sold out, I suppose, so maybe there was some sense to his madness.
That is what spouses/partners/gf/bf/friends are for.....;) |
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| Homer |
| Ok, my experiment is over... I removed the lead from my foot... and tested the difference. My calculated MPG since I got the car has been around 18... this tank I got 22.99. The trip computer said 22.8, anyways huge difference! |
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| mgthe3 |
After a week of no resetting:
The puter said 23.7 on my drive into the driveway Wed after work.
Thursday in the parking deck it said 24.2.
Parked in my driveway after returning home it says 24.0.
The week before my right foot weight loss treatment I got high 19's.
I have altered my diet some....
I get up to speed on the freeway as fast as possible without going over ~2600 RPM.
Cruise a little over 72 on downgrades, 65 to 68 on upgrades.
On side streets I again get up to speed quickly (without going over 2300) and gently apply throttle thereafter.
Result?
Over 400 miles on around 7/8 tank, huge change. |
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| Coness |
| I always have good intentions of going 60 mph, but have come to the realization that I can't be that guy. Yep...the one going 60 in the passing lane. Some day maybe...:rolleyes: |
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