CBS Evening News

[pgfpro]

Did anyone else see the story about gas prices and how the general public is changing.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20056638.shtml

[Ford Man]

That's a good article, but I have to disagree with them about the a/c usage not decreasing mileage. My '97 Escort wagon will easily get 10% better mileage on the highway at 55 mph with the a/c off and the windows down.

[theholycow]

I think the writer got confused when he found out that a study showed that A/C did not use more fuel than having the windows down.

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by Ford Man

That's a good article, but I have to disagree with them about the a/c usage not decreasing mileage. My '97 Escort wagon will easily get 10% better mileage on the highway at 55 mph with the a/c off and the windows down.

I used to always keep the windows down during the summer. Last summer, I tried it with the A/C on for a while. I noticed almost no change in MPG over 3 tanks, and I was driving between 50 and 70 most of the time. And note that Honda A/C units usually pull a LOT from their torque-deficient engines.

[Ford Man]

Originally Posted by Fetch

I used to always keep the windows down during the summer. Last summer, I tried it with the A/C on for a while. I noticed almost no change in MPG over 3 tanks, and I was driving between 50 and 70 most of the time. And note that Honda A/C units usually pull a LOT from their torque-deficient engines.

Maybe it just depends on the car.

[Jay2TheRescue]

My truck gets the same mileage whether the a/c is on or not, so I prefer to be comfortable and turn it on if I start to get warm.

[add|ct]

Originally Posted by Ford Man

Maybe it just depends on the car.

My thoughts exactly. Of course, a newer Honda may not have these issues but my 5th gen Civic sure does. I lose 12% of my engine's overall performance with the A/C on. Of course, it's either that or the windows down and at highway speeds it probably won't affect gas mileage that much. In more mixed driving scenarios, I'd imagine the stop and go lug is where the MPG loss occurs, ironically where you need the A/C the most sitting in traffic.

[JanGeo]

Well it really depends upon the mileage you are getting since at 12-20 mpg you will not notice a little a/c hit but at 50 mpg you will.

Sitting in traffic is not so bad if you recirculate the air because you are not moving and warming up the car as much . . . However you do need to keep air flowing through the grill with some cooling air so keep back from the car ahead of you! I sat in a post office lot for 10 minutes on a hot day with the a/c on low and it was barely turning on much at all and I stayed nice and cool.