How to Get 2 MPG Better

[shatto]

How did I get 2 miles better gas mileage? Cut my speed ten.

Slowed from 65 to 55 MPH and the mileage went up.

Son of a gun.

[VX_Arky]

I rarely drive my VX at 65, only when I'm in a hurry. Most of my driving speed on the highway has been 55 to 60 mph. Was hoping you had found me two more mpg's!!!

[mikehallbackhoe]

I drive in the mountains, and drive less than 55. you are actually costing me mpg

[shatto]

[madnessspirit]

Slowing down doesn't hurt anything, but consider this. 200 miles at 65 takes about 3 hours and 5 minutes. At 55 mph it takes ~30 minutes longer...

Now, I'll give you much better numbers. My trips to North Dakota. 270 miles... Now, it is actually a mix of 75 and 65 driving, but only like 60 miles are at 65, so I am going to go ahead and calculate it as if I were going 75 the whole way, because my car gets 32mpg at 75. If I go 65, I get up to 36mpg, so I will use that, just because using best case scenario will make my point better.

Alright, if I were to drive 65 the whole way instead of 75, the trip takes me 35 minutes longer... and saves me 1 gallon of gas... Meaning my extra time is getting me $6.25 an hour... Your car getting much lower mileage will have about the same savings from the extra 2 mpg.

I could go flip burgers for more. Until gas is 5 bucks a gallon, driving below the speed limit is worth less than making fries at McDonalds. Only worth it if I have nowhere better to be, but considering that extra half hour can be the difference between making dinner at home and stopping at McDonalds to feed the kids, I'll go 75mph, save a few bucks, and keep my arteries clear.

[benfrogg]

Hest we forget the under-employed like me... I've got all the time in the world baby!
Besides, 10mph has a more significant effect on my MPG's than yours anyway.
Good point though.
B

[8$PG]

What if you consider the extra time you spend stopping for gas? And do you really spend all that time you save on driving fast, at work doing the extra hours?

If all of your time is valued the same watching TV is a really expensive habit.

[shatto]

Interesting calculating and way of thinking.
Yes, time is important, however, in the real world of major metropolitan driving there is little difference in arrival times. On certain roads during commute times staying with the flow is important lest a slow person be the cause of significant back-ups.
Note the dates on the receipts.

[madnessspirit]

Originally Posted by 8$PG

What if you consider the extra time you spend stopping for gas? And do you really spend all that time you save on driving fast, at work doing the extra hours?

If all of your time is valued the same watching TV is a really expensive habit.

Somehow... I don't think the extra gallon of gas is going to cost me that half hour I saved.... Also, I don't watch television. Not to mention, I wouldn't consider leisure activities on the same level, as leisure is necessary for rest and recovery of the mind and body. Plus, as I pointed out, the savings in fuel are outweighed by the difference in time, because that additional time on the road can mean having to feed children in the car instead of waiting till we get home, or even a more bathroom break, which can negate the fuel saved by driving at low speed when we have to stop and get going again.

Originally Posted by shatto

Interesting calculating and way of thinking.
Yes, time is important, however, in the real world of major metropolitan driving there is little difference in arrival times. On certain roads during commute times staying with the flow is important lest a slow person be the cause of significant back-ups.
Note the dates on the receipts.

No, in real world commutes, the time difference is generally far less significant, especially since, as you said, there are flow concerns, and the distances are not on the same order of magnitude, not to mention speeds are not constant like they are on a long drive. I didn't mean to point that out to say that it was pointless to drive slower. I just meant to point that out to say that one should consider that means VERY little savings, so one should weigh their options. If it is just mundane, short trips, I generally drive slower. I was just saying, that there are advantages in driving at the higher speeds at time that outweigh the savings. Generally on long drives, the time saving outweighs the fuel saving potential. I can make that round trip on a tank of gas, though I usually stop when I get there before my trip back for a fill up, since I don't like being unprepared. Each leg of the trip would have to be well over miles before I had to worry about additional fuel stops, since I've got a 16.5-17 gallon tank.

Also. That is a lot of miles a day. Once again, I must ask the question of how the difference in time spent at each speed compares to the fuel savings. Also, I can't help but point out the differences in the dates between the 55 mph days and the 65mph days... 3 months can make a lot of difference in the gas the station is selling and the weather conditions... We had a mild winter, but still December was much colder than this month has been.

Also, if one wanted to be a smart ***... one could say it cost you a lot less to drive 65+ than your 55mph driving cost :P