Sweet spot cruising speed

[JockoT]

It is very difficult to keep a high average speed. If you are trying to average 60 and get pulled down to 30, just once, you have a huge lump of high speed driving to try and pull your average back to 60.
We have lots of average speed cameras up here. They never bother me much, as your speed always gets pulled back somewhere, and provided you don't go loony you have no chance of beating the average. Unless you get a clear road, the chances of beating the average is pretty slim.

[Draigflag]

Yes, my average for the trip across was about 53 mph, as all of the holiday traffic was travelling to Wales, which is what I got stuck in on the way home. There was also a long 30-40 minute stretch near Birmingham which had average speed cameras for 50 MPH in road works, so that bought it down too.

[SteveMak]

My car's sweet spot is around 50 mph. I've tried it at 5 MPH increments over a long (>1,000 miles), repeated route. I get some crazy good numbers, especially for a mid-size SUV.

[JockoT]

53 mph on the GPS (about 58 indicated) is my sweet speed. Unless I can get behind a big truck, then I will sit at his speed.

[Draigflag]

Did you guys ever work out the cost difference? For example, let's say I had estimated 43 MPG on the 300 mile trip above. If I were to drop my cruising speed to 65 Mph, I'll have to estimate I'd get about 48 mpg. A 5 mpg increase would equate to £4.25 saved over the 300 miles. For me, the quicker journey time is worth that small loss.

[JockoT]

When time is of the essence I do not worry about what mpg I am getting, but most of the time, when I am out driving, time is of no consequence. I then drive for best fuel economy.

[SteveMak]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

Did you guys ever work out the cost difference? For example, let's say I had estimated 43 MPG on the 300 mile trip above. If I were to drop my cruising speed to 65 Mph, I'll have to estimate I'd get about 48 mpg. A 5 mpg increase would equate to £4.25 saved over the 300 miles. For me, the quicker journey time is worth that small loss.

The "cost difference" depends on one's individual priorities. I don't think in terms of "if I just go 5 MPH faster I can shave 30 minutes off my trip." I'm perfectly happy to spend a 10 or 11 hour day, driving at a relaxed, leisurely pace in the slow lane.

At the end of the day, I don't feel tired at all. It's been a relaxing day. That's just the way I roll

[Draigflag]

I feel the same way Steve, Cruise control on, sit back and relax, occasionally I'll put the seat massager on to prevent back ache. But then on a very straight road such as a highway, I find the increase or decrease in speed is barely noticeable anyway, do you ever get that sensation that you're doing 30 Mph when you're doing 80?

[SteveMak]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

...do you ever get that sensation that you're doing 30 Mph when you're doing 80?

I used to, back in the days when I used to go 80 MPH and faster. Somewhere around 80 to 100 MPH felt "normal" to me back then.

[Draigflag]

My best ever recorded MPGs, in this car, were travelling at 10% above the speed limit with ac on full blast = 52.2 indicted UK mpg.