Good Mileage

[Twitch]

Ok, since we are in a period of high gasoline prices I have to say I have seen no one drive as though they were attempting to conserve at all.

While people holler about prices they still are on the accelerator 150 feet before the stop light instead of coasting. They're punching the throttle when the light changes. When traffic is light on the freeway 75 MPH is far too slow when the majority is actually pushing 85 or more!

Don't get me wrong, I love performance cars and enjoy using that performance when it is possible. But I see contests of speed- racing- all the time and people attempting to hold one speed by weaving through slower traffic by lane jumping, hauling azz to the next stop light and actively accelerating 150 feet from a stop.

To alleviate boredom I actually used to see how little speed I could bleed off as I coasted to a stop light 1/4 mile ahead when I was driving a huge amount and find myself doing that once more for amusement. I have a bout 750,000 lifetime miles behind me.

Once you're rolling your inertia will usually only scrub off 10 MPH so if you begin coasting at 40 you're at about 30MPH 1/4 mile on when it's actually time to brake.

The old egg under the gas pedal technique is probably over kill but moderate acceleration saves gas and the way lights are timed you just get there 1st to sit and wait if you punched it.

Doesn't matter if you have a car that gets 27 MPG or 12 MPG you're "over driving" and could save a bit by going with the traffic flow's chi.[huh]

 

[McPeppers]

Yay for New Orleans -> max average speed = 45mph

 

[Paisley]

I see a lot of cars with tires that look like they need more air. That will lower your mileage.

As for drivers who weave through traffic, I've observed that for all their passing and speeding up and hitting the brakes, they only save a few seconds. The best way to get there earlier is to leave earlier.

 

[Pilgrim]

It's just gas. A necessary expense of driving. I'd much rather drive what I have then spend thousands to trade cars in order to achieve a few bucks' savings on gas each month. I'd rather put the needle at 80 on the freeway to Denver and get there sooner.

Doesn't really matter to me personally since I sold my 12 MPG pickup four years ago. Once gas gets over $4 or $5, it will matter much more to a lot of people.

 

[czack]

It's a matter of compromise.

We all have to drive something. Granted I drive a hatchback with 30mpg, but I am single with no children and can function with my car. If I had a kids I would be hard-pressed to fit them, only if I had two and fit the groceries for a family of four (I'm assuming I'm not a single father). Let's not judge the SUVs, pickups, etc. As for driving style, a few extra bucks in gas won't change anyone's habits.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Let's not judge the SUVs, pickups, etc.

Too late! lol

.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I don't drive. I hope some of the UK FLoungers can tell us their car gas mileages. My dad's car got over 40 miles to the gallon when we were growing up. As i understand it most modern cars in the UK are at this level. THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS. Why isn't it implemented in US cars? I may just be misremembering. I can't find any figures, i'm afraid. Admittedly cars are smaller in the UK (does this make a difference?)

I was astounded (still am) at what is considered "good" gas mileage in the US.

bk

 

[Twitch]

I'm don't mean WHAT you drive but HOW you drive. I constantly see people accelerate hard up to like 50 then brake hard in the last 150 feet before the light which is 1/8th mile from the last light. Driving 80 on the highway between destinations is fine too. Whipping up to 85 for a couple miles till freeway traffic comes to a stop is another thing. It makes no sense to trade a decent car for a gas meiser and lose money. Buying a Prius over a Corolla you would need to drive 66,000 miles a year for 5 years before you'd see economy benefits or gas would need to hit $10 a gallon.

It's just like all anybody knows is full ahead and full stop and simply can't be bothered with modulating the brake and gas for a smooth average.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I'm don't mean WHAT you drive but HOW you drive. I constantly see people accelerate hard up to like 50 then brake hard in the last 150 feet before the light which is 1/8th mile from the last light.

It's just like all anybody knows is full ahead and full stop and simply can't be bothered with modulating the brake and gas for a smooth average.

The problem here, is that none of this is -taught- to folks learning to drive anymore.


I know I was not taught this in Drivers Ed or behind the wheel training. I picked it up from my mother, who used to talk about how to drive even when I was young.

Figuring this out for a lot of people would require possession of common sense, a rare thing today.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I hear exactly what you are saying. Bostontians are notoriously fast inconsiderate drivers. And, they are notorious for complaining about such things as high gas prices. Maybe, if they learned how to drive, they might just save a bit of gas. I'm terrible though. I drive defensively, and to do this in the crazy city I live in, it sometimes involves putting the pedal to the metal or swerving in and out of lanes. I try to coast more when I'm on the highway. You are the second person in two days to tell me that this is a good way to conserved gas. Like Neceerie, I wasn't taught this in drivers ed either. It's just so hard, when your on the open road. I can't feel speed in my car. So, I'll be driving along the open highway, and just check my speedometer, and I'm going 95. But then again, I only fill up my tank once every 2 months, so I'm not really affected by the rise. If I drove everyday, I'm sure I'd feel differently.

 

[Paisley]

As most of you know, mileage on the highway is better than mileage in the city, even though you go faster on the highway. It takes more energy to continually gain momentum, lose it, and gain it again than it does to simply keep the momentum you already have.

Imagine you are pushing you car (or other heavy object on wheels). Which is easier: to push the object to make it go fast, make it slow down, and make it go fast again, or to make it go a moderate speed and keep pushing it just enough to maintain the speed?

 

[Feraud]

I do not see much of a gasoline problem in NYC. People drive a lot and they drive badly. That is two strikes against any complaint about gas prices!
Do not even get me started on this racket called a NYState driver's license!
Unlike a baseball game that gives everyone a fair shot with three strikes, the ability to receive a license is not based on anything like skill. New Yorkers are allowed to take and re-take a road test until they get it right. For those who cannot pass after 5-8 tries, they drive without a license.
How can we expect anyone to drive conservatively if they cannot master the basics.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

As most of you know, mileage on the highway is better than mileage in the city, even though you go faster on the highway. It takes more energy to continually gain momentum, lose it, and gain it again than it does to simply keep the momentum you already have.

Imagine you are pushing you car (or other heavy object on wheels). Which is easier: to push the object to make it go fast, make it slow down, and make it go fast again, or to make it go a moderate speed and keep pushing it just enough to maintain the speed?

Yes, this is true. That is why when you buy a car it gives you the city mpg as well as the highway mpg. But also, and this is just what I've been told by a person who makes a living off of cars, certain cars will burn a higher rate of fuel at higher speeds. My aunt drives a gigantic car, and she drives the speed limit just to use less gas. This is an extreme I wouldn't go to, for I don't drive enough to have gas prices really mark my life. Some cars nowadays with bigger engines have a thing that puts the car into a different gear at higher speeds to reduce the gas it might use. I guess it really depends on the RPMS your car is at at the speed you are going.

 

[Paisley]

But also, and this is just what I've been told by a person who makes a living off of cars, certain cars will burn a higher rate of fuel at higher speeds.

That's right. Again, imagine you are pushing an object on wheels. It takes less energy to push it at a slow speed than at a fast speed.

 

[Benny Holiday]

The problem here, is that none of this is -taught- to folks learning to drive anymore.


I know I was not taught this in Drivers Ed or behind the wheel training. I picked it up from my mother, who used to talk about how to drive even when I was young.

Figuring this out for a lot of people would require possession of common sense, a rare thing today.

You hit the nail on the head with that last sentence, Miss Neecerie. It's the same rat race on the roads here. Maybe the phrase should be amended to 'uncommon sense'?

 

[Terry Lennox]

Okay, let's do the math.

One driver Bob, drives 300 miles per week in his sporty car that gets 25 miles per gallon.

Sally drives 300 miles per week in her not as sporty car that get 35 miles per gallon.

Gas costs $3.00 a gallon.

Bob fills up once a week 12 gallons at $3.00 is $36.00.

Sally fill up once a week 8.57 gallons at $3.00 is $25.71.

Sally spends $1336.92 a year on gas.

Bob spends $10.29 more a week or $1872.00 a year on gas. $535.00 more a year to drive the same as Sally.

Then Sally's friend Joy buys a new hybrid car that gets 50 miles per gallon. She also drives 300 miles per week.

Joy fills up once a week 6 gallons at $3.00 is $18.00.

Joy spends $936.00 a year on gas. $400.00 less than Sally and $936.00 less than Bob.

Is it worth it?

 

[McPeppers]

Just filled up for 2.01 per gallon...premium

The prices have fallen...oh joy...oh rapture

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I drive fast on occasion, but what I strive for is smoothness. I try to change lanes only when absolutely necessary, and I look as far as I can down the road to minimize having to get on the brakes hard. I do accelerate hard once in a while when the road ahead is open to clean out the engine. I try to stay within 10 MPH of the speed limit unless the traffic flow is higher.

Above all, I move with the flow. I haven't had a speeding ticket since (knock on wood) 1984.

My driving style is sadly a rarity in the Los Angeles area.

 

[Paisley]

Tony, I try to drive in that same way. One added benefit: I'm rarely on the receiving end of road rage, and I hardly ever feel any myself.

 

[Twitch]

Ahh, ya drive like an old lady Tony. lol Naw, actually sounds fairly reasonable and California laid back. I simply can't get over the fairly recent phenomena of the past 2-3 years of actively accelerating up to 150 feet prior to a stop light bizzare