I drive approx 150 miles per day round trip. I drive my vehicle gently. 95% hiway miles. Three miles to the highway, driven gentle to warm up, then do speed limit. If I am traveling by myself, I leave early enough so that I can do 60-65 MPH to save fuel.
Does anyone drive their car gently?
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My 78 Granada does its best at 60mph on the highway. Any faster is throwing money away due to the aerodynamics or lack therof on the car.Around town, I'm usually around +5 to the local limit and accelerate/decelerate smoothly. I do the same with my 70 Newport. Only that one does 70-75 comfortably down the highway with no appreciable loss of MPG on the highway. Those 2 aren't geared for jackrabbit starts.
My other 3 are a whole different matter.
My other 3 are a whole different matter.
I own nothing but trucks...they're driven like trucks...and I"m very easy on all of them, usually staying below 3k rpm's unless I'm towing.
I like getting 15+ mpg so I drive it easy and let her shift at 2200-2500.
Patman
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I've had my Corvette for almost 7 years now, and it's been my daily driver the entire time, so the novelty of driving it fast has worn off and I now drive it pretty gently 99.9% of the time. In fact I can't even remember the last time I went full throttle in it! (probably last fall, as it was way too dangerous to go full throttle in the cold months here) With the high price of gas I am just trying to do whatever I can to reduce costs. Besides, the cops in Ontario are really cracking down hard on speeders, and I don't need the extra cost of a ticket either.
So when I pull away from a stoplight I've usually got such a light foot on the pedal that it shifts at around 1500-1700rpm (it's an automatic obviously) And on the highway I've been keeping it right at the speed limit (100km/h) or even less when it's raining out.
I'm not looking to impress anyone (not that anyone is honestly impressed when they see someone driving fast) and if I really feel the "need for speed" I can always take it to the dragstrip (although I haven't been in about two years now so I really need to get out there this season!)
So when I pull away from a stoplight I've usually got such a light foot on the pedal that it shifts at around 1500-1700rpm (it's an automatic obviously) And on the highway I've been keeping it right at the speed limit (100km/h) or even less when it's raining out.
I'm not looking to impress anyone (not that anyone is honestly impressed when they see someone driving fast) and if I really feel the "need for speed" I can always take it to the dragstrip (although I haven't been in about two years now so I really need to get out there this season!)
My 83 Silverado is babied, bought her new in June 83 and with 212K on her clock she's like an old dog, back in the day she was run hard but now with all the creaks and groans well!!! still my daily driver and she still gets the job done
"Like a Rock"
"Like a Rock"
Originally Posted By: Landrew
Does anyone here have proof that driving a vehicle at 20% throttle all the time vs. driving it at 75% throttle for 50% of the time (time that you are accelerating up to cruising speed) reduces engine/tranny/drivetrain life ?
Probably as long as you can keep the rpms reasonable there's not much difference in wear. Also you can actually burn less gas getting up to speed using 75% throttle if you can keep the rpms reasonably low as well.
The egg under your foot for mileage myth just isn't true in many driving situations.
Does anyone here have proof that driving a vehicle at 20% throttle all the time vs. driving it at 75% throttle for 50% of the time (time that you are accelerating up to cruising speed) reduces engine/tranny/drivetrain life ?
Probably as long as you can keep the rpms reasonable there's not much difference in wear. Also you can actually burn less gas getting up to speed using 75% throttle if you can keep the rpms reasonably low as well.
The egg under your foot for mileage myth just isn't true in many driving situations.
^ Especially not in vehicles like mine with fairly loose torque converters. Shortly after I first got it, as I adjusted a bit, I picked up about 1.5mpg city just by stepping on the gas harder.
Originally Posted By: rslifkin
^ Especially not in vehicles like mine with fairly loose torque converters. Shortly after I first got it, as I adjusted a bit, I picked up about 1.5mpg city just by stepping on the gas harder.
Okay.
^ Especially not in vehicles like mine with fairly loose torque converters. Shortly after I first got it, as I adjusted a bit, I picked up about 1.5mpg city just by stepping on the gas harder.
Okay.
I still think that driving smoothly and with less RPM will extend engine and suspension life, less RPM=less stress=longer life.
But if you "beat" on your car properly, i.e. engine is not low on oil, it is at full operating temperature and the cooling system works properly, there is no reason why full throttle and high RPM should cause extra wear, unless high RPM operation is sustained for long periods of time.
However, I've seen plenty of "advice" that says something like: "just drive it hard, the cars is designed for it" on Mazda 3 Forums, most likely made by younger drivers. And let me tell you, that forum is littered with blown engines, burning oil problems and engines making ticking or knocking sounds.
But if you "beat" on your car properly, i.e. engine is not low on oil, it is at full operating temperature and the cooling system works properly, there is no reason why full throttle and high RPM should cause extra wear, unless high RPM operation is sustained for long periods of time.
However, I've seen plenty of "advice" that says something like: "just drive it hard, the cars is designed for it" on Mazda 3 Forums, most likely made by younger drivers. And let me tell you, that forum is littered with blown engines, burning oil problems and engines making ticking or knocking sounds.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I still think that driving smoothly and with less RPM will extend engine and suspension life, less RPM=less stress=longer life.
But if you "beat" on your car properly, i.e. engine is not low on oil, it is at full operating temperature and the cooling system works properly, there is no reason why full throttle and high RPM should cause extra wear, unless high RPM operation is sustained for long periods of time.
However, I've seen plenty of "advice" that says something like: "just drive it hard, the cars is designed for it" on Mazda 3 Forums, most likely made by younger drivers. And let me tell you, that forum is littered with blown engines, burning oil problems and engines making ticking or knocking sounds.
Im not sure that Mazda has the better engines out their to begin with. And then turbo charged? putting even more stress on the motor?
I still think that driving smoothly and with less RPM will extend engine and suspension life, less RPM=less stress=longer life.
But if you "beat" on your car properly, i.e. engine is not low on oil, it is at full operating temperature and the cooling system works properly, there is no reason why full throttle and high RPM should cause extra wear, unless high RPM operation is sustained for long periods of time.
However, I've seen plenty of "advice" that says something like: "just drive it hard, the cars is designed for it" on Mazda 3 Forums, most likely made by younger drivers. And let me tell you, that forum is littered with blown engines, burning oil problems and engines making ticking or knocking sounds.
Im not sure that Mazda has the better engines out their to begin with. And then turbo charged? putting even more stress on the motor?
Lexus114 - With the looser torque converter, if I step on it a bit harder and let it shift around 2300 rpm, the Jeep gets up to speed MUCH faster than letting it shift around 2000. This is a big enough difference in acceleration to help city mileage, as I spend more time cruising / coasting rather than accelerating, even though I burn a little more fuel while accelerating. Every vehicle has a sweet spot. Too much pedal, or too little, and you're wasting gas. The trick is finding that sweet spot.
In some vehicles, the difference is less pronounced than in others.
In some vehicles, the difference is less pronounced than in others.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
+1 to the above comment. I see it a lot around here also. Street bikers and those with loud exhausts believe they really are Mario Andretti and we should get out of their way because they have some serious driving to take care of out there.
At 5:00 in the evening when everyone else is trying to get home from work also.
I just roll my eyes, let them go about their business, and pray that I don't come around the next corner and see them dead on the road.
Please dont stereotype all of us bikers, Ill give you that a large percentage of "go fast" folks fall right into what your saying and i agree with that (and i am a fast guy,on the track).. but not everyone with a bike or fast car falls into this, Im not trying to pick a fight , im just standing up for the folks that dont fall into this.
+1 to the above comment. I see it a lot around here also. Street bikers and those with loud exhausts believe they really are Mario Andretti and we should get out of their way because they have some serious driving to take care of out there.
At 5:00 in the evening when everyone else is trying to get home from work also.
I just roll my eyes, let them go about their business, and pray that I don't come around the next corner and see them dead on the road.
Please dont stereotype all of us bikers, Ill give you that a large percentage of "go fast" folks fall right into what your saying and i agree with that (and i am a fast guy,on the track).. but not everyone with a bike or fast car falls into this, Im not trying to pick a fight , im just standing up for the folks that dont fall into this.
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