Slow Down a Little, Save a Lot of Gas

[Cory]

Quote:
In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon.


Some neglect to see the difference of 4mpg but putting it this way may have people thinking about their speeds a little more closely?

Story found at CNNMoney.com

 

[Al]

Most can't/won't relate to this info. I do but I'm the exception. They would rather blame their higher fuel costs on "Big Oil" and the environmentalists.

 

[Steve S]

It is like a NASCAR race around here.

 

[kd5byb]

It's why I'm in the right hand lane all the time. My Tundra has a real MPG sweet spot at 45 to 50 MPH. Gets about 19 MPG.

Well, I should also say I enjoy driving and listening to my iPod. It's the best thing to happen to my commute in years! Actually look forward to traffic - more time to listen to podcasts!

later,
b

 

[Saturn_Fan]

The "sweet spot" for MPG in my 00' Saturn is at 62.5 mph or 2300 rpms. When driving 100% highway, at this speed, I recorded 45.04 mpg.

I read about this sweet spot in another forum and decided to try it. Needless to say, I don't mind getting there 10 minutes later than everyone else if I am getting in the 40's.

 

[The_Champ]

Time is money

 

[MarkC]

What? Inconvenience oneself in order to conserve fuel?
Better be careful, people will start calling you environmentalists.
And that would be dnagerous and un-American.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
The "sweet spot" for MPG in my 00' Saturn is at 62.5 mph or 2300 rpms. When driving 100% highway, at this speed, I recorded 45.04 mpg.

I read about this sweet spot in another forum and decided to try it. Needless to say, I don't mind getting there 10 minutes later than everyone else if I am getting in the 40's.


40+ MPG on a gasser!

Gotta love it!

 

[duaneb9729]

sure time is money,, but if your in a city driving situation, how much more valuable is your time at a stop light? perhaps if your driving a thousand miles you could cut an hour or so off your time by speeding, but around town i would rather get better mileage and have far less stress, but hey thats just me, smile

 

[sciphi]

I'll gladly blast down wide-open stretches of interstate at 75 mph on long car trips because it means I stop less and buy less bottled water, junk food, and whatever else they sell at gas stations now.

Around town, I'll be the yahoo driving 25 in a 35, and successfully timing 2 lights out of 3. I figure the average speed of my trip will be the same going slowly hitting all the lights vs. blasting from light to light. It's more fun to time the lights, like a game. I win by having to fill up less. Shame my girlfriend doesn't agree.

 

[oilyriser]

Time is money, but gas is negative money, which takes job time to refill. There's a speed point where they exactly balance, and it's different for every person/car.

My Subaru gets 37 mpg at 55 mph, in summer, with OEM tire size.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: The_Champ
Time is money


Time is life.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: The_Champ
Time is money


Time is life.



..but most definitions ..the only true non-renewable resource.

 

[Cutehumor]

I drive 70 in a 70mph interstate zone, everyone hates me. but hey, I'm a fuel economy minded guy. I drive in far right hand lane only.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: The_Champ
Time is money


Time is life.


To me any time spent behind the wheel is wasted life. BITOG is wasted life..like any forum.

 

[eljefino]

Pulled 46.9 in a saturn going 58, with the window cracked an inch, and the HVAC on vent with some fan pressure, in June, so the air was warm and thin.

Going 48-50 with my F150, 300-6, and a car dolly with a... 2300 lb saturn on it... got 18 MPG. Trip empty was 20 mpg.

There's a steep hill near my house that descends to a stop sign. Speed limit at the top is 45 but I often crest it at 30 b/c I just speed up coasting down the hill and then have to stop. If there's traffic behind me they have to crest it at 30 too. Saves multiple drivers on gas.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Saves multiple drivers on gas.


Hmm ..blockade fuel savings quotient. Now it may cost some in increased hypertension ..but..

 

[Al]

Pulled 46.9 in a saturn going 58, with the window cracked an inch, and the HVAC on vent with some fan pressure, in June, so the air was warm and thin. /quote]

I assume that was on the instantaneous readout? Not really realworld. My Sentra gets well over 40 at those speeds. But even on a nonstop 300 mile drive at 55 mph it maybe gets 34+ mpg

 

[wander2039]

Yesterday I went 65 one way and 60 on the return trip with a loaded 60's chevy pickup bed trailer and average 21.5mpg in our 04 Escape. It amazed me with gas prices how fast trucks still drove. About 1/2 and 1/2 semi's but every Dodge Ram with a Cummins flew by me like I was setting still. More and more regular drivers were going about the same speed though. What's funny is every Ram that flew by me I caught up with them a few miles down the road filling up... so much for saving time.

 

[VeeDubb]

When I recently drove home through the mountains of west virginia, there was a pack of vehicles traveling about 80mph that consisted of two full size SUVs, three full size pickup trucks, and I think only one car. Not only that, the average speed of the vehicles they were blowing by was around 70mph. Also, when I recently drove from Ohio to Florida, seems the pack never dropped below 70mph. Moral of the story: maybe gas prices aren't high enough yet.