Normal driver MPGs
#32
Re: Normal driver MPGs
Originally Posted by JJanney
I feel compelled to call foul on any FE above 50 MPG when doing at least 70 MPH. I would like to be enlightened as to how this comes about...
#35
Re: Normal driver MPGs
Originally Posted by JJanney
52-53 MPG is possible doing 67, but I have only been able to hold it for minutes at a time. I'll have to try for some decent FE doing 70 tonight on the way to SC.
#36
Re: Normal driver MPGs
Recently I was passed by a Greyhound bus going 72 mph up to Chicagoland, so I drafted it 3-4 car lengths back. Thanks to a tailwind, I got 66mpg over about 200 miles. The tailwind makes all the difference.
#37
Re: Normal driver MPGs
Not so sure I agree with the short trip theory, except when dealing with temperature extremes (cold or very hot w/AC). I am sure you will not get as good mileage as the car warms up a bit, but in the 30's is still way outside my range. I actually get better gas mileage around town during fairly short trips. I definitely get better mileage on backroads where the speeds are under 55mph than on the highway. The car seems to love 45-50 range. I also live in a hilly area, so I am dealing with hills. My last trip to the local library, which was probably 5 miles away yielded 55 mpg. A longer 30 mile trip from PA to MD on hilly backroads was at 62.5 mpg. My wife drives 22 miles each way to work through 26 lights and is averaging 55 mpg now. The key we found is NOT to accelerate too slowly Under 2500 rpms from a dead stop and to not try to use assist for the first 10 mph to avoid droping the SOC. She accelerates fairly quickly after 10 mph and glides if the next light is red. When she tried the initially recommended slow acceleration procedure she only averaged 38 mpg, the car bogged down and stayed in the 20 mpg range way too long. We now use the accelerator more aggressively for a short period of time and then let all the way off to drop the rpms down below 1500 to peg the mpg meter. After you get used to it, you don't even think about it anymore. Anyway my point is that unless you are cranking the A/C really low all the time, you should easily be able to get into the mid 40's. My wife uses the A/C all the time, but the other posts about how to use it without effecting the gas mileage really helped out as well.
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Jason
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06-05-2005 09:21 AM