I've started to record a 9-fillup average for the car. I've kept doing the P&G method, but I've stopped turning the car off at every light (since it would probably kill the started sooner than necessary). I've altered my route so that I go over a slow, flat stretch of highway, and in general I've driven an average speed of about 57.
My most recent 9 tanks come in just under 49 mpg.
This summer I'll be driving to Minnesota with my son. We'll have greater weight in the car than usual, but I'll be driving 100% highway (rather than 85%, as I do now), so I imagine my mileage will actually increase to about 51 mpg, if not a bit higher.
Remember, unfamiliar roads come with unfamiliar conditions. Hills, different road material to create more friction than you're used to, winds etc.
Can't wait to see if you bust it - if you're taking bets then I bet you'll end up with 45mpg. Let me know if I'm wrong AND make sure you prove me wrong.
Well, one issue for my son to decide is whether we save time or save gas. You can't have both. Assuming I get a out 450 miles to a slow tank, that's about 8 hours of slow driving. But if I drive faster, I'll only get about 375 miles on a tank, at best, and maybe only 350.
350 miles at 65 mph is about 5.4 hours.
350 miles at 55 mph is about 6.4 hours.
What I think I'll do is: I'll drive slowly for a tank and then maintain a higher speed for a tank and compare. I want to get at least one slow tank of straight driving, if possible, to see how we do for that tank.
Over the course of the trip, we're unlikely to do better than 45 -- good point. But I should be able to squeeze incredible mileage out of the first tank. The record to beat is apparently 505 miles, and I think that was with topping off, which I don't do.
The lower limit is the one I'm most concerned with... as long as you're 100% small-highway and not interstate, you're pretty safe. But try doing 55 on an interstate in some areas and you're a road hazard. Nothing scraps a fuel-saving effort like having some jerk in an Escalade coming up at a 25mph speed differential and not seeing you until the last second. Been there.
I drive so little that on my most recent trips to Pensacola (70 mi each way) I just pegged it. I got about 33mpg on Monday, 38mpg Saturday, due to different drivers around me. Monday I seriously had to floor it because I HAD to get across the bay before 5pm or I'd never get there on time. Saturday my friend was wide-eyed as he saw the speedometer needle get to 85 when some dork in a minivan got right on my bumper. Somehow I still got 38mpg for the whole day.
Unicycle, there's no question you're getting better mileage than I get. But, I drive the highways at 70+ and do dumb things like pass people. And, since the day and the air was so nice around here, for a couple hundred miles I enjoyed driving at those speeds with the windows down. (The fuelly average is from about 80/20 highway/city.)
I applaud your efforts to see how much mileage you can coax from your Smart, and I think we all learn from your experience. Please continue to share your experience and the tips you've learned.
I filled up again today after getting the gauge to 0.0 for a mile or so. My odo read 428.9 miles since the last fillup. Interestingly, when I filled up, I got exactly 9.000 gal into the car before the pump switched off (I filled up at the slower of the two pump settings).
forestacademy:
Good point. I don't want to be the slow driver who causes others to waste gas by braking and then speeding up. I try to gauge things really carefully to avoid that, and I adjust my speed and my general driving all the time. I'll have to choose a good time for my experiment, but in general I'll be crossing highways with a max speed of 65, so with decent traffic flow, I can still drive 55 without being a PITA. If there is a faster max (like 70 or even 80) or if there are many more cars and only 2 lanes, I'll have to speed up accordingly.
Most of the states you will be crossing are 65 mph, Just Indiana is faster
Crossing PA is gona make for some interesting Numbers, Pop it in N on those long downhills, and don't worry about going to slow on the ups, plenty of semis going slow too
Last edited by forestacademy; 06-08-2009 at 03:19 PM.
Folks, I just topped my first fill at 309 miles and calculate 43 mpg, and look forward to iterative fills to better peg an accurate figure as the engine seats.
Question, though, without having to slogg history: Why are European drivers reporting 50 to 60 mpg with their Fortwo's? Surely their emission standards are every bit as strict as ours? Their topography can't be THAT different to account for such a difference. What's the scoop? Are they mixing liters with gallons, (to not sound too insulting).
Folks, I just topped my first fill at 309 miles and calculate 43 mpg, and look forward to iterative fills to better peg an accurate figure as the engine seats.
Question, though, without having to slogg history: Why are European drivers reporting 50 to 60 mpg with their Fortwo's? Surely their emission standards are every bit as strict as ours? Their topography can't be THAT different to account for such a difference. What's the scoop? Are they mixing liters with gallons, (to not sound too insulting).
If they use MPG, Then remember the imperial Gallon is different.
And yes their emission standards are different. - One reason the US Gets so few Diesel cars and europe is full of them
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