Gas Mileage Question

[cracked]

hey yall. i always wondered, would u get better gas mileage if you went slow, therefor taking more time but not burning as much gas, or if u went fast, therefor getting there quicker but burning more gas?

drew

[Mike]

I'm the kind of guy that doesn't really mind the gas prices.. I will drive like a maniac no matter what gas costs..

[cracked]

Originally posted by Mike
I'm the kind of guy that doesn't really mind the gas prices.. I will drive like a maniac no matter what gas costs..

same here. but it is still an interesting question

drew

[bigblue77]

You will get better mileage if you drive slower. Your engine isn't working as hard when you are driving slower.

Jer

[fritz the cat]

The biggest differance would be in how fast you accelerate to the crusing speed you plan to stay at. But to answer your question, a slower speed (like 55) would use less gas than a faster speed(like 70). Of course, if you have an automatic overdrive transmission, driving at 35 will put you in third gear, while driving at 45 will put you in overdrive and run your engine at a lower RPM, thus useing less gas.

[bigblue77]

Thats another thing I was going to point out, but decided I don't have the patience to type it all out.

Jer

[Bob The Great]

I've heard the most gas efficent speed is 50-55 MPH.

[skuz]

I have a friend who tested it. 1 hour to/from work everyday, mostly on a 90 Km/h road.

1st week : 140 Km/h whenever possible
2nd week : 95 Km/h

the 1st week cost $45 canadian
2nd week cost $25.

That's with a 1985 6 cyl Firebird.

[RedFury]

I remember watching the video of the two trucks with the clear tubes mounted by the window pillar. One truck drove a slow steady rate, the other one drove fast. Eventually, the slow truck passed the faster truck because it still had gas to burn. It has to do with engine rpm, the load on the engine, and the resistance of keeping momentum. Every vehicle is different, and will have it's peak efficiency at a different point, but I think Bob is pretty close with 50-55 generalization for sake of argument.

Honestly though, if you drive like a maniac, you aren't going to drive properly just to save a buck, or the environment. You might do it for a week or two, but you will succumb to the accelerator eventually. Why do you think everyone wants to buy the car the little old lady drives?

[quux]

Due to a variety of factors I have significantly changed my driving habits and have realized that

a) gas consumption is down from an average of 16l/100km to 13l/100km

b) I within the town am not slower as I quite often avoid stopping at red lights

c) I feel much better if I drive rather calmly instead of pushing things to the limit (and get out of the car drenched in sweat - remember there exist areas on the 'Autobahn' without speed limits and imagine that a truck suddenly moves left and you come up from behind going 125+ miles

d) I avoid tickets for speeding

So wear is reduced with regards to a lot of aspects. Did not think that I would change attitude that much before.

CC.