Posted on 06/01/2008 5:18:05 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
I’m no expert in automobiles but I’ve always found it odd that I have always gotten better MPG (on cruise control) at around 75-80 than I do at 60 or 65. I have no idea why that is but the trip computer has consistently confirmed this.
And if the "flatlanders" stop driving "up north" you can bet the the largely tourist based economy of much of Wisconsin has begun and will continue to circle the drain. So where is Diamond Jim going to get the money for his next big ticket budget?
Regards,
GtG
> Everybody knows the faster you go somewhere the
> less fuel you use getting there. Right?
For the benefit of the humor-impaired, no you don’t.
Aero drag is non-linear (perhaps a cubic curve),
and rises much faster than your speed. MPG tends
to improve down to falling out of top gear, or
going grossly below the peak of the torque curve
on a standard tranny.
Anyone who hasn’t determined the optimum MPG for
their vehicles needs to work it out before fuel
becomes too expensive to experiment with.
Here in central TX, where a lot of us drive pickups (me, F-250) are all in the slow lane with our windows down in 98o temps - we cant afford the gas, let alone the A/C.
I think I get 7 mpg using the air conditioner.”
Here in N Nevada, my 1976 C-30 one ton dually 454 doesn’t leave the driveway near as often as it used to. Horses it used to haul are now being ridden on local roads insteal of park trails. If gas gets much more expensive, I will have to find my saddlebags to go shopping with the horse.
I also think there is some slowdown, but I think fatalaties are down because there are much fewer miles being driven overall, especially by retired folks.
I have not had operating A/C in my truck for over 10 years. It helps the mileage some, but I don’t really miss it. Only some of my yuppie passengers whine.
I noticed this speed thing too and I have found that there is another savings that most don’t count when it comes to hybrids.
I have not gotten any tickets in the 5 years since I bought my Civic Hybrid. Something about the constant feedback on performance makes me drive slower. When you see the effects on performance, you “learn” to drive more efficiently. Despite the many speed traps in our area, the local cities won’t be getting money from me anymore.
Needless to say, this also impacts on insurance costs and hassle factors with traffic school.
People aren’t slowing down in WI because of gas prices, they’re slowing down because the roads are still full of giant potholes from last winter.
They won’t be filled until enough SmartCars are sold to fill all the giant sinkholes in our “roads.”
The real reason for the drop in fatalities is the high price of bourbon.
Darn that ethanol.
That must be the speed your car prefers.
A number of people I know have commented on the improved traffic.
On the freeways.
In Los Angeles.
I think this article, is identifying a real change. I know I’ve altered the way I think about driving. It’s getting ridiculous.
They are around here as well. Unfortunately, they haven't yet figured out the concept of "keep right unless passing".
Yeah, CharlesWayneCT, what kind of car do you drive?? Sounds like you're in Prius territory.
Myself, I'm not trashing my Escape - it's too practical. But I am considering augmenting my fleet with a Honda Fit or something of that nature. If only Honda would put about 20-30 more horespower in that little sled, I wouldn't be considering it - I'd be driving it already.
I have a counter-proposal to the dem 55-mph push:
We allocate speed limits to each lane, based on how many lanes a road has.
If it’s a limited access highway without other reasons to be concerned with speed (topography, bridges, etc), then set the speed limit for the “fast lane” to 70.
The next lane in, is 65.
If a road has three or more lanes in one direction, lane three is 60.
If it’s got four lanes or more in one direction, the remaining lanes are 55.
Trucks and slower cars, required to use the slower lanes.
It’s not quite as simple to put on a bumper sticker, but it would make a lot more sense.
That way, drivers in Prius cars going 53 mph, have a place to drive, without being such inconsiderate, brainless bozos.
I drove from Chattanooga, TN to Medina, OH and back over Memorial weekend. Traffic was very light, although I'm not sure if that was a result of less traffic or my choice of driving times. I've found that hitting the road at 4 AM is very beneficial.
That’s right. Reducing demand is not bringing down prices.
Maybe from drafting those semis
I'm not quite sure how much demand has actually been reduced. The move from larger cars to smaller ones effects the market over a slower time frame. I doubt that many people rushed to the dealer to trade their Ford Excursion for a Focus wagon, especially when they owed more on the Excursion than it is worth on the market. The trend is to move to higher-efficiency vehicles, but it is not a fast change.
My bet is that consumption is down about 1% from last year. Makes me wonder what prices would be if the increasing demand curve from 2 or 3 years ago was continuing.
I think carmakers have been caught completely unprepared for this, at least American carmakers.
It’s not like, there’s been any secret. This day has been clear to see, for the last decade. So what have carmakers done?
Build bigger. Build heavier. And now, suddenly, their entire market is evaporating under their tires - one is left wondering what they’ve been doing, in Detroit?
Three martini lunches?
It’s exasperating. Such incompetence, and it’s been rewarded. That’s the problem.
The automakers should be firing CEO’s. Not laying off factory workers.
I have a ‘97 Honda Civic, and I have same complaint. I live in a hilly area, and I wish it had a little more power. On the other hand, it’s paid for, cheap to insure, runs great, and gets about 35 mpg on those hills, so I really don’t have that much to complain about. ;-)
Until gas gets back to $2/gallon my days at 70 MPH are over...except in the rare occasion when I'm in a genuine hurry.
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