MPG tricks

[Hulk337]

All these hypermiling techniques can help your mpg, but taken to the extreme, can drive everyone else around you insane. Everybody hates the Prius you're stuck behind going 50mph up the hill and then you can't pass them when they're going 80 down the other side. Be smart about it.

One thing about turbo powered, electronic wastegate equipped, drive by wire vehicles have in common (this is my 5th) is that they are designed to get great mileage in perfect conditions, but any combination of wind, rain, snow, load etc. will cause it to drop, sometimes precipitously.

My family lives 200mi. away, and I visit often. Other than short detours to avoid traffic or a wreck, the route is exactly the same. I usually drive 73mph but at times get up to 80 for a short stretch. No heavy foot for passing. I use the same fuel (BJ's regular). My best fuel mileage one way has been 26.5mpg calculated. My worst has been 22.6 mpg calculated. The weather normally comes from the west on this east/west route, so eastbound almost always uses less fuel than the other way.

My take is that conditions have a much more significant impact to your fuel mileage than any driver's technique, unless they are taken to the extreme.

I'm at 5000 ft and that seems to affect things. My best is your worst 22 MPG. But I have a heavy foot - got it for the turbo might as well enjoy it!

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[Hulk337]

How are you checking your mileage? The mpg shown on the dash is questionable at best. My last fill up said 20.3 mpg in town, actual calculated was 19.6 mpg. Best I've even seen in town was 20.7. Road trip gave me 23.2 at 72mph.

Oh - I use full tanks to full tank and record actual odo and gallons pumped. Not the computer but actual.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I am sure altitude hurts mileage significantly.

I’ll have to drive to sea level and see. Years ago, I could tell a huge power difference riding my Harley at sea level.

 

[TJC]

I’ll have to drive to sea level and see. Years ago, I could tell a huge power difference riding my Harley at sea level.

Turbos help get rid of the differences, but gas mileage drops the higher up you go. I lived in Colorado Springs when I was stationed at NORAD CMC. Raised and lived south of Miami. My gas mileage plunged when I went from 6' ASL to 7500' ASL, And worse yet, the power dropped as well.

 

[shovelhd]

I'm at 5000 ft and that seems to affect things. My best is your worst 22 MPG. But I have a heavy foot - got it for the turbo might as well enjoy it!

You get the double whammy of less oxygen at altitude and crappy high altitude fuel.

 

[Canadian Ranger]

Over the last year I have run tests with different grades at 3 different stations, I get the best (22.8mpg) at Sunoco 94 oct, next is (21 MPG) at Mirabito 92 Oct. Non-Eth, next down 21.2 at Speedway and last (17.8 mpg), I ran 87 Oct. shit gas at an out of the way station, and "Once" coming back from MD/D.C area I got a tank of Mobile high grade and was getting 26.5 MPG on the way back but over all this year Highway/City/Towing mix matched gas stations Ave. I have gotten 20 MPG and I am very happy with that for a Truck!
I bean count LOL take a lot of cell picts of the cluster so I can look back and see what miles I was at on any given date and what I was getting MPG miles since oil change ....

I did the same testing. Got better mileage but not 'better enough' to cover the increased cost of the gas.

 

[got3fords]

Yea, Mythbusters tackled this a few years ago. Empty bed, tailgate up was better that tailgate down.

Mythbusters gets one right once in a while. But they do some really stupid sh**!

 

[Msfitoy]

How are you checking your mileage? The mpg shown on the dash is questionable at best. My last fill up said 20.3 mpg in town, actual calculated was 19.6 mpg. Best I've even seen in town was 20.7. Road trip gave me 23.2 at 72mph.

Maybe my tire size compensation isn't 100% correct (indicated speed is still 1mph lower than actual GPS) but my calculated is a couple of MPG better than indicated...

 

[TJC]

I'm at 5000 ft and that seems to affect things. My best is your worst 22 MPG. But I have a heavy foot - got it for the turbo might as well enjoy it!

My heavy foot drops my MPG to 21.5 or so. My heavy foot is really more moderate. I never actually floor it.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

My heavy foot drops my MPG to 21.5 or so. My heavy foot is really more moderate. I never actually floor it.

I floor it occasionally. On my way home from filling up at Costco the other day I got 21 mpg. Then I pulled out into traffic and 'gave it the beans' and it dropped to 17.5. whoopsie daisy.

 

[TJC]

I remember being young once!

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I remember being young once!

I'm not young enough to be acting a fool.

 

[nolan62]

I only use the AC on downhill

I use the old school A/C. It's called 4/60. Roll down 4 windows and go 60mph. Worked great in my old 62 Nova!

 

[Chris M]

I use the old school A/C. It's called 4/60. Roll down 4 windows and go 60mph. Worked great in my old 62 Nova!

Had that in my '72 Nova as well.

 

[Mustang2Ranger]

There was a variation I had in my TBird Turbo Coupe, it was called 2/80

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