Go Faster, Drive Cheaper
I went to Knoxville, Tennessee yesterday for some meetings and drove back this afternoon.
I don’t do much highway driving; so, though I’ve had my current car for going on three years, this was my first drive over a hundred miles in it.
On the way North, I put it on cruise at 65 mph and filled it up before starting back today. 27 mpg! On the way back, I set the cruise at 70 mph and got right at 25 mpg!
I’ve discovered how to get this kind of mileage day in and day out (rather than my normal around town 21 mpg):
NOTICE TO EVERYONE WHO IS NORMALLY BETWEEN ME AND THE NORTHBOUND ENTRANCE TO I-85 ON NORTH DRUID HILLS ROAD AT ABOUT 8:00 A.M. AND TO THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
Stay where you are till I go by, just sit there; and, GDOT, turn all the lights to green for a measly minute or two as I make my way.
Ya’ll do it for W, what am I, chopped liver?
3 comments:
I was going to theorize that the slight difference in mileage had something to do with elevation. But I looked it up, and Knoxville and Atlanta have similar elevation so that can't be it.
Maybe it was a headwind/tailwind thing?
Based on your two data points, I'd avoid going 7.5 MPH or below. That's where your mileage starts to dip below zero! ;-0
Fermi,
I try to stay over 7.5 mph, hence my wish to the people and government of georgia.
And, wind wasn't it because there was a front coming from the West both days, canceling each other out, and having no effect North and South.
All cars have sweet spots. Mine appears to be 65 mph. I long for my Camero with it's manual five speed, that got 28 mpg at 75 to 80 mph.
I think my older daughter is of the mindset that the speed limit -for her -is already at 75 mph! Maybe even higher, who knows. Only the cops in the cruisers waiting over the next hill can be sure of her interpretation there.
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