Fuel Prices

[ttamrettus]

Regular is $3.98 mid-grade $4.13 and premium $4.29.

[Fred32v]

Here is my answer to the price of gas. My new "Street Cruiser".
Love the extra large seat, fenders, and gangster wide whitewall tires.
Doesn't handle like one of those racing things, but it rides like a dream.



Probably run in the high 50 seconds in the quarter,
but a hot lap might be out of the question.
Uses Flexfuel, several forms of alcohol, Great MPG's.

[Basement Paul]

Looks right up your alley, and the aluminum is probably pretty light. If that thing would run on methane, you could ride anywhere for free...

-BP

[MostMint]

I wonder if they will make you put it on the rollers to pass echeck?

How about dyno testing -whats the power at the rear wheel?

[MostMint]

Made 23.4 mpg with the SS last tank. EPA says 24 highway - hoping to beat that with mixed city/highway driving.

Overall my SS is up to 20.7 mpg over the last couple months.
Prior to last Friday the highest it has been is 20.2. So in just a couple hundred miles I have raised the average .5 mpg. The mix of driving has not changed much.

Have made some adjustments to driving habits and put the tires up to 36 psi. Look up "hypermilers" on wikipedia.

Not planning to trade in the V8, but planning to do the best I can with it.

[markss327]

My last mileage calculation came to 29.7 with my 05 w-body. Mostly Interstate. Business to Minerva, Oh - 90 to 271 to 480 east to 14 to 186. Tried to 'hypermile' and to me, it's doing what ever you can, to stay off the brakes. No neutral coasting, no killing the engine on down grades. Well, it lasted about 40 miles. Had some clown in an older Acura TL, in the left lane, (480East) who insisted in staying there. Even when no traffic was in the right lane... So I get about 2-3 car lengths behind him, and flash the brights. Nothing. Flash 'em again, and I see him glance in the rear-few. Well, now he punches it, the rear end squats, some unusual exhaust debris is expelled, and he's rolling - still in the left lane. So, I keep up. I mean, come on...90mph for about a mile, and he finally pulls into the right lane, and exits. It was fun while it lasted...

Hopefully, some day, I'll hit 30mpg.

[TireSmoker]

So I looked up that hypermilers page and found this part a little interesting/confusing:

Fuel efficiency varies with the vehicle, but generally acceleration is most efficient at near full throttle openings [11] It is also important to keep the engine RPM in an efficient range, so acceleration is more fuel-efficient when up-shifting occurs at a lower RPM. Low-RPM up-shifting is easily executed with a manual transmission.

So, I should accelerate with as much throttle opening as I can while minimizing RPM (ie-- accelerate 'on boost' with the supercharger in 2nd or preferably 3rd gear?)

-Dave

[MostMint]

Maybe they are referrring to a stick shift. Rather "lug" in 3rd than downshift to 2nd for example. Not sure how to apply that to an automatic car.

[MostMint]

Well, it lasted about 40 miles.

You are saving that fuel for just such an occasion! When duty calls you've "got to go" as DW says. When its over I'd go right back to saving. Been shutting it off at traffic lights - any time I think I'll be there more than 10 seconds. Also coasting the last 5 feet into the garage.

I have been trying to draft, but its hard to do it on my regulare commute because its hard to go easy on the pedal and maintain a steady distance. I need to read up on this.

The overall mileage is up to 20.8 today. My first highway trip will be Carlisle, so we'll see how it goes there.

How fast were you traveling - average?

[markss327]

My 05 - base model- W-body is dic-less... Don't even go there...
No overall average mph.
No Drivers Information Center. However, I've looked into adding it... and it can be done for a mere $150. It's an OEM unit, with an aftermarket harness - so it's literally plug and play. Oh, an outside ambient air temp sensor has to be purchased - $22. I am a bit leery of pulling the headliner down. The plug (chassis connection) is actually in the pass side 'C' pillar. Go figure. My latest day to day mileage calculated to 26.7mpg

The Nova is now in the shop for exhaust work. I have to admit, my anxiety level is a tad elevated...

[TireSmoker]

Here's an video called the MPG Illusion that basically says to consider the MPG over 10,000 miles to see the real gains in going from certain mileage levels to another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2XSuw02vKA

[markss327]

Another business trip to Crooksville Oh, about 15 miles south-west of Zainesville, yielded 32.12mpg 340 miles round trip. Granted this was 97% Interstate. 271 to 8 to 77 to 70. My hypermileing technique was to use the cruse set at 65mph. That's it.

I like this car! AND as of July 1st, it's 58 1/2 cents ($.585) per mile!

[MostMint]

Nice.

Can't wait to get mine on a long trip to get a read on the highway mileage.

[Basement Paul]

The last tank in the T-bird got me 22.5 mpg of normal back and forth driving, with about 3/4 freeway (70-75mph), and 1/4 straight city type driving. No trying to get good mileage, lots of windows down driving, and a race with a Honda Civic (also teal). I think if I actually tried, I might be able to get over 24, but I don't really care. I like my windows down, and getting into races. When I stop caring about races and fun driving, I'll go buy a Nissan Versa or Chevy Aveo.

-BP

[AKROVER]

Just did 2000 miles through AK and Yukon in my Subaru. $5 a gallon in Tok, AK. $6.80 in Dawson City. When I could keep the car moving between 45 and 85 (cruise control is of limited use), 28 mpg! Slower sections, about 26. I have been getting 24 with kayaks on the roof. I guess I had good timing getting rid of the 14 mpg Rover. And the turbo made quick work of those slow moving motor homes.