I try to drive as efficiently as possible – slow steady starts, backing off the accelerator early rather than breaking when I see a red light ahead and using cruise control on the highways (65 mph is the sweet spot for my Jeep). Theses things make a huge difference on my MPG. I have also noticed a big difference on the highway with the top down

An added benefit is watching the angry faces in my rearview as I slowly accelerate for stops or decelerate for upcoming red lights. I give the soccer moms in their oversized Excursions and Suburbans and urban cowboys in their lifted F-250s a simple headshake as they pass me and a smile and thumbs up as I cruise by them at the next red light that they raced to. Some folks just don’t realize that many stop lights are timed – if you are stopped at one red light, speeding to the next one will only ensure having to stop again.

P.S.: No offense intended to Excursion, Suburban and F-250 owners/drivers. Maybe you need it or just want it, that’s fine by me. Just don’t drive like an A-hole then complain about the price of gas.

 

Hello,

Since a few weeks, I've started driving slower and shifting in lower RPM and a lower average (from computer number) from 14L/100km to 12.7L/100KM.
I average over 500km per tank full.

Slower is better ...

Sylvain

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but 500km per tank is 310 miles per tank? Right? Before I've been averaging 350 per tank. With my little experiment this morning I should average 430 miles per tank.

Why is there sutch a big difference?

 

The reason it's hard to find a north american vehicle without a/c is because aerodynamics are optimal with the windows rolled up.
As far as speed being a factor to economics,put on your running shoes and see if it's easier to push a 2 ton rolling object at 55mph or 70mph. For those without the shoes ask the rocket scientist down the block.

 

What little experiment? I'm curios.

You're at altitude???

We had a Liberty loaded with 1500lbs, a roof rack, and lift in Colorado, and our average on the highway was 10.9L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is with the windows down, as the A/C got fried in the Moab desert (middle of summer), and we were doing 130-135 km/h!

 

I drove 285 miles each way this weekend the scenic route, which has a couple highway stretches, but was mostly 55mph (which means 64.5 mph to me). Top down, windowns down, computer gave me 22.5 mpg there (no elevation difference). Actual calculation a little over 20mpg.
Driving back into the rainy 20mph headwind with the top up and windows up, gas mileage went down to 19.9 computer, haven't filled up to check actual mileage. Remember, the headwind is the same as driving faster aerodynamically.
This is a near stock X, with Rubi tires and an Airaid.
If there aren't many cars, I actually like the non-interstate route better. Yeah, it takes 45 minutes longer to go 20 less miles, but I get better mileage, can hear people on my phone (the places it works), and lets me enjoy the top being down, as opposed to the interstate, where it does get kinda annoying with the top down.

 

I've been experiencing similar results. I was getting 15-16 mpg (according to the dash, approx 14-15 in reality) on my daily drive to work, which was almost exactly 1/2 highway @ 70mph and 1/2 city @ I HATE TRAFFIC AND STOPLIGHTS mph. I rerouted my drive to 1/2 highway @ 70mph, 3/8 highway @ 60mph and 1/8 city @ slow mph; at the cost of a 1/20th longer drive. The drive is longer, but takes less time. The Bonus is that my mpg dash now reads 17.5-18.4mpg. But then came the real shocker: Driving on my weekend drive north, my normally smooth sailing 70mph freeway was packed with traffic moving at what felt like a crawl at approximately a 45mph average for the majority of the drive. My gauge jumped up to the low 20mpg's! It's was a little hard for me to swallow that the heavier traffic netted me better fuel efficiency.

Now assuming the same principles that applied to my JK applied to the hundreds of other yahoos driving at that time, that means that as a whole all those people used (lets round down) 10 percent less fuel.

 

This is my little experiment. ""

You also said that I'm at altitude. Does that have a positive effect. I always thought it had a negative effect.

 

AMEN, you speaketh the dang truth.

 

ya it is amizing how people don't know how to drive to save fuel
I used to teach a course to new drivers
all about how to get better economy out of ur car
and a lot of it was foresight
plan ur route, combine trips, watch what is happening up the road (traffic, lights, turns and stops)