HR, in town gas mileage experiment, thanks to the high gas prices....
Stuff like this doesn't help much in other states. For instance here in NYC, our highways are not straight. My dad's FX35 has a more accurate trip computer that works on the fly with a meter that shows you how much MPG you're getting at that very second (Muranos have this too). And hills affect it the most. I can go 55 and average 25+MPG, or I can go 70 and average 25+MPG on a straight road.
Our highways here are extremely hilly, especially the first 40 miles of the 495-L.I.E., the Belt Parkway, Grand Central Parkway, Southern State Parkway, and others. Every time the car is driving upward, even slightly, it drops 7-10MPG, until the road flattens out again and you can register 25-30MPG again. These constant hills kill your gas mileage more than anything else.
So if you live in an area with highways that are like that and you wonder why your MPG isn't as great as others, that's one of the biggest reasons. If I reset the trip on my Z and take the 495 to my girlfriend's house (11 mile drive) I'll average about 23-24MPG, because of all the hills (they are the worst during that drive). If I want to go to my brother's house, from the 495 I merge into another highway called the Meadowbrook - it is completely flat - and I'll average 27-29MPG easy on it.
Our highways here are extremely hilly, especially the first 40 miles of the 495-L.I.E., the Belt Parkway, Grand Central Parkway, Southern State Parkway, and others. Every time the car is driving upward, even slightly, it drops 7-10MPG, until the road flattens out again and you can register 25-30MPG again. These constant hills kill your gas mileage more than anything else.
So if you live in an area with highways that are like that and you wonder why your MPG isn't as great as others, that's one of the biggest reasons. If I reset the trip on my Z and take the 495 to my girlfriend's house (11 mile drive) I'll average about 23-24MPG, because of all the hills (they are the worst during that drive). If I want to go to my brother's house, from the 495 I merge into another highway called the Meadowbrook - it is completely flat - and I'll average 27-29MPG easy on it.
Here in Los Angeles it's hard to do especially when everyone else around you on the freeway if driving 80 mph. I have a 23 mile trip each way to work daily and I'm lucky enough that my commute is mostly before or after rush hour traffic. What I do is not go over 70 mph on the freeway and just cruise along in the middle lane, sometimes I would need to go to the slower lanes depending on the flow of traffic. I find this really helpful and I'm not exactly sure what my average mpg is, but I know that I'm not having to fill-up before the week is over like I used to. So if you see a slow Z on the 5 and 405 in the SF valley it's probably me. Nowadays with the gas prices, I'll save my spirited to intense driving on trackdays.
At about $4.20/gallon for 91 octane, I'm paying $60 at the pump everytime I fill up for about 14 gallons. I'm filling up like twice a week, I told myself before I got this car that I wouldn't let gas prices get to me regardless, and I'm not going to... pedal to the metal, **** it!
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From: san diego
Originally Posted by VeeTec
Today I reset the MPG, before leaving the BP station, on my way to work. The drive out here is mostly country, but does have stop signs and traffic lights. Once I get within 15 miles of work, the traffic gets moderate to heavy, and the lights increase quite a bit. On this day I even sat in stop and go traffic for a couple of miles. I had been closing in on 24 mpg, without resetting the mpg, so I thought I would make an effort to see how thrifty I could be.
The drive was 34.4 miles from the gas station, and I started off very easy in 1st, and each upshift, shifting at under 2K rpms, or just above, doing so smoothly and easy, barely pushing the gas. Using this method I start off fast enough to stay with traffic. I also went into 6th gear by 45-50 mph, only dowshifting to 5th on steep hills, so I wouldn't have to push the gas any harder. I didn't care if a lost a little speed, but I stayed around the speed limit. I also took the car out of gear and coasted down steep hills, until I got to the bottom, then I smoothly engaged the appropriate gear. At a couple of long traffic lights, I even shut off the car
The results. Going to work, over 34.4 miles, I averaged 28.4 mpg at an average speed of 34 mph. That was with moderate to sometimes heavy traffic, during the last 15 miles.
Coming home at 1:30 am I did better, given the lack of traffic, with only traffic lights and stops signs to hurt my mpg. Over 38 miles I was able to average 30.9 mpg with an average speed of 44 mph.
My average mpg, driving normal, is around 23.4, so this is a noticable improvement, and I am saving almost a gallon round trip. I don't think I can stand doing this daily, but with gas prices over $4 a gallon for premium, it is actually fun trying to brake my mpg record. Right now these are my best recorded attempts.
I would like to see how others do. I honestly think the HR can be quite frugal when called upon.
The drive was 34.4 miles from the gas station, and I started off very easy in 1st, and each upshift, shifting at under 2K rpms, or just above, doing so smoothly and easy, barely pushing the gas. Using this method I start off fast enough to stay with traffic. I also went into 6th gear by 45-50 mph, only dowshifting to 5th on steep hills, so I wouldn't have to push the gas any harder. I didn't care if a lost a little speed, but I stayed around the speed limit. I also took the car out of gear and coasted down steep hills, until I got to the bottom, then I smoothly engaged the appropriate gear. At a couple of long traffic lights, I even shut off the car
The results. Going to work, over 34.4 miles, I averaged 28.4 mpg at an average speed of 34 mph. That was with moderate to sometimes heavy traffic, during the last 15 miles.
Coming home at 1:30 am I did better, given the lack of traffic, with only traffic lights and stops signs to hurt my mpg. Over 38 miles I was able to average 30.9 mpg with an average speed of 44 mph.
My average mpg, driving normal, is around 23.4, so this is a noticable improvement, and I am saving almost a gallon round trip. I don't think I can stand doing this daily, but with gas prices over $4 a gallon for premium, it is actually fun trying to brake my mpg record. Right now these are my best recorded attempts.
I would like to see how others do. I honestly think the HR can be quite frugal when called upon.
I tried it today. I had 10 miles logged in with 19.8mpg on 25mph average BEFORE starting this experiment, I didn't restart the trip since I figure the numbers are quite fresh. After logging in 28 more miles (now in total of 38) of city driving, I end up with 20.0mpg and with a record of 20.1 and actually achieving the advertised 350z city mpg.
Impossible in CA or atleast in downtown San Diego. Every block here has a stop sign or a light.
Veetec, either/you:
1. Drove slower than I did (I was already in 5th by 30mph.) It is unrealistic and impractical to drive any slower without impeding traffic, or getting a ticket and getting a handful of honks and middle fingers.
2. Your idea of city driving isn't city at all. City speed limits here in CA are usually 25-35mph. Your avg of 44mph isn't city, more like highway.
3. You have a freak HR that does Civic mpg.
So there you go, it might work in GA but not in CA unless someone else can duplicate his numbers...
Originally Posted by calin
I don't think you would save ANY gas. I think you would actually lose more gas that way just by having to start the car at every stop light
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From: FL
Originally Posted by RX350Z
ive tried like crazy but i just cant break 25mpg. even with a 90% hwy driving, no passengers, no luggage. I have a roadster, so i understand i am not as aerodynamic as the coupe but i must be missing something still.
2005/Touring 6-MT
I reset my meter yesterday and I got 22.9 with city driving and few miles of highway... average mph is around 35 I think and I'm shifting at 2,200 rpm and launching the car at 1,200-1,500 or so. My work commute is only 3.6 miles but I simply cannot stay at home after work... I HAVE to get out of the house... either bar or starbucks with friends
I wish people outside of huge metro areas would stop calling it "city" driving. It's more like "suburban" driving. Like Strider said, in our areas, there are stop signs and traffic lights at practically every block, and you'll have to go through many of them until you hit a highway - by then your mileage has turned to crap.
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From: G ran by
Originally Posted by Firebase99
What??!! Are you serious? i can EASILY get 29 MPG on the highway during 20 mile stretch. Something is wrong I think.
2005/Touring 6-MT
2005/Touring 6-MT
Originally Posted by 2fast4comfort
i dont understand stuff like this, you have a sports car you get crap mileage that is just how it is if you want better mileage sell it and get a prius
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From: Jackson County, GA
I said, "In Town", not city. It's a mix of both.
I can take a picture, or even have a passenger video my driving, the mpg readout, and the roads I am driving on, along with the odo.
Where I live is out in the country, but there are two lane roads, with stop signs, and an occasional traffic light, when I get within 15 miles of work, there are a lot of traffic lights, and traffic gets moderate to heavy. The total drive is 38.6 each way. Going home is much better, once I get away from a 2 mile construction area, because traffic is lighter.
I tried this a long time ago with my 04, and it just wouldn't get this kind of mileage. The HR has definitely improved on the mileage end as well.
The terrain here is not flat either, its mostly gently rolling hills, and constant elevation change, within about 200 feet on average.
I put gas in tonight, when the light came on, so I was able to get 3 days of driving with 6 gallons of gas, driving 195 miles. The light actually came on at about 187. It had just come on when I put gas in on Saturday.
Not bad. I will probably still drive easier than I have been, but I am done with the extreme frugal driving for now. It was just an experiment to see how high I could get the mileage, when I wasn't on the highway.
I have seen as high as 34 at 60-65 mph on the highway, but I just can't maintain that speed on trips. At 70-75 it dropped to around 31-32, depending on hills. That was on a 3 hour trip to south Georgia. Coming back, the mileage went down a bit, as the elevation increases coming back, dropping my average to 29-30, at 70 mph. I tried hard coming back, but you can't beat physics. Uphill is uphill.
Edit, I went into the garage and took a picture for the non-believers.
I can take a picture, or even have a passenger video my driving, the mpg readout, and the roads I am driving on, along with the odo.
Where I live is out in the country, but there are two lane roads, with stop signs, and an occasional traffic light, when I get within 15 miles of work, there are a lot of traffic lights, and traffic gets moderate to heavy. The total drive is 38.6 each way. Going home is much better, once I get away from a 2 mile construction area, because traffic is lighter.
I tried this a long time ago with my 04, and it just wouldn't get this kind of mileage. The HR has definitely improved on the mileage end as well.
The terrain here is not flat either, its mostly gently rolling hills, and constant elevation change, within about 200 feet on average.
I put gas in tonight, when the light came on, so I was able to get 3 days of driving with 6 gallons of gas, driving 195 miles. The light actually came on at about 187. It had just come on when I put gas in on Saturday.
Not bad. I will probably still drive easier than I have been, but I am done with the extreme frugal driving for now. It was just an experiment to see how high I could get the mileage, when I wasn't on the highway.
I have seen as high as 34 at 60-65 mph on the highway, but I just can't maintain that speed on trips. At 70-75 it dropped to around 31-32, depending on hills. That was on a 3 hour trip to south Georgia. Coming back, the mileage went down a bit, as the elevation increases coming back, dropping my average to 29-30, at 70 mph. I tried hard coming back, but you can't beat physics. Uphill is uphill.
Edit, I went into the garage and took a picture for the non-believers.
Last edited by VeeTec; May 19, 2008 at 10:54 PM.
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From: Jackson County, GA
I think I will have my wife video my driving, to show how it can be done with the HR. I just think some people here cannot stand starting off like they are in a Civic, trying to save gas. I also let the car lose a little speed going up some hills, if it means not pushing the gas harder. That will drive some people nuts. As long as I am within 5-10 mph of the speed limit, while I am in the country, I don't care. Once the traffic gets heavier, I would keep it close to the speed limit.
Yes, I bought my car because it is fast, but I race at the track, and with gas prices being as high as they are. I am willing to adjust my driving habits. I can still get on the freeway, when I need to.
Yes, I bought my car because it is fast, but I race at the track, and with gas prices being as high as they are. I am willing to adjust my driving habits. I can still get on the freeway, when I need to.
Last edited by VeeTec; May 19, 2008 at 10:25 PM.
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From: san diego
Originally Posted by 2fast4comfort
i dont understand stuff like this, you have a sports car you get crap mileage that is just how it is if you want better mileage sell it and get a prius
Is there something wrong with squeezing as much mileage as you can per gallon?
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From: Jackson County, GA
Originally Posted by Strider619
I dont doubt you veetec, you just live in a better area for people who want better gas mileage.
Once again, the trick is, barely push the gas pedal, build up speed, coast down hills, shut off at long traffic lights, and be willing to give to drive the speed limit, or a little less going up hills.
I'm done for now, to the extent I was driving. I will probably still drive more frugal than I was, but my goal was to see how far I could push it, and I am very happy with the results.
Now if my wife's Armada would respond this well.
We actually haven't been driving it nearly as much, except for school runs.
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From: Boston, MA
Originally Posted by Arnold K.
I wish people outside of huge metro areas would stop calling it "city" driving. It's more like "suburban" driving. Like Strider said, in our areas, there are stop signs and traffic lights at practically every block, and you'll have to go through many of them until you hit a highway - by then your mileage has turned to crap.
Originally Posted by dfresh713
i filled my car up with 87 regular in my Roadster and averaged 27 mpg at 79avg mph on my trip of 250 miles.