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.

 

East bay to SF 36 miles one way 22.6 mpg.
I tried driving slow but I just can't do it, but I might have to due to skyrocketing gas prices.

 

i am in germany right now and 93 octane is 1.59 euro a liter. so its about 6 euro a gallon. then factor in the exchange rate, and your talking 8 bucks a gallon. i have noticed that what they are doing to accomidate is to drive with the windows up all the time and no air conditioning. they also shut off the car at most lights when they will wait more than 5 seconds. its very intersting. but everyone still seems to be driving around. this is in munich. but there sure are a lot of nice cars here. every other one is a 911 turbo, m3, rs4, i even saw a gt3 rs. and the cars are obsurdlz exspensive. 100k euro for an m3 here. only 65k usd in the states.

 

WHAT?!? you probably wasted more gas just starting it back up.

 

yea when i saw people doing this i thought it was crazy. but i was then told in the driving schools here (munich)they are taught to shut off the car. anyone have any insight on this. i personally think it would be a pain in the ***, but anyone know how much gas this would actually save compared to running the car at a light for 1 minute

 

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.

 

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

 

You'd probably wear the internal parts of the starter motor, implying repair$!!!
The slow-shifting & controlling your speed DOES help, just like avoiding jack-
rabbit starts. In my AT 'O4 Touring Coupe I'm managing 'bout 19MPG, in city
driving, & 'bout 26 on the freeway. Auto trannies always yield less MPG, BUT, I work only 9.5 miles away from home, so I'm getting 2 weeks out of a
tankful! CAN'T complain, dudes! BTW, last time I was @ the pump, it was 3.69
for reg., & 3.78 for premium; NOT BAD, either, considering prices in other parts of the world!!!

 

I try to save gass all the time.. but the sound of the VQ owns me =(

 

I wouldn't do that. You end up wasting gas. When you take the car out of gear and coast in neutral, the engine needs gas to stay running. When you coast in a tall gear, no gas is used because the cars momentum keeps the engine running. That's another experiment for you to try. Find a long hill, and reset the mpg counter at the top. Try coasting down in neutral. Then try coasting down in 6th gear without touching the gas. The latter experiment won't register anything on the gauge, since the computer cannot divided by zero (gas used). That would only work in an RSX and if chuck norris was driving. Besides, coasting down hills in neutral is a bit more dangerous due to having virtually no control over the attitude of the car.

 

But if I leave it in gear, and lift my foot off the gas, the car slows down. I have to push the gas more than if it idled to maintain speed in gear.

Maybe if the hill was VERY steep, this would work, but I did not pick up speed leaving it in gear. The only time I did was in neutral. Most hills, I did leave it in gear. I only coasted down a few steeper hills.

I'll probably just leave it in gear from now on anyway, for the control, if needed. I was aware of that when I did my little experiment, but was seeing how much of a difference it made.

You will save gas shutting off your car at long lights. One light lasts almost 3 minutes, at a major intersection. It doesn't take much to start the car, and idling is constantly burning gas.

 

Some tips from Edmunds.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fuelec...2/article.html

 

Thats why he said sixth... if you have it in 4th or something there will be engine breaking.

 

Just a reminder that coasting is illegal in many states. Before you try to save 50 cents on gas check to see if you can end up getting a ticket.

 

And how would they catch you ??

 

I use 6th for coasting.

Ok, another day of my frugal driving.

The results over close to 150 miles now, 29.4 mpg with an average speed of 40 mph. Tonight, I drove through several miles of wet road and some rain, which had an effect on the rolling resistance. It's amazing how you can feel this, driving so easy, when normally you wouldn't pay any attention to it.

I have used just over a 1/4 tank of gas, since I put in $25, which came out to 6 gallons. The light was on when I originally put in the gas, and afterwards it was between a 1/4 and 1/2 with an edge towards the half. Now it is between a 1/4 and empty, with a slight edge towards empty.

With my normal driving style, the light would have been on during my trip to work. I have driven home, and it's still not on E yet.

 

I belive if the car runs for 13 seconds is compairable to start up

 

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

 

I get 27+ on the highway with the roadster (07 HR). And I don't really pay attention to feathering the gas pedal. I also cruise at 65-75mph.

 

i agree with you. plus for amount of money you actually save its not worth the trouble. i cant imagine you would save more than $50 a year by doing this. i guess if your really fegal or an ecomentalist.... i think the sound of exaust at idle is worth the 2 cents i save at every light.