My best tank ever: 525 miles at 59 MPG!

[IndyDoug]

1. Stay off of the interstate. Take secondary roads if possible and drive the speed limit if you are on a two-lane highway and if you are on a four-lane highway drive between 40 and 50 MPH. Let the cars pass you while you sit back and listen to NPR.

2. Accelerate slowly from a stoplight and coast as much as possible while coming up to a stoplight.

3. Avoid uneccessary trips.

4. The more you drive 40 MPH the higher the MPG you will achieve for that tank.

5. Don't use the A/C.

[McShemp]

Indy,

Many here believe the "slow" acceleration approach is the exact opposite of what should be done. Also, A/C use isn't always an option in Texas (in the afternoons at least)! I've also heard it said that the aero losses of driving with the windows down is more than electric losses when running the A/C. However, there was no data to back this claim up. Mebbe an urban legend in the making?

[windstrings]

Your mileage per tank is relevant. What I mean is... how do you know how many gallons you actually used in that tank?
If you divided the mileage by the gallons used to fill the car back up.... how may gallons was that?

I"ve gotten 565 or so a tank and didn't get that good a mileage to do it.

I guess I"m trying to say that if you got 59mpg.. thats great and I'm not trying to take any steam away from your accomplishment, but the amount of miles you got on that tank is only relevant to how many gallons you used.
Its rare that anyone uses the whole tank.
Theoretically, you could get 702 miles on a take if you really got 59 miles per gallon and used all 11.9 of your gallons.... see what I mean?

Because some push the limit by topping and running a little past the blinking light, they can get close to 600 miles a tank while getting less mpg.

Some don't top off thier tanks at all, so they won't get many miles per tank and they get gas as soon as the light starts blinking.

Personally.. I think its fun to see how good a mileage you can get, but in real practice... I don't want to become a slave to a few bucks.... how fast I get to my destination is often important. On a 1000 mile trip.. driving an extra 5 mph can get me there hours sooner. Let alone if I drive 20 or 30 mph faster "than 40mph".
And I don't know about you, but I get exhausted, sweaty, and tired if I am not cool and comfortable.

We all have to weigh the odds of what is valuable to us. I see very little savings in my wallet by driving uncomfortable and slow... I cruise at about 70 - 85 mph on long trips and use the air as needed and still beat the pants off any other non prius car out there, and I figure driving at those speeds on an open freeway is much safer than twidley dinking around in back roads slowing traffic and forcing them to pass me!

Besides, that kind of driving makes people hate prius's and give the impression the prius is a dog and can't go any faster.

I want to show the world, my car has no limitations and can still get great gas mileage.
Any car can do well if it only goes 40mph?.... maybe not as good as the prius, but still if everyone was trying to save gas by driving 40mph, it would almost double our driving time.

I just traveled from Washington state to Texas... I went 750 miles the first day, 850 the second, and about 600 the third.......
If I would have done it at 40 mph, I may have gotten in a wreck or caused one, and I would have arrived 2 days later, 2 hotel bills later, more eating out on the way and saved a little gas money....

in the long run.. I think it would have cost me more financially was well as wearing me out!

Unless your doing it for fun.. I encourage you to just drive sensibly and have a good time and be comfortable....

heck if we want to be hot and miserable and take forever to get somewhere and arrive exhausted to save gas.. we might as well walk or ride a bicycle!

[Tideland Prius]

wow congrats. but I'm sure you can make it further than 525 miles at 59mpg. My record tank was 836kms and my MFD was showing 4.3L/100km (55mpg) so you should be able to do 900 at least.

[kDB]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jun 15 2006, 10:52 PM) [snapback]272017[/snapback]</div>

wow congrats. but I'm sure you can make it further than 525 miles at 59mpg. My record tank was 836kms and my MFD was showing 4.3L/100km (55mpg) so you should be able to do 900 at least.
[/b]

i think you miscalculated. it would take around 15.25 gallons to go 900 miles at 59mpg. the highest refill i've heard of is 12.5 gallons, my personal highest 10.8. i don't know if the 12.5 was with running out of gas or not.

if you could manage to add 12.5 gallons, you should be able to go about 750 miles at 60mpg. though i suggest not trying to top it off.

[JackDodge]

I can't believe I actually agree with windbag....er, windstrings for a change Most of us on the board have been able to get at least 525 on a tank without trying very hard. I drive at least half of my miles on the interstate doing 65 and the A/C is usually on but set to 79 degrees and I keep the windows rolled up if it's really windy outside or I'm driving above 55. I'm past 525 miles on the tank already with three pips left on the gas gauge; my average mpg is 57 so your numbers are good but they're not remarkable. It's good that you can get that kind of mileage, for sure. You've taken an important step but you'll be able to do better, I'm sure.

[Walker1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Jun 17 2006, 11:38 PM) [snapback]272917[/snapback]</div>

I can't believe I actually agree with windbag....er, windstrings for a change Most of us on the board have been able to get at least 525 on a tank without trying very hard. I drive at least half of my miles on the interstate doing 65 and the A/C is usually on but set to 79 degrees and I keep the windows rolled up if it's really windy outside or I'm driving above 55. I'm past 525 miles on the tank already with three pips left on the gas gauge; my average mpg is 57 so your numbers are good but they're not remarkable. It's good that you can get that kind of mileage, for sure. You've taken an important step but you'll be able to do better, I'm sure.
[/b]

I'm getting almost 53 MPG. Almost all city, with the A/C on all the time. I like to be comfortable. Here in FL A/C is real important. I am very happy with 53 MPG compared to my last car that got 19 MPG in city driving. Everybody has a different perception on MPG.

[powrfuel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Walker1 @ Jun 24 2006, 05:15 AM) [snapback]276266[/snapback]</div>

I'm getting almost 53 MPG. Almost all city, with the A/C on all the time. I like to be comfortable. Here in FL A/C is real important. I am very happy with 53 MPG compared to my last car that got 19 MPG in city driving. Everybody has a different perception on MPG.
[/b]

hows' this...leave the car in the garage...get a horse... and you'll get 100mpg...what an idiot...you people need to get a life.

[Catskillguy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kDB @ Jun 16 2006, 07:14 AM) [snapback]272127[/snapback]</div>

i think you miscalculated. it would take around 15.25 gallons to go 900 miles at 59mpg. the highest refill i've heard of is 12.5 gallons, my personal highest 10.8. i don't know if the 12.5 was with running out of gas or not.

if you could manage to add 12.5 gallons, you should be able to go about 750 miles at 60mpg. though i suggest not trying to top it off.
[/b]

Tideland is using Kilometers per Gallon.. not miles


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IndyDoug @ Jun 15 2006, 10:09 PM) [snapback]271959[/snapback]</div>

1. Stay off of the interstate. Take secondary roads if possible and drive the speed limit if you are on a two-lane highway and if you are on a four-lane highway drive between 40 and 50 MPH. Let the cars pass you while you sit back and listen to NPR.

2. Accelerate slowly from a stoplight and coast as much as possible while coming up to a stoplight.

3. Avoid uneccessary trips.

4. The more you drive 40 MPH the higher the MPG you will achieve for that tank.

5. Don't use the A/C.
[/b]

I am currently having my best tank ever. I am a bit unsure why as I don't think I changed that much vs best tanks at 56.2 or so. I am at about 13,000 miles. This tank, 450 miles in is at 58.4, with it just changing to 3 bars as I stopped.


This is mostly my nrrmal interstate highway of rolling hills. I don't use AC much, crack the window front and back maybe an inch and it's usually comfortable even in 80s. I have been using the let off gas/cancel cruise when approaching the summit of a hill and kicking cruise back in at the top/downside to get back to speed. I do this without impedeing traffic, keeping speed if anyone is 'on my tail'. I keep the cruise control at 64 or 65 depending on road conditions.