Is driving for maximum mpg worth the trouble?

[WPWoodJr]

Here is an article on the limits of mpg improvement:
Driving for maximum mpg - worth the trouble?

There's little benefit over about 35mpg.

[TonyPSchaefer]

This chart proves exactly why it's important to improve the mileage of the gas guzzling hogs and/or remove them from the roads entirely. Of course, it also proves exactly why those who buy such vehicles without a professional need are not very bright.



Is it worth it to get 60, 65, 70+ mpg? I enjoy the challenge and the bragging rights. So "yes."

[WPWoodJr]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

...
Is it worth it to get 60, 65, 70+ mpg? I enjoy the challenge and the bragging rights. So "yes."

I enjoy it too; getting about 45mpg right now in my Ford Fusion Hybrid. But that chart convinced me that 35 mpg is enough to achieve my main goal of significantly lower cost / less trips to the gas station. Plus I love the cool hybrid technology of course.

[Matt Herring]

100% worth it if you want to reduce your dependence on oil and save some money too! Not to mention it takes the "boring" out of driving and makes it fun...yes...fun!

Since trading in my 4runner in March for my Prius I've spent $400 less in gas and used 100 less gallons of gas in just 3 months compared to my 4runner...worth it to me!

[F8L]

Since a lot of us actually drive double the mileage used on that first chart (20,000 vs. 10,000) the savings is definately worth going from 35mpg to 50mpg! For some the annual savings in money is the driving factor, for others the annual savings in gallons of gas is the driving factor. So whether you are basing your opinion on your wallet or more altruistic factors like national security and a reduction in air pollution it looks like the difference is definately worth it to me.

Using the same math on charts in the blog, one would save $462/yr going from 35mpg to 50mpg. That is the difference between not trying to drive a FFH well (35mpg) and not trying to drive a 2010 Prius well (50mpg). At least according to the numbers presented in the blog and what we are seeing for MPG here on Prius Chat. One could calulate the reduction in air pollution as well which may further sway one's decision to drive for better mileage.

Even in the case presented by driving only the FFH for better mileage there is a strong case in favor of putting in extra effort to get better mileage. Unless of course you have to seriously hypermile the FFH to get 45mpg which I doubt is the case given Wayne Gerdes experience with the amazing FFH. This case becomes even stronger with the more miles a person drives each year. To me 10,000/yr seems rather low.

[JimN]

I have no complaint with the graph. Whether or not saving money by not buying gas is "worth it" is a personal decision. However Mr. Blogger is going to be in for a very rude awakening when he files his 1040. He'll discover he screwed himself out of some of the tax credit because his new Ford is going to be placed in service after the transition date. He'll probably just file a fraudulent return & the IRS won't notice.

[SageBrush]

I want a 100 mpg car, so 35 mpg just makes me unhappy. 60 - 70 mpg in my Prius is tolerable -- for now.

[fuzzy1]

Here is an article on the limits of mpg improvement:
Driving for maximum mpg - worth the trouble?

There's little benefit over about 35mpg.

In a mathematical sense, that curve has the same shape everywhere, from below 0.001 mpg to above 1000 mpg. Anyone claiming that there is little benefit above any point X is being tricked by the scaling of the picture. Any given percentage change in mpg yields the same percentage savings no matter where the starting point is placed.

To meet the targets of the new Climate Bill, similar to what some AGW activists have been claiming for a few years, we must reduce our carbon emissions by an average of about 4% per year, compounded for 40 years. Even if AGW is a hoax, the national security problems of buying our energy from despots trying to own us, demands a similar response.

That will require a lot of thought and effort, and every little 1% gained here and there will be sorely needed.

For the transportation side of my carbon reduction obligations, more bicycling probably covered just 1 or 2 years, and that is already in the past. Hypermiling boosted my mpg about 20% (really a 16.67% carbon reduction), covering another 4 years of my obligations, but one of those years is already in the past. Shifting my driving to a Prius nearly doubles my mpg, good for another 16 years. By then I'll have to do something more.

Home energy consumption / carbon emissions is a separate budget. CFLs for lighting were adopted long ago, so that credit was used up long ago. Other efficiency changes three years ago achieved a 13% reduction, but that just gets me to -- 2009! A new heat pump this spring should cut total home energy use enough to cover 4 or 5 years. Then I'll have to do something else again.

We are still collecting the low hanging fruit. When that is gone, even 1% improvements will be extremely important.

[darelldd]

Ah hell. I'm screwed. Our main car doesn't burn ANY gas. I need to get me one of them 35 mpg jobbies so I can start doing my part to clean the air and save money.

[Son of Gloin]

For me, the "short answer" to this thread's primary question is YES ...

My long answer rather parallels that of Matt Herring ... above.

After eleven months of ownership and with about 10,300 miles on our '08 Prius - we REALLY don't drive very much on a daily basis ... that 10,300 miles includes TWO trips to-and-from upstate New York! - we've already "saved" about 155 gallons of gas and have "saved" about $355.

( The "savings" above are based on my "high-end" estimate for the MPG our '97 Stratus - aka Stone White - would have achieved under the same driving conditions. )

I know full-well that ALL fossil-fuel-burning vehicles are harmful to the environment ... but getting the world off fossil fuels - especially when it comes to transportation-n-such - is going to be a very lengthy, "weaning" process! In the interim, all I can do is drive whichever car seems to adequately meet our family's NEEDS, be the least environmentally harmful / the most fuel-effient car available at the time, AND is within our financial reach. For us, that's the Prius at this point in time.

And, lastly ... I did NOT purchase the most fuel-efficient car currently in mass-production - again ... that for us is also affordable - to see how much BELOW the EPA-rated MPG figures I could get. As far as I'm concerned, trying to see how much ABOVE those figures I can get is not only worth the effort AND much more fun ... it's also much more important ....