Big boost in gas mileage by habit change

[mithrandir2001]

Wow, I just boosted my gas mileage by over 20% by driving differently. I have a Honda Accord with the 2.3L I-4 and a 5spd...the EPA ratings are 26/32. I've been getting around 22mpg driving around town so I tried to see if I could get the mileage up by driving differently. Typically, I have the habit of speeding up to red lights, stop signs, turns, etc. because you still get faster to your destination more times than not. And I would hit redline several times a week jockeying for the best position on the highway. But the 22mpg is what I had to show for it.

So I've been driving like I own an electric car: Sticking the tranny in neutral whenever I can get by coasting, rolling downhill, gliding to a stop at an intersection, etc. I'm surprised by how far you can coast in neutral, or rather, the lack of rolling/wind resistance slowing my car down. There are stretches of road (down slopes) where I typically applied throttle but now I have to use the brake while coasting! So now I'm looking at 26mpg. I still have no idea how they get those EPA ratings but a 4mpg boost by driving differently is certainly "statistically significant". Don't know how long I'll keep it up, but for now it's like a little game.

 

[Rallispec]

haha

its funny you should mention how far you can get by coasting, becuase i was thinking that today also, i was driving back to my house from burger king tonight, about a mile away from school, i put it in nuetral and just coasted, made it all the way back to my driveway without touch the gas at all, actually had to use the brake a few times

 

[jhu]

i never understood why people speed up so that they can stop at a stop light. 90% of the time, even though i'm going slower than those guys i still end up right next to them at the stop light

 

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: jhu
i never understood why people speed up so that they can stop at a stop light. 90% of the time, even though i'm going slower than those guys i still end up right next to them at the stop light

Because 10% of the time they clear the light while you have to sit and wait. Irrational perhaps, but addictive behavior nonetheless.

 

[d33pt]

probably save a bit on brake pads too

 

[Viper GTS]

I always looked at it like this...

Sure, the extra 4 miles per gallon is great, but is it really worth the extra work/lack of enjoyable driving?

Look at cost per mile.

If gas costs $1.60 a gallon, at 22 mpg you're spending 7.3¢ per mile. At 26 mpg that cost drops to 6.15¢.

If you drive 12,000 miles a year that's a savings of $138.

Is it worth it to you to drive like your grandmother?

Viper GTS

 

[silverpig]

If anything I slow down extra early when coming up to a red light. Here's why:

Guy A: Speeds up to a red light, has to come to a complete stop and wait.
Guy B: Slows down early, and the light turns green just before he gets there. He is going 20 km/h when the light hits green, so he goes right by Guy A who has to start from a standstill.

Granted, it doesn't happen all the time, but it really helps.

Also, I'm pretty sure it's illegal (at least in Canada anyways) to coast down hill in neutral (or is that with the clutch in?)...

 

[dolph]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
I always looked at it like this... Sure, the extra 4 miles per gallon is great, but is it really worth the extra work/lack of enjoyable driving? Look at cost per mile. If gas costs $1.60 a gallon, at 22 mpg you're spending 7.3¢ per mile. At 26 mpg that cost drops to 6.15¢. If you drive 12,000 miles a year that's a savings of $138. Is it worth it to you to drive like your grandmother? Viper GTS

you forget what board you're posing the question on... hell yes it's worth $138! i ENJOY being in the far right lane of the freeway, pisses me off being in socal now where the minimum speed limit is 75 mph. how am i going to get 500 miles to the tank in my camry that way?

 

[T2T III]

Sure, the extra 4 miles per gallon is great, but is it really worth the extra work/lack of enjoyable driving?

Yes, but there's a very thin line between "enjoyable driving" and "reckless driving."

 

[Jzero]

Typically, I have the habit of speeding up to red lights, stop signs, turns, etc. because you still get faster to your destination more times than not. And I would hit redline several times a week jockeying for the best position on the highway. But the 22mpg is what I had to show for it.

Are you that guy who changes lanes like 30 times in 5 minutes and still ends up behind me? I'm having a great time laughing at you

Coasting is actually a lot of fun. There is a stretch or roadway (Rt 625 to be exact) where I can turn onto it from Rt 579, accelerate up to the speed limit and then throw it in neutral. I can go the entire 3-4 miles to the nearest stop sign just by working the brake a little to go around the bends, and I never ever once drop below the speed limit! It's great!

Because 10% of the time they clear the light while you have to sit and wait. Irrational perhaps, but addictive behavior nonetheless.

I guess that depends if you "know the territory" or not. I'm familiar enough with the roads around here to know which lights are worth gunning it for and which aren't. I'd say 95% of them aren't worth gunning it.

As for driving like your grandmother, you should know when it's worth pouring it on and when it's not. I see people getting themselves worked into a road-rage frenzy changing langes on the Schuykill during rush hour, while if you actually have a clue and wait for the right opening you really can forge far ahead. Half the fun is driving fast and revving your engine and all that.
The other half the fun is strategy.
Yesterday someone blew past me in a Lexus. I was going 85MPH so I bet he was going damn near 100. Well first he tried to pass me on the right but the reason I was in the left lane was b/c I was already passing someone. So he already had to stomp on his brake.
I move over and he goes on ahead.
5 minutes later, he's weaving in and out of the right and center lanes trying to get around people, while I blow right by him again in the left lane.

I usually get 37-38MPG in my Civic LX which is 1.7L 4cyl and a 5-speed.

 

[TNTrulez]

Originally posted by: silverpig
If anything I slow down extra early when coming up to a red light. Here's why:

Guy A: Speeds up to a red light, has to come to a complete stop and wait.
Guy B: Slows down early, and the light turns green just before he gets there. He is going 20 km/h when the light hits green, so he goes right by Guy A who has to start from a standstill.

Granted, it doesn't happen all the time, but it really helps.

Also, I'm pretty sure it's illegal (at least in Canada anyways) to coast down hill in neutral (or is that with the clutch in?)...

I remember something about it being illegal to coast downhill while on neutral

 

[HappyPuppy]

No shyt, Genius.

 

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Is it worth it to you to drive like your grandmother?

Hee, hee. Now I'll never drive like a grandmother. Not me.

Like jzero, it's strategy and it's something to do. I'm very bored when I drive (a case of my senses' inability to fully saturate my brain with info) so this coasting thing is more of a game than anything else. I still accelerate briskly and drive fast overall but I'm trying to take advantage of gravity instead of the engine all the time. When you are going downhills you go much faster in neutral than in fifth gear and with the extra speed, you can coast further at the bottom of the grade before re-engaging the tranny and applying throttle.

 

[SuperSix]

"move bitch, get out tha way!"

 

[dethman]

my gf is a pretty agressive driver and she gets 28mpg with the 2.3L accord. that's an auto too.

you don't have to be in neutral half the time to get good gas mileage, just don't drive like a madman.

 

[dethman]

.

 

[olds]

Coasting is not always a good thing. Look at nik, he's coasted all his life and look where it got him. Level 1 tech support (outsourced) for AT&T.

Oh ya. You can get 100% better gas mileage by parking your car and walking. Try it, it's true.

 

[Evadman]

I get 7.5 MPG. I don't want to hear it.

pic.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Evadman
I get 7.5 MPG. I don't want to hear it.

pic.

WOT?

 

[Eli]

Well, duh. Just think of it this way.. you're going to get to the red light anyway, so any gas you give it is just energy that you waste when you have to step on your brake.

My dad has a 1980 Chevy 3/4ton pickup with a bored/decked 350.. don't really know much about it, compression ratio is 10.5:1, 4-barrel.. 3 speed manual heh.. It can pull that truck along nicely.

He likes to come off the 270 degree freeway on ramp and floor it... Seeing peoples faces as you pull out infront of them, and then accelerate from 25 - 60 before they're even passed the onramp is funny.

Unfortunately, everytime you step on the gas like that with one of those big V8s, it's like flushing the toilet. :Q

I dunno what his exact mpg is, but it's not much over 10.. lol

Edit: You know whats even funnier, is when he pulls up next to some teenager in a riced out(for lack of a better term) Honda with a fart pipe.. LOL! I've only been with him twice when thats happened... The first time he beat the pants off this little black Civic. I wish I would have had a camera, it was priceless... The second time he didn't have any of his tools or anything in the back, and he burned out.. didn't get a good start.. still caught up to them before the next light... lol

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: Evadman
I get 7.5 MPG. I don't want to hear it.

pic.

WOT?

Ummm, no. that is average fuel econmy since I removed one of my superchargers because the oil line was clogged and I toasted it. At WOT I get 0 on that monitor if I change it to instant unless I am at freeway speeds.

That pic was taken a few days ago in the middle of the night because someone asked me what my MPG was

<edit>
oh, and I drive a Dodge 2500 with the 488 Ci V-10 with a dual NOVI setup and NO2
Pretty.

 

[goodoptics]

It's illegal in most states to roll down a hill in neutral with the engine on.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: goodoptics
It's illegal in most states to roll down a hill in neutral with the engine on.

I seriously doubt there's been more than 5 people in the history of the law actually get ticketed for it.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: goodoptics
It's illegal in most states to roll down a hill in neutral with the engine on.

I will make sure to turn my engine off next time

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: goodoptics
It's illegal in most states to roll down a hill in neutral with the engine on.

I will make sure to turn my engine off next time

LOL