Gas Mileage Experiment - UPDATED
The previous BLOG mentioned the Commode (Depeche Mode) concert I went to.
To set this experiment up, let me explain that I thought the concert started at 7pm. As we were walking out the door, Traci mentions it starts at 8pm. Crap! We're leaving an hour earlier than I thought we'd have to leave. But, we're ready. Why put everything down, just to sit around the house for an hour.
So, we leave anyway. Figuring I have an extra hours time, and all we really planned to do before the concert is grab something to eat at Traci's FAVORITE restaurant of all time -- Red Hot & Blue, once we get to Manassas, I decide to conduct a gas mileage experiment.
Everyone who is even close to driving age has heard about and experienced the gas price increases over the last 18+ months. No matter where you turn, someone is writing or talking about it in some way.
I can't remember where or what I was reading (I wasn't actively searching for this topic), but I read recently that gas mileage starts to dramatically decrease for every 5 mph over 50 you travel. I typically drive at 70~75 mph on the highway.
I decided that I would drive at 60 mph in the 55 zones and at 65 mph in the 65 zones. I wanted to see what kind of gas mileage I got.
My car is rated at 28 miles/gallon highway according the manufacturer, and I know that on the highway I usually get about 100 highway miles on the first 1/4 tank of gas.
HOLY CRAP!
Driving at 60~65 mph, I got 160 miles on the first 1/4 tank. I may have even gotten more, except that after the concert (it was only 135 miles to the concert), I drove like a bat outta hell on the way home. I was very tired, and wasn't about to putter around doing 60~65. I was going more like 75~80 mph. I wanted to get home and get to bed. (btw, I got home at 12:30am and when I climbed into bed, I was wide awake... Insomnia sucks!)
So the last 25 miles of the 160 miles on the first 1/4 tank of gas wasn't driven at the new reduced speeds, and I haven't topped off yet to actually calculate my mileage, but I'm going to continue this experiment for a week or 2 to see what happens.
I'll keep you posted.
UPDATE: Gas Mileage after fill-up 30.1 miles/gallon. - again this includes half the trip driving like a bat out of hell.
To set this experiment up, let me explain that I thought the concert started at 7pm. As we were walking out the door, Traci mentions it starts at 8pm. Crap! We're leaving an hour earlier than I thought we'd have to leave. But, we're ready. Why put everything down, just to sit around the house for an hour.
So, we leave anyway. Figuring I have an extra hours time, and all we really planned to do before the concert is grab something to eat at Traci's FAVORITE restaurant of all time -- Red Hot & Blue, once we get to Manassas, I decide to conduct a gas mileage experiment.
Everyone who is even close to driving age has heard about and experienced the gas price increases over the last 18+ months. No matter where you turn, someone is writing or talking about it in some way.
I can't remember where or what I was reading (I wasn't actively searching for this topic), but I read recently that gas mileage starts to dramatically decrease for every 5 mph over 50 you travel. I typically drive at 70~75 mph on the highway.
I decided that I would drive at 60 mph in the 55 zones and at 65 mph in the 65 zones. I wanted to see what kind of gas mileage I got.
My car is rated at 28 miles/gallon highway according the manufacturer, and I know that on the highway I usually get about 100 highway miles on the first 1/4 tank of gas.
HOLY CRAP!
Driving at 60~65 mph, I got 160 miles on the first 1/4 tank. I may have even gotten more, except that after the concert (it was only 135 miles to the concert), I drove like a bat outta hell on the way home. I was very tired, and wasn't about to putter around doing 60~65. I was going more like 75~80 mph. I wanted to get home and get to bed. (btw, I got home at 12:30am and when I climbed into bed, I was wide awake... Insomnia sucks!)
So the last 25 miles of the 160 miles on the first 1/4 tank of gas wasn't driven at the new reduced speeds, and I haven't topped off yet to actually calculate my mileage, but I'm going to continue this experiment for a week or 2 to see what happens.
I'll keep you posted.
UPDATE: Gas Mileage after fill-up 30.1 miles/gallon. - again this includes half the trip driving like a bat out of hell.
posted by Rich B | 9:50 AM
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