Im taking my '04 ralliart on a 1,200 mile trip tomorrow. With gas as high as it is what is the best speed/rpm I should be at going down the highway?

Any other suggestions for better MPG?

 

Set your cruise somewhere between 65 and 70. Absolutely no higher than 73.
Wash/wax the car before you leave to make it slip through the air better.
Windows up and A/C on is better than windows down.

 

check on that tire pressure and window washer fluid......be safe and have fun...

 

Tires pressure
Brakes
Fluids
Set the cruise
Don't go over 3500rpm
Car Bra (if you have one) - Stone chips are likely to get your bonnet.
As Mys said, WAX, I know I did on my 1100km drive. I did 3 coats, but thats me and I have a black car so I definitely didn't want chips.

Bugs will be splatted all over you're front so try and wipe them off every station. The acid these **** insects can do to your paint is minimal, but after that long drive, they can cause all sorts of trouble. Even light scratches!

 

Ok thanks for the replies.

I cant remember what they set the pressure out in my tires after I had them replaced a month or so ago, but what should they be at in case they are not right?

This is going to suck. I do most of my driving all by myself and average about 24mpg but the best Ive done was 27mpg and that was one like a 3hour trip. This trip going to be 2 adults, one baby, luggage for all, tons of fishing equipment, and on the way back a cooler full of water and live fish!

 

+1 basically what everyone else said and check your air filter too, A/C is good on the highway and windows down is good when your driving around town. i took my RA on an 800 mile trip and it ran like a champ. enjoy

 

Also visually recheck your tires at each stop. You should be fine though. Have fun.

 

Where are you going to/from?

 

I have been on several 600 to 800 mile trips in my RA i would say don't take it above 4 grand and just check everything

 

Took a trip from SF to LA and back. On the way there my average RPMs were 4000 or so. I got 23.5mpg. On the way back i averaged 3400 (just out of MIVEC) and i got 28mpg. And at the price of gas along I-5, yea those mpg make a difference for sure.
But have fun on the trip, its always fun to hit the gas and make a pass every now and then too. haha!

 

If you have a piggy back (i have the smt6) you can make a map for fuel economy . AVERAGED 34mpg on a trip just by removing fuel from certain points. Using that as a reference your trip of 1200 miles you will need more or less 37 gallons of fuel ( I added 1.7 for stopping starting and etc.. soo 37 gallons times 3.50 assuming that's the price of the gas.. you will be looking at a 130 ish
comparing that to be running without piggyback if you have a heavy foot you can still have 24 mpg so the calculations again leave us to a total of 50 gallons of times 3.50 that leaves us to 175 that's 175-130 A 45 $ saving in GAS . A couple of these roundtrips and you might have paid for the piggyback itself in gas savings hehe

 

Anyway good luck with you trip

 

Just took a trip from CT to New york and round trip took 225 miles on half a tank. So im guessing i got about 34mpg which is awesome since i had the window down and was going 80-85mph the whole way. I would say to try to keep your rpms down and try not to accelerate slow down then accelerate again and your good. There wil also be plenty of dead bugs so carry some bug wipes with you if you can, you can get then for $1.50 which comes with 50 wipes.

 

If you want to save gas than using AC isn't the way. It uses gas to run the motor for the unit...If you're going to use it don't keep it on for a long time...keep it on long enough to cool down and try to keep the cold air in...

 

What I meant was if he needs to either have the windows down to cool off or use A/C, the A/C will get him better mileage on the highway.

It's better to not use it at all, of course.