@ 65+ MPH, is there a certain speed that seems to get better than usual gas milage? For instance, in my previous car, a Mitsubishi 3000gt, if a stayed around 73 MPH it would get MUCH better gas milage than when I went over that speed. If I went above that speed I would notice my gas milage would suck. I have a 3000 mile highway trip coming up and I was wondering if anyone noticed something like that with our cars.. IE the fastest you can go without destroying fuel efficency. Possibly it could be at just before the point that the MIVEC kicks in? Most of my driving will be on roads with a 70 MPH speed limit. Thanks.

 

"While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph." http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

The Union of Concerned Scientists tells us that dropping from 70 to 60 mph improves fuel efficiency by an average of 17.2 percent. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...MN9H10BFRS.DTL

So the real question is - what exact speed provides the most MPG? That may take some experimentation and tools to measure fuel consumption in real-time.

 

this really has more to do with areodynamic drag, every car is different so its really hard to say. Increases in speed, your engine effiency would have to over come drag

 

with my 09 GTS lancer, i averaged about 33.2mpg on a 600 mile trip by cruising around 70-75 mph

 

What I do is reset the fuel economy screen as I'm on the highway and you can use say half hour intervals at diff speeds to see what's best.

 

I do a lot of highway driving. When I am not in a hurry I maintain speed at about 63-65 and average between 35-39 mpg. It is a bit hard for me to keep my foot off the gas but it definitely saves me tons of cash.

 

Cruise control @ 70-75 is fine. I can't tell you an average, but I did really well on my 700 mile trip to Orlando.

If you want to do well on gas mileage, use the cruise control as much as possible to stay at a steady speed.

 

I get ~40MPG @ 80MPH on my trip to work in the mornings.... but my route to work starts at the top of a mountain and it's ALL downhill going to the office....

Of course, my fuel economy going home is craparific because it's ALL uphill going home. @80MPH on the freeway, I average <20MPG going home. If I'm on surface streets and ***** footing my way home I can get 21MPG going home.

 

lol, well you still end up with 30 average. Thats not too bad.

 

yeah, but I don't have the patience to drive like that for a full tank of gas. So, I end up with a 22 - 23 MPG average on each tank... :P

 

i wish the 9's had cruise control

 

My 2009 GTS has Cruise Control... It's on the steering wheel, oposite the audio controls...

 

^^ he means the evo IX (9)

 

I actually average around 28-31 mpg every fillup.