Quote:
Originally Posted by racingbmwm3
Running higher tire pressures increases tire wear in the center. I'm not sure the 1-2mpg increase would ever pay for the shorter lived tires, unless someone knows of some $50 tires I can fit on my Style 87's?
All my hypermiling is done in my Mini, or other previous commuters, and I could consistently achieve 3-4mpg better when I try to get better mileage than when I don't care and drive hastier.
Light foot, higher tire pressure (set to max load sticker on the door, not the tire), remove excess weight, change all fluids (brake fluid doesn't affect gas mileage though). Allow the car to slow down a little going up hills and speed up a little going down, trying to stay within a +-5mph range of the ideal mileage limit. Ideal mileage limit is generally different than the speed limit, depends on the engine and gearing of the car. The speed limit on my commute is mostly 55, but the gearing of my cars has proven that I get better mileage at 45-50 or around 60-62. 55 must be the ideal gearing for american cars?
And tailgating has always* proved to get better gas mileage because drafting means less HP is getting wasted on pushing the car through the air. Unfortunately, its somewhat dangerous, illegal, discourteous, and causes more rock chips and sand blasting of the front end of the car and windshield. So I reluctantly give up that extra 3-5mpg from drafting to protect my car...*always meaning when driving longer distances at a constant speed. If driving in stop and go traffic, tailgating will result in lower gas mileage. But trying to hypermile in heavy traffic is kinda pointless in the first place.
Once cars become fully automated (self-driving), we'll see tailgating taken to the extreme at highway speeds for the greatest efficiency. This also benefits the car in the front of the pack as they have less tail drag, although the cars in the middle of the pack still see the greatest benefit.
If we can end the forced ethanol 'enhancement' of our fuel, everyone's mileage will go up...I understand we can't just stop the subsidies, but we can stop wasting food to make crappy fuel.
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So, to do this 'hypermile' thing, I need to invest in all new fluids, leave my family, spare tire and backseat home, have other vehicles up my a%s going up hill and be up theirs going down, tailgate incessantly like someone is towing me, break the law, chip up the front of my X, sandblast it where it isn't chipped, drive 55 on the freeway, quickly find two others going 55 and get between them--all so I might get 3-4 more mpg. Even my dog is not going to like this.
I don't mind ethanol. Though, getting rid of ethanol would be good, not for better mileage, using more Texas oil would increase the state budget for new roads like the new one with a 85mph speed limit--yeeeee-haa!
Since self-driving cars are on the horizon which means so is my suicide, what I am going to do is drive as fast and hard as I dare, hit the nitrous button as often as I can and not do any of that other depressing stuff. I will have lots of fun, keep my X nice and experience the best my X can deliver.
I do have a plan to save a wad of bills more than 2 or 3 'hypermilers' that I have to swerve around because they are going 55 when everyone else on 5 lanes of busy Dallas tollway is running along at 80 or more.
I will just drive, say, 200 less miles next year.