Has anyone consciously (or sub-consciously) applied new-found MPG-extending driving techniques to another car? My college-attending daughter drives a 2002 Saturn SC1 (coupe with single OHC four-banger). EPA numbers are 28/40. I drove it 450 mi. from L.A. to N CA and averaged 42 MPG, driving 65-70 most of the way. (No guess gauge/bladder complications with a Saturn.) Then I drove carefully (but not grannily--->is that an adverb?) for a tank around home---mixed city/suburban/hwy. Got 36 MPG for 300 mi.! Cool.
I've learned many gas-saving techniques with the Prius, but used some of them even before I had one. I used to shift into neutral and coast to a light, and pick up speed down a hill so I could carry some of it up the next. To be fair, I think I learned these techniques from cycling, where the energy-use feedback is pretty instant, even without an MFD.
I presently drive an Acura MDX rated at 23 highway. I am probably doing 80% highway and with anticipating stops, nojack rabbit starts, using cruise control @65, etc I have been getting about 25.5. Not too bad for this size AWD SUV.
Funny you would bring it up..........yes, recently I have applied similar driving techniues to my other car, Audi w/ CVT, that I've learned here for the Prius. My last tank went UP 4mpg ! From a traditional 27 mpg to a surprising 31 mpg!! Neutral coasting seems to pay off.
Neutral coasting might not pay off on a conventional AT, as the engine still spins with fuel. But then, since you aren't converting engine idle torque into quite as much heat with the torque converter, (both sides of the converter are free to spin), that might actually benefit. Hmm, time for a study.
Also, I've noticed that on longer downhill grades, a modern engine will actually use 0 litres of fuel. Is that true? I mean, I've noticed the Camry's instant fuel economy gauge read 0.0L/100km sometimes while other times, it'll read 1.8 or 2.3L/100km.
Until my 2005 Prius, I drove a 1991 Toyota 4Runner. Rated to earn 18 mpg, I regularly earned between 23 & 28 mpg. I didn't coast in neutral very much, but more anticipated lights, used cruise control, drove at slower speeds, kept interior mass down (not carry around a lot of unused stuff), kept tire air pressure checked, kept the vehicle tuned up and otherwise drove in a conservative manner. Feathering the accelerating certainly reaches a new level of precision in the Prius. Prius is the same, only I get better rewards (last three tanks @ 60.5 mpg) with PZEV emissions, and the ICE only runs when I need it, not all the time. The MFD is a great help in knowing how I am moving to conserve fuel.
in my 6½ month wait for my Prius, i started tracking mileage and using most of the current techniques that i use now and was able to increase mileage by 16 mpg average to 19 mpg. but noticed that predominately city driving was the area of greatest improvement. freeway driving didnt do much of anything as far as changing anything. was about 21 before and after. city driving was pretty hard to pinpoint since i rarely did a tank on all city, but guessing by the ratio of driving i did do, i probably brought the city numbers up from about 13-14 to 18 so percentage wise it was very good. since my Prius has arrived, ive only driven my truck twice and both was because i had no choice. and not willing to dust it off to prove anything.
Another factor to consider... lay off the brakes. I own a 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup with a 4.7 litre V-8 with automatic transmission (stead now...). I've averaged about 18MPG since new, rarely driving on highways. When I took the truck in for the 30,000 mile check, I was told I had 90% of the linings/pucks remaining. There are lots of complaints among Dakota owners of warped disks. An ounce of anticipation is worth a pound of brake linings, regardless of the kind of vehicle you drive. Our 1994 Toyota Tercel is on its second set of brakes at 102K miles.
Our other car is a manual tranmission. When placed in neutral the RPMs drop from 2500 to 700+. I presume that dropping an automatic transmission would similarly drop it RPM's and while fuel is still used, one expects that with lower unloaded RPM's the amount would be much lower.
Right, jchu! And Dave, thanks for that observation. For the past few weeks, on other threads (primarily Yahoo), I've been hammering on the gains that can be made in NON-HIGHWAY driving. Seems people, largely under the pressure of traffic, but also from sheer habit, simply won't ease off on jackrabbit starts and too-quick stops. To be fair, I used to like buried-in-the-seat-cushion acceleration, too. But it wasn't a piece of a national political problem then, either. Or at least our consciousness hadn't been raised to the level it is now.
