Cross Country to Indiana

I'm on the road for the next few days making the same trip I did a year ago when the car was new. For those interested I'll post the stats when I can.

Normal commuting before the trip

7/25 500 miles 8.976 gallons 55.7mpg calculated 54.0 mpg MFD
8/2 257 miles 5.433 gallons 47.3mpg calculated 55.2 mpg MFD

First leg of the trip: PA Turnpike, I-80, I-76, US30. Temps mostly in the 80's-95F. Highway speeds up to the low 70's.

8/2 Eastern Ohio 391 miles 7.524 gallons 52.0mpg calculated 52.7mpg MFD
Currently in Warsaw IN with 4 pips left. MFD over 50mpg but I will now have some short trip local driving.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PA Prius @ Aug 4 2007, 07:35 AM) [snapback]490450[/snapback]</div>

I am travelling with my most excellent navigator, Joe to Winona Lake. (When I told him about this post and that I was going reply with "my most excellent navigator" he asked, "Who?" Neither of us are "small". The cargo fills the deck to the cover with the cooler riding in the back behind the driver's seat.

The 55.2 mpg was achieved by staying generally around the speed limit. But I did go faster when passing and when trying to stay out of the way of others. There are stretches of I-80 that are being resurfaced. Speed was greatly reduced which boosted the mpg.

We are leaving for Dayton tomorrow. The MFD is now below 52mpg due to the local driving. I'll get some of that back on the open road before I refuel.

Saw: 2 Hummers, 4 Corvettes, 5 Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Aug 3 2007, 12:36 AM) [snapback]489800[/snapback]</div>

I didn't have a connection for the rest of the trip. Now that I'm back here is the rest of the story.

The next leg is cross country through Ohio and local driving around Winona Lake. Temps were in the 70's & 80's. Mostly overcast. A bit of light rain. Still plenty of gas so didn't top off in IN. Now, off to Dayton via US30 then Ohio 309 through Lima to I-75. Gas prices were in the high $2.60's and low $2.70's. Not knowing what was ahead I filled up around Delphos. Prices dropped to the mid $2.40's on 309 around Elida & Lima. Should have waited. Speeds generally ranged from 55-75mph, slower in the cities.

8/5 Western Ohio 434 miles 6.755 gallons 64.2mpg calculated 51.8mpg MFD. The pump claims E10.

I-75 to Dayton was 65mph followed by a bit of local driving through Dayton to the AF Museum. Gas prices dropped to the $2.40's again in the city of Dayton. Should have topped off in town. Temps in the 90's +. I didn't like the $2.60+ prices so we just took off with what we had, a couple pips down. In theory I can get home from Dayton on a full tank so I know I need another stop. Going home on I-70 through Ohio prices didn't drop. I-70 is closed in WV so took I-470 without any problems. Prices are higher in PA--$2.70's so I press on. Turnpike construction at the I-70/I-76 interchange backed up traffic. Two pips go to 1 while on the TP 35 miles from the next gas. Starting to get a bit nervous. Pip doesn't flash. Tough to keep in the 40's mpg dips into the high 30's.

8/7 Western PA (Somerset) 432 miles 9.943 gallons 43.4mpg calculated 54.1mpg MFD

This is the home stretch. Basically downhill through PA to home. I prefer to build up the speed downhill and bleed it off uphill. Was able to fill the battery once.

8/7 Delran NJ. 262 miles 4.608 gallons 56.9mpg calculated 57.3mpg MFD.

Add 3 Corvettes and 3 Prius to the count. If the woman in the blue Prius eastbound on the TP around Valley Forge is here I was in the MG. Overall it was a good trip. A rally stopped for lunch in Winona Lake so we got a chance to see more than a dozen old cars, many from the 30's. Saw one more hangar at the AF Museum. Still need to see one more. It opens at 9:00 so go early and get your ticket (or 2) for the bus to the Presidential hangars.

Overcast in the 90's but I'm home. We had a good time.

 

Here are the final stats from the trip:

1519 miles round trip (Delran, NJ--Winona Lake, IN)
28.83 gallons
52.7 mpg

That won't get an award in a rally but it is better than my lifetime average.