MPG increasing with driving technique alone (no mods yet)... so happy!

[NeilBlanchard]

Well, with the mods I've made so far, my car is down to under 0.27, I think.

[SentraSE-R]

But back to the thread's title, I'm beating EPA by 63% in my Scion, and by 73% in my Nissan, with no mods. Changing driving habits is worth a lot more than any mods.

[MetroMPG]

No question the biggest gains usually come from driving technique... and anyone making big gains from technique alone deserves kudos.

But why leave the low-hanging fruit on the tree?

Unless you're just trying to establish a "personal best" from technique alone. You know, man against machine etc. (nothing wrong with that).

But in my opinion, not doing some of the easy, effective mods to your car is like choosing to ignore a poorly sealed door or window in your house. You could (A) turn up the heat, like the average Joe (waste energy!), (B) leave the heat down and do jumping jacks to stay warm inside when it's cold out (technique!), or (C) you could add/upgrade the weatherstripping (mod!).

OR... (D)you could upgrade the weatherstripping and continue to do jumping jacks so you could turn down the heat even further and save even more energy.

Just sayin'.

[SentraSE-R]

Mods are under consideration . They won't do much, since my top speeds are typically 60 mph max, unless I'm coasting downhill. But I picked up a lot of coroplast after last week's election, and there are times it would be nice to cruise at 65 mph for a change.

[Daox]

After about 35 mph, your car is now using the majority of its energy to overcome aerodynamic drag. Even at 30 mph its usually around 40% aero drag. Aeromods are useful at even at low speeds.

[SentraSE-R]

Yes, but aeromods are far less effective at lower speeds. The drag at 30 mph is 1/4 what it is at 60 mph.