View Single Post
Old 08-31-2010, 12:20 AM   #19 (permalink)
VegasDude
See ya at the next light!
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 67

Slowest. Altima. Ever. - '05 Nissan Altima SE
90 day: 45.91 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
It really depends on the car. In a big SUV, it's already burining a lot of gas just to move down the road, so as a percentage of the fuel burned, the A/C isn't adding much. I believe a smaller and more aerodynamic car will suffer more. It also depends on the temperature outside and how cool you want it inside. The A/C compressor usually isn't running 100% of the time, but enough to keep the evaporator cold. The less cold air you need, the less it runs. Although, in some vehicles, the compressor might run 100% of the time.

I drove a Civic for a few years and I remember using the A/C generally dropped my mileage by 5-6 MPG, that was well before I cared about improving my mileage.
__________________
  Reply With Quote