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Originally Posted by Piwoslaw
Welcome to EM 
........ where I can coast for more than 300-500m. It's more about feeling the flow of traffic and knowing where and when to pop into neutral. But you should know that as driving instructor. |
spend a large part of my day teaching people to NOT coast!!
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And don't worry about engine off coasting yet - you won't be doing it too often with a turbodiesel.
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My car is a non-turbo, hence the SDI ('S' being for suction) - which is why I get such good MPG as standard. the TDI gives almost double the power of my car...
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingsway
My little i litre 3 speed automatic Daihatsu is the one that guzzles fuel - costing slightly more to run than the (manual) Golf which is nearly twice its size! (By about UK£1.00 per hour.)
And you still have it?  Either swap the trans for a manual, or get rid of it!
And get those grilles blocked!! |
I bought the little automatic to test the water and see if there is enough business to be had teaching automatic here in the UK. The jury is still out on that one. Why do I uses such a thirsty little car? Its a 2003 model, previously owned by an old man who did only 9000 miles in it! So I bought the car for less than a tenth the price of a new car - and it's condition is still 'like new'.
That huge savings I made on the purchase price can help to pay for many
hundreds of litres of fuel - even at UK prices!
It is a bit 'basic' and uncomfortable, so I may well replace it at some point - otherwise, a conversion to LPG would pay for itself fairly quickly 
I like the idea of making a few aero mods, and maybe drawing my customers attention to the benefits eco-driving. My problem is doing it in such a way that it doesn't look too un-professional!