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Old 07-11-2012, 02:40 PM   #15 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SentraSE-R View Post
I might choose I-80 over US 50 for a weekend drive to Reno for a 3% gain in FE, but I'd need to know what each highway is paved with before starting the trip.
It also depends a lot on how much wear the road has had. I haven't driven it recently, but there was a time when the stretch of I-80 between Donner Summit and (roughly) Auburn was so badly worn that I was worried about high-centering the Insight on the ruts worn into the concrete. It was also quite rough, with the concrete worn well down into a layer of about 2" or larger aggregate...

Smoothness also matters a lot. I can see a noticeable increase in mpg on concrete just by moving out of the most worn parts.
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