Quote:
Originally Posted by Daox
Welcome to the site. Care to share with us your average commute or your old mileage before visiting?
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Thanks for the warm welcome folks. My usual commute these days is just over 6 miles, round trip (I know, I ought to ride a bike...) I moved a little over a year ago to be closer to work, the previous commute was ~50 miles round trip, 3/4 right through the suburbs. While I'm substantially closer these days, the route is so short that the car never has a chance to properly warm up.
As far as mileage goes, I never kept hard records in the past. The best mileage I've gotten in the past is 42mpg on long trips that kept me on the highway 100% of the time between fill-ups. Worst mileage is ~25mpg, driving my car like I stole it. In a given period of time driving to work and around town without care as to mpg, I might have averaged ~30mpg.
In all fairness, I don't know how accurate the last fuel log entry is- the sample is of a small fuel volume and distance traveled. I'm looking forward to keeping the log updated in the future- the law of averages ought to give me a better overall picture. I think the biggest factor in this last weeks numbers was the use of "kill & coast," for lack of a better term for it- turning off the engine on grades and restarting in neutral near the bottom. I also killed the engine at any intersection where I could see the opposing traffic light and anticipate the green.
I love the idea of coasting with the engine off, its like getting bonus mileage... but I do have some reservations about the safety of said procedure. It takes 3-4 seconds to restart the engine and add momentum should I need to get the heck out of the way of something. Thoughts on this last point?
I'm planning to take a 200+ mile (one way) roadtrip over the weekend. I'm eager to see what I can achieve. Not to mention the added bonus that gas is ~0.30/gal cheaper in SC than NC.