Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
Do you have a manual transmission? I get the same MPG regardless of stop and go or steady highway driving because I let a gap develop ahead of me, and I coast while traffic is slowing, and accelerate slightly when it picks up. Basically, I drive the average speed of traffic and don't worry if people cut into that gap. This strategy might not work as well in cities other than Portland due to other drivers being more aggressive. In Portland, people tend to move out of my lane about as often as they move into it, so I barely loose any time by leaving a gap.
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This is exactly how I drive & it works wonders, even here in DC. No real difference in city/hwy MPG.
Most of the OP's fuel is likely wasted during acceleration & mastering the manual should make a noticeable difference. In more rural situations when getting up to speed, shift as early as possible & don't be afraid to dive into the accelerator. Just keep those RPM's as low as possible w/o lugging the engine.
Also when in stop & go traffic, tame the wave as much as possible to avoid complete stops. Accelerating from a 1-2 MPH creep is much better than from a complete stop.