Metro, I have mostly been using the old jot down the mileage on the pump receipt and add it to my spreadsheet to track mileage, however, recently I picked up a ODB-II -Bluetooth (ElmScan) and then run the Carman On Board Diagnostics analyzer application on my Nokia N800 internet tablet. (see
Car On Board Diagnostics on the Internet Tablet at Internet Tablet Talk for more info)
The sweet spot on my V8 is somewhere in between 2050 - 2250 rpm. That puts me between 60-70mph. On my drive in (very early morning) I use the same 15 miles of highway and set the cruise at a specific rmp, then zero out the trip computer. This may not be an exact method, however, it seems to be revealing some interesting behavior. This past week, the temps have been between 60F and 65F (15.5C - 18.3C) with almost the same relative humidity (just above dew point) Today was the bets result at 2125RPM with 28mpg (63 mph). It is also interesting how most of the traffic sees to flow between 60-65 at that time of day. Mods to the Merc, well I am just starting to dig into the forums to see what is being done to other cars, I wont rule anything out just yet. I think my driving experience with the Insight taught me how to keep the accelerations smooth and how to coast where ever possible. If I can get an average 27mph in the future with a 5L v8, I will be satisfied. Don’t get me wrong, I did take this car to Portland International Raceway for a High Performance Driving school (prodrive.net) and had a blast burning thru as much fuel as I could for the day. But that was a track event and not a daily commute.
Howdy Boost and Azraelswrd. Thanks, and I agree that any vehicle, driven properly, can achieve better mileage. This post says it all
ABG: Top Gear -- M3 vs. Prius - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com
I am going to be driving the Truck on Monday so I will start to work it into its zone soon.
I look forward to participating more after I finish lurking thru the rest of the posts. (well not all of the posts)
-Eric