Quote:
Originally Posted by 19bonestock88
THE Altima I had got about 30-32 on the freeway here in WV, going 80mph... it was the QR25DE/CVT model and at that speed it turned like 2400 RPM...
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Thin air does make a difference, and long flat, straight stretches. Not much of that in WV, iirc (I had in-laws in Nitro). I can get around 30 mpg in my T&C doing 80 mph here, unless there is a strong headwind or crosswind, which is fairly common. A good tailwind pushes it into the low 30's, but the return trip more than cancels it out. Not rushing up grades, of which we have many long and steep ones, keeps the overall trip efficiency up.
A big car with a big engine can get pretty good gas mileage. I drove an old Impala (Sixth generation) to the Bay Area and back in the '80's. It wanted to go 80 and got significantly better gas mileage at that speed (I think around 18 mpg, to the chagrin of my cousin who insisted on driving his turn at the posted 55 mph and got crappy(er) mpg). I drove a Pontiac station wagon of similar vintage and model (with the towing package) back from the Bay Area and it cruised quite comfortably at 90 to 100 mph -- until I got a ticket 20 miles outside Austin, Nevada. The patrolman was somewhat apologetic, but said it was a safety issue, as there were free range cattle in the next valley. He was correct. I could see them from ten miles away.
Again, thin air makes a big difference and most of my driving has been at 4,000-5,000 feet in semi-arid to arid environments (daytime humidity levels commonly below 10 percent outside the Wasatch Front).