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slowmover · 07-27-2018, 01:02 AM

It’s not the car, it’s the driver. The tools to be used.

First (foremost) are records. Whether the Fuelly phone app or a journal one needs to know the annual fuel cost. This is expressed as cents-per-mile. It is part of the annual ownership & operational cost. It is not separate. All the other costs are as important and total higher than fuel itself.

Before the car itself is also the plan for it. How long will it be kept? How many miles in that period? Where will it be stored out of the weather (as it is rarely in use)? Who will maintain & repair it? What specific tools or manuals are necessary? What other entities will service it?

Beyond the convenience of private transportation, will it offset or produce income? What IRS rules apply? Etc.

Once acquired, how can engine cold starts and run time (engine hours) be minimized for the 90% of driving that takes us to 90% of the same places 90% of the time? (DHS study result).

These are all questions (among yet others) that are the backbone of economical operation. Stunt-driving (hypermiling) has little to do with fuel economy until use is understood and optimized.

A typical car owner can cut city fuel burn by probably twenty-percent by first cutting annual miles to achieve the same ends as before. (He’s in competition with himself; the absolute numbers don’t matter).

Second, the desire to simply be a better driver means acquiring new habits. That he’ll always use. Till the day he quits driving altogether. FE is second to safe operation. They track most of the way together.

Distinctly, before stunt-driving or vehicle mods are worthwhile, the driver needs new mental tools to work with, and to have a plan for the lifespan of the vehicle. To keep all costs under control. To understand trade-offs, and not use juvenile emotions to rationalize bad choices. (To which we are all subject).

I’m of the school that the best car is not the cheapest one. Neither to buy or to fuel up. It’s the one that lasts longest (at lowest cost with highest reliability) that combines family transportation with safe design (optimal mass & size). Built well enough to last over a decade in full time service.

So, start with records. FE isn’t tank-by-tank. It’s a trend — the average — that is the game. Takes 3-5,000 miles to establish that average. Contrast it against engine hours for the dawn of understanding.

Good luck

.

07-27-2018, 01:02 AM	#5 (permalink)
slowmover Banned Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 2,442 2004 CTD - '04 DODGE RAM 2500 SLT Team Cummins 90 day: 19.36 mpg (US) Thanks: 1,422 Thanked 737 Times in 557 Posts	It’s not the car, it’s the driver. The tools to be used. First (foremost) are records. Whether the Fuelly phone app or a journal one needs to know the annual fuel cost. This is expressed as cents-per-mile. It is part of the annual ownership & operational cost. It is not separate. All the other costs are as important and total higher than fuel itself. Before the car itself is also the plan for it. How long will it be kept? How many miles in that period? Where will it be stored out of the weather (as it is rarely in use)? Who will maintain & repair it? What specific tools or manuals are necessary? What other entities will service it? Beyond the convenience of private transportation, will it offset or produce income? What IRS rules apply? Etc. Once acquired, how can engine cold starts and run time (engine hours) be minimized for the 90% of driving that takes us to 90% of the same places 90% of the time? (DHS study result). These are all questions (among yet others) that are the backbone of economical operation. Stunt-driving (hypermiling) has little to do with fuel economy until use is understood and optimized. A typical car owner can cut city fuel burn by probably twenty-percent by first cutting annual miles to achieve the same ends as before. (He’s in competition with himself; the absolute numbers don’t matter). Second, the desire to simply be a better driver means acquiring new habits. That he’ll always use. Till the day he quits driving altogether. FE is second to safe operation. They track most of the way together. Distinctly, before stunt-driving or vehicle mods are worthwhile, the driver needs new mental tools to work with, and to have a plan for the lifespan of the vehicle. To keep all costs under control. To understand trade-offs, and not use juvenile emotions to rationalize bad choices. (To which we are all subject). I’m of the school that the best car is not the cheapest one. Neither to buy or to fuel up. It’s the one that lasts longest (at lowest cost with highest reliability) that combines family transportation with safe design (optimal mass & size). Built well enough to last over a decade in full time service. So, start with records. FE isn’t tank-by-tank. It’s a trend — the average — that is the game. Takes 3-5,000 miles to establish that average. Contrast it against engine hours for the dawn of understanding. Good luck .