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Old 02-26-2019, 08:26 AM   #3 (permalink)
slowmover
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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)
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Tank by tank doesn’t mean anything. It’s the average over time. A full calendar year, in essence.

Use records.

AVERAGE MPG and AVERAGE MPH will get you places.

Cutting unnecessary trips (cold starts), combining the rest reduces annual miles. This discipline pays biggest dividends.

Second is driving remaining miles at a higher skill level. Every trip has a plan (no left turns, best warm-up, etc).

Trying to find best possible MPG on a closed loop worth the effort, IMO. Involves first running 45-50 miles or more to get everything (including tires) warmed up. THEN fill tank to first auto shutoff. Run the (preferably) 100-mile loop back to that same fuel station pump in as close to steady-state as possible. Cruise control for low variation.

The competition is against one’s self. Absolute numbers don’t matter. It’s the percentage change from the original number set.

20% would be quite good.

Lower total annual miles & higher average MPH will combine to reduce the per-mile cost of fuel better than any other approach. While accomplishing same ends.
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