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Old 04-19-2020, 08:55 PM   #8 (permalink)
COcyclist
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: NW Colo
Posts: 738

TDi - '04 VW Golf
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 52.55 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenTDI View Post
coasting was possible but only at low speeds or steep descents because of the car's dramatic aerodynamic drag - it was a van.
I agree. I have a Dodge Caravan and I just drove down a hill that I can coast for over a mile in the VW. In the van I had to drive down in gear and could only coast briefly in neutral on the steepest sections.

Instrumentation is helpful to learn the balance between coasting and using engine braking in the VW.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard View Post
The power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. Mechanical friction increases as the square, so increasing speed requires progressively more power.
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