Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
I didn't mean to imply full throttle, but perhaps 85%.
In the gutless Mazda CX-5 company car I drive, I'm often hitting the notch of the throttle pedal, indicating the top end before going full throttle and open loop.
Sure, it's less efficient than 80% load and 2,500 RPM acceleration, but not a lot less efficient, and I spend almost no time accelerating compared to steady cruising. My overall speed is going to determine MPG more than how quickly I got there.
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I've found in my ND (similar engine), staying out of the second half of the pedal travel is generally worth 5+ mpg - fuel economy drops sharply at high loads. It may have more to do with the tune, however, favoring power over economy in the compromise regions of the map in an Atkinson cycle engine.
With my Insight (a small car with a "big" engine), the trick was staying in the lower half of the tach. That, and staying off the brakes, as you say. Any acceleration that must later be turned into brake dust is a full loss.