Hi,
Before the end of the year, we will have to travel several times, each time for 2 to 4 hours.
I'm preparing myself to obey ecomodder's commandment #50 :
Code:
50) Make fuel economy a game/challenge
Even if the scenic consumes a little more than the megane between my hands, it's more comfortable, has more room and has a onboard computer with instantaneous and average consumption which will be an advantage on these unknown routes. With the scenic I had several daily commutes at 57 mpg during last weeks and could have some trips at 67 mpg when the engine was hot.
In ideal conditions I can reach 100 mpg at 43.5 mph and 75 mpg at 50 mph. But these figures are achieved only when I'm alone and on my daily commutes. These travels will be done with 2 adults, 1 baby and some stuff for 1 to 5 days.
I don't think I can reach
79.9 mpg or
68.54 mpg because it's cold (first sub 0°C nights), windy (up to 50 mph this night...) and rainy nowadays, but to do my best I have to attempt an unreachable goal and 66.6 mpg (3.53 L/100) looks so coool
(no offense here).
I will not put the wiper cover back or try to build rear wheel skirt quickly (it's too cold and dark outside and I wouldn't like to get a cold right before my holidays). I will keep the (nearly) full front grill block (the turbo isn't blocked). The maintenance has been done one week ago : noticeably 5W40 oil and filters.
For each travel I'll avoid highways and depending on conditions I'll try to drive at 44-50 mph on the 56 mph roads. I'm currently trying to prepare the travels on the paper. I'm trying to avoid the mountains, but I may not be able to avoid all the traffic, noticeably around Xmas.
The first travel, next week-end, is to go from Leguevin to Roquebrun and back to home :
from:Léguevin, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, France to
6113 to:Roquebrun - Google Maps- 121 miles in 3h18 = 36.6 mph
- and back through same road...
The second one, during Xmas' week, is to start from Leguevin, go to Anglet then Marmande, then back to home :
from:Léguevin, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, France to:Anglet to:Marmande to:43.838489,0.395508 to:Léguevin, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, France - Google Maps
(the green part in the NW is the biggest forest in France, in which I grow up
)
- 163 miles in 3h59 = 40.9 mph
- 128 miles in 3h18 = 38.8 mph
- 108 miles in 2h49 = 38.3 mph
Times and distances are from my (GPS) navigator with a maximum speed of 50mph.
Total distance is 641 miles (who said it's missing 25 miles ?).
Total burned diesel should be less than 9.7 gallons at 66.6 mpg.
On highway with speed lower than the posted speed limit of 81 mph it would have been 13.1 gallons at 49 mpg, so a "waste" of 35 kg of CO2.
The first thing to do to save gas, is to wish to... and this will be a mental challenge.
I have seen low cost diesel at 0.999 €/L (4.809 $/g) today : cheaper than last year... but this will not refrain me from attempting this challenge
Denis.