Battling the non-believers

[pete c]

I had a fun afternoon of going back and forth with a handful of guys on a ford ranger board about hypermiling in general and EOCing in particular.

It seems that people in general out there think that engine off coasting a manual transmissioned car is crazy and dangerous. I turned it around on them and said that someone with a 6" lift and mudder tires should probably just STFU when it comes to preaching safety.

Then the pile on of the bigfooters commenced!!!!

Good times.

It is amazing how basic physics seems to be beyond the comprehension of most folks.

Anyone else here been through this when explaining to "normal" people that you are actually looney enough to shut your engine off at 40 mph?

[Frank Lee]

I got banned from the chevelles forum for talking about fuel economy. Imagine that.

I wonder how they are enjoying the $4 gas? They sure love to biatch about it, then in the next breath brag about their big block.

[Neen]

I bet a lifted ranger can handle emergency maneuvers and emergency braking better than EOC vacuum-less driving. Doesn't seem like an apples to apples comparison...

[ksa8907]

the people who bash hypermiling then complain about mileage, in my opinion, are simply too incompetent to make the connection. or too scared to build what they really want. why not put a big block v8 in a prius (aside from the obvious engineering difficulty)?


hypermiling is fun, but sometimes i just get that need for speed!! i prefer to have my cake and eat it too, which is why my next car will be a v-8 manual. looking seriously at the '04 GTO 6 spd.

[oil pan 4]

Big block chevys were nice when gas was near $1/gal.

The majority of people believe that their vehicle left the factory in the best configuration for their individual driving habit, driving conditions and is already setup to get the best economy possible.
Some believe it takes a team of engineers to improve fuel economy.
Maybe that is true when trying to come up with a cheap, idiot proof way to increase fuel economy that is federal and california emmissions legal.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Neen

I bet a lifted ranger can handle emergency maneuvers and emergency braking better than EOC vacuum-less driving. Doesn't seem like an apples to apples comparison...

I bet not! And it was a good comparison- hit those dolts right in the nads.

[Neen]

Well it would be pretty easy to test wouldn't it? take two rangers, one with a 6" lift and mud terrains and one that is EOCing and see what the braking distance is for each...then so a similar test in quick lane changes.

I'm willing to eat my words if they are both within a few percentages of each other. I doubt they are though.

[5speed5]

My wife hates it when I do EOC and/or hypermiling in general (and, probably mostly, the fact that it makes me so touchy about the car and when, where, and how it can be driven).

I stopped doing EOC altogether and when she's in the car, I just drive the car like a normal person now (which is why I've stopped keeping track of my mpg...it's no fun unless I can go balls-to-the-wall all the time, trying to beat my last number, etc... Before anyone rags on my wife, it's actually a good thing, hypermiling was feeding my OCD which is not a good thing and I'm actually a happier person).

Thanks to normal efficient driving techniques and some light P&G (engine on), I'm still getting 38+ mpg in combined driving (which is still 72+% over EPA-combined and 35+% over EPA-highway for a 2006 2.4L 5-spd HHR).

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by Neen

Well it would be pretty easy to test wouldn't it? take two rangers, one with a 6" lift and mud terrains and one that is EOCing and see what the braking distance is for each...then so a similar test in quick lane changes.

I'm willing to eat my words if they are both within a few percentages of each other. I doubt they are though.

Do you know what oversize wheels and tires do to the handling of a vehicle? all the person who is EOC'ing has to do is let out the clutch and bam, the engine is running. 6" lift and mud tires, quick lane change... am i the only one who foresees an unpleasant ending?

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Neen

I bet a lifted ranger can handle emergency maneuvers and emergency braking better than EOC vacuum-less driving. Doesn't seem like an apples to apples comparison...

I don't know about you, but I rarely run out of vacuum when I EOC. There is enough vacuum built up in the reservoir to use the brakes 2-3 times before it runs out of assist. So, only on long, windy hills. Otherwise, I still have good brakes.

I don't think I'd classify either as unsafe though.