"I drive 55mph" on the 65mph interstate.

[SentraSE-R]

The laws of physics don't apply to me, either .

[songman]

Originally Posted by kaiba

I get better mpg driving at 60-65mph then 55mph.

Impossible, methinks.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by kaiba

Didn't read the whole thread. But I get better mpg driving at 60-65mph then 55mph.

There is always someone in the crowd to make such a claim, which is patently ridiculous unless they have some super whacked-out BSFC curve cliff going on- which is patently ridiculous.

[101Volts]

Originally Posted by elhigh

Life is better in the slow lane.

It doesn't use up as much mental energy either, Does it?

[Daekar]

Originally Posted by 101Volts

It doesn't use up as much mental energy either, Does it?

Absolutely true! I find I tire less quickly since I've slowed down as well. It's funny... going fast (on curvy mountain roads) results in an enjoyable visceral experience, but it's going slowly under almost any conditions that rewards the driver with an enjoyable intellectual experience. There's a lesson in there somewhere but I haven't been driving slow long enough to have accumulated the wisdom to see it.

[9646gt]

I have started just trying to avoid interstate as much as possible. Far too many people on the roads with poor planning and time management ability are doing between 10-20 mph or more over the speed limit to even make it worth it. It is more stressful than anything. Here in some sections the interstate PSL drops to 55 mph and people still come by at 70+.

Why should I have to deal with someone on my butt angry because I am doing at or 5mph over the PSL instead of 15 or 20 over. It's one thing if they want to go that fast, but don't get pissed when people are obeying the law. America has become a society of people who are self centered and could care less about anyone else's safety.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by kaiba

But I get better mpg driving at 60-65mph then 55mph.

How meticulously did you test that - and does it do lean-burn ?

Even the aerocivic gets better MPG at lower speeds, even though it can remain in lean burn far longer than regular Civics.
Very few Civics will be streamlined as well as that car


Your speed range for the claim seems a bit on the wide end, though I have seen the MPG improve by going a few kph faster (one or 2 clicks on the CC).

Sometimes it just seems to depend on exactly where you are in the engine's fuel mapping, its rpm, and its load - apparently, in some combinations you're better off with a bit more rpm.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by 9646gt

Why should I have to deal with someone on my butt angry because I am doing at or 5mph over the PSL instead of 15 or 20 over.

You don't have to deal with them - they'll overtake you when they realised you won't be going faster ...


I see the same over here ...

A lot of them end up on your tail because they simply weren't paying attention, and could easily have overtaken you right away ...
Yet they slowed down to your speed. Their choice !

It's only a while later - for some it may take a minute or more - that they realise you (and they) are going quite slow.
Then they get agitated and want to overtake ASAP.

Weird !

[101Volts]

Originally Posted by Daekar

Absolutely true! I find I tire less quickly since I've slowed down as well. It's funny... going fast (on curvy mountain roads) results in an enjoyable visceral experience, but it's going slowly under almost any conditions that rewards the driver with an enjoyable intellectual experience. There's a lesson in there somewhere but I haven't been driving slow long enough to have accumulated the wisdom to see it.

If only half the U.S.A population knew what you know about going just a little slower and did it willingly and lovingly half the time they drove on highways and anticipated things ahead of time too, Perhaps they would be a lot calmer on this planet and we'd have more time to just enjoy life.

Perhaps I should use this aspect to more things in my life like eating soup. (I have soup now, While typing that is.)

Speaking of which, This is off topic but the Foxfire books about people who lived in the hills (I'm not calling them hillbillies but some people have done that) gave me a very different insight about living and I've not read the books much. They mostly didn't use cars, From what I gathered. I'll stop talking about that here now.

Originally Posted by euromodder

You don't have to deal with them - they'll overtake you when they realised you won't be going faster ...

It's been the same on I-80 and Rt. 28 in Pennsylvania, For me (Assuming that they realize I won't be going faster, That is.)

When I went 55ish on highways numerous times, Nearly everyone else who came close to me would pass the car. I did get a few people honking at me but only a few; Once was when I was only starting to go 55 and it was a truck driver so perhaps I slowed down in front of him, The second time was when I was going into an exit and might have been slowing down too early. And I even went 45ish on I-80 on some occasions - Nobody seemed to mind because they could pass.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by 101Volts

It doesn't use up as much mental energy either, Does it?

I think it actually takes a bit more.

It's nothing to cling to the fast-moving pack, which requires you to have quick reactions to avoid disasters but no planning or foresight. But taking it easy requires not just fighting the instinct to close the gap but also to observe the pack's activities at a deeper level. I can't just watch the car in front of me, I also have to watch four or five cars in front of him, and even farther if possible. I might have the cruise control on and the pack is most likely moving around me, but I can still catch up to a mess in one uncomfortable hurry.

It's a more relaxing drive in that I'm not constantly averting a collision by keeping up and holding a close following distance, but I'm working harder at maintaining a larger situational awareness picture. More info means being better able to guess future pack behavior, and then I can alter my behavior to minimize the pack's influence on my ride. When I see the pack starting to bunch up and brake lights come on, I'm already off the gas and easing into regen while still a half-mile back. With a little luck it might have cleared up by the time I get there and I'll have only scrubbed off a few percent of my kinetic energy, instead of most of it.