Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > General Efficiency Discussion
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-30-2008, 11:24 PM   #1 (permalink)
TacoModder
 
mobilerik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 108

rik's prerunner - '03 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner Double Cab TRD 4A
90 day: 29.68 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post
Which MPG figure is your "Brag Number"?

Here on EcoModder we obviously use Lifetime Average Combined MPG for our end-of-post "brag-tags". But what do you tell "regular" people? (What number would I put on a bumper sticker?)
  • I get 35mpg. (On the highway, on average)
  • I get 30mpg. (On my last few tanks)
  • I get 29mpg. (Rounding up my Ecomodder Signature mpg)
  • I get 26mpg. (If I was to figure out my 50/50 highway/city combo)

Despite my public preference to endlessly qualify the parameters of my accomplishments with a gnarled mess of scientific self-skepticism and measurable statistical error, I think quoting my highest figure is really the most socially acceptable and generally expected thing to do, no?

I mean, if I was talking to another car nerd, I would expect them to inquire further into the figures, to see which one I was quoting. I think if someone was telling me "what they get", I wouldn't at all feel like they were being dishonest if they told me their highway miles. I guess it's just weird that I feel slightly dishonest saying I get 35mpg, when I can't actually fill up the tank on just "highway miles". Is it just me??

I guess for that matter, my EPA sticker miles are just estimates based on a warmed-up car -- also something you can't fill up a tank on -- so they're ultimately just calculated estimates based on sensor-readings. So when my truck is warmed up, I get readings on the ScanGauge that I can extrapolate based on calibration errors to say that I get about 35mpg, highway.

I dunno, still feels wrong. Is it just me? What do you think?

ps. I'm especially interested to hear from the "pros" who've made it into the media. (You know who you are.) What do you tell the reporters? What do you tell the random bug-eyed inquirer?

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-30-2008, 11:40 PM   #2 (permalink)
Pokémoderator
 
cfg83's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southern California
Posts: 5,864

1999 Saturn SW2 - '99 Saturn SW2 Wagon
Team Saturn
90 day: 40.49 mpg (US)
Thanks: 439
Thanked 532 Times in 358 Posts
akashic the Tacomodder -

I agree with being conservative in your statements. Otherwise, you make it easier for them to shoot you down. I have a reflective sticker inside my car that reads "42+ Total MPG". This is my 90 day running MPG, which I change as my MPG goes up or down. The "Total" is a bit awkward, but it's the most concise way I can think of displaying my MPG. If I don't say total, they may think I am only talking about my highway MPG.

I always qualify my claims, but when they ask, I tell them my personal best MPG run that I keep in my trip log :

2008-04-25 - 61.2 MPG
Trip: home to work (1999 Saturn SW2)
Quote:
ROUTE : 10 West -> 710 South -> 105 West -> 405 South -> Exit Freeway => Roughly 27+ miles
----
NET ELEVATION CHANGE : ~210 feet drop
----
SCANGAUGE "CURRENT" READINGS :
61.2 MPG,
0.4 Gallons,
200 Water Temp Max,
27.5 Miles,
2135 RPM Max,
0.6 Hours,
58 MPH Max,
45 MPH AVG
----
IAT READING : Hot Air Intake led to Input Air Temp readings of around 115+ degrees F.
----
WEATHER(.com) :
77 degrees F,
Sunny to Partly Cloudy,
27% Humidity,
36.5 degrees F Dew Point,
30.09 in. Pressure,
----
TIME : ~10:25 AM to ~11:00 AM, ~36 minutes
----
RECENT CAR CHANGES : No recent changes.
----
HYPOTHESIS : Nice hot dry LA weather and a few glorious turtles to follow. Following one super-slow truck helped me on the 105 West, where I typically start falling below 60 MPG on my best runs.
CarloSW2
__________________

What's your EPA MPG? Go Here and find out!
American Solar Energy Society
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2008, 02:02 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 5,209
Thanks: 225
Thanked 811 Times in 594 Posts
With me, it's the "lifetime average", which is really average since I bought the Insight 5 years ago, and figured out how to reset it. After all, the number does include everything: winter ski trips, commuting over Carson Pass in the winter, the miles on dirt roads to get to trailheads... currently 70.9 mpg.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2008, 03:00 PM   #4 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,588 Times in 1,555 Posts
I usually use my 90 day average (which is what is used in the signature, not lifetime) when talking to people. But, I'll usually mention that I've gotten up to whatever my max is at that time.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2008, 03:15 PM   #5 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 13

DarkFit - '08 Honda Fit Sport
90 day: 32.78 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I always report the car's lifetime MPG. I don't calculate my highway or city MPG. However, as my driving techniques improve from the great info on this site, I may want to start using my 90 day average. Unfortunately, my 90 day average is going down right now because of the cold weather.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2008, 04:18 PM   #6 (permalink)
Mr. Blue Tape
 
azraelswrd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 345

AzxA - '06 Scion xA
90 day: 42.72 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I qualify it with lifetime and post-modding numbers. Usually opened up a few ears when I tell them I went from 36 to 41mpg. Well, at least it did when gas was $3+ a gallon.

Yeah, cold weather is sucking my numbers down to No Man's Land but my last refill was a shocker. I scratch it up to more aggressive conservative driving and better route selection to work. At least, that's my story.
__________________


My 5 pillars of fuel efficiency:
  • driving style
  • aerodynamics
  • tires
  • weight reduction
  • engine maintenance
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2009, 04:49 PM   #7 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 131

Impala - '04 Chevrolet Impala base
90 day: 32.84 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
So far I usually make my statement along the lines of..."well I have reached a peak of Xmpg but normally run around y or z mpg"
Now if I can ever get off the road from the wheels of the big 18 wheeler I drive, I should be able to consolidate my driving skills and try to ramp up the mpg number on my Impala.
Best of luck folks.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2009, 06:02 PM   #8 (permalink)
X-Frenchy: very
 
groar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Toulouse, France
Posts: 595

scenic - '01 renault scenic
90 day: 43.09 mpg (US)

megane - '97 renault megane classic
Diesel
90 day: 72.53 mpg (US)

dennisius - '06 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 69.27 mpg (US)
Thanks: 9
Thanked 34 Times in 23 Posts
I give my best average on 3-5 tanks and how much money/gasoline it permits to save (which is lower than the % over EPA).

If I feel the discussion OK then I talk about how bad can be winter and short trips, and only at the end my best tank/trip.

Denis.
__________________
Save money & CO2 at home : http://ecorenovator.org/
Created and managed by the creators of http://ecomodder.com/
---
Earth and health are priceless, so are kilotank and AT-PZEV
Best Mégane tank: 1268.9mi @ 77.847 MPG(US)
2008/06-2011/10 saving:
  • 5725.5 kg CO2 (5342.6+382.9)
  • Diesel / Money: 42.17% = 2446.25€ = 3357.26$


---
megane : thread - kill switch.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2009, 09:35 PM   #9 (permalink)
38 time NHRA/IHRA Champ
 
ATaylorRacing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fishers, IN
Posts: 305
Thanks: 1
Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts
I tell them the truth:

In my Geo Metro 3 cyl I get 50-57 mpg, but I'd get better if I did the speed limit!
In my wife's 05 V6 Mustang we get 30.2 mpg, but we'd get better if we did the speed limit!
In my SRT4 Neon (12 second 1/4 mile car) I get 32.8 mpg, but I'd get better if I did the speed limit!
In my 84 Plymouth Horizon that I drag race....it gets 24 mpg, but used to get 19!
__________________
42 time NHRA/IHRA drag race champ

05 SRT4-12.17@117 mph on DOTs-31.0 mpg-SOLD
96 Geo Metro-3 banger-60.1 mpg-SOLD
95 BMW M3-13.41 @ 106 mph-31mpg-SOLD
77 Chevy Monza with 350/350-FOR SALE
84 Horizon-1880 lbs-29 mpg
95 Neon-43 mpg
99 Z28-10.80 @ 127 mph-27.1mpg
2011 Prius-62.1 wife's
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2009, 10:44 PM   #10 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,534

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 57.73 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,082
Thanked 6,979 Times in 3,614 Posts
I usually mention the 90 day number first, and the car's lifetime figure second.

Though some people who know I have a ScanGauge will sometimes ask for results of specific trips too.

But believe it or not, the topic of what I get in my car doesn't come up that often.

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
How to get instant fuel consumption from Megasquirt TELVM Instrumentation 11 08-29-2011 03:47 PM
Minivan Kardboard Kammback boosts MPG +3.7% (6.6%, counting roof rack delete) MetroMPG Aerodynamics 31 05-20-2010 01:23 PM
The 66.6 mpg challenge groar Success Stories 3 01-04-2009 10:05 PM
Question regarding Scangauge MPG readout & DIY device Gregte DIY / How-to 5 05-19-2008 05:58 PM
School teams to compete in cross country MPG Challenge - Possible $1,000,000 prize ericbecky EcoModding Central 9 03-22-2008 10:15 PM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com