A Quest for 35mpg (Subaru Outback Limited Sedan 2.5L auto)

[evilskillit]

Granted I don't have anything like a scangauge yet but so far I've found I get much better mileage doing ~60mph on the highway than I do taking the side streets even if I do my best never to stop and piddle at 45-50mph in 6th on the side streets. Maybe some electronics will change that, but it'll surprise me when it does.

[Zerohour]

I think the thing with the Subaru comes down to the SOHC engine. The torque is relatively flat from 1800-3200 RPM. The HP only climbs from 100 to 110 in that range. So going anywhere from 50 to 75 in those RPMS really has a minimal effect on the fuel consumption.

@euromodder

You are most likely correct a majority of the time with your 4th gear statement. Alot of engines hit a peak effciency not at the lost rpm/tallest gear, but at a point where the engine produces the most while using the least...there is a point of "increasing at a decreasing rate" where you still gaining better economy but you can quickly cross the line.

Some of this goes back to the Ford circle race with the new v-6 Mustang. They averaged 40-something MPG, but the engineers paced the car at the peak to the most out of it.

[Zerohour]

Can someone bottle me some motivation and mail it to Pennsylvania?

Sand a little Tuesday night, picked up the paint Wednesday night...sprayed some primer on to start trimming to size. But haven't trimmed to size. Work sucked this week. My morning commute hasn't been very eco-mod friendly either. Some traffic, some of it me. Having a bad week lets out the speed devil.

PS someone can add the green color back the the chloroplasts.

[evilskillit]

I know the feeling, from what I can tell in my car, occasionally stomping it from 0-60... or so, doesn't hurt gas mileage nearly as much as driving at 80 does. So if you lose your cool every now and then and speed up real quick, just chill back out and you probably won't have done much damage.

[Mustang Dave]

Originally Posted by evilskillit

...occasionally stomping it from 0-60... or so, doesn't hurt gas mileage nearly as much as driving at 80 does. So if you lose your cool every now and then and speed up real quick, just chill back out and you probably won't have done much damage.

That's been my experience, as well. As long as you do everything right most of the time, the occasional "Toyota moment" won't hurt your FE as much as habitually driving over the speed limit on the highway. Red lights suck.

[evilskillit]

Heh, you should have called yourself Dave Mustang, Mr Mustang Dave.

[Zerohour]

Originally Posted by evilskillit

I know the feeling, from what I can tell in my car, occasionally stomping it from 0-60... or so, doesn't hurt gas mileage nearly as much as driving at 80 does. So if you lose your cool every now and then and speed up real quick, just chill back out and you probably won't have done much damage.

Yeah 80, we'll call it 80.

I'll have to run the tank almost dry to make up the FE

[evilskillit]

Originally Posted by Zerohour

Yeah 80, we'll call it 80.

I'll have to run the tank almost dry to make up the FE

Heh, when I was younger and had more money for speeding tickets and less responsibility going 115+mph seemed fun and like a good way to get from point a to point b in a short period of time. Now I'm old and it just feels like its ruining my fuel economy and stressing my car out needlessly. Don't get me wrong, I still hoon from time to time but mostly just launching form a dead stop to 60 or 70, or taking it out to the drag strip or the autocross.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Zerohour

Can someone bottle me some motivation and mail it to Pennsylvania?

Sorry but no : it's on the dangerous goods list

BTW :
My record tank so far includes a few speed dashes (even up to 87 mph ) on the Autobahn.

[Zerohour]

Well I ordered a transmission mount insert for the Subaru. It supposedly helps smooth out the drive train and reduce rock at idle. So Hooray for helpful mods. I'm sure the vibrations will still be there, but now they just be absorbed more. We can look at it in an eco-way and assume I'm conserving energy no the loss of the vibrations. :-p

I should be working on the wheel skirts this weekend though.