A tale of two drivers

[user removed]

Took a day trip today to the wife's younger daughters house, about 75 miles each way. She drove there in her 2012 Kia Sorento and I drove back. She drives carefully, generally speaking at the speed limit, which for most of her leg of the trip was 70 MPH until she got to Richmond Metro area where the speed limits drop to 60 MPH with a few sections at 55 MPH.

Her average was 29.5 MPG, ambient temps were lower in the morning.

I drove back using my preferred more rural route 5 which is 55 MPH, with the first 15 miles on 288 and I 95 at 65 MPH. It took 15 minutes longer using my route versus hers. No hypermiling techniques, wouldn't want Kia to use my techniques as an excuse to deny her a warranty claim, mostly neutral coasting.

My average 33.5 MPG.

Many people would say it is not worth the extra time for that difference in mileage but we were not in any hurry.

The Sorento is rated at 29 highway (was 32 but they lied and are giving her close to $100 a year). I think the OE economy gauge is slightly optimistic. I have seen it read over 40 MPG going 45 MPH average speed.

regards
Mech

[RedDevil]

I took my car this sunny morning to my inlaws, a 140 km journey.
Got a trip average of 4.7 l/100 km, trailing semis for about 20% of the journey.

Went back home this evening, same temperature, just with my daughter and some luggage as extra load, and the lights on. Same route the other way. Got 4.1 liter per 100 km.
No trailing this time, and a higher average speed due to keeping up with traffic / not getting in the way. Yet a better economy by more than 10%.
What mystery factor can suddenly improve my economy by that much?

No mystery really, it was the wind. I had a 4 Bft head wind this morning and a tail wind this evening. Just the wind can have this big an impact even while all other factors are adverse.

Even though logic seems to validate your story, it isn't proof unless you can rule out wind and all other circumstantial factors, an impossibility in real world conditions.

[nemo]

The title says "A tale of two drivers". My take away is it was a tale two routes, speed and the small difference in time the slower route took while getting better mileage. Maybe its a parable.

[Cobb]

On 288 and 64 you can do up to 80 with no problems. I had a commute that took me near your way and the different between going 65 and 80 saved me 30 minutes on my commute and used like 2 more gallons of gas a week. It was well worth the extra gas to get that extra time.

[user removed]

80+ is reckless in VA and there was a Trooper who passed me to pull over a Suburban and the Suburban wasn't doing 80 and that was on 288. $500 fine, 4 points, and court-attorney costs-fees (for reckless conviction). The Trooper had one car stopped and stopped the second car about a mile later. The wife chose her route and paid $1.65 in tolls. I chose my route and paid no tolls.

She drove my Insight once when her car was in the shop and averaged 56 MPG. My average was 68 MPG.

It's just a comparison of two choices of routes. No real hypermiling of any kind, just a road trip. We had a deadline time to get there but no deadline on the return trip.


regards
Mech

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

I took my car this sunny morning to my inlaws, a 140 km journey.

What mystery factor can suddenly improve my economy by that much?

No mystery really, it was the wind. I had a 4 Bft head wind this morning and a tail wind this evening. Just the wind can have this big an impact even while all other factors are adverse.

Even though logic seems to validate your story, it isn't proof unless you can rule out wind and all other circumstantial factors, an impossibility in real world conditions.

Our winter Texans drive large 5th wheels or motorhomes from the north down to Texas in December and back home in March. They watch the weather closely when it gets time to return because they've found a tailwind saves them many dollars in gas on the return trip. They'll even stop a night on the way back to wait for the wind to change.

[MetroMPG]

There's a reason they call 'em Prairie Schooners.

[Cobb]

Im sorry, I ment 79 mph.

Yeah, you tale makes a good point. I really dont live in central va and can take either 288, chippen ham pkwy, i95 orthe toll roads to the city.

Going around the toll roads I got upwards to 100 mpg on my commute in my insight, but it was like a 50 mile commute one way. Taking the toll roads cost me like 3 bucks a day, reduced my commute to like 15 miles and my mpg went down to the mid 50s. In the end it cost me about the same price wise rather I paid just for fuel or fuel and tolls. I opted for the tolls to save wear on the car.