what age were you when YOU decided....

[larrybuck]

after learning that fast driving, high rpm's, and heavy braking were
not something that you intended to continue in your life, at least
most of the time regarding your OWN vehicles???
Many of us who drive on jobs must drive total opposite of calm
to please the companies we represent.
For me it was not an abuse case, but just a common but
serious to me $ wise that caused me to walk about 5-6 miles to
work until my 1st car was fixed.
The $ it took to fix was so hard to get that abusive driving was
out of the question for me at 19 years old.

I was about 26 when as a personal game, I starting pumping up
tires to 50#'s on an old '62 Bug, and limited my speed to around 45mph.
to see what I could get. (around 45mpg.)

Then came multiple vehicles, some for mpg's, others for classic
high performance image anyway.

What is your story???

[SentraSE-R]

I'm a slow learner. I'd been driving for 47 years before I got serious about driving for mpgs at age 63. I'd always had an economy car, drove like a madman, and expected good mpg out of them (25 mpg from my Rambler American and Datsun pickup, 30 mpg from most of the others). Then I got my Sentra SE-R, and was unable to do better than 26 mpg in commuting, or on long trips to SoCal.

I had retired by then, so I set the Sentra's cruise control from 72 mph to 62 mph, and watched my mpgs rise from 26 to 33-34. When I dropped my speed to 55 mph, I got 38 mpg.

[NachtRitter]

Haven't learned yet It depends on which car I drive. I'm a wild man in the Roo & totally the opposite in Helga. Lucky for me, I drive Helga 98% (+ or -) of the time.

[wolydotmatrix]

I am 39 now and have always calculated my mileage (at my fathers request). For the last 6 months I have been in competition with my brother who actually turned me on to this site. I built a VX engine and trans for his 94 Civic hatch. Soon after boasting his MPG numbers 45-55+ (with no altered driving techniques) I pulled the 3.2 V6 from the race car and acepted the challenge. My intent was to get as good or better numbers with VTEC and no lean-burn. Still tweaking my craft (hypermiling) but looking forwad to catching him.

Short answer 39.

[MetroMPG]

Good thread idea!

Short answer: 21 (or 22? I forget exactly.)

Long answer: While I was going to school, I took a part time job as an instructor of defensive driving. The month long training for the job included having to research and present a classroom seminar to fellow instructor trainees. We chose our seminar topic from a set list of subjects like "basic vehicle maintenance every driver should know", or, "advice, tips and laws about pulling a trailer", or, "economy driving techniques to save fuel (and vehicle wear)".

Guess which one I picked!

I've been hooked ever since. I started modifying my driving that week... and my first ecomod followed shortly after (a lawn edging air dam and side skirts on my mk1 Rabbit/Golf).

I was not exactly a speed demon before then, and had always leaned toward relatively efficient cars (with the exception of my very first car, a giant, classic American V8 land yacht that I restored). So, while I had't exactly been wasting a ton of fuel, I also hadn't been thinking very deliberately about the subject matter. Researching that seminar opened my eyes, and my interest in efficiency only grew from there.

[PressEnter[]]

I guess I got the craziness out of my system a while ago, by the time I was 20 or 21...but I won't say I'm completely grown up yet.

I posted it in my intro here, but as far as trying to drive economically, it came home when I was disgusted to see the low fuel light on in my Mazda after only 247 miles of driving (on a 14.5 gallon tank). That's when I started searching for economy tips, hoping to eke out a few more miles. Eventually I found this site, and I may have gotten carried away.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by PressEnter[]

...and I may have gotten carried away.

Understatement of the day that applies to a lot of people here!

[ksa8907]

16. More of a necessity to get better mileage than anything. Cheapest gas I've ever bought was $1.98 per gallon and that was in '08 or'09 when the market crashed. I still have fun sometimes but know I have to be extra good later to make up for it.

[gone-ot]

I was almost 30 when my interest in eco-driving was driven (pun intended) by the first OPEC Oil Embargo in 1973, because driving a 12 mpg car when "NO GAS" signs were everywhere you looked is definitely a 'butt-puckering' moment.

[smokey442]

I was 21 in 1973 when the "fuel crisis" took place. Long lines at the filling stations and escalating price got me thinking about fuel economy. Been at it ever since. Made some strides along the way.