Have you changed your driving style?

[KateBlundell]

Does driving in traffic/ lots of stopping starting have a negative or positive effect on fuel consumption?

I'm just thinking of these urban/extraurban quotations that manufacturers are so fold of giving.. I think my car has better fuel ec on the motorway rather than round town?

 

[BlackC55]

It has a huge effect.

Round town driving uses much more fuel.

 

[television]

Does driving in traffic/ lots of stopping starting have a negative or positive effect on fuel consumption?

I'm just thinking of these urban/extraurban quotations that manufacturers are so fold of giving.. I think my car has better fuel ec on the motorway rather than round town?

In my case with the 500 it uses 60% more fuel in town, I cannot match the stated fuel consumption no matter how I drive

 

[xpc316e]

It's the repeated acceleration that blunts town fuel consumption; motorway consumption is relatively good because the car has to do little acceleration.

Aircraft suffer from the same thing: take offs use huge amounts of fuel while cruising at altitude in thin air uses very little.

 

[DieselE]

The repeated acceleration is only part of the story. In town traffic the car will almost certainly be in one of the lower gears. For every engine revolution there will be less forward motion than when you are in a high gear so more fuel is used for the same distance covered.

The point of maximum fuel efficiency for most cars is in the range of 55-60mph. Somewhat higher than achievable in town.

 

[PJH]

Removing the roof cone works wonders.

..... Above that point most will give up driving as a singe tankful will cost a half months wages...

Don't say that. I'll be out of a job.

 

[KateBlundell]

The repeated acceleration is only part of the story. In town traffic the car will almost certainly be in one of the lower gears. For every engine revolution there will be less forward motion than when you are in a high gear so more fuel is used for the same distance covered.

The point of maximum fuel efficiency for most cars is in the range of 55-60mph. Somewhat higher than achievable in town.

'

even the mad liverpudlians don't drive that fast thru town.. !

so basically, those extra-urban figures are a pile of rubbish!?

 

[Dragon]

Update

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/08/eabrown208.xml

Electric????? Look at his big jag. Surely double standard. Will be surprised to see him in an electric jag.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/08/eabrown108.xml

 

[gina2201]

Have you changed your driving style?

No, not really!

 

[V8mate]

The point of maximum fuel efficiency for most cars is in the range of 55-60mph. Somewhat higher than achievable in town.

Not really. It's at the lowest speed your car will comfortably engage its highest gear, i.e. the lowest fuel contribution with the best gear ratio.

Easier to tell in a manual - e.g. my wife's Mini Cooper will comfortably drop into 5th and pootle along at about 32mph.

 

[st4]

Not really. It's at the lowest speed your car will comfortably engage its highest gear, i.e. the lowest fuel contribution with the best gear ratio.

Easier to tell in a manual - e.g. my wife's Mini Cooper will comfortably drop into 5th and pootle along at about 32mph.

It can be proved easily in practice. In town the single biggest thing you can do to improve MPG is to forward plan and try and keep the car moving. I can drive accross edinburgh without stopping by carefully building up room between me and the car in front so when the lights go red, I have room to slow down and by the time they go green, your still moving. It all gets ruined when the chap with the BMW cuts in front of you, but you can allow for that too

 

[Dieselman]

It all gets ruined when the chap with the BMW cuts in front of you, but you can allow for that too

Looks like you took up option 666: Conjestion avoidence device.

 

[st4]

That should be standard equipment. How could something so good be confined to the "options list"

 

[xpc316e]

Most modern cars will be at their most economical at 56 mph. The Govt.'s extra urban figure are based on this speed, and with modern engine management systems being able to lean off the mixture at any given speed, you can guess what speed they chose to make the mixture as lean as possible.

An engine is at its most efficient at the point of maximum torque, but that means about 90 mph in my car, at which speed aerodynamics play a huge part in dragging down the mpg. I tend to drive at just under 60 mph on the speedometer (56 in reality), and if I am in a rush to get somewhere I get out of bed earlier instead of driving fast.

 

[st4]

I thought the 56mph was a bit of a myth. Driving at 45mph see's my MPG a bit higher than at 56mph. Lowest speed in highest gear is what I will go by. Although applying that logic to the 7 speed cars meaning a speed of nearer 60mph, can this really be right.

 

[Mr E]

I have - I play the same game as *** and it makes a big difference. I've also reduced my average cruising speed by about 10 mph.

Makes very little difference on the journey into office timewise, and has decreased fuel consumption by 15% overall.

I've also noticed that many seem to be doing the same thing.

 

[V8mate]

Most modern cars will be at their most economical at 56 mph.

Scroll back to post #70

 

[V8mate]

I thought the 56mph was a bit of a myth. Driving at 45mph see's my MPG a bit higher than at 56mph. Lowest speed in highest gear is what I will go by. Although applying that logic to the 7 speed cars meaning a speed of nearer 60mph, can this really be right.

Yes, of course - many pushbikes have 21+ gears, you'll still have to put least effort into cycling when the bike is going fast enough to go into the top gear without effort - that wafting along kinda cycling. You then put more effort in until you (the engine) or the bike breaks

 

[Indiepath]

56Mph! Wow - if I'm lucky I get to drive the SL to the Post Office (30 all the way), maybe the supermarket (30 all the way) and maybe the bank (40 tops). I don't miss living near dual carriageways or motorways (honest).

 

[DieselE]

Not really. It's at the lowest speed your car will comfortably engage its highest gear, i.e. the lowest fuel contribution with the best gear ratio.

Easier to tell in a manual - e.g. my wife's Mini Cooper will comfortably drop into 5th and pootle along at about 32mph.

I must admit I was thinking about an automatic. Much below 55mph and mine will drop out of 5th at the slightest touch of the throttle.

I can select 5th on my wife's Focus 1.6 at 30mph but I wouldn't class the resultant driving experience comfortable.