What is the optimum speed to save on gas?

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I filled my tank the other day and I nearly peed my pants - it was just shy of $50! I don't drive a hummer, I drive a boring Honda Accord.

Any way realizing I need to save money on gas, does anyone know what the optimum speed is to save on gas? There must be some speed that is just right so that you can maintain a certain level of speed without using as much gas.

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There is no one speed that is right for all cars, road conditions, etc. Study guides on how to drive more economically.

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and make sure the TIRE PRESSURE is up to spec !
best to buy your own tire pressure gauge than using those at the service stations - they are not always correct - correct tire pressure also saves on tire wear - a DOUBLE win !
and no excessive idling , please - it eats up gas without getting you anywhere and isn't particularly good for the engine either - cheaper and better to buy a block heater if you live in A COLD REGION .
hbg

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Check this out:

How to get 30% better mpg.

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Thanks those are some great tips.

"If you want a big gain in fuel mileage, though, you need to seriously lay off the pedals when driving around town. Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights cut fuel consumption " - some one needs to tell my husband this!

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Linkat wrote:

Thanks those are some great tips.

"If you want a big gain in fuel mileage, though, you need to seriously lay off the pedals when driving around town. Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights cut fuel consumption " - some one needs to tell my husband this!

I did. Then he challenged me to a drag race.

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One point to keep in mind is that wind resistance increases as the square of velocity. At some point, high speed is going to increase fuel consumption, regardless of the engine working within its optimal range. Still, aerodynamically styled cars won't hit you as hard as the big boxes that are becoming popular. If you drive a box, lower speeds are probably the key.

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George wrote:

Linkat wrote:
Thanks those are some great tips.

"If you want a big gain in fuel mileage, though, you need to seriously lay off the pedals when driving around town. Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights cut fuel consumption " - some one needs to tell my husband this!

I did. Then he challenged me to a drag race.

I wouldn't doubt it.

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Its a very complicated dance of factors; gear ratios, aerodynamics, tire size/inflation, compression of the engine, throttle opening, ignition advance, torque converter stall speed (if its an automatic)... the list is endless.

The answer might be 40 mph in a pickup with 4.10 gears, or 95 in a corvette with 2.73 gears.

But Roger has a very goood point about drag increasing as a function of the square of velocity. Doubling your speed sqaures the drag. But to give you a ballpark, if you have a stock vehicle, choose a speed that puts your RPMs at about 2000 (provided that's a legal and safe speed). Run that way for a tank and test. Then try at some RPMs around 2000 and see how it changes.

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Actually, with petrol (and diesel) prices like in the USA ... I never would think methods to "save gas" Laughing

(One US-gallon gas is about $7.50 here.)

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linkat, this is a subject near and dear to my heart.

as curtis said, the actual calculation can vary from vehicle to vehicle, but in my way of thinking, it's largely a matter of cultivating a certain mind set.

Here have been some discoveries I have made over time....

Believe it or not, when you are going downhill, a weird thing called gravity will actually keep your car moving, even if you take your foot completely off the gas. Shocked

If you see a traffic light a distance away turn from green to yellow, you can take your foot of the gas, and you car will continue to travel toward the soon to be red light. If you time it right, you may not have to actually stop, because (hold on to your hat), the light might actually turn green again while you're cars still moving!!! Amazing, but true.

cruise control, staying at a steady speed uses less gas.

as boring as it sounds, driving at 55 with cruise control on does get you to where you want to go, only 5 or 10 minutes later. Solution? Leave your house 5 or 10 minutes earlier.

Tire pressure, very important, keep it checked.

If you're going to sit more than 30 seconds, like at a bank line, turn off your motor.

A/C...hey, I live in central texas, I know from A/C, but, if it's just a little warm, do you really need to turn it on? can you wait 10 minutes?

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chai , i certainly agree with you , except :

Quote:

A/C...hey, I live in central texas, I know from A/C, but, if it's just a little warm, do you really need to turn it on? can you wait 10 minutes?

but DO NOT OPEN THE WINDOWS !
the "drag" will use more gas than a well operating air-conditioner - that's what the experts say - and i'm NOT an expert :wink: .
hbg

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Chai wrote:

Believe it or not, when you are going downhill, a weird thing called gravity will actually keep your car moving, even if you take your foot completely off the gas.

If you see a traffic light a distance away turn from green to yellow, you can take your foot of the gas, and you car will continue to travel toward the soon to be red light. If you time it right, you may not have to actually stop, because (hold on to your hat), the light might actually turn green again while you're cars still moving!!! Amazing, but true.

I do both those things actually - I love coasting - it feels like free gas to me.

How about if you have an automatic, at a red light shifting to neutral - would that do anything? Does neutral save on gas rather than having the car in park?

I even try to slow down and not completely stop at CERTAIN stop signs - those that I am familar with and can see from a good distance there are no cars around. I hate using the brake - its like wasting gas.

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Neutral will not save you any substantial gas, and your transmission will thank you not to be doin that...

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Or you could buy a Camry hybrid. Engine shuts off for you when you stop.

And as my grampa instructed: Accelerate like you have a full pitcher of milk sitting on your floorboard that you don't want to spill, and decelerate as if there is an egg between your foot and the brake pedal that you don't want to break.

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chai wrote :

Quote:

How about if you have an automatic, at a red light shifting to neutral - would that do anything? Does neutral save on gas rather than having the car in park?

i did that on the first car with automatic transmission i had - should have first studied the manual carefully - OUCH !
hbg

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hamburger wrote:

chai wrote :

Quote:
How about if you have an automatic, at a red light shifting to neutral - would that do anything? Does neutral save on gas rather than having the car in park?

i did that on the first car with automatic transmission i had - should have first studied the manual carefully - OUCH !
hbg

Guess I won't be doing that - just trying for some thoughts.

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Ticomaya wrote:

And as my grampa instructed: Accelerate like you have a full pitcher of milk sitting on your floorboard that you don't want to spill, and decelerate as if there is an egg between your foot and the brake pedal that you don't want to break.

Then watch all the road rage unleashed at you.

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hey hamburger, I didn't say that about neutral, linkie did.

Oh yeah, open windows, what a drag.

putting your automatic into neutral all the time is apt to mess up the transmission.....HCHOOCK.....SPIT...right rock head?

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There's a group of f'n retards....er, I mean, "hyper-milers" out there, a Toyota Prius community who have forums, ect., and use all these practices, it's like a competition to see who gets the best mpg.

There was an article on it, and police were quoted saying a lot of it was considered dangerous. These idiots will "draft" large trucks.

If you're that concerned about saving gas, don't drive a car. Simple as that.

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What is the optimum speed to save on gas?

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