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Sun 18 Jan, 2004 04:02 pm
Despite its reputation, Kansas is not completely flat. The western border is about 3,000 feet higher than the eastern border.
Would I get better gas mileage driving from west to east across Kansas than from east to west, because of the 3,000-foot change in elevation? Or would the intervening low hills and occasional braking for highway traffic, or changes in atmospheric pressure make any mileage difference negligible?
Seems the west to east would give best mileage. The low hills and occasional braking should be an approximately equal hinderence in either direction, shouldn't it?
However, there is a book on hiking trails in Colorado entitled "Uphill Both Ways", and it does seem that way.
West to East with cruise control would likely improve milage less than one mile per gallon, but gaining speed on each down hill slope, and losing speed on short up hill slopes might show a full mile per gallon improvement West to East. The changing air pressure should average out to parts per million either way. Neil
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