Drove 4000 km in the last two weeks and was wondering what the best cruising speed on the highway to get the best MPH!!!!
thanks
sc

Well, if you want to get the best MPH, I guess you should run it at wide open throttle. :lol:

 

:clap:

Well, if you want to get the best MPH, I guess you should run it at wide open throttle. :lol:

 

Does it matter? Because it's WAY too slow. If memory serves me it's like 50MPH +/-5. (Thus the Carter 55MPH national speed limit.):censor:

 

Does it matter? Because it's WAY too slow. If memory serves me it's like 50MPH +/-5. (Thus the Carter 55MPH national speed limit.):censor:

yeah that sounds about right. too slow IMO :thumbdown . i already think i drive pretty "grandma" at 65 on the freeway :disappoin

 

Not that there's anything wrong with it.. but what difference really does it make how many mpg you get. Everyone seems concerned with it. I personally have driven the car i currently have ( for one more month) for 10 years and couldn't tell ya what i get for mpg. Only thing that concerns me is that when the gas is low, I fill it up does it matter if ya get 19 ? 25? 55? either way, no matter what the price of gas is, you're still going to have to fill it when it gets low... just my 2 cents...

 

55mph

just watch your RPMS, they will be lowest around 55.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with it.. but what difference really does it make how many mpg you get. Everyone seems concerned with it. I personally have driven the car i currently have ( for one more month) for 10 years and couldn't tell ya what i get for mpg. Only thing that concerns me is that when the gas is low, I fill it up does it matter if ya get 19 ? 25? 55? either way, no matter what the price of gas is, you're still going to have to fill it when it gets low... just my 2 cents...

It's nice to know when you are miles from any gas station and the low fuel light comes on. Oh what a fun game that is. I had 5 gallons in the gerry can, but I was 47 miles from the next exit and the light came on. I know I get 17mpg all day long, and I also know that the light means I have 3 gallons left. 51 miles. I just kept driving to the next exit. Had I not kept track of my fuel mileage, I would have been standing in the sun with the gerry can filling my truck on the interstate...out of fear of the unknown.

 

I've found that the curve breaks right about 75 mph, 78 dropped 2-3 mpg, 72 didn't go up by much.

I posted in this thread my attempt at a study

http://toyotanation.com/forum/t129766.html

 

Drove 4000 km in the last two weeks and was wondering what the best cruising speed on the highway to get the best MPH!!!!
thanks
sc

has been the basis for much debate
the tuning & the EPA mileage numbers go hand in hand

the old basis was the car running on rollers without load
without wind resistance
without hills & curves....[technically more load]

many protested they never got the stated mileage
sometimes not even close

no matter what i drove i always did
use of cruise control & a stingy judicious foot
not fun driving

so the obvious anser to the question
is 55mph flat & level with cruise control

yet we all know you will be blasted & blazed
by the masses running 15....20....25 mph faster
on most interstates



good luck

 

It's nice to know when you are miles from any gas station and the low fuel light comes on. Oh what a fun game that is. I had 5 gallons in the gerry can, but I was 47 miles from the next exit and the light came on. I know I get 17mpg all day long, and I also know that the light means I have 3 gallons left. 51 miles. I just kept driving to the next exit. Had I not kept track of my fuel mileage, I would have been standing in the sun with the gerry can filling my truck on the interstate...out of fear of the unknown.

Thanks Bill, so mostly its for peace of mind. Keeping the gerry can is a good idea too! When I get my Tacoma in Sept, I'll have to pick one up.
I've run out of gas twice.. Once about 19 years ago, the 2nd time was 2 years ago. I was kicking myself for the one 2 years ago! I came home from work on a friday night(early saturday morning) knowing I was almost empty. Didn't drive the car all weekend... took the wifes car. Forgot about it When I left the house. Jumped on the highway and went pbbbbbbbbbt. Stupid!

 

Not that there's anything wrong with it.. but what difference really does it make how many mpg you get. Everyone seems concerned with it. I personally have driven the car i currently have ( for one more month) for 10 years and couldn't tell ya what i get for mpg. Only thing that concerns me is that when the gas is low, I fill it up does it matter if ya get 19 ? 25? 55? either way, no matter what the price of gas is, you're still going to have to fill it when it gets low... just my 2 cents...

I can't believe you said this ^ now that I've read your post about running out of gas twice... :lol: :disappoin Maybe you should actually pay attention to your mpg then. In 11 years of driving (5 different cars between mine, mom's, and now-ex's cars) I have NEVER run out of gas. And I'm not one to rush to the gas station as soon as it drops below 1/2 tank. I run until the fuel light comes on. I may keep track of it too much, but even a rough idea would help keep you from running out of gas somewhere. And then having to push the car/hitch hike/walk to the nearest station and back for a 5 gallon can.

Edit: My wife knows the MPG too, or at least about how many miles after the light comes on. I made her learn that and reset the trip odometer if the light comes on. She came close to running out (MPG's lower than normal, needs a tune up), but hasn't because she knows when she HAS to get gas.

 

I can't believe you said this ^ now that I've read your post about running out of gas twice... :lol: :disappoin Maybe you should actually pay attention to your mpg then. In 11 years of driving (5 different cars between mine, mom's, and now-ex's cars) I have NEVER run out of gas. And I'm not one to rush to the gas station as soon as it drops below 1/2 tank. I run until the fuel light comes on. I may keep track of it too much, but even a rough idea would help keep you from running out of gas somewhere. And then having to push the car/hitch hike/walk to the nearest station and back for a 5 gallon can.

Edit: My wife knows the MPG too, or at least about how many miles after the light comes on. I made her learn that and reset the trip odometer if the light comes on. She came close to running out (MPG's lower than normal, needs a tune up), but hasn't because she knows when she HAS to get gas.

I never said it was smart not to do it. :lol: 2 times in 19 years isn't bad. The first time i had just started driving. Had the old POS subaru for about a week and a half. I was young and stupid... the 2nd time i was..umm old and forgetful? LOL You're right though, I should keep track at least sometimes. I"m just kind of lazy I work nights, Watch the kids days Sleep a couple hours here and there. somethings got to be left out...

 

has been the basis for much debate
the tuning & the EPA mileage numbers go hand in hand

the old basis was the car running on rollers without load
without wind resistance
without hills & curves....[technically more load]

many protested they never got the stated mileage
sometimes not even close

no matter what i drove i always did
use of cruise control & a stingy judicious foot
not fun driving

so the obvious anser to the question
is 55mph flat & level with cruise control

yet we all know you will be blasted & blazed
by the masses running 15....20....25 mph faster
on most interstates

Is this a poem?

 

Is this a poem?

:clap:

I was thinking the same thing after see a couple other posts in other threads! :lol:

 

For me it's 55-60mph on the straight ways, and when on a small uphill, i just floor it going down and then try to get over as quick as i can.

 

I never said it was smart not to do it. :lol: 2 times in 19 years isn't bad. The first time i had just started driving. Had the old POS subaru for about a week and a half. I was young and stupid... the 2nd time i was..umm old and forgetful? LOL You're right though, I should keep track at least sometimes. I"m just kind of lazy I work nights, Watch the kids days Sleep a couple hours here and there. somethings got to be left out...

I understand. I have a wife a two kids so I don't want them to get stranded somewhere. She has a bad back so I don't expect her to walk somewhere for gas or push the car (even tho I have push started it a few times so it can be done!).

I guess for me noticing the mileage on the odometer is like glancing down at the speed limit. I just see it, and take note of it automatically. I also reset both trips after a fillup automatically. I keep track of the mileage in a spread sheet, but even if I didn't just reseting the trip would help. A couple tanks worth of gas and some math to figure out you're getting, say 19mpg, and then plan for 15mpg. So if the light comes on at 3 gallons left, you have 45 miles before you walk.

 

55 would probably be the best. Just don't go over 70 MPH. My MPG drops a lot once I go over 70 mph.

 

Is this a poem?

no

 

has been the basis for much debate
the tuning & the EPA mileage numbers go hand in hand

the old basis was the car running on rollers without load
without wind resistance
without hills & curves....[technically more load]

many protested they never got the stated mileage
sometimes not even close

no matter what i drove i always did
use of cruise control & a stingy judicious foot
not fun driving

so the obvious anser to the question
is 55mph flat & level with cruise control

yet we all know you will be blasted & blazed
by the masses running 15....20....25 mph faster
on most interstates



good luck

It doesn't even rhyme.

But here's a haiku:

Lead foot jammed to floor
Gallons and gallons of fuel
With smile on my face

 

I just filled up my tank for the first time. Drove it off the lot with 12 miles on it and a full tank of gas a week and half ago.

I got 20 mpg on my first tank......mostly city driving!

07 DC V6 Prerunner......I was pretty surprised at 20....I'm pretty happy with that.

 

I dont care, ( but i should! ) , when im driving on the highway i know for a fact my tank is going to hit empty sooner or later, people do complain about gas prices, but how much gas are you really going to save if your going a certain speed on the highway at all times? Youre going to have to pay for gas anyways right?..Would you rather pay for gas than to walk in the dry +100* heat ?. Yes, I would! . I dont think it make much of a difference if you try to max your MPG . Youll be getting around the same miles per gallon..

 

Drove 4000 km in the last two weeks and was wondering what the best cruising speed on the highway to get the best MPH!!!!
thanks
sc

So ........... what's the conversion rate from km to mph nowadays? Sorry, couldn't resist.

At 60 MPH on cruise I am averaging a bit over 30 mpg ... heck, it's a truck ... can't complain.

 

So ........... what's the conversion rate from km to mph nowadays? Sorry, couldn't resist.

At 60 MPH on cruise I am averaging a bit over 30 mpg ... heck, it's a truck ... can't complain.

:lol:
I got a report from one of our "younger" engineers.
Related work is for a European customer.
In it he had a time estimate for scheduling purposes.

I asked him if the hours were in SI (metric) or USC (US Customary units)...:naughty: He looked very confused...

Next week- he will be sent for the wood stretcher...

 

As for a serious answer- you should find optimum somewhere above 45mph and below 60mph. (Not that most of you will want to find it... nevertheless..)

With no change in elevation (moving a mass up increases the potential energy, requiring the equal amount of mechanical energy, moving down lowers the potential energy with the capability of returning energy to the system - so let's just ignore that for now) in the battle of speed vs mpg, the bulk of it falls into those fractions of the energy consumption that vary with speed, those that vary with time, and those that vary with distance.

1) Rolling resistance is going to vary some, but not by much over reasonable ranges of speed.

2) Certain parasitic losses are there regardless of speed, but they aren't the large users. Get there sooner, you're running the engine (alternator, a/c, pwr strg, water pump, etc) for a shorter time.

3) Wind resistance -that's the biggy at high spd and it varies roughly with the square of your speed. So, whatever it is at 35, it will be 4 TIMES as much at 70mph.

So, while you can lower the 2nd category by getting there sooner (and running for a shorter period) your wind losses are going up by the square of the change in speed.

Somewhere above 45mph,your tranny is in highest gear and lock up (if equipped).
Above 60, your wind resistance is increasing rapidly. Again at 70 you've got 62% more wind drag than at 55mph. [(70/55) ^2] Now, btwn 72 and 80, you're talking about [(80/72)^2] - a 23% change. (so 76 +/- 4mph roughly results in +/-11.5%)

Again, aerodynamic drag is not the sole parasite, but at higher speeds, it becomes a majority stockholder.

 

As for a serious answer- you should find optimum somewhere above 45mph and below 60mph. (Not that most of you will want to find it... nevertheless..)

With no change in elevation (moving a mass up increases the potential energy, requiring the equal amount of mechanical energy, moving down lowers the potential energy with the capability of returning energy to the system - so let's just ignore that for now) in the battle of speed vs mpg, the bulk of it falls into those fractions of the energy consumption that vary with speed, those that vary with time, and those that vary with distance.

1) Rolling resistance is going to vary some, but not by much over reasonable ranges of speed.

2) Certain parasitic losses are there regardless of speed, but they aren't the large users. Get there sooner, you're running the engine (alternator, a/c, pwr strg, water pump, etc) for a shorter time.

3) Wind resistance -that's the biggy at high spd and it varies roughly with the square of your speed. So, whatever it is at 35, it will be 4 TIMES as much at 70mph.

So, while you can lower the 2nd category by getting there sooner (and running for a shorter period) your wind losses are going up by the square of the change in speed.

Somewhere above 45mph,your tranny is in highest gear and lock up (if equipped).
Above 60, your wind resistance is increasing rapidly. Again at 70 you've got 62% more wind drag than at 55mph. [(70/55) ^2] Now, btwn 72 and 80, you're talking about [(80/72)^2] - a 23% change. (so 76 +/- 4mph roughly results in +/-11.5%)

Again, aerodynamic drag is not the sole parasite, but at higher speeds, it becomes a majority stockholder.

Now, I actually took the time to read this, several times in fact. What do you do for a living?