Fuel economy myths

My son and I recently went looking for a car that would fit him. I
say this because he's 6'6". We went to a Toyota dealer and got a
laugh when he tried out their convertible. He sort of looked like the
guy in the James Bond movies with the metal teeth. The only way he
could have fit would have been to put a fish bowl over his head!!
Needless to say, we ended up buying a Chevy Malibu SS. To the point,
it gets 20mpg with a light foot, and about 24 on the open road. Given
that he now has a car in which his legs aren't rubbing the dash, with
a telescoping steering wheel, and all the amenities a young guy (or an
old guy like me), would like. Comfort and power...what more could one
ask for?

 

Correct - but it's hovering around a consistent price. That's not a plummet
as the OP stated.

 

The first car we bought for my youngest daughter was a 1994? Dodge
Colt 200. The guy who previously owned it and put the first 94000km or
so on it was a college basketball star who stood 6'9" in stocking
feet.

 

That's a drop of over 1.05 per US gallon overnight.

 

I do not know where you live, but here in Ontario, gas is at 95.1 cents a
liter. Was at 92.2 Wednesday, and it's been 95.1 since Friday. Hasn't
dropped below 92 in MONTHS as far as I can recall. As for the OP, he made
it seem like gas was $2.00, then dropped to .50 cents.

 

A former co-worker a few years ago came up with an idea that he
claimed was increasing his gas mileage.

He created a water decomposition chamber out of a length of
ABS and connected it to his alternator, and a tube from it to
his intake manifold. He regulated the power going to the decomposer
with a big carbon rheostat he found from something.

When he showed it to me I just had to smile and nod. This guy
was (and still is) a computer service tech.

600 BC Greek named Thales was the first to make recordings
with respect to electricity, documenting the rubbing of amber. Electricity
regarded by most as black magic

1750 - Benj Franklin proves lightning contains electricity. Electricity
still
regarded by most as black magic

1831 Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction. Electricity still
regarded by most as black magic

1904 Fleming invented the vacuum tube. Electricity still
regarded by most as black magic

2007 Modern society, global communications, international
diplomacy and geopolitics are utterly dependent on electricity.
Electricity still regarded by most as.....

Ted

 

Awwww Bill, I was just -asssssuming- that the wiring would be with that
room temperature superconductor wiring from Ringworld! ;-)

Ted

 

I'm In Kitchener and I've bought gas this summer anywhere from 87.3 to
1.14.

Generally it's been about .92 to 1.04
Yesterday 96.8

 

Actually Bill I think that 55mph really is the "sweet spot" for a NON-wind
optimized
vehicle.

I ride a motorcycle quite frequently that has NO faring (Honda CB750 if
anyone cares)
with an upright riding posture. (it's the most comfortable)

I can feel force on my arms increase as speed increases. However, it is NOT
linear. Up until about 55 you can barely feel it. The faster I go beyond
this the
force really does build up very quickly, even going an additional 5 Mph.
Normally
I cruise at 65-70. Other bikers in the M/C forums have noted the same
thing.

I suspect the issue is the air shearability and density. I do NOT believe
that this
holds true for modern vehicles since they are optimized in a wind tunnel.
But I
am strongly suspecting that back in the 70's when they came up with this
figure
they got it by using average non-wind-optimized vehicles of the time, driven
on
a test track with controlled conditions at different speeds - since at the
time the
software for advanced wind tunnel modeling didn't exist.

I still suspect it is true for semi-trucks since most of them are built like
bricks.

Ted

 

You've got it, with carbon credits bought from his own company. >
Al has found a money tree, who needs the hassle of being president
anyway. When Al is found to be wrong, no one will remember him.

 

You must have had cars from a different GM than me!
My Japanese Datsun 510s had adequate driver space for me,
but the more recent low end Japanese cars don't.
No it's not my extra 20 lbs that is the problem.

 

I haven't seen any comparative figures on speed vs mileage,
but I'm sure the most efficient speed for higher boxy vehicles (SUV &
truck) is lower than for lower better streamlined vehicles (cars)

 

The instant readout method is a bit questionable. My wife's Sebring has
it and I've watched it, but you can get a much better comparison of mpg
at different speeds by viewing the mileage over a reasonable distance.

Different cars designs vary as well. My wife's 2001 2.7L Sebring drops
it's mileage off faster at higher speeds than my 3.3L Concorde.
Both get the same mileage at 60mph, but the 3.3L Concorde is better than
the Sebring at 70mph.
I've also noticed this with a few rental 2.7L Intrepids.

I keep track of all our mileage so I have lots of real data on actual
trips as well as urban mileage when the Sebring is slightly better than
the Concorde.
Since I don't travel steady highway speeds at lower than 60mph, I have
no lower speed comparisons. The figures I have are at 60, 65 and 70
mph.

 

The size of hte car doesn't always mean the size of the seats are better.

I had more room in an 88 nissan sentra than i do in the POS ranger i
drive at work.

My crown victoria doesn't have quite as much room as it should in the
front either, i think the newer seats do go back about another 3 inches,
but mine is always maxed out all the way back, and it's really not far
enough... its still very comfortable.

 

Not entirely. You don't see cabover trucks anymore.
http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=1424449&guid=3E6D1E5ECA9548F2A0479F53CF40039B

And a lot of the highway trucks at least have dams on them so the wind
is not hitting the trailer right in the face...
http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=1524796&guid=3E6D1E5ECA9548F2A0479F53CF40039B

And the new columbia's are designed for even more aerodynamics, but they
are not really getting the fuel economy they were intended to.
http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=1538420&guid=3E6D1E5ECA9548F2A0479F53CF40039B

 

I do second that. Like I said, the crown vics seats just don't seem to
go back all the way, now the models with the more bucket style seat do,
but i'm not sure why. (Maybe just hte design of the seat).

The half tons are fine, as the seat is higher to begin with...

 

It may be questionable as to the reading versus actual if you used test
instruments, but it is consistant. I took the readings over the same stretch
of road over many days. Each speed was compared in the same place for the
same distance. Rounding may also be a factor, but again, it is a consistant
comparison. If, at 70 I get 25 mpg and at 60 in the same place for the same
distance in the same direction, I get a reading of 27 mpg, I know for sure
that I'm getting better mileage, be it 1.9 or 2.1 before rounding.

I have two cars that give me the milage over the tank of gas and one is
consistanly 1 mpg over what I calculate at fill-up time, the other is
consitantly over 0.5 over calculated. What is important is knowing that and
when I see this tank was 26.2 and the last tank was 23.5 I truly did have a
2.7 difference.

 

If you see prices fluctuate over $1.00 per gallon (or the metric equivalent)
overnight, I'd suggest you live in a unique economy.

 

In Europe, that is all you see. Space limitations prevent large trucks like
we have. No 53' trailers.

 

Man, you people are really stuck up on these "official" terms!

I'm 6'4" and 220lbs. If you want to call it a "midsize" go ahead. IMO, it
is a very compact car.

Oh, and I squeezed into a Prius once at work. They had bought a few for us.
I will never do that again.