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  1. #1
    Radar Fanatic
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    Default best mpg at high speeds

    Hi everyone! ^_^
    I'm not really much of a car fan, but I was bored so I decided to look up the best mpg at high speed driving (like 85+mph maybe?) and I can't seem to find anything on the net.

    My camry shifts into 5th gear at 40 to 45mph and at 45 to 50mph I run at the lowest rpm at the highest gear aka the best mpg for my car. The thing is I rarely drive at those speeds. On the freeway I usually set cruise at 75 to 80mph depending on the freeway and on longer trips were the average flow of traffic hits around 90mph I imagine my car gulping on gas.

    I drive A LOT and I pay around $200+ a month on gas yet my car gets good gas milage.

    So yah, anyways.. like anyone know of any info to get super good mpg at super high speeds? I'm tired of the mpg rating for 55mph or 65mph. I think mpg should mean miles per gallon at 85 miles per hour.

  2. #2
    Professional
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    Default

    yeah, we all need a "special" mpg rating for the way we use our cars

  3. #3
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    Default

    it isn't really special. it just feels like the only real way to save gas is to drive 55mph on the freeway. like hell i'm doing that. not only is it dangerous but it is plain annoying. i drive 90% of my trips in cruise control. i don't go flooring it around people and such i just drive with the flow of traffic yet the flow of traffic can be at such high speeds that realistically there should be something I can do to save gas.

    not only that but it bothers me that when I look this up on google i can't find any results at all.

  4. #4
    Yoda of Radar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bunny
    it isn't really special. it just feels like the only real way to save gas is to drive 55mph on the freeway. like hell i'm doing that. not only is it dangerous but it is plain annoying. i drive 90% of my trips in cruise control. i don't go flooring it around people and such i just drive with the flow of traffic yet the flow of traffic can be at such high speeds that realistically there should be something I can do to save gas.

    not only that but it bothers me that when I look this up on google i can't find any results at all.
    Keep the tires inflated, use very 'light weight' oil, routine Gas/Air filter changes along with spark plugs and wires...

    Other then that: Don't drive as fast.

  5. #5
    Good Citizen
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    Default

    Like Airmoore said:

    Keep your tire pressure up. My car recommends 32 lbs, I run 38.

    Keep your maintenence perfect: Don't let your air filter get too old, change your oil, spark plugs, cap & rotor (if applicable), etc. on time.

    Also:

    Pay attention to what's going on around you.

    Don't brake unless its absolutely necessary. Slow down by coasting as much as possible. Every time you brake you are turning the kinetic energy that will carry you the next few hundred feet into wasted heat, and you're paying to do it by wearing out your brake pads. Just coast in whatever gear you happen to be in.

    Use quality gas. I personally only run top tier fuels in my car. Avoid ethanol if at all possible, as it contains less energy per gallon than regular gas and thus will give you worse mileage. And unless your car is carbeurated there is ABSOLUTELY NO reduction in pollution.

    Use the A/C rather than windows when at freeway speeds. Below 40-50 mph the A/C uses more fuel than the drag created by the windows, but as your speed increases the drag created by your windows increases exponentially.

    Keep your car clean so that you're not paying to drive garbage and other useless weight around.

    Finally, don't go the speed limit in the city! If you're doing less than 50 mph and you're going the speed limit then you're in too low a gear and wasting fuel. I wish people would figure this out, but the average driver doesn't pay that much attention.

    My car was rated at 25city/31 highway before the EPA lowered it's mileage ratings to accomodate people who don't know how to drive. By doing what I've listed above I always, always get 28-31 city and 30-34 highway.

  6. #6
    Good Citizen
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    Default

    Also, for highway driving there is a technique called "pulse and glide".

    An engine is more efficient at a given rpm the wider open the throttle is. This means that theoretically you're turning fuel into energy more efficiently when you're giving it more throttle.

    If you gently accelarate up to a given speed, then coast back down, you should be using your engine more efficiently and saving fuel.

    I like to keep a constant speed on the highway so I've never tried this method, but if you really want to eke another mile or two per gallon you could give this a try. You'll just have to figure out how to keep you transmission from shifting while keeping the torque converter locked up.

  7. #7
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    Default

    On my camry (2001 V6) I get 22-23mpg in town and 30mpg on the highway, even though it was rated for 20/28 when new. Getting this mileage however does seem difficult and requires a light foot, smooth acceleration, and no speeding up just to slow down racing from stoplight to stoplight. I keep the tires slightly over inflated, running 35/32 f/r, only use the a/c when necessary, don't use 10% ethanol blends (it sucks for mpg), and don't drive it like I stole it. The worst mpg I've ever recorded over a tank was 17mpg, driving like a jackass to see how low the mpg would be.

    My plugs are 77k miles old (as is the car). Maintenance schedule says to replace plugs at 60k, although most well maintained cars are capable of much more.

    Bunny, nice to see another camry owner here. What year is yours and is it a I4 or V6? Im assuming its a 2004 or newer since automatic camrys were stuck with the 4 cogger until 2003 or 2004.

  8. #8
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    mine is a 4 cylinder 97 auto. i'm 90% sure it is a 5 speed. *shrugs* i dunno.

    i wasn't talking about ways of driving. gliding can get me GOOD mpg at 43 mph.

    I was talking about buying a car designed to get good mpg at normal speeds or some way to physically tune a car to get better mpg at high speeds.

    I already know how to drive. I don't need tips on how to save gas that way. If i was that concerned I'd go 55 on the freeway because ultimately that will help the most.

  9. #9
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    I have a camry but it's sitting outside my house with a blown tranny

  10. #10
    Yoda of Radar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bunny
    i wasn't talking about ways of driving. gliding can get me GOOD mpg at 43 mph.

    I was talking about buying a car designed to get good mpg at normal speeds or some way to physically tune a car to get better mpg at high speeds.

    Other then the ways suggested:
    Buy a bike...

 

 

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