Fuel Efficient Driving

When I resume cruise from a slower speed, in eco pro mode, it isn't overly fast, but it's not painstakingly slow either. I assume it's a pretty efficient acceleration profile it uses, but not sure the ins and outs of the program.

If I'm not doing that, I do tend to hoon it back up to speed though, then resume cruise once I'm there.
 
eatcustard said:
People who are into hyperdriving should be shot.
Drive normal and all will be well in the world
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What an odd thing to say. I will always drive as economically as practicable when I'm commuting or something. I save the hoonage for when there's no-one in front of me.
 
Simon said:
Diesels don't have a throttle so the engine braking feels less but they do cut the fuel.
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That is not quite true.

Modern diesels often have throttle valves to force the EGR to work.

(So not only do you have the issue of the Engine being made to breathe its own farts and clagging itself up as a consequence, you also get pumping losses too! Isn't modern tech wonderful! :( )
 
Orionaut said:
That is not quite true.

Modern diesels often have throttle valves to force the EGR to work.

(So not only do you have the issue of the Engine being made to breathe its own farts and clagging itself up as a consequence, you also get pumping losses too! Isn't modern tech wonderful! :( )
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Throttles even on the exhaust to drive back up the low pressure systems!
 
Skillmister said:
After a full tank of painstaking eco driving round town I got a whopping 2.5mpg more than from ragging it around. Hardly seems worth the effort!
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I can get quite a big MPG increase by driving "Sensibly" but find i just get cut-up by everyone wanting to fly around so rarely see the point, just easier to keep up with traffic within the limits.
 
Skillmister said:
After a full tank of painstaking eco driving round town I got a whopping 2.5mpg more than from ragging it around. Hardly seems worth the effort!
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I can't imagine any car that only changes consumption by 2.5 mpg in such different driving styles. Unless it's a 12L monster and the difference is between 8 & 10.5 mpg.

Certainly any regular car will see a far bigger difference. Unless it's broken too of course.
 
[TW]Fox;29240492 said:
Doesn't this depend on the individual vehicle and its gearing?

My car will coast for some distance in 8th using zero fuel...
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Mine does something a bit strange, when I am costing it actually drops out of gear and essential keep rolling down the road until I touch the throttle.
 
xs2man said:
I can't imagine any car that only changes consumption by 2.5 mpg in such different driving styles. Unless it's a 12L monster and the difference is between 8 & 10.5 mpg.

Certainly any regular car will see a far bigger difference. Unless it's broken too of course.
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29.83 & 29.58mpg for tanks of town driving/daily 2 miles of NSL - hoon mode

34.45mpg for the above but with a 160 mile round trip along the A55 and a fairly high traffic M56.

31.96mpg for a tank of town driving/daily 2 miles of NSL - eco mode

30.91mpg for a tank of town driving/daily 2 miles of NSL and a couple of 40 mile NSL round trips - hooning

I would happily obtain more data but.. I can't be bothered driving round town like a taxi for the best part of a month :o
 
I doubt there will be just a 1/2MPG difference between "eco mode" in town and "hooning" in town, so there are probably other factors in play. Or perhaps your definitions of "eco" and "hoon" are rather different to most peoples. :p

My average for a mixture of general town driving and communting sits at about 35MPG. I can get that average down to 25MPG if I have been on some B road hoons, and I can get that average up to 41MPG if I have been on an economy run on the motorway...

The difference between eco driving and 'normal/semi-hoon' driving in town for me is the difference between about 29MPG and 36MPG.
 
Acme said:
I doubt there will be just a 1/2MPG difference between "eco mode" in town and "hooning" in town, so there are probably other factors in play. Or perhaps your definitions of "eco" and "hoon" are rather different to most peoples. :p

My average for a mixture of general town driving and communting sits at about 35MPG. I can get that average down to 25MPG if I have been on some B road hoons, and I can get that average up to 41MPG if I have been on an economy run on the motorway...

The difference between eco driving and 'normal/semi-hoon' driving in town for me is the difference between about 29MPG and 36MPG.
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I'm just telling what the figures show. I can assure you the difference in driving style is significant.

Clearly there is only so much enthusiastic driving one can do on a 1.5 mile commute of 30mph limit (although a solid 300m of it is a 40 limit!!) past 2 schools at school run hour but it's the difference between almost never going above 3k rpm and using the full rev range at every opportunity as the car feels like it drives much better when doing so.

In all honesty it's a piece of **** either way but it'll do for a year and then I can get something that does far less MPG on a 'hoon' to average 13 miles a day in :)
 
Another great technique on a motorway or dual is to sit about ten feet behind a lorry and get sucked along in its slipstream :D

It has been proven to work, but the law might take a dim view of using this method to save fuel ;)
 
redline said:
Another great technique on a motorway or dual is to sit about ten feet behind a lorry and get sucked along in its slipstream :D

It has been proven to work, but the law might take a dim view of using this method to save fuel ;)
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Why not go the extra distance and climb out of the window and attach the car to the lorry with a rope?
 
Hiijinx said:
My IAM/RoSPa/HPC acquaintances are adamant that the less time you are on the throttle, the better mpg wise - so for example, 30-50 would be more economical if you made swift progress ( no more than 80-90% of the power band, varies by vehicle), block change up and let off the gas asap rather than slowly accelerate up to 50 at low revs as you are on the throttle for longer.

This only applies if you want to drive at the limit ofcourse, trundling along at 30 would almost certainly be cheaper providing you're in the correct gear.

Breaking is wasting fuel so if you can space out the time on the throttle and applying them, will see your mpg increase with the additional benefit of mechanical sympathy.

It also depends on engine, my NA petrol Mazda loses noticeable speed the second you lift off the accelerator, which is great for eco breaking and judging when you will come to a stop, but terrible for trying to cruise with no throttle pressure. My mother's TDI however will happily continue on for ages without any pressure which makes for easy mpg.
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I drive like this most of the time... There is nothing more depressing than slowly accelerating through 6 gears while a queue develops behind you so I tend to 1-2nd quickly, accelerate hard until I can select 4th, same again and into 6th.

Does return pretty good results and way less pain for everyone around you.

Only real time I use 5th and 3rd now is if I drop speed and need a lower gear for flexibility.

Redline

Diseasals have way less engine braking in higher gears as they don't have a throttle valve so always pump maximum air, ie there is no induction drag and they are running at lower rpm generally. (some with egr might)

Driving a Prius is even more interesting as you have to touch the brake slightly to increase the battery charging, or pull the gear lever to B to activate "electric engine braking" on a long downhill.
 
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