MPG

William · 27 Jul 2006 at 11:50

What hasn't been said yet is:

Never go over 55.

If you see a hill, speed up gradually before you get to it then throttle back as you hit it, always speed up downhill but don't use throttle, use that lovely mavity.

Don't hold up other traffic mind.

Scuzi · 27 Jul 2006 at 11:53

digitalwolf said:
Thanks for the tips.

Pay day is next Friday and i've currently done 100 miles since Saturday (when I last filled up) and it's used 1/4 of a tank.

I always usually shift at 3k revs and 3.5k in 3rd so when I knock it into 5th it picks up nicely.

So, I gotta shift at 2.5k and not short shift?

Don't shift from 3rd to 5th. When you knock it into 5th the engine is going to be under a heightened load and will drink fuel until you accelerate to an acceptable speed for 5th (40-45mph+).

jake000 · 27 Jul 2006 at 12:11

Sputnik II said:
I'm really surprised by the amount of people that think they are going to save fuel by going everywhere at 20mph in 5th gear,by pulling away in 2nd or by missing out gears.
If you really want to save fuel fuel don't do short trips in the car, plan your journey so your not sitting in traffic for too long and drive smoothly without over revving or labouring the engine. As already said, read the road ahead much further than the end of your bonnet and try to anticipate traffic lights etc. so you don't have to stop.
Driving with your windows and sunroof open can reduce fuel economy by about 5mpg due to added drag.

Its true that doing short journeys uses more petrol but in my car (micra 1.0), all I ever do is journeys no more than about 5 miles, except once a week when I do about a 15 mile journey and I just got 290 miles for £25

When I drive on the motorway, I would expect to hit a good 400 miles for the same amount of money but its closer to about 350 miles.

So, in my car I get really good MPG doing short journeys

PeterNem · 27 Jul 2006 at 12:14

jake000 said:
So, in my car I get really good MPG doing short journeys

It's probably made to look better by the "relatively" poor motorway MPG, as with an engine with the same output as a sewing machine you're going to have to really rag it on the motorway to keep at a decent cruising speed.

digitalwolf · 27 Jul 2006 at 12:18

I was about to say, there is a little difference between a 1.0l Micra and a 1.6 Saxo.

When I knock it in 5th, the revs usually drop to just about 2k.

jake000 · 27 Jul 2006 at 12:19

PeterNem said:
It's probably made to look better by the "relatively" poor motorway MPG, as with an engine with the same output as a sewing machine you're going to have to really rag it on the motorway to keep at a decent cruising speed.

lmao... Its boring to drive and I can't wait for next year or the year after when I can get a bigger car

roboffer · 27 Jul 2006 at 12:22

Nathan said:
tbh, buy a diesel.

A little OTT for getting through to payday

chino · 27 Jul 2006 at 12:29

I was going to suggest a spoiler, it will lower the drag coefficient of your car therefore decreasing fuel consumption.

I hear halfords do a nice line in them...

digitalwolf · 27 Jul 2006 at 13:11

It already has one

hsp70 · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:17

chino said:
I was going to suggest a spoiler, it will lower the drag coefficient of your car therefore decreasing fuel consumption.

I hear halfords do a nice line in them...

why would a spoiler lower drag? In my mind it would increase it. Also the guys trying to survive to pay day

Acolyte · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:25

Spoilers increase drag, they make the car less aerodynamic, however they do produce a larger downforce on the car meaning better grip, but this downforce is also drag in itself.

William · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:27

If combined with a front wing on say a specially designed car like an F1 car, could they improve the aerodynamic efficency and decrease drag?

Smiley Man · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:28

the engine in the VTR drinks fuel anyway so dont bother

L0rdMike · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:32

Smiley Man said:
the engine in the VTR drinks fuel anyway so dont bother

If you have a dead sensor or dont know how to drive for economy.

paradigm · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:34

No Mike, the VTR does appear to drink fuel. Its quite a hard engine to be frugal with, I can actually get better MPG when trying with the Cupra R than when trying with the VTR.

Caining it is a different story alltogether, the VTR sips through a straw compared to the Cupra R.

Just for reference, the best I ever managed from a tank in the VTR was 380~ miles. The worst was around 300.

Smiley Man · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:36

L0rdMike said:
If you have a dead sensor or dont know how to drive for economy.

trust me they are not very efficient engines in terms of economy no matter how you drive, i should know, my car has the same engine and weighs more

Paulj · 27 Jul 2006 at 19:04

chino said:
I was going to suggest a spoiler, it will lower the drag coefficient of your car therefore decreasing fuel consumption.

LOL i really hope your kidding

Kappa · 27 Jul 2006 at 19:22

William said:
If combined with a front wing on say a specially designed car like an F1 car, could they improve the aerodynamic efficency and decrease drag?

That also adds downforce through drag.

a diffuser is slightly better but it still adds drag. Doesnt add to air resistance like a spoiler does though.