Oops!!

My bad.

 

 

Now where's the dunce's cap?

Oops!!

My bad.

 

 

Now where's the dunce's cap?

We had a vote - you have to sit in the corner.

That's OK, I left a hidden beer store there last time I was banished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hic!

Oops!!

You'd have thought that for conversions it would have defaulted to the UK or whatever country you were in.

I've just got some new low rolling resistance tyres and they already seem to show a difference over the old Dunlops. Highest ever trip reading on the three mile commute this morning - 51.1mpg. That's with having tweaked the readout with VCDS to be with 0.5mpg of the brim to brim value. I suppose it helped that I was stuck behind a flatbed truck and didn't get over 40 the whole way...

 

I got 49mpg on a recent longer run of 130 miles, but the local journeys normally bring that right down. It will be interesting to see what difference the tyres make once they've been run in.

My vehicle is rated at 6L/100km for country which is above what I get.....the economy 'box' may be a slight contributor; it's more a power one than e though.

Gee - it must be a nightmare for other road users to follow you as you continually change speeds on slight inclines and descents. Is it really worth the angst to get those few extra MPG? And why get a car with cruise control if you don't intend to use it? The beauty of cruise control is that traffic moves in unison without bunching at an optimum speed, the problem is that few drivers use it properly in the UK.

Since this thread is about fuel consumption, it is only appropriate to state how you can achieve close to what the manufacturers quote.

It has been discussed many times on this forum, that using the Maxidot in " Consumption" mode helps to save fuel.

It might irritate the odd driver, maybe just you, it takes more than that to itritate me, but not as much as two HGV's taking 4 miles to get past each other, or the guy who hogs the middle lane, or hogs the outside lane of a dual carriageway because he is turning right in three miles time.

Or the guy turning left at an intersection, or changing lanes without indicating. Now those do irritate me, but I allow enough time for my journeys.

Re getting a car with cruise control.

I guess we would have to pay extra to NOT have cruise control. It was on the car as standard, as are many things.

When I use cruise control in the UK you have to constantly switch it off and on due to congestion.

I have used it many times in the States, often for hours at a time.

Personally I would prefer to be in control of the car at all times, with cruise control, it is too easy to dose off especially on the long straight roads in the USA. That probably explains the twin tyre tracks that cross the grassed central reservation areas in many rural places.

Not many central reservation crash barriers on the roads, out of town, that I travelled on in the States.

"When I use cruise control in the South of the UK you have to constantly switch it off and on due to congestion."

 

there you go, fixed that for you.  In your next car ACC will even solve that. it's really very good

Since this thread is about fuel consumption, it is only appropriate to state how you can achieve close to what the manufacturers quote.

It has been discussed many times on this forum, that using the Maxidot in " Consumption" mode helps to save fuel.

It might irritate the odd driver, maybe just you, it takes more than that to itritate me, but not as much as two HGV's taking 4 miles to get past each other, or the guy who hogs the middle lane, or hogs the outside lane of a dual carriageway because he is turning right in three miles time.

Or the guy turning left at an intersection, or changing lanes without indicating. Now those do irritate me, but I allow enough time for my journeys.

Re getting a car with cruise control.

I guess we would have to pay extra to NOT have cruise control. It was on the car as standard, as are many things.

When I use cruise control in the UK you have to constantly switch it off and on due to congestion.

I have used it many times in the States, often for hours at a time.

Personally I would prefer to be in control of the car at all times, with cruise control, it is too easy to dose off especially on the long straight roads in the USA. That probably explains the twin tyre tracks that cross the grassed central reservation areas in many rural places.

Not many central reservation crash barriers on the roads, out of town, that I travelled on in the States.

Okay I understand this thread is about fuel consumption and ways to minimise fuel usage. The point I was trying to make is that the way you were driving - constantly varying speed - is not conducive to road safety because unless other drivers mimic your speed changes the result is an unstable traffic flow with bunching and progressive tail backs as other drivers accelerate and brake. It is not that it irritates me as such it is just that it is very inconsiderate driving practice, much like the other actions you list including lane hogging etc. I completely agree about HGV's crawling past each other over miles and hopefully the trial on the A14 dual carriageway banning HGV's from overtaking will be extended to other A roads. The A1 is particularly bad for slowvertaking HGV's. I lived and worked in the US for more than 10 years and got used to cruise control on the freeways, there most drivers "cruised" at about the same speed (70'ish on I95) thus retaining a consistent and reasonable safe distance between traffic. I felt much safer cruising on US freeways than on many UK motorways!

Okay I understand this thread is about fuel consumption and ways to minimise fuel usage. The point I was trying to make is that the way you were driving - constantly varying speed - is not conducive to road safety because unless other drivers mimic your speed changes the result is an unstable traffic flow with bunching and progressive tail backs as other drivers accelerate and brake. It is not that it irritates me as such it is just that it is very inconsiderate driving practice, much like the other actions you list including lane hogging etc. I completely agree about HGV's crawling past each other over miles and hopefully the trial on the A14 dual carriageway banning HGV's from overtaking will be extended to other A roads. The A1 is particularly bad for slowvertaking HGV's. I lived and worked in the US for more than 10 years and got used to cruise control on the freeways, there most drivers "cruised" at about the same speed (70'ish on I95) thus retaining a consistent and reasonable safe distance between traffic. I felt much safer cruising on US freeways than on many UK motorways!

 

How do you know what roads he was talking about and what the traffic conditions were at the time?

How do you know what roads he was talking about and what the traffic conditions were at the time?

I don't know, but driving from Oxford to Staffordshire is unlikely to be on traffic free roads, could have been I suppose but as it wasn't stated as such surely it is fair to assume "normal" traffic conditions?

I do everything I can to make it easy for others to overtake on the odd occasion it occurs but I have now come to the conclusion that learner drivers have never been taught how to overtake.

Out here, at least, cars have never been more powerful and drivers seemingly never been more intimidated by the prospect of venturing onto the other side of the road with no traffic in sight.

It seems teaching someone overtaking is never done.

If you stay on the inside lane with a safe stopping distance from the vehicle in front, ( NOT tail gating) the lane naturally slows down on inclines anyway, as most of the traffic are HGVs.

The danger comes when using Cruise control, to maintain a speed of say 60 mph on an incline, means that you would be constantly moving into lane two to overtake.

Vehicles doing 56-60 mph in the second lane is when the congestion builds up.

Following a HGV on an inside lane, meets the criteria of slowing down on inclines, so where is the problem?

The whole lane does that.

The roads used were the M40 and M42 at the evening rush hour.

Oh and Expat, if you read the thread, it wasn't me driving!

The purpose of my post was to say that you can keep up with the traffic, and not increase any tail backs with a manual approach to the throttle, rather than cruise control.

Anyhow, if you want to get good fuel economy, drive to the conditions.

If you watch lane three during heavy traffic, they are constantly accelerating and braking, changing lanes under taking, closing stopping distances to stop car nipping into the gap... Driving like this must be very stressful, and causes many accidents.

Those drivers would see their journey as a nightmare, where as those in lane one driving as close to 60 as possible would say they had a good run.

If you stay on the inside lane, and keep an eye on the mirror, should anything happen, you have the hard shoulder as a refuge.

In the outside lane, you have nowhere to go.

My wife had ROSPA training, and when driving a 12 seater minibus with school children on board you had to drive with safety in mind, always know where refuge was at all times.

As a consequence, driving the Yeti in a similar fashion realises some great fuel economy too.

We experimented on this journey, I tend to drive a little faster than my wife, but staying within the speed limits lol...and as a consequence this hits the fuel economy, we compared travel times, and on a 100 mile journey makes less than 10 minutes difference.

You arrive at your destination better refreshed but 10 minutes later, so as a consequence we set off 10 minutes earlier. Hence "Allowing enough time for your journey"

You encounter far less road rage, which happens more in lanes two and three.

If you have never witnessed this phenomena at rush hour, then you must be having a nightmare journey in lanes two and three. lol

How do you know what roads he was talking about and what the traffic conditions were at the time?

As per my original post A34, M40, M42, M6 Toll "early evening" well the "evening rush hour" is getting longer, it starts at 3:00 pm and sometimes goes through to 8:00 pm ( Worse on a Friday afternoon) as commuters change their departure time, hoping for a better journey. Note:- Rush hours vary from city to city.

In the 80's and 90's evening rush hour was generally 5:00 pm till just after 6:00 pm but many people are commuting much greater distances than they did in the 80's.

Kids are driven to/fm school in Oz, as if the parents think their child is going to be picked up by a stranger.

The only 'window' is 10-3.

If you stay on the inside lane with a safe stopping distance from the vehicle in front, ( NOT tail gating) the lane naturally slows down on inclines anyway, as most of the traffic are HGVs.

The danger comes when using Cruise control, to maintain a speed of say 60 mph on an incline, means that you would be constantly moving into lane two to overtake.

Vehicles doing 56-60 mph in the second lane is when the congestion builds up.

Following a HGV on an inside lane, meets the criteria of slowing down on inclines, so where is the problem?

The whole lane does that.

The roads used were the M40 and M42 at the evening rush hour.

Oh and Expat, if you read the thread, it wasn't me driving!

The purpose of my post was to say that you can keep up with the traffic, and not increase any tail backs with a manual approach to the throttle, rather than cruise control.

Anyhow, if you want to get good fuel economy, drive to the conditions.

If you watch lane three during heavy traffic, they are constantly accelerating and braking, changing lanes under taking, closing stopping distances to stop car nipping into the gap... Driving like this must be very stressful, and causes many accidents.

Those drivers would see their journey as a nightmare, where as those in lane one driving as close to 60 as possible would say they had a good run.

If you stay on the inside lane, and keep an eye on the mirror, should anything happen, you have the hard shoulder as a refuge.

In the outside lane, you have nowhere to go.

My wife had ROSPA training, and when driving a 12 seater minibus with school children on board you had to drive with safety in mind, always know where refuge was at all times.

As a consequence, driving the Yeti in a similar fashion realises some great fuel economy too.

We experimented on this journey, I tend to drive a little faster than my wife, but staying within the speed limits lol...and as a consequence this hits the fuel economy, we compared travel times, and on a 100 mile journey makes less than 10 minutes difference.

You arrive at your destination better refreshed but 10 minutes later, so as a consequence we set off 10 minutes earlier. Hence "Allowing enough time for your journey"

You encounter far less road rage, which happens more in lanes two and three.

If you have never witnessed this phenomena at rush hour, then you must be having a nightmare journey in lanes two and three. lol

Thankfully I am retired so don't get stuck in rush hour(s) traffic, I also time any journey to best avoid busy periods or pinch spots. I drive from North Yorkshire to Dorset and Cornwall fairly regularly (avoid school holidays!) and find that on Motorways - M1, M42, M5 etc I can use cruise control for long periods without problem. Cruising at about 68-70 MPH I rarely get held up and generally find myself driving in lanes 1 or 2, rarely 3. At that speed and with cruise control I find the drive relaxing and generally arrive (300 - 400 mile drives) feeling fine and ready for a family evening. I have a 1.2 Tsi Yeti with DSG and am averaging 42.1 MPG based on fill to fill basis over 30,000 miles, interestingly the MPG is gradually improving as the mileage increases. Anyway the point I was making is that if traffic maintains a constant speed - and all modern cars should be able to maintain 60 MPH uphill and down dale on motorways and fast A roads - then the capacity of the road is maximised and everyone can be happy and relaxed. The problem we have in UK is that trucks (lorries) are limited to 56 MPH so will always create tailbacks, if the speed limit was raised to 70 MPH and they had the power to maintain that speed then there would be far fewer holdups and the need for other traffic to keep speeding up/slowing down or changing lanes to pass them would be eliminated. Interstate 95 in Connecticut in USA is mainly only 2 lanes but as the trucks can, and do, travel at the same speed as the cars (70'ish) then there are few holdups and the high density traffic flows smoothly. I know this is contentious and the so-called safety lobby will be up in arms about increasing the speed limit for lorries but we are going to have to do something to maintain the flow on our roads or we will all be totally snarled up within 10 years.

Actually the answer is not to speed up the trucks, but to take the inter-urban trucks off the road completely and move inter-urban freight to the railways. It is wonderful driving through the parts of Europe that have banned trucks on Sundays.

 

Having been to Canada earlier this year, having articulated double-trailer grain-haulers passing you when you are already doing an illegal 75; no thanks!! How the hell he could stop an estimated 75 tonnes in an emergency safely, I do not know.

Actually the answer is not to speed up the trucks, but to take the inter-urban trucks off the road completely and move inter-urban freight to the railways. It is wonderful driving through the parts of Europe that have banned trucks on Sundays.

 

Having been to Canada earlier this year, having articulated double-trailer grain-haulers passing you when you are already doing an illegal 75; no thanks!! How the hell he could stop an estimated 75 tonnes in an emergency safely, I do not know.

Agreed move freight to rail, but sadly it ain't gonna happen since Beeching destroyed much of our rail network! Thankfully we don't have 75 tonne double articulated trucks on UK roads and I can only speak from experience of driving where lorries can maintain the speed of the general traffic flow, there the traffic runs smoother with less hold-ups.

Truck speeds are my speed now.

Truck speeds are my speed now.

Was it in the 70's during a fuel shortage that speed limits were capped at 50 mph to save fuel.

I can see this coming back in at some time in the future.

Thinking about the eco loving Germans, most autobahns have no limit, think about how many miles to the gallon, or should it be gallons to the mile, a car travelling in excess of 120 mph will have. Think about the emissions.

We travel to Norfolk quite regularly from Staffordshire, the other week we went at about lunchtime on a Friday, it took us over 5 1/2 hours to get there, there had been several accidents, one closed the A47 outside Norwich for half a day or more, and we made up our own cross country diversion.

We are planning another visit soon, but this time we are setting off at 5:15 am. We will be at our destination by 8:30 just 3 1/4 hours travel time.

Rarely do we get any hold ups, we try to average 60 mph, and we plan in a comfort break at Tesco Milton, Cambridge.

Clearly stopping here for a coffee break delays our arrival, but taking a break every say, two hours works wonders.

Those that plod on regardless without a break, just try it, when you get back in the car you are all refreshed, the walk gets your blood circulating to where it should be. Sometimes a walk to the loo, a drink of water, back in the car and away all within 10 minutes.

PS....Don't park the car as close as possible to the entrance, park further away, the walk is part of the break.

^^^the last point is what I do giving exercise and more empty spots....win win.

I saw an article about truck developments which featured the application of a forward camera displaying the image on the rear.......I guess you could get great economy 'drafting',and not miss the scenery.........er ...probably not.

Currently averaging 42.4 MPG in 2014 4x4 (140 BHP) TDi - best 50.5 mpg / worst 35.6 mpg.

 

My old 110 BHP (2WD) managed an average of 46.2 mpg - best 56.6 mpg / worst mpg 35. mpg.

 

Fuel economy for both cars calculated brim-to-brim over ~40k miles (each).

Currently averaging 42.4 MPG in 2014 4x4 (140 BHP) TDi - best 50.5 mpg / worst 35.6 mpg.

My old 110 BHP (2WD) managed an average of 46.2 mpg - best 56.6 mpg / worst mpg 35. mpg.

Fuel economy for both cars calculated brim-to-brim over ~40k miles (each).

My 2016 110 se averaging43 mpg mostly about town with a few motorway trips . Should I be expecting better figures considering claims of 68 mpg

My 2016 110 se averaging43 mpg mostly about town with a few motorway trips . Should I be expecting better figures considering claims of 68 mpg

I guess your "mostly about town" is contributing to the lowish mpg.

Out of interest what is your average speed (long-term) - mine hovers around 30 mph.