Most efficient gear for Interstate Cruising?

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

....When looking at the overall fuel efficiency of the vehicle, you need to look at the gallons of fuel per mile driven.....

Ummm, isn't that kinda the definition of fuel efficiency? Even if most people actually look at miles per gallon of fuel. Or as I like to call it, MPG. It's catchy. You can use it if you want.....

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by denverpete

Ummm, isn't that kinda the definition of fuel efficiency? Even if most people actually look at miles per gallon of fuel. Or as I like to call it, MPG. It's catchy. You can use it if you want.....

Not necessarily. If you read through my entire post, I have highlighted two kinds of fuel efficiency. The first is the efficiency with which the engine uses the fuel to make energy (peak volumetric eff.), the second is the efficiency with which the car uses the fuel (max mileage).

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

Not necessarily. If you read through my entire post, I have highlighted two kinds of fuel efficiency. The first is the efficiency with which the engine uses the fuel to make energy (peak volumetric eff.), the second is the efficiency with which the car uses the fuel (max mileage).

Yup. Re-read post. Engine efficiency. Very hi-fallutin. Interesting but not much use to us folks lookin to maximize mileage. GPM. Got it. Yup. Very fancy inverting them there numbers. Purty neat what ya can do with that there math.

'Round these parts we like to stick with MPG n'all. Not much use 'round here for GPM 'cept if'n you're talkin bout how much water it takes to get a horse from the farm to the big city.

Gotta go and clear out some tumbleweeds. Them critters just be getting ever where!

Well, I do most of my country road crusing at about 65-70 and highway cruising at about 75-80 which means I'm taching around 2900-3000 rpm. I measured the past 3 tanks for mileage, and I average 30.2 mpg. On one tank full, where I know I was a bit more of a lead-foot than usual (ok, I was really putting my foot into it), I dropped it down to 28.5 mpg. Not bad at all, really.

[Jump]

Thanks for the replies and discussion. To back up PorscheDoc, things are inexpensive here. Also, the speed limit is 75 so the HP doesn't even bat an eye at 80 mph. There can also be some long, straight, boring roads when commuting from one community to another by Interstate, hence the original question on gas efficiency.

[Rail26]

That provided my humor for the day...Thanks! So let me get this straight...do the tumbleweeds and ex-wives go in the wood chipper in South Dakota?

Originally Posted by denverpete

'Round these parts we like to stick with MPG n'all. Not much use 'round here for GPM 'cept if'n you're talkin bout how much water it takes to get a horse from the farm to the big city.

Gotta go and clear out some tumbleweeds. Them critters just be getting ever where!

[Brucelee]

Pete is correct.

6th gear for 80 MPH.