Fuel Consumption/Car type
- Thread starter MrBishop
- Start date
Altron said:
No I don't. I have this thing called a job...it requires that I have a none crashed car and a valid driver's licence.
I believe I've hit 130km/hr once and then realized how fast I was going and let it fall back to 120. As a general rule I don't go over 120km/hr and even then only on certain highways and when it's generally with the flow of traffic in my lane (I'm usually in the fast lane on non-GTA highways so 120km/hr is usually the flow of traffic...GTA highways suck shit and I will not drive over the speedlimit on them).
Altron
Well-Known Member
See, now that's something I can respect. 75m/120km per hour is a reasonable speed limit. 55m/88km per hour is not a reasonable speed limit.
In Arizona, speed limit was like 75. It was nice. In NJ, it's 55. It's why people speed with impunity. 75mph is much more reasonable, but if you're going to go 20mph above the limit, why not go 30 above? Or 40 above? Even though it can land you a big ticket, every car except for the beat up old van in the right lane that's being honked at, passed, and cut off by everyone is speeding. 75mph would at least encourage people to stay below 80, whereas with 55mph, it's like 'Hey, what's another 5mph when you're already doing 25 over the limit?'
It also leads to a police force that doesn't do its job. Since 90% of the cars are speeding, they just pull people over. A limit of 75mph would mean that only 15% of cars are speeding, so they can catch the drunk people doing like 100mph and ignore the normal folk keeping it between 70 and 80.
It doesn't help that speedometers go so high either. Most sedans with a V6 engine have speedos going up to 160mph. Going 80mph on one of those doesn't look that fast. Hell, you're only going half of the maximum speed, you can keep accelerating. My speedo goes up to 85. Going 80 on that looks fast, and it looks like it's near the car's maximum speed, so don't go much faster, even though the car is good for a lot more than 85.
In Arizona, speed limit was like 75. It was nice. In NJ, it's 55. It's why people speed with impunity. 75mph is much more reasonable, but if you're going to go 20mph above the limit, why not go 30 above? Or 40 above? Even though it can land you a big ticket, every car except for the beat up old van in the right lane that's being honked at, passed, and cut off by everyone is speeding. 75mph would at least encourage people to stay below 80, whereas with 55mph, it's like 'Hey, what's another 5mph when you're already doing 25 over the limit?'
It also leads to a police force that doesn't do its job. Since 90% of the cars are speeding, they just pull people over. A limit of 75mph would mean that only 15% of cars are speeding, so they can catch the drunk people doing like 100mph and ignore the normal folk keeping it between 70 and 80.
It doesn't help that speedometers go so high either. Most sedans with a V6 engine have speedos going up to 160mph. Going 80mph on one of those doesn't look that fast. Hell, you're only going half of the maximum speed, you can keep accelerating. My speedo goes up to 85. Going 80 on that looks fast, and it looks like it's near the car's maximum speed, so don't go much faster, even though the car is good for a lot more than 85.
As for the speed limit thing. Pretty much all highways here are 100km/hr...very few are 90km/hr. With that said, some of the highways here I drive 120km/hr on but others, as I said I won't drive over 100km/hr because they're quite frankly NOT in good shape. Also, the speed limit isn't only based on the car's capability...it's also based on the speed at which most drivers are competant, and the road itself...but ALOT of it is because of drivers. Also, unless I'm on a beat up road that I feel I need to be cautious on I ALWAYS drive 10km/hr above the speed limit (traffic allowing of course) because I know I can get away with it around here...just like I know I'm very unlikely to get pulled over for going 120 on the highway. If the streets that are 60km/hr were hiked up to 80km/hr instead of driving 70 I'd then drive 90...many people speed no matter what the limit is, raising the limit would just increase the speed of the speeders.
Altron
Well-Known Member
I'm going to get some gas monday, and calculate the mileage. I haven't done any highway driving but I haven't done any parking lot stunts either, so it should be about what the average for around town driving is, now that the tires have some air in them it should be better than the 12-13 I was getting before. I assume the new air intake helped too (In case you missed it, a new air filter and air intake hose were added). I need to take pictures of that too...
Luis G said:Now start driving it like you should
I already said I'm no longer careful with my acceleration. Infact there are times I think "whoa, I shouldn't accelerate so fast...I'll give myself whiplash or something!" that's usually when I'm like "I need to be THERE, NOW!" and hit the gas.
BlurOfSerenity
New Member
My 1995 mercury mystique, which is like a ford contour with a less ugly front end, gets about 23 mpg last I checked. I'll call that city, since I only take it above 55 or 60 once a week or so, and I don't really go anywhere where the roads are not dotted with traffic lights. I mostly take it to work, one of my jobs is 5 minutes away and the other is 15 away.
I was feeling like my car was a pos as far as gas milage went, but this thread has got me feeling a bit better about my Hot Barbie-Q.
I was feeling like my car was a pos as far as gas milage went, but this thread has got me feeling a bit better about my Hot Barbie-Q.
Altron
Well-Known Member
I'm just beginning to get the hang of egg-between-foot-and-pedal driving. Not that I don't put a lot of pressure on the pedal, it's a very stiff pedal, but I don't put it down as far as I normally would. I realized that it's completely fine to take 15 seconds to go from 0-40, and it's not my problem that the assholes behind me are too impatient to wait that long and floor it past me then cut me off. It's not like it matters. Aside from the acceleration, the speed limit is usually 40, sometimes 45, and I rarely go more than 5mph above it, so I get passed by angry people a lot. The funniest part is that in traffic with lots of lights (roughly 1 per every 1/4 mile on my commute), I usually catch the assholes who pass me and cut me off at the next light. On occasion, when there's two lanes going straight (at the light next to my house, where it's two lanes at the light but then merges about 50 yards after the light), all the assholes stop in the left lane for the red light, whereas I'm a hundred feet behind them in the right lane, and the light goes green, and I blow by them. I'm going 45, they're stopped, and they have 50 yards to pass me before it becomes one lane. They really try their hardest, flooring their cute little V6s and four-bangers, but nine times out of ten, I beat them to the merge. I usually don't even accelerate during those 50 yards.Then they're stuck riding my ass for the next two miles, while I have a sudden change of heart and decide that hey, 40mph is the law.
That pisses them off to no end, and amuses me. They ride so close that I can't see their headlights with my mirror, very close, but I don't worry too much about getting rear-ended. My brakes are still in decent enough condition, but I am very light on the brakes, and the car is heavy enough that I have doubts that I could stop the car in such a quick enough time to get slammed hard. And most of the cars that do that are either small cars like Hondas, or luxury cars like BMWs, cars that can stop quickly.
It is rather amusing, however, when they blatantly disregard safety and the law. Just because I'm going the speed limit does not make it OK to floor it, cross double yellow lines (dunno about celcius-land, but double yellow lines = DO NOT CROSS THESE LINES UNDER UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER FOR ANY REASON), and cut me off. Or if I'm taking a right turn, the second my signal goes on (because I use signals every time, and at the right time. Not too soon, not too late, not when I don't need to, always when I do need to. Signalling too early or when unnecessary is just as bad as too late or not at all. Can't tell you how many times I've gone around bends in the road where the person in front put on the signals and I thought they were doing a lane change. Or when people in front of you put the turn singal on a half mile before the turn, so you think that they're just neanderthals who can't operate a simple lever correctly, but then slam on the brakes and turn, proving that they are neanderthals. Or when they signal, then turn the opposite direction. Or when they leave the signals on for very long periods of time. I once drove for 10 miles behind a van that had the left turn signal on the entire time.), they cut across the double yellow lines and pass me.
While I am of the camp that says that it's OK to speed during times of light traffic and good weather (NEVER in bad weather, NEVER in traffic)(because the speed limit was set to conserve fuel, not because of safety reasons)(Going 10mph slower than everyone else is more dangerous than going the same speed as everyone else), TRAFFIC LAWS ARE NOT A SUGGESTION. Police need to give tickets to reckless and aggressive drivers. Double yellows exist for a reason. Turning lanes exist for a reason. If you wanted to take a left turn, but you're in the right turning lane, well ain't that just too fucking bad. Guess you're going to have to find a spot to LEGALLY make a U-turn. Turn signals exist for a reason. The one and the only legitimate reason for not using a turn signals is when you need to do a very precise turn while shifting. Not using them while stopped in traffic, or not using them while changing lanes, or not using them in a car with automatic transmission is negligence and stupidity.
Whoa, that turned into an hour long rant. I started typing it right after Nixy's post (didn't even see Ash's until after I posted - Don't feel bad about your Mercury (well, other than the fact that it's not an Oldsmobile, but I think I can forgive you for that - Oldsmobile died well before 1995), you go as far on one gallon as I go on two, last time I bothered to do the calculations)
That pisses them off to no end, and amuses me. They ride so close that I can't see their headlights with my mirror, very close, but I don't worry too much about getting rear-ended. My brakes are still in decent enough condition, but I am very light on the brakes, and the car is heavy enough that I have doubts that I could stop the car in such a quick enough time to get slammed hard. And most of the cars that do that are either small cars like Hondas, or luxury cars like BMWs, cars that can stop quickly.
It is rather amusing, however, when they blatantly disregard safety and the law. Just because I'm going the speed limit does not make it OK to floor it, cross double yellow lines (dunno about celcius-land, but double yellow lines = DO NOT CROSS THESE LINES UNDER UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER FOR ANY REASON), and cut me off. Or if I'm taking a right turn, the second my signal goes on (because I use signals every time, and at the right time. Not too soon, not too late, not when I don't need to, always when I do need to. Signalling too early or when unnecessary is just as bad as too late or not at all. Can't tell you how many times I've gone around bends in the road where the person in front put on the signals and I thought they were doing a lane change. Or when people in front of you put the turn singal on a half mile before the turn, so you think that they're just neanderthals who can't operate a simple lever correctly, but then slam on the brakes and turn, proving that they are neanderthals. Or when they signal, then turn the opposite direction. Or when they leave the signals on for very long periods of time. I once drove for 10 miles behind a van that had the left turn signal on the entire time.), they cut across the double yellow lines and pass me.
While I am of the camp that says that it's OK to speed during times of light traffic and good weather (NEVER in bad weather, NEVER in traffic)(because the speed limit was set to conserve fuel, not because of safety reasons)(Going 10mph slower than everyone else is more dangerous than going the same speed as everyone else), TRAFFIC LAWS ARE NOT A SUGGESTION. Police need to give tickets to reckless and aggressive drivers. Double yellows exist for a reason. Turning lanes exist for a reason. If you wanted to take a left turn, but you're in the right turning lane, well ain't that just too fucking bad. Guess you're going to have to find a spot to LEGALLY make a U-turn. Turn signals exist for a reason. The one and the only legitimate reason for not using a turn signals is when you need to do a very precise turn while shifting. Not using them while stopped in traffic, or not using them while changing lanes, or not using them in a car with automatic transmission is negligence and stupidity.
Whoa, that turned into an hour long rant. I started typing it right after Nixy's post (didn't even see Ash's until after I posted - Don't feel bad about your Mercury (well, other than the fact that it's not an Oldsmobile, but I think I can forgive you for that - Oldsmobile died well before 1995), you go as far on one gallon as I go on two, last time I bothered to do the calculations)
and how does it feel?
A.B.Normal
New Member
Its been a really long day and I don't even want to attempt calculating
244km on 36.344liters = ???mpg .I actually pumped it more than I should ,it just seemed that it should have taken more than $41 ,so I tweaked the handle a couple extra times .Anyone tell me if its close to 18mpg.
Nevermind http://www.eforecourt.com/calc_mpg.htm
18.97mpg
244km on 36.344liters = ???mpg .I actually pumped it more than I should ,it just seemed that it should have taken more than $41 ,so I tweaked the handle a couple extra times .Anyone tell me if its close to 18mpg.
Nevermind http://www.eforecourt.com/calc_mpg.htm
18.97mpg
A.B.Normal
New Member
Luis G said:
according to google though,I'm only getting (244 km) / (36.34400 liters) = 15.791426 miles per gallon
they can't both be correct.
A.B.Normal
New Member
Well ,Google seems off,using my trucks window sticker I should be getting 12.8L per 100km = 22mpg hwy,google says that conversion is (12.8 litres) per (100 km) = 18.3761394 miles per gallon.Its off on the City driving Mpg to,so I wouldn't trust googles results too much.The only thing I can think of to explain the descrepency is the size difference between US (google ) gallons and Imperial Gallons,but since most of the US Dodge Dakota owners on the Trucks forums I frequent are getting the same MPG as me ,I tend t believe google isn't reliable.
[edit since Luis reponse] Most of the US Dakota owners use ther own math and that of the on board computer (if so equipt) to arrive at the same #s as I .
Luis can you calculate (if you have that info) if your cars manufacturers l/100km =mpg is correct acccording to Google.
[edit since Luis reponse] Most of the US Dakota owners use ther own math and that of the on board computer (if so equipt) to arrive at the same #s as I .
Luis can you calculate (if you have that info) if your cars manufacturers l/100km =mpg is correct acccording to Google.
BlurOfSerenity
New Member
altron, you and I share a love of pissing people off with our obedience of known traffic laws. It's so weird how doing what you're supposed to can make people mad!
One thing I can absolutely not wrap my head around is people that stop in a traffic circle to let people into it. People who stop in this manner clearly have no grasp on how a traffic circle works. I feel kind of bad when I wave them on to keep moving, because they were trying to be nice, but I happen to really like traffic circles because, assuming everyone uses them properly, they are some of the few places where order has been established. They're like the good feng shui of the road, that's where there is the least dischord... Until someone fucks it up and then I get mad.
Same with stop signs. A lot of people don't seem to know that if they stop first, they go first, and any attempts to be "courteous" just throw me off. I'm cool with waiting, I accepted that lawfully that was my duty, as I reached my stop sign after they reached theirs. Sometimes in traffic there is no room for "courtesy". That comes in when I'm trying to merge or my lane suddenly ends... Don't be a prick and speed up to block me when you see plainly my need to change lanes.
I feel sometimes that if you took all the misplaced courtesy and put it where it belongs, highways would be a lot more friendly. As it currently stands, I avoid them, because I like going the speed limit and I like people using turn signals and I like not getting honked at because someone's sorry ass is in too much of a hurry to observe proper following distance. Why are people always in a hurry? I think that question is what bothers me most of all.
One thing I can absolutely not wrap my head around is people that stop in a traffic circle to let people into it. People who stop in this manner clearly have no grasp on how a traffic circle works. I feel kind of bad when I wave them on to keep moving, because they were trying to be nice, but I happen to really like traffic circles because, assuming everyone uses them properly, they are some of the few places where order has been established. They're like the good feng shui of the road, that's where there is the least dischord... Until someone fucks it up and then I get mad.
Same with stop signs. A lot of people don't seem to know that if they stop first, they go first, and any attempts to be "courteous" just throw me off. I'm cool with waiting, I accepted that lawfully that was my duty, as I reached my stop sign after they reached theirs. Sometimes in traffic there is no room for "courtesy". That comes in when I'm trying to merge or my lane suddenly ends... Don't be a prick and speed up to block me when you see plainly my need to change lanes.
I feel sometimes that if you took all the misplaced courtesy and put it where it belongs, highways would be a lot more friendly. As it currently stands, I avoid them, because I like going the speed limit and I like people using turn signals and I like not getting honked at because someone's sorry ass is in too much of a hurry to observe proper following distance. Why are people always in a hurry? I think that question is what bothers me most of all.
Altron
Well-Known Member
Going to go on a quick trip today and stop at the gas station. I'm just about 100 miles since filled it up, reading about 7/8ths of the tank (although, tbh, the gauge is completely worthless for telling you how much gas you've used. It only tells you how far away from empty you are). For the first 50 miles after I fill the tank, it reads 125% full. Now, at around 100 miles, it reads about 87.5% full. At 12.5% full, the tank is empty. Not idiot-light-turning-on empty. Engine stopping and the car rolling onto the shoulder with an e-brake stop because the power brakes are starting to go.
Altron
Well-Known Member
ash r said:
I find that those big 40mph roads that aren't quite highways are the worst. At least on the highway, there's no traffic signals to worry about. On those 40mph roads, people will floor it and weave in traffic to make a light.
There are two big intersections of roads like that on my commute, and that's where I see the dumbest driving of all time. There are left turning lanes. The light lasts for about 15 seconds, then turns yellow for 3, then red. I see people turning AFTER the light for the turning lane goes red, because they just don't have the time to wait one minute for the next one. There's typically one or two lanes going straight.
One of the worst was where there was only 1 lane going straight. It was at night, and I was the only car going straight (no cars going left). This punk kid in his Civic got in the left lane, floored it. The light was green and I was going through the intersection, and the motherfucker flies past me in the turning lane, then cuts me off and goes straight.
If I was going 5mph faster, or him 5mph slower, he would have hit me in the front left of the car.