Krimson, you're saying 72 mph is the best speed for the buck? I'm interested in trying that on my drive home tomorrow (300+ miles).

 

Not so much bang for the buck - compromise was the term. A sacrifice in MPG to accommodate the rush of traffic flow wanting to go faster and not bog the flow down.

Interested in hearing your feedback.

 

I think we're sayin' the same thing, I just have a different language

Alright, not totally related to wht the OP asked, but close and IS related to what Krimson was sayin'. My commute is apprx 300 miles each way and sorta flat (there are hills, but most ups are usually followed with an equal downhill which helps a little). I'd also like to say I'm not interested in becoming a hypermiler. Adjusting my driving habits within reason and leaving the car pretty much as is, is the plan. For example, if it's hot, the A/C is going to be used. I'm not going to suffer just to get an extra mpg. I can, however, leave some more space in front of me, minimize my accel, etc.

I drove to work (300 miles to LA) with my odo starting at 200 and ending in CA at 500, so it's still breaking in. I DID continue to vary my RPM but hung out mostly at 80 mph. I'm not an erradic driver, but I drove my normal way. It got me 32 mpg (gauge) when I got to LA.

A few days later, time to go home for some relaxation and 'activities.' I followed Krimson's advice and aimed for a cruise at 72 mph, a good compromise. Odo start was 500 and ended around 800. To get out of the LA area, I hung out at 60-65 mph. This was the speed I was able to cruise at considering all the dumb drivers around me standing on their brakes and what not. If I do 72 in/around the greater LA area, I'd be on the brakes and accel'ing constantly. So 1/4 of the trip at 60-65 and the rest of the trip pretty much at 72. It really was a good compromise. I was screwing other drivers and I didn't feel like I was going in reverse. I turned the A/C on in the last 1/4 of the drive (this is real world, people) and it didn't change my avg mpg much at all. I ended up at 38 mpg.

This is pretty damn good for a motor that's breaking in. This should get better with miles, and I will possibly increase tire psi MINIMALLY just to see if a couple psi helps without compromising too much.

Thanks Krimson for pointing me in that direction. The side benefit is it will slow me down a bit which is safer, more economical, and less ticket prone.

 

This is mirroring my own experiences. I get better mpg on the expressways (where I drive between 40-55mph) than on the freeways (where I drive between 60-70mph).

Keeping it under 65mph on the highways and coasting comfortably on the expressways gets me my best overall mpg.

I drive a Sport AT.