Gas Tip of the Day

By -
Reciently, a few of us took a little trip to Pittsburgh. On the way there, I admit to driving very slow, a cool 65 mph the whole way. However, my gas mileage was great! I got over 42 mpg! On the way back, I guess we were in a little more of a hurry. We probably averaged 70 to 72 miles per hour, and the trip only took us around a half hour less (of course, we did get lost in the city for a little while), but the gas mileage we got just didn't compare. We only got 37 mpg. If you think about it, in 10 gallons, we could have gone 50 more miles at the slower speed! So, take it easy, take your time. You won't get tickets, your insurance cost will be lower, and you won't have to pay as much for gas!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Assuming a gas price of roughly $2.80/gallon, 42mpg gets you 6.66 cents/mile, whereas 37mpg is 7.56 cents/mile.

Pittsburgh is 370 miles from Lexington, equaling $24.62 in gas at 65mph, or $27.97 at 72mph.

The question is... is it worth that extra $3.00 to arrive a half hour early?

The other question is... what car do you drive, because that's good mileage no matter what.
04 October, 2005 11:45
Pete said…
Excellent point.

How much is your time worth?
04 October, 2005 12:19
Kris said…
I think the money adds up eventually. I just have a little ole Honda Civic...standard transmission makes a big difference.
04 October, 2005 15:23
Rachel C. Clay said…
Hey all, check out this really cool link. You can insert any zipcode and get a list of gas prices in the area!
http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=40503&src=LeftNav
04 October, 2005 16:02
Anonymous said…
www.LexingtonGasPrices.com is another good one

they have it for pretty much any sizable city (chicagogasprices.com, atlantagasprices.com, etc)
04 October, 2005 16:34
Jules said…
Clearly our time is worth something when we decide to pay for a plane ticket, instead of taking the time and energy to drive somewhere. It's always cheaper to drive - especially when you have people chipping in for gas - but you reach a certain point where it's just not worth the time. I personally have never had a problem with the idea of a few extra bucks to get to my destination a little quicker. Thirty minutes off of a long trip - especially close to midnight on a Friday night, after a long week - is a lifetime. And I've never been pulled over for 5-7 mph over. Has anyone else? Um, Jason? Have you ever even gone only 5-7 mph over? :)
04 October, 2005 17:20
Kris said…
I didn't go fast enough to check out the gas efficiency at a speed that I would get pulled over for. It was just an example demonstrating how it all works. When I don't particularly know where I'm going, especially, I'd rather relax and take it slow. When I'm thinking of a trip to Louisville, especially if I were to take several in a month or something, the extra money in my pocket would add up to be worth more than 5 extra minutes each time in the car. I also get stressed if I feel rushed or in a hurry, so it's worth the sanity for me.
04 October, 2005 22:19
Kris said…
Oh, and especially at midnight on a Friday night after a long week when I'm exhausted, I'm just not comfortable driving fast anyway. At that state of exhaustion, those extra 5-7 miles an hour make a difference to my personal coordination. I know, everyone has their own limits.
04 October, 2005 22:21
Pete said…
Jules, actually for me, now days it costs just about the same to fly or drive home. Double bonus!
04 October, 2005 23:26
Jay said…
Well, I've certainly tested the proverbial waters at higher rates of speed. It seems to me that my Cougar was most efficient around 70-75mph, because I could be in fifth gear, and also not bogging down. It seems like having your RPMs between 2-3K is where it's at. And no, Jules, I have NEVER been pulled over for 5-7 over. I almost always drive 10 over unless I'm feeling a little gutsy. BUT, my reason for my speed is more my innate need for speed rather than silly gas mileage or arriving quicker. I think the keiser will agree with me--it's just more fun driving faster. And, I am much more alert when driving at 80 than I am at 65. I just pay closer attention.
05 October, 2005 09:21
Anonymous said…
I think RPMs are different on different cars, due to differences in the engine (displacement, etc).

But I agree, driving faster is just fun. I usually cruise at 14 over the speed limit unless someone passes me, in which case I trail behind them a quarter mile or so, and let them flush out the cops.
06 October, 2005 10:02
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