Ever since I got a new set of tires, the mileage on the WRX took a nosedive. I used to get 26, now I get 21. I've tried "hyper mileing", but trying to accelerate with just the boxer-4 and not having the turbo kick in is painful, since it doesn't even start spooling until 2800.
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:-)

I was once nicknamed "binary pedal" (gas is either on or off)
:-)
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This is somewhat more of an instance than the rule, many transmissions dont freewheel while in gear and the slipping is taken up hydraulically etc.

We must remember, maximum combustion efficency and maximum fuel economy are two drastically different things. Max economy, most older cars you want to sit at ~55mph as that was where the epa mileage test spends most of its time and thereby you could wieght the epa rated mileage in your favor. The new test Im not so sure as I haven't run one of those in a while...

Max efficency, wide open throttle baby
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After the game last night coming home from Sams tried "the extreme". What could I get based upon getting up to the speed limit (eventually), cruising to stop on neutral, low rpm, force upshifts, etc.

Rolled almost to a dead stop in my driveway with 31.7 MPG showing on the display. Max speed 35 mph. Max RPM 1600 where it would upshift. Cruising rpm 1200. Idle RPM 800 when in neutral. About 2 miles. 2 stops that I rolled at about 3 mph, one left turn in neutral and the left into the driveway rolling to a stop with just a bit of brake.

Got me thinking that with all the electronic gizmos they put on cars today it would be pretty easy to add an "eco mode" that does all the things I am trying manually, automatically. They have performance switches on our cars changing the shift patterns, suspension settings etc, why not the other direction? Switch that moves the shift patterns to the minimum RPM, automatically "freewheels" the transmission and also changes the throttle to much less sensitivity (lots of pedal movement for a little increase in RPM). Seems like it would be much less expensive then "retooling". Would give each of us the option of having different types of MPG and performance vehicles with the flip of a switch. In my case, for city driving this might mean a doubling of mileage. Pretty interesting.
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Did you use cruise control too Dave?


I had a '03 Prius. It got about 48 MPG when the weather was warm, about 42 in the winter. NO BALLS whatsoever.

But on the highway with the cruise set at 75 it was reading over 55 MPG, and going through town with the cruise set at 35 it was reading 99.9 MPG (running on pure electricity).

Sounds great, right? I never realized how much I hated that car until I got my '09 Corolla. :-) Smoother ride, better handling, way more power, and I'm getting over 30 MPG. Plus the car was built in America. Plus I won't have to shell out $4,000 to replace the hybrid system. :-)

Anyway, my point was that cruise control does make a noticeable difference in your mileage.
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Sub 35 mph stop and go so cruise doesn't come into play. My point is that I got over 31 mpg in a 4400 lb 350 hp car city driving through extreme behavior modification. Normal driving = around 14 with no thought to it. My point in all of this is that some "automation" would yield results somewhere in between and not carry the same concerns or costs associated with hybrids etc. The aspect of choice, clicking the Eco button on a car who's normal performance is appealing to us, as an option that might almost double city fuel economy, just makes the concept very intriguing to me.
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Cable didn't have the game tonight.. no nfl network. Was late coming up to the office to watch and have a cigar.

Put it in "sport" seemed to shift at 6000 RPM + and held gears at anything less. Didn't make many friends on the way here.

Got... 10.8 MPG and it felt great. :-)
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On the way home last night realized I had no baseline for "normal" so just drove. Did the same this morning. 14.8 each time so it puts the commute numbers into context.

Worst - 10.8
Normal - 14.8
Best - 27 (I think)
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From what I've read, the tranny doesn't freewheels (if I understand what you mean) -- The wife's subaru's RPM is still "normal" for the speed it's going in gear, but like I said it pegs the MPG readout. Moving to actual neutral does drop the RPM to 800 or so, but the MPG readout reads much less.
(According to this short article your car actually uses no fuel whatsoever while coasting in gear.)
I don't know for sure, just reporting what I've read. I'm not a mechanic -- I can understand a manual tranny, but automatic transmissions might as well be magic to me.

And just for giggles, here's an article from Road & Track regarding gas saving tips and myths.
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Same thing happened a few years ago when I put new tires on my Olds Aurora. (And honestly, it happens to almost every car I've ever swapped tires on -- the Aurora just had the biggest drop in MPG.)

You probably do what I do -- you put on better, stickier tires, right? Maybe even wider ones?
You increased your rolling resistance. Amazing how such a little change adds up, eh?
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Stayed late last night. Roads were empty at 1 am so tried to stretch it a bit. Forgot I was in Neutral once though and rev'd it to 4500 RPM.. arrgh.

21.8 for the trip home. 40 MPH max speed. Max speed limit was 35. Rolled the 3 stops but got caught at the light for 20 seconds.
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http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/12/when-ford-and-h.html
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Oddly enough, while at work I was goofing with my tune and sorted my launch control out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxwHL...eature=related
Not my car but basiclly what it sounds like.
Taking odds I get pulled over on the way home...
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