What is the most fuel efficient speed to drive at?

[Big G]

Take something a bit more evenly matched, BMW 330D does 0-60 in 7.2, which is not far off the 6.4 of the Golf R32 and i daresay the motroway driving would be a lot more effortless in the BMW, would pull better 50-80 in higher gears and have a much better MPG.

However, lets not drift from the point that they are two different cars with two entirely different customers/purposes in mind. You're obviously not going to buy the 330D if racing round tracks is your thing (even though it would do a damn good job of it) and your not gonna buy the R32 if you're doing lots of miles on the motorway.

Personally, I'd buy neither and buy the Focus RS

G

 

[Jonaldo]

56.72943mph

 

[r32]

Originally posted by Big G
Take something a bit more evenly matched, BMW 330D does 0-60 in 7.2, which is not far off the 6.4 of the Golf R32 and i daresay the motroway driving would be a lot more effortless in the BMW, would pull better 50-80 in higher gears and have a much better MPG.

However, lets not drift from the point that they are two different cars with two entirely different customers/purposes in mind. You're obviously not going to buy the 330D if racing round tracks is your thing (even though it would do a damn good job of it) and your not gonna buy the R32 if you're doing lots of miles on the motorway.

Personally, I'd buy neither and buy the Focus RS

G

Yes, but the 330d is over 30K (in Sport trim anyway), the R32 is 22K, a similar price to the 320d Sport (hence me test driving it). So they arent that well matched at all. But by all means get a Focus RS instead. Just don't try and tell me its better than the R32 when the kickback through the steering breaks your wrists before that "advanced" torque-sensing front differential torque steers you into a hedge. Having driven all three superhatches before I chose the R32, I reckon you'd be much better with a 147GTA if you're determined not to have an R32.

 

[Big G]

Fastest hot hatch round a track, s'all i can say.

 

[Tom]

I have to conclude, and I'm sorry I don't want this to get personal, but I have to conclude that r32 is a bit of a knob. Not for disagreeing with me, but his general attitude on what a car should do.

Now if he were to say that he only revs the bollocks off his car on a race track, I might take that back, but I'm betting hes one of the maniacs who will one day seriously injure or even kill a pedestrian.

 

[rynnor]

Originally posted by dysfunction
And NO they dont use KPH. They are just as backward as the UK is in that respect.

Yay the US - down with Napoleonic measurement systems!

 

[Big G]

that's why i added "round a track"

 

[Custy]

Dont know what has been said already; cba to read thread, I've heard 50-60 is most efficient speed to drive at (if your in 5th gear obv).

Also going back to a post near beggining, diesel actually costs more than petrol at quite a few of the garages but you more than compensate for it because it is much more efficient. You just have to put up with big clouds of black smoke whenever you turn the engine on

 

[luap]

omg Custy

The Custy?

The very HAI Custy ?


WTF etc.. ?

 

[Mr^B]

It isn't fucking 56mph.

Is it 56mph in second gear?

No

Is it 56mph in third gear?

No.

It depends on the car, the power of the engine and the gear ratios - and basically it's the highest speed you can maintain in top gear whilst pressing down as little as possible with your right boot.

In my car, that's about 42mph - with which I can get 60 mpg out of a megane coupé 2.0 16v (if you believe my trip computer).

B

 

[Jupitus]

Originally posted by Mr^B
It depends on the car, the power of the engine and the gear ratios - and basically it's the highest speed you can maintain in top gear whilst pressing down as little as possible with your right boot.

Agree with you mostly, but I'm not certain on this part. Engines will exhibit different levels of efficiency at different speeds, and although generally low revs will indeed be the most fuel efficient it's not necessarily 'minimal' revs. At slightly higher revs the timing of the engine and combustion process may well mean the fuel is being burnt more efficiently for the power output.

Definitely agree that it isn't necessarily 56mph as it depends on so many different factors. The fact that the manufacturers may aim to get good consumption at this speed as it is a benchmark may mean that many cars will perform well at this speed, but that's as far as it goes.

Think about it.... remember when cars started popping up with their 'cd' rating in the rear quarter windows? Drag coefficient was the latest buzz word and cars were being designed for a low wind resistance. Well... as a parallel... if all cars were made to have the most efficient shape, they would all be the exact same shape. How dull would that be?

 

[Mr^B]

Hmmm, never thought of engines running more efficiently at higher revs - I just assumed that it would use a minimum of fuel at idle, and the graph would curve up from there.

Trying to find any information on this subject on the Intarweb is like trying to find an application crack without half-a-billion pr0n popups.

 

[luap]

dont forget that the higher the travelling speed the less time the engine will be running therefore the fuel usage for the journey will be lower.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by luap
dont forget that the higher the travelling speed the less time the engine will be running therefore the fuel usage for the journey will be lower.

Don't forget to bring drag into that equation.

 

[dysfunction]

Originally posted by Tom
Don't forget to bring drag into that equation.

Yes...cos if you wear a dress while driving you consume less fuel...

 

[Tom]

unexpected....

 

[[JKoN]KOSH]

my car >> 1.9 130bhp TDI PDI VW Passet goes like s**t of a shovel does insane speeds and currently doing 68 mpg oh and most effecent speed of this car is 64mph 'ish, well most legal one anyway

 

[r32]

Originally posted by Tom
I have to conclude, and I'm sorry I don't want this to get personal, but I have to conclude that r32 is a bit of a knob. Not for disagreeing with me, but his general attitude on what a car should do.

Now if he were to say that he only revs the bollocks off his car on a race track, I might take that back, but I'm betting hes one of the maniacs who will one day seriously injure or even kill a pedestrian.

I can see how you'd reach that conclusion, but it wasnt the point I was trying to make at all - I just don't like diesels, for when the roads get empty and twisty, and the aim of the drive is to have some fun, they are a clear second best to petrol engines. People who thrash their cars in built-up areas are twats, end of. Luckily, living in Bedfordshire, I have some glorious unused stretches of B-road less than 5 minutes from my house where I can have a lot of fun, and the only person I'm putting at risk is myself (We'll ignore the powerslide in my old 328i that had me facing sideways on the wrong side of the road for now).

To Big G. The Focus RS is 1 second faster around a track than an R32, according to Top Gear TV. According to evo, the difference is even less. Tis a sacrifice I'd quite happily make for a bit of usuability on the many occasions in this country when the roads aren't billiard table smooth. The Focus RS has far too many issues to be considered a true driver's car imo, and don;t even get me started on the Halfords rent-an-interior.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by r32
I can see how you'd reach that conclusion, but it wasnt the point I was trying to make at all - I just don't like diesels, for when the roads get empty and twisty, and the aim of the drive is to have some fun, they are a clear second best to petrol engines. People who thrash their cars in built-up areas are twats, end of.

I take back what I said, point taken. Mind you, nothing is more annoying than constantly changing gear to keep the power up, so you gotta get a good petrol engine I suppose.

 

[Mr^B]

"the only person I'm putting at risk is myself"

...and any unfortunate people out walking (their dogs) down a quiet B-road.

It would be better for everyone if we could keep driving like a complete **** where it belongs - ie. on the race track.

 

[r32]

Oh a B-road! That sounds like a sensible place to take the dog for a walk! I mean, they ALL have pavements and all the cars on them go really really slowly. What's next? Take care on motorways incase there's some suicidal nutcase about to chuck himself off a bridge?


Being serious for a moment, I think ramblers, dogwalkers, cyclists and horse riders should stay off the B-roads imo. Not only do the degenerates not pay a penny of tax to use them, but in the vast majority of cases I have seen, they have been a danger to themselves and anyone else on the road. Cyclists crawling up hills two abreast, ramblers stepping out into the middle of the road without warning, multiple horses crawling and shitting their way along the twisty section of the B660 I enjoy so much, greasing the surface up nicely, just so grip is REALLY hard to get. They'd be safer on motorways tbh.

 

[Will]

Which they aren't allowed on. I was thinking about cycling a large distance recently, but due to the way people drive on any roads outside cities, its just not possible.

 

[Testin da Cable]

I don't think I could ever bike in GB. I'm far too spoilt by Holland. I'd end up killing some idiot car driver I expect.

just to balance things, I also drive a car. cyclists don't seem to bother me and I don't seem to bother them. I wonder why?

 

[Ekydus]

Is cooking oil more economically sound than petrol?

 

[GDW]

Ive just returned from a 160 mile round trip as a passenger in a new M3.

My God that is one seriously fast car!!!!!

Average mpg was 12 !!

Funnest part was pulling away from a Scooba at 140mph


I want one now goddammit

 

[Tom]

rapeseed oil is, and most modern diesels can run off it (buy a conversion kit and you can run your engine off it neat)

 

[Big G]

Originally posted by GDW
Funnest part was pulling away from a Scooba at 140mph

.. and hit the 155 mph limiter?

 

[Mr^B]

Originally posted by r32
Being serious for a moment, I think ramblers, dogwalkers, cyclists and horse riders should stay off the B-roads imo. Not only do the degenerates not pay a penny of tax to use them, but in the vast majority of cases I have seen, they have been a danger to themselves and anyone else on the road. Cyclists crawling up hills two abreast, ramblers stepping out into the middle of the road without warning, multiple horses crawling and shitting their way along the twisty section of the B660 I enjoy so much, greasing the surface up nicely, just so grip is REALLY hard to get. They'd be safer on motorways tbh.

So there you go, it's not ONLY your life you risk when careering around on B-roads.

 

[Embattle]

Originally posted by r32

Being serious for a moment<- - SNIP - - > Not only do the degenerates not pay a penny of tax to use them,

Or lets not.

 

[old.ignus]

well in about 6 months time I'll be at Leconfield school of transport driving anything with wheels and maybe tracks. I'll ask them and have all the answers to your questions?