Heavy Mileage daily suggestion - part 2

"USUSGTO" (ususgto) 08/12/2019 at 08:01 • Filed to: None

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So first off, a lot of you had some stellar recommendations as regards !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! And thanks for that. I am glad I asked. Just wante d to share an example of the typical trip I take maybe 4 times a month, i f not more.    

So yes, you all contributed to a healthy discussion as regards a high mileage mpg, and fast forward a week later, I had a 500 mile trip co me up.

I was offered choice of three small SUV s by AVIS:

- Mazda CX5

- Mitsubishi something

- Kia something

Lookin g around the lot, and not wanting a small SUV / crossover , and e yeing a C harger / 300,   I requested a sedan instead and they obliged and grabbed me a Taurus Li mi ted from the Budget lot next door. LOL. I really would have loved it if they gave me an Aval on. Would have paid ext ra as well.

Well, I requested a large sedan and they gave me a large sedan - Taurus - big car, FWD and off I went.

Before I post the pic summarizing the trip here are some details :

West Houston, TX - South Mid Land, TX

- most of the freeway is 75 mph with occasional bump to 80 (once) and a few times to 65. It started off at 65 as I left town and quickly reached 70 and then 75.

I stopped / detoured 5 times

1) Missed exit / Go t lost i n San Antonio - quick detour - filled up the tank and emptied my bladder and got right back on the on-ramp. Lost maybe 2-3 mi nutes.

2) Stopped for Coffee - small detour (less than 2 miles) . about 4 mins.

3) Took a detour for dinner (4 miles) and another slower route (2 extra miles) to the Hotel - “ wasted” about 10 mins. Wasted, since, t h ere were bet ter options right in front of the hotel.

4) Cleani ng the wi ndsh ield off for bugs - small detour - quick stop at gas station. Sp ent 2 mins cleaning off headlights - windshield.

5) Early morning detour for coffee - despite having mobile - ordered 12 mins ago, they still made me wait 3 more minutes - wasted about 4 minutes.      

All these detours meant I had to take off the freeway, and drive for a few minutes at 35-45 mph and maybe encounter a cou pl e stop signs, each detour .

While Google claimed it would take about 7 hours, the car perf or med like a champ and sust ained speeds o f 90-95 over 20 plus minute intervals regularly. I managed it in little less than 6 hours. and would have been shaved off another 30 mins if I was equipped to not take a break.

There were occasional slow downs with retards not willing to move over or a few times, maps urging me of a speed- trap ahea d.        

I ave raged 80 mph.

M pg - read by car 21.1. did not verify at pump.

Ride: bett er than fine.

Road Noise: Be tter than what I expected. I had some e- book playing in the back ground. or some tunes at slightly higher volume.

Handli ng: O kay - I’ll be honest putting the pedal down at 70 mph to overtake, I could feel torque steer. ALL my cars are RWD. whether its the family bus, or the super- lux 7 series or the hyper- fast-do-stupid-shit- 6 speed SS or my current d ai ly Grand Marquis.

Also around San Angelo, I came across a whole lot of 65 - 7 0 mph long sweepi ng bends with changing elevation an d although the car took it fine, For some reason, I feel I have done “ bet ter” in my 2010 G rand Ma rquis.

Also, I had some heavy braking even ts, thanks to people who would basically decide to not move out of the lane or cut you off at last moment. Th ere was a slight sh udder in the last 100 miles as I slowed down.

21 mpg occasional is not bad. But If I had a Diesel car (Passat TDi / E250 blutec) , this would have been closer to 35 if not higher. Also had it been my perso nal car and not rental, I might have taken it easy on speeds and possibly managed close to 40 mpg. I drove my TDi passat 75k miles over 2.5 years and never hot below 40 mpg - verified at pump (thanks diesel gate) . Occasi onally hit 50 and when i tried, I once did 950 miles on one tank - 55 mpg.    

Now, I really really wanna try a rental spec Avalon.

facw > USUSGTO 08/12/2019 at 09:09

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Hmm, I might have taken 71 through Austin instead. Most of that is not limited access, but it has 75 mph speed limits and is more direct. Google claims it’s 10 minutes faster, but obviously a lot of things could change that.

USUSGTO > facw 08/12/2019 at 09:22

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You are right. And that was the original route. But I changed it last minute:

- Some traffic event showed a delay of 23 minutes on that route as I left home

- Last few trips, as I have used that route, I saw shit-loads of Law Enforcement along 71 both north and south of Austin. Obviously my intend was not to slow down.

- It’s 10 min less time for 27 miles less distance. the I-10 route is just “faster” or allows faster speed.

It was a toss. 

coqui70 > USUSGTO 08/15/2019 at 22:28

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Trips like these is when you realize how big Texas is. Drive a whole day and still be in it!

USUSGTO > coqui70 08/16/2019 at 07:22

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I know, right.

Have been visiting Texas since 2003. Have been a resident si nce 2011. Have been travelling exte nsively ( 20 days a month - flying / driving ) since 2016.

And then I st ill have only experienced less than 50%.

Take away Ho uston, Austin, San Antonio , D allas, Midland and leav es 8 0% of the state unexplored.

800 miles long and maybe 750 miles across.

Also, It’s amazing to drive on these roads. 

coqui70 > USUSGTO 08/16/2019 at 20:49

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Get yourself the Texas State Parks app and a yearly pass - then challenge yourself to visit at least 10 places a year.

USUSGTO > coqui70 08/19/2019 at 07:05

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While a good idea,  My wife and kids are more fond of upstate new york, Vancouver BC , West Coast or Europe than anywhere in Texas. And I dont bla me them, it’s like 110 degrees 3 months of the year, and 90 degrees for half the year and 72 degrees for t he remainder.