Well folks, there you have it. I broke the 40 mpg barrier in my car! Up to this point, the best I've been able to get was 37.5. I was really shooting for 38 when last time I ended up with 32. I was so disappointed that I decided to really focus in on it. I normally go about 400 miles on a tank, but this time I went 440. I could have gone farther, but I wasn't going to have time to go to the gas station until well after I thought I would run out, so I had to cave and fill up. Here's how I did it, just in case you want to give it a shot. One of the key factors to my success is in the fact that I have books on tape to listen to in my car. It helps me be more patient, which you will see why that's necessary in a minute. Here are some more keys to my success:
- 90% of my driving is freeway driving. I realize that's just not realistic for most people, but we live just a few blocks from the freeway and my work is just a few blocks from the freeway too.
- I use cruise control as much as possible.
- I drive about 63-64 mph. This is where the books on tape come in handy. I just move over to the right lane like all slow people should, get involved in my book, and let everyone pass me. Don't worry though, I'm a great slow driver. I always move over to let people around me, and let people merge. This also helps me not to yell as much while I'm driving.
- I watch the tachometer (measures RPMs), and try not to ever go over 3000 RPMs. This is impossible sometimes if I have to speed up to enter the freeway (which you should always do at freeway speeds), or move over to pass people, but for the most part I follow this. Sometimes this even involves turning off the cruise control if I'm going up a hill (I commute around point of the mountain every day) and letting myself slow down a couple miles an hour. Once I start down the other side it's easy to get back up to speed without ever letting the car downshift.
These are the main points of my success. I recommend getting a library card and checking out books on tape (or CD if you please). It's not easy to change my driving habits, but I always felt like I was too angry in the car before I slowed down. It's good for me, but it may not be your cup of tea. Maybe just give a couple of points a try. You may not be able to get 40 mpg, but I bet you can get better.