55 miles per hour

[dave guest]

Remember this? Did it work? I know this is a can of worms but I can't remember. Seems like I had an old Chrysler that did better when driven hard. But that was carburetor. Anybody try this lately? Gas mileage, I'm referring to.

 

[[email protected]]

I can run this one out to about 60 at 24 MPG. Once I run it up to 70 or more, then it drops to about 21/22 MPG at best.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Do you think if the government lowered the maximum speeds on highways back to 55 and 65 on interstates it would help out gas prices overall? Also it would give more money to help maintain roads from collecting speeding tickets

 

[Walt Davies]

This one was pretty new back then and it killed me as I did better at 70 MPH. Most cars did do better at 55 but mine was made for speed and it worked better at 70 than 55.
That's the better half when we first met.
Walt
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[Anonymous-0]

I've got a VW Passat (German specs) wagon with 2 liter motor and 5 speed.
I drive 100-110 mph and get 25+ mpg. I tried a tank at max 60 mph, but the difference wasn't worth the extra driving time (2-3 mpg). Wife has a Dodge Stratus (American specs) that seems to do better under 80 mph. My F250 is happiest at 55-60.

Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Anyone who says that they get better gas milage at 80 than at 55 is flat out lying. Speed takes power and it takes more fuel to make power. You bet going back to 55 MPH would help. Not as much people making the decision to only drive when absolutely needed though.

 

[Anonymous-0]

(quoted from post at 02:42:28 03/10/08) Anyone who says that they get better gas milage at 80 than at 55 is flat out lying. Speed takes power and it takes more fuel to make power. You bet going back to 55 MPH would help. Not as much people making the decision to only drive when absolutely needed though.

Hope you've got the good sense to confine your name calling to the internet. Could cause your insurance premiums to go up a little....

Someone asked a question and some folks gave the feedback he wanted. Thing for you to have done at that time would have been either leave some constructive answers as to pros and cons, or keep your mouth shut.
Life is full of choices, lets just hope that most of us make the right ones.

Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Whats so funny is that they realy believe they get better mpg by going fast. Best way to fix that is put a can of gas holding one gal let them run 75 till it runs out then try again at 55. How come the NASCAR guys slow up and get off the throttle some when trying to save gas as they sure dont speed up. They maus also have the special carb the gas companies bought up to keep off the market.

 

[jokers]

No it won`t help Scott, those are the speed limits here in New York and I`m paying $4.15.9 for diesel.

Handing out more speeding tickets only adds more insult to the injury of living in this state that regulates and taxes everything, you kind of struck a sore spot with me.

 

[jokers]

In my Dodge 3500 with Cummins and auto it doesn`t seem to matter if I drive 55 or up to about 63 mph, the fuel consumption stays the same, 63 to 72 drops about another mile or so per gallon and it`s all down hill to 100 mph which is the fastest that I`ve consistently driven this truck.

 

[dhermesc]

With the new CAFE laws the speed limit will probably have to be lowered. Last time it fuel mileage requirements were raised automaker responded by building lighter (unsafe) cars. It is estimated the old requirements have costed over a half MILLION lives and untold numbers injured.

 

[johndeereman]

it all comes down to youre gearing typically youre milage peaks at 60 with my 96 ram 1500 i get 18 mpg goin to work and back wich i go 55 to 60 most times i get better milage at 55 than 45 just cause it shifts to o/d at 50 and drops bout 500 rpms thats the real key keep those rpms low

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Dave,

Yay they found it indeed saved fuel but they also found the free-way system was underdesigned too handle the traffic.

Slower traffic flow equaled more traffic per mile and why they raised it back up.

Vehicle death rate also dropped at 55mph but who cares about that.

T_Bone

 

[SparepartsTN]

Back when I was younger, 1967-1974, I used to drive a MGA, english sports car. It had a 1500 cc engine, 4 speed, posi rear, and was happiest at 80mph(getting 30mpg), I liked it too.

Warren

 

[jubilee johnny]

My 7.3 power stroke seems to get better mileage at 70mph than 55mph. I have the superchip in it and it routinely gets 20 to 24 mph. I'm wondering why there hasn't been talk of lowering the speed limits like they did back in the days of the Arab oil embargo....??

 

[jubilee johnny]

I mean 20 to 24 MPG.

 

[Steven f/AZ]

For some vehicles, yes 55mph helps with mileage - especially bigger vehicles.

My 94 del Sol had a best of 53 mpg going from Flagstaff to Kingman, AZ on the interstate staying at 75mph. It is downhill most of the way, so that helped. I did this twice while I owned the car.

For the 20,000 miles I drove it, I averaged 43 mpg overall. The difference between me driving 55, 75, or even up to 95 mph was a matter of a couple mpg. I had it geared so it was only turning 2000 rpm at 70mph and 2800 at 95mph. 5th gear was useless under 70mph because of the low rpms and small (1.5L) engine. It was a fun car, but two seats just doesn't cut it when your family increases to 3 people.

My Accord seems to average around 27 or 28 no matter how we drive it. The Dodge Grand Caravan will get up to 23mpg driving around 60mph steady, but only 18mpg in town.

This 97 Dodge Ram with a 360 and auto managed to average 17 mpg driving home to ND through the mountains and averaging around 75 mph. It had 212,000 miles on it at the time...

I also had one of those Thunderbirds like was posted above... 4.6 overhead cam v-8 would average up to 28mpg on the highway, usually around 25mpg mixed driving. Had an older one with a v-6 that wouldn't do that good, small engine had to work harder in such a big car.

I personally feel the solution is for people to stop driving big pickups and SUV's as their commuter vehicles. There are too many 3/4 and 1 ton pickups on the road around here with NO passengers, NO cargo and NO trailer!

 

[Goose]

I live next to, and drive on, I-80. The speed limit is 75, with average speed running about 78-79. It does drop to 65 by cities, namely Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska.

I-80 is the main east/west corridor across the country, and there are times out on the open road that the traffic is like rush hour in Omaha. I can't imagine the chaos if they tried to slow everyone down to 55.

A few years ago, when we went to DC to visit our daughter, we drove instead of flying. We took I-80 east to Davenport, Iowa, then dropped down on I-74 and I-70 through Indianapolis. It was startling. As soon as we got off of I-80 it seemed like there was only about half the traffic, or less.

Lowering the limit might work in some places, but in my neck of the woods, they just want to get the traffic through and hope for the best. I think the only ones the troopers look for are the ones going over 100, or the slowpokes that are holding up traffic.

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Johnny,

From my fuel mileage test road, same roadway, same time of day, same pump and fuel stop, topped to the filler neck on each test, same driving style, hand calculated, 02 F350, DRW, 4wd, PSD, stock configuration, 3:73 ratio, 6spd

55mph=21.75mpg
60mph=19.20mpg
65mph=18.50mpg
70mph=17.10mpg

"Chips" are known to cause bad mpg readings from the overhead puter.

T_Bone

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Steven,

Great pics but please resize your pics to 640x480 max as then we don't have to scroll the thread to read it and the ones on dial-up(that's me) will load faster.

T_Bone

 

[Paul Sebek]

I have a simple fix that will also reduce risk and nerves. Let's all switch back to horse and buggy, the truly green thing to do.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Where, and most importantly WHY would you drive 100-110 mph?!

 

[02XLT4X4]

My F-150 does best at 55-60, start going too much over that it really starts putting the fuel down. Luckily most of the roads around here still have the speed limits in my sweet spot.

 

[Walt Davies]

Dave its been nice knowing you.
Walt

 

[Walt Davies]

I think the best mileage I ever got was from Reno Truckie to Auburn in Ca. on I-80 It mostly down hill for about 80 miles I was driving the little Saab Sonett with free wheeling. Hit the top at Truckie then let off the gas went down to the bottom of the canyon coast almost to the top of Blue canyon hit the gas for a second pulled over at about 70 then let it go till I was at Auburn hit speeds of 90 had to brake a few time to keep it under that. never checked it but in 80 miles I was at idle all the way except for that 1 or 2 second busrt over Blue Canyon.
would love to do that again. But I'm older and smarter now and I drive 55 to 65 and that's it.
I figure made it though those young years with a car that would do 130 and live to tell about it so I'm not taking any more chances the car is sitting out back waiting to be restored but not driven at those speeds any more.
Walt

 

[Anonymous-0]

(quoted from post at 10:00:01 03/10/08) Where, and most importantly WHY would you drive 100-110 mph?!

I am in Germany. 115 this afternoon in the passing lane and someone flashing lights behind me so I'd move out of the way. If you stay in the drive lane, you drive 50 mph (legal truck over 7.5 ton speed). Had a mini van pass me when I was doing a hundred.

Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

Oh! Germany, well that's different! : )

 

[[email protected]]

One other thing that one must think of when looking at the safety aspect of this thread. Someone said that 55 saves lives. Well lets look at it another way. That comment was made back in the 70's and 80's and was indeed very true with the vehicles in that day. But, with todays airbags and the additional "crumple zones," todays cars are safer at any speed. When you look at things in a different direction, it will make sense. In the 80's most cars didn't have an airbag for the driver or any other safety devices other than lap belts. So in fact, a 30 mile per hour hit on the front end would place the drivers face directly into the steering wheel. Serious injury would occur as well as possible death. In the 2000's we have airbags that blast you away from the steering wheel as the steering wheel collapses away while the shoulder harness keeps you in place. So, are we safer at lower speeds or do we have safer cars for higher speeds. I personally see safer cars for higher speeds. 55 might save lives, but its the car that is going to save you at any speed. Its a fact that todays cars are alot safer than previous years.

 

[trucker40]

Well the problem is nobody drove 55,and still wont drive 55.It would be easier to get people to strike or quit driving a while than to tell them they are going to drive 55.Now depending on the gears you have,which way the wind is blowing,how much weight you are hauling,you can burn more fuel in some vehicles at 55 than 65.
So back in the day nobody drove 55,so nobody really knows.Just the other day on Interstate 70,I was being passed by big trucks going faster than 70.When I was driving my big truck I got better fuel mileage running 65 than 55.In a big truck you dont top hills at 70 anyway,but if you let it go going downhill it doesnt take as much fuel to climb the other side.55 saving fuel in big trucks is a farce because they are made to run 65 or 70 nowdays.You can save a little by not pushing so hard on the gas going into the wind,not much if any running 55 all the time unless you are on flat ground all the time.Going east and west you would be lucky to be on flat ground 5 hours at a time if that.
Also even in your car or pickup,providing the winds not blowing against you,and if you have lots of hills,I think you would burn less fuel by going fast down the hill,say 80,then let it fall to where you maintain it going up at 60,than hitting your brakes and running 55 all day.It just doesnt help in my opinion.

 

[phil lowe]

sorry for the metric comparison ,but I drove 17 hours to Ottawa Valley last summer @130 to 140 km per hour,just a givin er!! with 4 kayaks on the roof of my Subaru..got 400 to 450 KM a tank..On the trip home followed my younger buddy who travels 105 km per hour ,,,,
I got 650 km per tank of fuel ..same boat load etc...but it took me 18-19 hours to get home...
But at 2 in thge morning when the cops pulled me over it wasn't for speeding ,just a light out ,so I saved that way too!!!
PS ,I still drive 120 130 km per hour,,so I didn't learn !!!

 

[T_Bone]

Hi Dave,

Well that would be me that made that statement and I'll stick by it. How many roll overs do you see today? Almost any major accident that makes the news in Phoenix always is a rollover. How about children dieing from air bags or adults for that matter? Why is that? Cars safer?

How many rollovers did I see in the 60's, 70's and 80's? Very darn few!!!

Ok I conceed that yes, I do think cars are safer today than in the past years even with air bag injuries but not the roll overs. I'm thinking it could be a roadway design problem along with a narrow wheel track design problem or concrete surface VS black top.

It's funny that we have a large hospital right off a major freeway in Phoenix that everyone complained you couldn't here yourself think while standing outside as the concrete noise from the passing cars was terrible, as in required ear plugs. State kept saying it's in our heads, but about a year latter they paved it with blacktop and now you can carry on a conversastion outside without ear plugs.

I just don't think you'll convience too many people it's safer at 75mph than it is at 55mph.

T_Bone

 

[[email protected]]

I have yet to see a death caused by an airbag. I have however, seen broken wrist, ribs and facial injury due to the airbag deployment. As far as the number of rollovers, I would say 3% of the accidents total go over. Higher center and inexperience usually gets em. Most of the rollovers are usually a teen with the parents cars.
Another thing, if the airbag is blamed on a death, that same person would not have lived in a vehicle without an airbag. Terminal velocity for the human body is less than 20 miles per hour on impact.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I also forgot to mention that in the 60' and 70's, the documentation was so poor around the country that you could't just research 30 minutes on the computer to get an accurate number of roll over crash types. Today, we share this info with anyone who wants it. More vehicle crash information is released to the news and this is what you see on the evening reports. They don't give info on fender bender accidents as its not important enough to make headlines. I can't tell you the exact numbers here from the 60's 70's or 80's for that matter, but you will find rollovers are just as rare.
I can say that in this area in the 1974, almost every crash involving a light pole outside city limits was fatal.

 

[Texasmark]

I bought a new p/u last summer. In thinking about gas and needing to tow trailers, I bought a short box, 2 door, p/u with a 5 speed (2 overdrives) auto tranny, and a HEMI engine.

The HEMI has a feature where if you don't need all your "hosses" it puts half in the corral. Since I do my running around between 9 and 11 when traffic is at it's lowest, I take my time going the 25 miles to town. But, on occasion I have been in a hurry.

There is a MPG indicator in the overhead console (standard equipment) so I get a current "averaging" of my driving.

When in a hurry, and pulling with all 8 cylinders, my mileage is in the 14's. When taking it easy at 55 more and less, the number yesterday was 16.7. Would go higher if the trip was longer. Have had it to 17.1 before but I never took "a trip" so I don't know what that would be.....course if I took a trip it would probably be at the going speed limit and the number would probably be lower. Definitely makes a difference cutting off half the cylinders.

So, I just take it easy most of the time.

And I bought gas here yesterday for $3.099 per gallon.

Oh, the brand is DODGE.

Mark

 

[02XLT4X4]

(quoted from post at 14:26:38 03/10/08) One other thing that one must think of when looking at the safety aspect of this thread. Someone said that 55 saves lives. Well lets look at it another way. That comment was made back in the 70's and 80's and was indeed very true with the vehicles in that day. But, with todays airbags and the additional "crumple zones," todays cars are safer at any speed. When you look at things in a different direction, it will make sense. In the 80's most cars didn't have an airbag for the driver or any other safety devices other than lap belts. So in fact, a 30 mile per hour hit on the front end would place the drivers face directly into the steering wheel. Serious injury would occur as well as possible death. In the 2000's we have airbags that blast you away from the steering wheel as the steering wheel collapses away while the shoulder harness keeps you in place. So, are we safer at lower speeds or do we have safer cars for higher speeds. I personally see safer cars for higher speeds. 55 might save lives, but its the car that is going to save you at any speed. Its a fact that todays cars are alot safer than previous years.

Sorry, despite all the advances it is still much safer to drive 55 than 80. Probably even safer with all everything you mentioned.

Also keep in mind the roads in many areas are made to be driven on at roughly 55mph, and sometimes even that is too fast (sharp curves can get still a little hairy at that speed) Then you factor in foreign objects (deer, loose livestock, other vehicles pulling out in front of you...) that you can avoid with much greater control at lower speeds.

Newer cars are much safer and handle much better than they did back in the day, but when you run at the same speed as back then it multiplies their advantages. Plus even new cars are not even crash tested at 55mph, it is either 35 or 45 (I don't remember which) You can go on Youtube.com and watch video of most cars during their crash tests, and you can imagine what would happen if they almost doubled the forces envolved. They might do good at whatever the reletively low speed they test them at, but IMO opinion too far above that and it is still a crapshoot as there are so many other variables that ramming half the front end of a car into a wall doesn't do squat for.

Just plan ahead and give yourself time to get there, not to mention as your speed doubles your drag quadruples which does nothing to help your fuel economy.

 

[TX656]

If we are looking for an instant way to save energy how about learning how to use a standard transmission again. Always seems good for a 1 or 2 mpg increase in any vehicle I've ever looked at. We are so LAZY as a culture. I read that the new style 2008 GM pickups can't even be ordered with a stick.

Standards cost less to buy (which I'm assuming means they cost less to make), they give you better control of your vehicle in any situation, and offer better fuel mileage. Downside? Oh yeah, you can't eat, talk on the phone, drink your coffee and put your makeup on quite as easily.

re the original posters question...

As Franklin said. "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Is being able to drive 55+ an essential liberty? Driving 55 down an arrow straight Texas road with no cars in sight would make you think so pretty quickly.

I'm NOT in favor of lowering the speed limit. The states were fortunate when Washington repealed the national limit. If Washington grabs the power to regulate speed back the states will NEVER regain it. The ONLY thing I will ever be thankful to Bill Clinton for is signing the bill that repealed the National 55 limit