LEAFfan
Well-known member
theaveng said:I think this is a better chart, though it does have some flaws. For example it says a passenger train gets 70 p-mpg but Amtrak & the government's official figures are only 30 (because the trains are often half empty): http://truecostblog.com/2010/05/27/fuel-efficiency-modes-of-transportation-ranked-by-mpg/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;A gas or diesel car is most efficient in its top gear, and most top gears are unusable below 40 or 45, so that would be the most efficient point. I drove a Ford Fiesta last week and it got okay mileage at 30 and 5th gear, but the best mileage was at 40 and 6th gear (>60 MPG).EatsShootsandLeafs said:AFAIK a gas car is most efficiently around 30 mph, but perhaps that's old data.
Yeah, my very first Efficiency Rally (42 miles) was with a 1980.VW Rabbit Diesel that got 55mpg hwy. At that time, I didn't know that 5th at 40mph would be best and drove in 4th at 35 which gave me 82mpg. I wonder what I could have gotten in 5th at 40?