Daily motorway driving better than expected

[nielshm]

I got a new job. Daily drive is 65 km each way, 45 km. is motorway going east/west.

I was nervous, that my MPG would suffer, but that doesn't seem to be a issue. It's possible to get 57 MPG in average with speed not higher than 115 kmh/71 mph. I do overtake 2-3 times each way, speeds do get higher for at short period, up to 80 mph, and then back on cruise control.

I'm pleased with the result, not bad for a petrol powered Touring Sport. Tyres are stock 205/55R16.

[TonyHSD]

That’s a good numbers👍What engine is yours? I have older 1.8 hybrid with a lots of motorway driving I am still getting over 60mpg now and over 50’s in winter. 

[nielshm]

14 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

That’s a good numbers👍What engine is yours? I have older 1.8 hybrid with a lots of motorway driving I am still getting over 60mpg now and over 50’s in winter. 

It's the 2.0. 

I only had my job in 3 weeks, so I don't know summer numbers. It's around 11 C now, so it's not really winter yet. 

[AndrueC]

You'd get even lower fuel consumption cruising at 90kmh. Based on your distance I reckon that would cost you at most ten minutes each way and if part of the journey is urban you could easily lose 5 minutes just on the vagaries of traffic anyway. So there's probably only five minutes difference each way.

It would save fuel/money, be somewhat safer and you'd probably arrive feeling more relaxed having avoided the 'cut and thrust' of fast motorway driving.

[nielshm]

23 minutes ago, AndrueC said:

You'd get even lower fuel consumption cruising at 90kmh. Based on your distance I reckon that would cost you at most ten minutes each way and if part of the journey is urban you could easily lose 5 minutes just on the vagaries of traffic anyway. So there's probably only five minutes difference each way.

It would save fuel/money, be somewhat safer and you'd probably arrive feeling more relaxed having avoided the 'cut and thrust' of fast motorway driving.

I dont want to go that slow.

Danish motorway has speed limits set at 68 (110 kmh) or 80 (130 kmh)  mph, so 55 mph may seem most fuel efficient, but I'll find my self holding up traffic, since no one expects passenger cars to drive that slow. The 45 km. to my work is limited to 80 (130 kmh) all the way.

I find 71 mph (115 kmh) to be the best speed overall, that gives the most time with cruise control enabled. I can still overtake a truck, if no one comes from behind, and I loose 2 minuttes compared to my GPS suggested time of arrival.

[Yugguy1970]

Yes, there is definite advantage in not travelling at 55 mph surrounded by lorries

[PeteB]

4 hours ago, nielshm said:

I got a new job. Daily drive is 65 km each way, 45 km. is motorway going east/west.

I was nervous, that my MPG would suffer, but that doesn't seem to be a issue...

I does amuse me the number of times I read comments about Hybrids not having any benefits when cruising at motorway speeds.  I've just not found that to be true.  OK, maybe if you're constantly thrashing the car, but I've found the smooth, quiet drive makes me a more chilled driver.

When I had a Gen 1 Prius for some time I commuted 40 miles each way across country with low traffic and calculated tank averages stayed at about 55 mpg.  Later I charged jobs and went a similar distance but much of it on the M1.  MPG stayed the same.

I think because the system is optimised to share the propulsion from the engine and motor, and the engine is set up on the basis it gets help when needed and doesn't have to have as much power and a comparable car with only the petrol engine it still has its advantages.  Add to that the battery/motor helping some of the time and recouping energy every time you lift off the throttle.

[TonyHSD]

Toyota hybrids are very relaxing to drive on motorways and also efficient all you need to drive within certain speeds which seems slow for many people. 60-65mph its an efficient cruising speed that blends with most of the traffic flow, and yes lorries are the one who usually push a lot many drivers to drive faster, the thing is that there are cars that can do 90-100mph cruise speed and deliver same or even better fuel consumption than Toyota hybrids and here it comes the negative comments and these are mostly from auto journalists, who only have driven them for a short time and often knows nothing about the cars they are talking about or people who expect golf R performance from Corolla hybrid. 

[trashman1965]

Yes, +1 on Hybrid myths quashed 😀

My best ever (indicated) MPG was from empty - reset, drive to St Albans, mixed roads, a lot of Motorway and 69MPG. That's without really trying. This was in 1.8 Auris Excel, and it wasn't that run in or that great weather. File poor MPG on "highway" along with poor economy "once the Battery has gone flat" and other useless comments made by people who have probably never driven or lived with the cars.

Have only fannyied around for less than 200 miles in my 2.0, including sitting with engine on/Ready for extended periods (playing with settings 😋) and still getting over 50MPG indicated on a tight engine, cold days and no real attention paid to the driving.

[Yugguy1970]

I remember getting a Prius as a work's hire car, a good 15 years ago now.  That did see the mpg drop massively at motorway speeds.

[TonyHSD]

Toyota actually has nailed it with Prius gen 3 in 2010 a big step forward, since then they had improved their hybrid drive train and they become better and better with every new generation, the rumours are now that next gen Prius might be able to run on hydrogen it’s ice instead of a petrol and will deliver greater efficiency and lower emissions. Also they made hybrids lighter in comparison with previous models. 👍 Auris hybrid from 2010 weights 1420kg against Corolla hybrid 2020 1310kg 😉

[AndrueC]

10 hours ago, nielshm said:

I dont want to go that slow.

Danish motorway has speed limits set at 68 (110 kmh) or 80 (130 kmh)  mph, so 55 mph may seem most fuel efficient, but I'll find my self holding up traffic, since no one expects passenger cars to drive that slow. The 45 km. to my work is limited to 80 (130 kmh) all the way.

Why does it matter what other drivers expect? Come to that where do you get the idea that it would confuse them or that they'd care in the slightest? Presumably HGVs are travelling that speed so the other motorway users must be capable of dealing with it.

Speed limits across the planet are just that. Limits. They are not targets, not in any jurisdiction. Just because you're on a road with a 130kmh limit doesn't mean you have to drive at 130kmh.

10 hours ago, nielshm said:

I find 71 mph (115 kmh) to be the best speed overall, that gives the most time with cruise control enabled. I can still overtake a truck, if no one comes from behind, and I loose 2 minuttes compared to my GPS suggested time of arrival.

If you put yourself behind a convenient HGV I think you'll find that you can drive a long, long way at 90kmh.

That's what I usually do in the UK and I've driven for several hours like that. No-one has ever bothered me.

[Cyker]

Yeah I do that with the cruise control  

It makes driving on the motorway much less tedious, and if I get bored I can just look, signal, shoot past and then drop back in behind some other lorry further up the road  

The new HSDs are just so nice at speed compared to the older ones - The biggest problem with the older ones is the ICE had absolutely no torque so past 40-odd mph they were almost always at higher RPM than even a normal petrol engine would in the same situation. By comparison, I find my Mk4 will happily stick at 2000rpm, even at 70mph, if it needs to run the petrol engine at all!

There's something really satisfying about cruising behind someone at 70mph with no engine running  (Albeit not for long - That 0.7kW Battery does run down quick at those speeds!!   Apparently even the Mk3's NiMh Battery has more capacity!)

 

[Yugguy1970]

I hate being boxed in by lorries, I wouldn't find that relaxing at all.

Nor do I want to do 90mph everywhere.

[nielshm]

1 hour ago, AndrueC said:

Why does it matter what other drivers expect? Come to that where do you get the idea that it would confuse them or that they'd care in the slightest? Presumably HGVs are travelling that speed so the other motorway users must be capable of dealing with it.

Speed limits across the planet are just that. Limits. They are not targets, not in any jurisdiction. Just because you're on a road with a 130kmh limit doesn't mean you have to drive at 130kmh.

If you put yourself behind a convenient HGV I think you'll find that you can drive a long, long way at 90kmh.

That's what I usually do in the UK and I've driven for several hours like that. No-one has ever bothered me.

No way I'll be driving 40 kmh below the limit. No one in Denmark does that. With only 2 lanes in every direction I don't want to put my self or any one else at risk, if some accidents happens due to misunderstandings. 

70 mph is not fast on a motorway, proper milage may be important, but it's not the most important thing in life. 

[AndrueC]

35 minutes ago, nielshm said:

No way I'll be driving 40 kmh below the limit. No one in Denmark does that

Oh yes they do 😉. HGV drivers must be doing exactly that. Granted there are a few bandits around but the vast majority will have speed limiters fitted which don't let them go above 90kmh. If you sit behind an HGV there will be no need to change lanes, no fighting for position and no-one else will care. In fact what you post is a possible example of that - you think that no-one drives 40kmh below the limit and apparently you are completely oblivious to the dozens of vehicles that you must pass doing exactly that every day.

I've had loads of people make the same objections about doing this on UK motorways and it simply isn't true. Join an HGV convoy and you can drive for hours at 56mph. From personal experience I can also say that you can do it in France as well.

It's your choice of course but if you're really interested in reducing fuel consumption then joining the HGVs should be your preference 🙂

[Roy124]

The boxing comes from truck A travelling at 59.9 mpg and truck B at 60.1 with you travelling at a comfortable 59.9 at 3 separation bars from the truck in front.  Truck B can see there is room in front of you for him and sits on your rear bumper. 

[TonyHSD]

I agreed with Andrew about the speed limits targets and all he explained, however lorry drivers recent years are mad, 55-60mph, no way they drive that speed only if they are broken down. Lorry drivers are often at 70+ mph on uk motorways and overtaking using 3 lanes plus they keep only a paint thick distance behind you and when there are temporary speed limits they never slow down, and for some reason cameras do not catch them all the times, seriously I lost hope in driving ethics and the only way forward will be driverless vehicles. Lorry driver seems to be a nasty job and very stressful watching those poor guys racing each other all day long. Sunday usually there are leas lorries on the motorways and seems like most drivers behave better. 60-65mph very relaxing speeds with any cars on any motorway. 

[Cyker]

It's weird how our experiences are so different! Vans certainly, but lorries are supposed to be speed limited here; I've certainly never come across one going more than 60mph, and usually they're doing ~56mph when I'm around them (Except some like Sainsburys ones, which tend to do 50mph...!).

Deffo right about speed limits, tho', most of them just stick at 56mph all the time  

I do find sticking with them more relaxing tho', esp. in traffic - I always find it funny how I'm regularly passing two/three lanes of traffic in the 'slow' lane because most drivers are rubbish at leaving a suitable buffer, and bunch up, eventually causing their lane to stop moving as everyone has to brake more and more than the car in front.

Meanwhile me and the Stobart crew are just burning past those stationary lines at a constant 20-30mph. Glorious!  

I also like National Express coaches - They're fun to follow on long boring motorway journeys as they're often bombing it at 70+mph  You can normally get a feel for the economy from how they're driving - If things are good then it's 70mph everywhere, but the slower they go the worse the economy. When we were having all those market crashes and sharp fuel cost rises they weren't going much faster than the artics - Always a bad sign!!

[Bozz]

On 9/23/2021 at 7:29 PM, AndrueC said:

Why does it matter what other drivers expect? Come to that where do you get the idea that it would confuse them or that they'd care in the slightest? Presumably HGVs are travelling that speed so the other motorway users must be capable of dealing with it.

Speed limits across the planet are just that. Limits. They are not targets, not in any jurisdiction. Just because you're on a road with a 130kmh limit doesn't mean you have to drive at 130kmh.

If you put yourself behind a convenient HGV I think you'll find that you can drive a long, long way at 90kmh.

That's what I usually do in the UK and I've driven for several hours like that. No-one has ever bothered me.

When mine finally arrives I'm just going to drive it the way I always have, hybrid or not.

[trashman1965]

2 hours ago, Bozz said:

When mine finally arrives I'm just going to drive it the way I always have, hybrid or not.

This is precisely why I like hybrid...drive it and it does its thing and very good mpg. If you want, adapt your driving style and get superb mpg or drive a bit faster and mpg won't plummet. 

[Roy124]

Cyker agree entirely. 

Tony, never seen a truck in lane 3 nor trucks exceeding the limits, temporary or otherwise.  If I set ACC to 65 or 70, true speed of 60-65, my speed indication rarely exceeds 60, ie the trucks are travelling less than 60 true. 

Even Continental trucks abide by the limits even though they are not prosecuted. 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Roy124 said:

Cyker agree entirely. 

Tony, never seen a truck in lane 3 nor trucks exceeding the limits, temporary or otherwise.  If I set ACC to 65 or 70, true speed of 60-65, my speed indication rarely exceeds 60, ie the trucks are travelling less than 60 true. 

Even continental trucks abide by the limits even though they are not prosecuted. 

Guys are you serious about lorries speeds, perhaps we drive at very different locations and times but here down south around London it’s a carnage every day especially mornings and evenings. Lorry drivers does 60+ mph inside London at A406 north circular road and often over 70mph or at least at any possible downhill on M25 and M1, M40, M4 etc. I am spending 10-12 hrs driving on these motorways every day and what I see it’s scary. Acceleration between roundabouts and stopping afterwards is beyond imagination, these are HGV’s heavy as hell but driving like on rally even in heavy rain when all traffic should slow down to 60 even 50mph the lorries are pushing again 70+ in the left lane and causing even more dangerous situations. I have been driving through all eu countries and nowhere else is like that how it is in England. Often seen scenes are lorries racing each other and take all lanes even the one they should not be. Travelling 200+ miles every night between those huge piles of steel flying at higher speeds than many cars I know well enough about it, plus my office is at biggest track stop in the country and often can hear comments from these drivers, and they have a good reasons to leave their job but there is never a reason to drive so dangerously. No wonder there are no trackers and many does not want to drive even with the “attractive wages” promise , the stress is too much and that can be seen by the way they drive. 🚚🙅🏻‍♂️

[AndrueC]

I've almost never encountered an HGV doing more than 60. Most seem to sit at 58mph according to my speedometer. Even on downhill stretches they start using their brakes. I've also never known them to tailgate me. I'd far rather sit in lane one amongst the HGVs than tough it out amongst the mad car and van drivers.

[frizzbee30]

On 9/25/2021 at 3:21 PM, AndrueC said:

I've almost never encountered an HGV doing more than 60. Most seem to sit at 58mph according to my speedometer. Even on downhill stretches they start using their brakes. I've also never known them to tailgate me. I'd far rather sit in lane one amongst the HGVs than tough it out amongst the mad car and van drivers.

Exactly my approach,  low stress and fantastic mpg.  👍