Comments | tom_vroom: Live from Paducah!

tom_vroom

Live from Paducah!

Jul 13, 2007 22:52

We're all here safe and sound. A mostly uneventful trip (which is a good thing) down, save for Will deciding that he can un-buckle his own child seat restraint. Much scolding from Mommy and a quick pull off the road, he hasn't done it since *crosses fingers ( Read more... )

red lobster, road trips, paducah, mpg, minivan

Leave a comment

Back to all threads

ar_wahan July 18 2007, 15:12:56 UTC

My Prius has one of those computer mileage things in the dashboard. It's interesting that you got 99.9 on a long downhill grade -- I get that, too. Wouldn't have expected that from a Caravan!

Prius envy...(what a pun eh?) tom_vroom July 18 2007, 15:33:45 UTC

Yeah, hers is an '05 Grand Caravan with pretty much every option you could get (making it weigh in pretty high) except side curtain air bags and the Dodge supplied DVD video console. She bought her own aftermarket video system.

But I was pretty impressed with the milage it returned overall. During our forrays into KY to various places it was loaded with about 1,000 lbs. of people and cargo and at 70 MPH on relatively flat grades (which were somewaht rare in NW KY) it would register as getting 25-26 MPG. On our way back home across IN I had the cruise set at 80 MPH (about 2400 RPM's), and again on flat grades it was registering 26-27 MPG, but when I would slow to 60-65 (@ 2000 RPM's) it would say 29-30 MPG.

Cool that you have a Prius. What is the best mileage you have gotten for a whole tank average? I'm guessing about 45 MPG?

The best I've gotten with our PT Cruiser is 31.72 for a tank average.

Okay done geeking now.

Me :)

Re: Prius envy...(what a pun eh?) ar_wahan July 18 2007, 16:28:44 UTC

My best mileage for a tank was 53.3 last summer. I now have Yakima bars on the roof, and that cut the mileage down to more like 47-48, even less when the kayaks are on it (I was only getting 44 when we took them, as well as tons of luggage, to Cape Cod earlier this month). I got a device (can't think of the name) that sits like a shield in front of the bars to reduce the air resistance from them, and my mileage has gone up a bit.

Re: Prius envy...(what a pun eh?) ar_wahan July 20 2007, 22:53:20 UTC

I also should 'splain...

The Prius, as an automotive guru like you must know, is the most efficient in stop&go, city driving. We live in the country, so most of my driving (except when I'm going down long hills) is not that efficient. So don't judge the Prius in general by the mileage I get.

As they say, "Your mileage may vary." *g*

Re: Prius envy...(what a pun eh?) tom_vroom July 21 2007, 14:50:49 UTC

Yes that's true. Good point. "Your mileage may indeed vary."

I think Honda's Integrated Motor Assist is a nifty system too. As speed levels out the electric motor does more and more of the work scaling back the load on the gas engine. I've seen Insight and hybrid Civic owners with claims of as much as 70 - 80 MPG using this system.

Okay, that's enough geeking from me now.

:)

Back to all threads