If you drive faster does it save gas?

Answer 1

no,,not really,,they did a study on this a few years ago,and did find that it took more gas to keep a car at 45-55 miles per hour,,than it did to keep it at 65 ,,but anything over that and the mileage went back down,,just imagine this,,they actually payed a bunch of people to go out for a year and drive like this,,i couldn't believe they actually did this,,but i did see the final results from it,,most cars got better gas mileage at 65 ,rather than 55,,going real fast though just waste gas,,good luck hope this help,s.happy new years.

Answer 2

That really depends upon what speed you are already driving.

Letting a car idle and not move will burn gas with the car not moving. Releasing the brake and letting it idle and move along at perhaps 5 mph ....

Well, the engine has friction, there is rolling friction due to the tires, and then you have wind resistance ... along with other losses due to the alternator, transmission, differential, and other things (such as the water pump). All of this tends to cloud the issue which is, apparently, how fast to drive to maximize mileage.

Once we start driving moderately fast (say 30 mph and above), wind resistance starts becoming substantial and goes up far faster than in direct proportion to speed.

The optimum speed will likely vary based upon vehicle design. Vehicles with a low profile and low wind resistance will likely have a higher "optimum" speed than vehicles that have a higher profile (say a van).

I believe I have seen that for a typical automobile (is there such a thing?), 40 miles per hour is likely the most efficient. You are getting substantial motion (so some effects are not as relevant) while wind resistance is not horribly high. It is not an easy question to answer and you might check this site: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question477.htm

Certainly, driving much faster will waste gas. If you really want to save gas, try to avoid sudden speed changes. If you start down a long hill and the speed limit goes up from 35 to 55 mph, don't step on the gas; let the hill bring the speed of the car up. Otherwise, you'll be hitting the brakes to avoid going over the speed limit :)

Burning rubber to be the first car away from a green light will waste a lot of gas - not to mention that it is also hard on your engine.

So, to avoid gas stations as much as possible, don't speed and don't change speed rapidly.

Hope this helps!


Best regards,
Jim

Answer 3

One can conserve gas by keeping an even foot on the pedal. It has been rumored that driving over 60 MPH burns more gas that driving below 60 MPH.

Maintaining Even Speed = Conserving Gas

Answer 4

I get better highway mileage then city mileage. In the city you are always stopping and going you will use more gas when compared with steady highway driving. For my car its 25 mpg highway and 18 mpg in the city. I used to have a 68 Cadilac with a 472 motor. That caddy got 23 mpg on the highway and 13 mpg in the city. Steady driving will get you better gas mileage than alot of stop and go driving.

Answer 5

The faster you drive, the more wind resistance you encounter. It takes more horse power to move the air out of your way. The more power it takes, the more fuel it takes. Try driving your car in its top gear with the engine turning as slow as it can. That should give you the best MPG. (Miles Per Gallon)

Answer 6

Yes it does save gas if you stay at a constant speed. So when your on an expressway don't accelerate your car too much just keep the speed constant and you will save gas.

Answer 7

You use less RPM's in higher gears. A 5 gear car would be using less gas at 70 mph in 5th, than it would at 55 mph in 4th. The key is don't slam on the gas pedal. Steadily increase your speed.

Answer 8

It really depends. Lets say you are cruising along at 55 and the shift point from 3rd to 4th is at about 60. Your engine will run faster than it would after the shift point. Just pay attention to you tach and see where it is the lowest.

Answer 9

no by driving faster you are only getting from point A to point B quicker but you are burning fuel at a faster rate meaning you are waisting more fuel to cover the same distance traveling at the speed limit

Answer 10

The government study found that 55 is the optimum speed for the greatest gas mileage,and on our car and truck that is about the best mileage we can get.