I live across from you in Gloucester. I worn in NN. I loathe drving there daily. 95 to nova is worse. We use 17/301 as much as possible.I live here too. The big issue isn't inconsiderate drivers... Although it adds quite a bit too road rage. The biggest problem is when 4 cars come together while one is 65mph in the right lane, another is passing at 70mph, a third drives up on this at 75mph who saw this a mine away but decided to tailgate anyways and then another rides up at 80mph... Decides to try and pull a dick move to cut off the one at 75mph.
It only gets worse if they're approaching an on ramp for the interstate.
Then everybody is pissed off and waiting for the chance to be an ******* to the next person that instigates.
The problem is congestion. It is what it is. Even if the law says you can be a jerk I don't know that it helps anything.
Oh... I forgot to mention all the out of staters'that bring their idea of good driving habits and VA interstates start to look like something from India.
We don't need "fuel prices like they are in europe, to force people to buy a fuel efficent car" (former) Secretay Chu, and his ilk can shove it when it comes to those wishes. Masochistic at best, to wish harm on your own economy for the sake of agendas, and forcing people to your idea of what's right, via economic leverage.
It used to be that way here in CO without signs, just common courtesy, but those days are long gone. They passed a law about 5 years ago that says if you are on a multi lane highway with a speed limit of 65 or higher the left lane is to be used for passing only. The minimum fine was $65 plus costs last I heard, but everyone still lines up cars for miles in the left lane backing up traffic because they think they own the lane. The cops only care about the easy money speeding tickets, so they just watch them drive by 10 or 15 under the limit with 15 or 20 cars behind them.What good is a law that is not enforced? It is a shame that our society has gotten so bad that we have to laws for people to treat each other with respect.Some years back I was driving in WA and OR . One ( or both ) had lots of signs - primarily for logging trucks , rv's and such methinks - that said if there were five vehicles behind you that you had to let them pass even if you were on a two lane road and needed to pull off onto the shoulder to allow it .
I thought it was actually pretty civilized / considerate .
How are you calculating your MPGs and on what gallon, the US or Imperial gallon? And at what true speed is your cruise set to.We averaged 57mpg between the two trips (160 miles), mostly highway. It seems that there are about 3 really nice sweet spots where I can maintain upper 60s and lower 70s real-time on relatively flat surfaces with cruise control.
Coming from a Standards Calibration Lab where measurements are taken, I always question the results and trust me, many are not very good at it.I think Alex is asking MFD vs pen & paper. And if MFD: (1) is it measured from cold start or after a reset along the way, and (2) was the MFD dialed-in or left at factory setting.
We know the MFD typically varies from the factory and usually optimistic -- by several MPG in some cases. My A5 Jetta is dialed-in, but still varies ~0.5 MPG between winter and summer. Exceeding 50 MPG/tank is not difficult for me in the summer, yet my lifetime average is only 47.
Also, we generally ask members to not post MPG readings if not from a cold start.
Volkswagen Golf TDI Sets MPG Record Across 48 Contiguous States
Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/featur...rd-across-48-contiguous-states/#ixzz3fJuMKiaz
81.17mpg average driving across all 48 contiguous states.
Have Fun!
Don
There is no such thing as "premium" diesel in the US as there is no standard defined for it. Any station can call anything they sell "premium" if they want to. You can put a pinch of fried chicken fat in and call it "premium" diesel. How do you know what the cetane rating is of the fuel you are buying? All most all of the pumps I have seen post nothing or the required "minimum" 40 cetane, no matter what it actually is. Some have posted higher and when called on it were forced to roll back to the usual minimum 40 cetane statement or removed it altogether. I have read of a few places that actually have documentation that shows what their diesel really is, but they are very few. There are a few threads here on stations that were called on their selling of "premium" fuel (Shell was one IIRC) and had to remove the signs.I just did the math. If you drive for 16 days, 2 people.. each taking shifts at driving / sleeping, taking three 1hr breaks per day to eat and bio break you can achieve the mileage they did in 16 days with an average speed of 25.4 mph. I think they took more breaks and possibly averaged 35mph. My VW TDI averages 56mpg when I run premium diesel (cetane of 47 or greater) and keep my speed down around 45mph on back roads.
If I can get 6th gear and average 1.2k rpms the mpg is incredible. winding country roads is where I get the most mpg.
On the highway cruising at 80mph in 6th gear @2krpms and no traffic I can get 47 - 49 mpg but it's all in the cetane. If I have regular low sulphur diesel I get 39 - 41mpg. It has to be premium diesel. premium diesel doesn't cost more either.
I find 47.5 cetane diesel at Irving and some shell stations. If it's the good stuff you will notice an increase in mpg.
I wish they would publish the route they took.
It's great they are getting the word out about how efficient a TDI is but the article should be more clear. The route, average mph, etc.
I plan on driving cross country from the east to the west, then back with my TDI.
I plan on using a northern route when going west, and a southern route going east.
Hopefully next summer.
Driving slow for 16 days will drive me out of my mind!!! I'd rather be cruising along.