NEED BETTER MPG HOW????
01-21-2009, 12:35 AM
#11
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: CA
Posts: 479
Ya, and that is because of the whack job greenies. Ethonal additives are a waste, and are actually worse for the environment. Ethonal makes gas burn slightly cleaner, very slightly. However, what the don't tell you is that is burns less efficiently, thus negating any benefit. Then you add on the amount of energy to grow and harvest the corn versus just pulling the oil out the ground.
Also, because ethonal adds to the demand for corn the price of corn has gone throught the roof. Most farmers feed there live stock, especially cows, with corn, and that is why you are paying so much for milk at the grocery store. Furthermore, since there is a such a high demand for corn now farmers are switching many of their crops to corn which has led to higher prices for other crops. In the end it is a waste and we are all paying for it and harming the environment more than if we just used oil.
and to the op, the gas mileage is part of the territory with these cars. if you want better gas mileage get anouther car. But, 25 mpg is pretty good highway mileage. Sounds like something you should have considered before buying this car. Besides when you do the math anouther 5 mpg isn't really going to save you that much money. At 25 mpg your buying 4 gallons of gas and with 30 mpg your using 3.3 gallons. Which, saves you a wopping 1.50 with gas around $2 a gal.
Also, because ethonal adds to the demand for corn the price of corn has gone throught the roof. Most farmers feed there live stock, especially cows, with corn, and that is why you are paying so much for milk at the grocery store. Furthermore, since there is a such a high demand for corn now farmers are switching many of their crops to corn which has led to higher prices for other crops. In the end it is a waste and we are all paying for it and harming the environment more than if we just used oil.
and to the op, the gas mileage is part of the territory with these cars. if you want better gas mileage get anouther car. But, 25 mpg is pretty good highway mileage. Sounds like something you should have considered before buying this car. Besides when you do the math anouther 5 mpg isn't really going to save you that much money. At 25 mpg your buying 4 gallons of gas and with 30 mpg your using 3.3 gallons. Which, saves you a wopping 1.50 with gas around $2 a gal.
Last edited by Big50; 01-21-2009 at 12:53 AM.
01-21-2009, 05:30 AM
#12
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: NC
Posts: 231
Or you could do like I did and purchase a ~2500 dollar motorcycle which gets extremely good gas mileage and drive that everywhere that you possibly can (i.e. don't have to carry a lot of stuff with you or more than one other person) and this will offset the cost of your mustang's fuel. For example, it costs me less than $3.50 to drive 135 miles on my bike.
01-21-2009, 08:37 AM
#13
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
Once you get the car up to whatever speed, drive with a steady right foot.
If you've got the IUP, set the display to either of the fuel usage ones (cumulative mpg or the instantaneous bar chart). Reset the various IUP things each time you refill the tank.
I'm surprised that nobody has yet mentioned using the cruise control if much of that 50 miles is steady-speed highway driving. I don't care to use CC myself (my reasons don't involve fuel usage), but others seem to like it OK.
Norm
If you've got the IUP, set the display to either of the fuel usage ones (cumulative mpg or the instantaneous bar chart). Reset the various IUP things each time you refill the tank.
I'm surprised that nobody has yet mentioned using the cruise control if much of that 50 miles is steady-speed highway driving. I don't care to use CC myself (my reasons don't involve fuel usage), but others seem to like it OK.
Norm
01-21-2009, 10:22 AM
#14
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 1,491
Or you could do like I did and purchase a ~2500 dollar motorcycle which gets extremely good gas mileage and drive that everywhere that you possibly can (i.e. don't have to carry a lot of stuff with you or more than one other person) and this will offset the cost of your mustang's fuel. For example, it costs me less than $3.50 to drive 135 miles on my bike.
-Tires (every 4k-6k miles)
-Proper Gear (helmet, gloves, jacket, rain gear, tank/saddlebag)
-Added Insurance Costs (full coverage will run anywhere from $400 - $2500 yr)
-MSF Course
-Additional Consumables (chain lube, oil/filters, brake pads etc...)
I used to commute for a few years because I thought it would save me money, I got about 40-43mpg on my Honda CBR. While I did save a little dough, the savings weren't nearly as much as I'd anticipated.
You also have to think about the intangibles...
-Added danger (I recommend getting or increasing you life insurance coverage)
-Weather Related Inconveniences
-Bikes are much more likely to be stolen (do you have garage space for it?)
Just some food for thought before saying that bikes are better for commuting...
01-21-2009, 10:24 AM
#15
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 1,491
I mentioned cruise, I used it all the time when the highways allow it... can't really use it on my daily commute though.
01-21-2009, 01:46 PM
#19
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 1,083
If you have to drive it 100 miles a day, at least have some fun haha.
In my humble and often misguided opinion, forget MPG's while gas prices are low(ish). People have no idea that in less than 20 years, gasoline-powered cars are going to be as ancient and obsolete as punch-key, non-erasable typewriters are today.
In my humble and often misguided opinion, forget MPG's while gas prices are low(ish). People have no idea that in less than 20 years, gasoline-powered cars are going to be as ancient and obsolete as punch-key, non-erasable typewriters are today.