Roughly two months ago I started paying attention to my driving habits. Which is good on many levels. For one, I wasn’t the kindest, most courteous driver on the road. I didn’t like slow people getting in my way and slowing me down. More importantly, I drive a big 4×4 truck, with a horrible, gas-guzzling V8 engine.
So what is the MPG Challenge? Well… it’s a fun, exciting driving game. One which you drive slow, and deliberate. Very much like an old grandparent, putt-putting along. The beauty of this game is you save all kinds of cash because your fuel efficiency gets better and better. When I started the game my truck was getting a dismal 14.9 mpg. Now two months later I’m getting some serious high scores. Currently my MPG readout on the dash has me getting…
drum-roll…
18 MPG
Yeah your read it right. I’m now getting EIGHTTEEN MILES PER GALLON in my big, fat, heavy, 4×4 truck. And I’m not really trying that hard. Just think if I tried… could I get 20 mpg? I’d be rich!
Has anybody else out there changed their driving habits? What do you drive? What kind of MPG are you now getting?
During the school yet it’s 75 to work in the morning and about 65 on the way home to help with the unwind. But I still need to get home kinda quick so I can get things done.
Now that schools out, I just sit back and relax doing 60.
Honda Civic EX – 32-38mpg.
wife’s car is a Subaru Forester – 22-29.
Been slowing down a bit. Getting 30 in my Altima.
Interesting results guys… Mark, I expected to hear you rode a bike to work. 🙂
Ryan, do you get better or worse mpg then you expected?
I get about what I expected. Very little of my compute is stop-and-go. It is either highway or open street roads with occasional stop lights.
If the school allowed me access to the showers before they let the students in I would. But the gym guys don’t want the responsibility. I also have no safe place (The school is a urban school so draw your own conclusions) to store my bike except in my classroom. 99% of my students would be cool with that, but all you need is one idiot and I’m out a carbon frame.
I run into this type of issue all the time. “Why don’t you bike to work?” I would except you provide no shower access, any place to store my bike, and actual frown on me coming in and leaving on a schedule. My last job actually put me on their web site to prove their were green. In reality one of my bosses did not like the idea that I couldn’t be contacted while riding and preferred that I drive so I could answer my cell or come in even earlier.