Gas Shortage

[budwom]

My f-150 has a little engine in it, 2.7L, but it is a twin turbo and puts out 325 hp and 400 lb ft of torque. It’s honestly amazing. It’s even more amazing that I can get 26 mpg on the freeways. My father has had a 2010 Silverado for a long time and it’s a 5.3L v8 that puts out 315 hp and 338 lb ft torque.

this is the new trend, very efficient technology...but a big question: does it "require" (not suggest) premium fuel?

[LasVegas]

this is the new trend, very efficient technology...but a big question: does it "require" (not suggest) premium fuel?

So it’s a little complicated! The manual says it doesn’t require premium fuel but does recommend it for towing and driving in high temperatures for the “best performance”. The truck will automatically adjust timing based on the octane you put in so there isn’t any knocking. I usually use regular in the colder months here in Vegas but switch to premium in the summer just for the piece of mind since it can get up to 115 degrees some days. I don’t notice an impact on performance though but I assume the premium octane gas does give you a little more performance due to the turbos. Premium is also pretty cheap at Costco out here and is only about 30 cents more than regular.

[rsvman]

My car does require premium fuel, which is nothing more than extra incentive to try to maximize mileage.

Still hypermiling this tank. Seems to be disappearing slightly slower than usual, but we won't know the story until I fill up and do the math.

[-jk]

If you can safely drive 55 mph steadily (no stops like you periodically get with non-interstate highways), you can expect 20% or more boost to your mpg at 70 mph speeds. It was instituted as the national speed limit in the 70s, in response to the fuel crisis. It really makes a difference, but unfortunately, it's seldom safe to drive that speed on interstates.

Take my license, all that jive. I can't drive 55.

-jk

[LasVegas]

My car does require premium fuel, which is nothing more than extra incentive to try to maximize mileage.

Still hypermiling this tank. Seems to be disappearing slightly slower than usual, but we won't know the story until I fill up and do the math.

Yes, do the math! I find my onboard MPG “calculator” is off by up to 2 mpg sometimes. Fuelly is also a good app to use. Keep track of all your fill ups and it does the easy math for you.

[DukieInKansas]

Take my license, all that jive. I can't drive 55.

-jk

I learned to drive in Texas when the national speed limit was still 55 - you would get run over if you drove that slow on the interstate. I can remember being passed by a cop who was on the feeder road. He wasn't running lights or sirens and still was going faster. I am now the proud owner of a lead foot.

[YmoBeThere]

If you can safely drive 55 mph steadily (no stops like you periodically get with non-interstate highways), you can expect 20% or more boost to your mpg at 70 mph speeds. It was instituted as the national speed limit in the 70s, in response to the fuel crisis. It really makes a difference, but unfortunately, it's seldom safe to drive that speed on interstates.

I would think that 55 mph speed might have drifted up a bit as they have made cars more aerodynamic over time. My MPG noses at around 74 mph which keeps me in the right lane here in Texas.

[YmoBeThere]

My f-150 has a little engine in it, 2.7L, but it is a twin turbo and puts out 325 hp and 400 lb ft of torque. It’s honestly amazing. It’s even more amazing that I can get 26 mpg on the freeways. My father has had a 2010 Silverado for a long time and it’s a 5.3L v8 that puts out 315 hp and 338 lb ft torque.

They have a tune for the Ranger that Ford Performance sells. I looked at it a couple months ago, it will put out 315 hp and 370 lb ft with a 2.3L Inline 4.

[budwom]

So it’s a little complicated! The manual says it doesn’t require premium fuel but does recommend it for towing and driving in high temperatures for the “best performance”. The truck will automatically adjust timing based on the octane you put in so there isn’t any knocking. I usually use regular in the colder months here in Vegas but switch to premium in the summer just for the piece of mind since it can get up to 115 degrees some days. I don’t notice an impact on performance though but I assume the premium octane gas does give you a little more performance due to the turbos. Premium is also pretty cheap at Costco out here and is only about 30 cents more than regular.

that's good, the key word being recommended vs. required. Decades ago my Volvos recommended high test, but my neighbor who was the dealer GM told me not to bother...the word required, as you say, is another matter.

[cspan37421]

I would think that 55 mph speed might have drifted up a bit as they have made cars more aerodynamic over time. My MPG noses at around 74 mph which keeps me in the right lane here in Texas.

Do you mean your mpg peaks at 74 mph? That's remarkable, given wind resistance, CD, square of velocity and all that.

[YmoBeThere]

Do you mean your mpg peaks at 74 mph? That's remarkable, given wind resistance, CD, square of velocity and all that.

Sorry, meant to say it nosedives above 74. Before that it is a gradual decline. Not sure what the peak is, remembering from days gone by I thought that was generally in the high 20s/30s.

[budwom]

Sorry, meant to say it nosedives above 74. Before that it is a gradual decline. Not sure what the peak is, remembering from days gone by I thought that was generally in the high 20s/30s.

Yeah, I was able to use cruise control on our two ton SUV this weekend, drove almost our entirely trip at 73 mph, got 24 mpg which is quite good for that particular car...

[elvis14]

I think that if I drive fast and hard enough I can get my car down to 16 mpg for my next tank of gas.

[rsvman]

I think that if I drive fast and hard enough I can get my car down to 16 mpg for my next tank of gas.

SMH. You certainly could. Doesn't do much for your wallet, or for the environment, either.

[budwom]

I think that if I drive fast and hard enough I can get my car down to 16 mpg for my next tank of gas.

my college roommate had a high school tennis coach who drove his new Camaro some great highway distance in second gear. It eventually blew the engine (what's that noise?) and I bet the gas mileage was crappy, too.

[OldPhiKap]

my college roommate had a high school tennis coach who drove his new Camaro some great highway distance in second gear. It eventually blew the engine (what's that noise?) and I bet the gas mileage was crappy, too.

Shoulda checked with the golf coach. They know how to drive.

[elvis14]

SMH. You certainly could. Doesn't do much for your wallet, or for the environment, either.

I'm just kidding. I'm actually quite environmental conscious. Hope my next car is fully electric. If I had more $$ in my wallet I'd have an electric car (Model 3 Performance would do nicely) and as many solar panels as I could fit on my roof to charge it! Im going to go read the investment thread now... :-)

[Bluedog]

You got that right. Bottled water is fools gold. A big waste of money.

I worked as a consultant for the logistics team for one of the largest convenience stores/pharamacies in the world. They indicated they could eliminate an entire Distribution Center in their U.S. network if they no longer sold bottled water...

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I worked as a consultant for the logistics team for one of the largest convenience stores/pharamacies in the world. They indicated they could eliminate an entire Distribution Center in their U.S. network if they no longer sold bottled water...

For whatever reason, New York City tap water is actually really good. We now have a simple filter in our fridge and that's all we need, and I have no problem drinking it straight from a tap. So we use very little bottled water - just fill up a water bottle and we are on our way.

We get most of our groceries delivered - my wife uses a number of different companies - I feel like she overcomplicates it but it makes her happy. One of the companies (I believe Amazon) just sticks frozen single-serve water bottles in the containers of frozen items to keep them cold. So for the occasions where we might want a water bottle, we have a stash that we have been gifted by them - they basically treat them as worthless, or worth less than other cooling mechanisms.

[budwom]

For whatever reason, New York City tap water is actually really good. We now have a simple filter in our fridge and that's all we need, and I have no problem drinking it straight from a tap. So we use very little bottled water - just fill up a water bottle and we are on our way.

We get most of our groceries delivered - my wife uses a number of different companies - I feel like she overcomplicates it but it makes her happy. One of the companies (I believe Amazon) just sticks frozen single-serve water bottles in the containers of frozen items to keep them cold. So for the occasions where we might want a water bottle, we have a stash that we have been gifted by them - they basically treat them as worthless, or worth less than other cooling mechanisms.

yes, I've had people look at me like I'm nuts (for which a case can be made) when I reject bottled water at NYC restaurants in favor of tap water. NYC water primarily comes from reservoirs of very good water in the Catskills. It's very good.