Texas, Speed Limits Done Right!

[jjsC6]

I know my opinion won't be too popular here, and I'm a speed freak myself, but I really don't agree with the higher speed limit. My wifes daily driver is a 2005 Tahoe. I've driven it on 300 mile trips from Houston to Dallas and Louisiana several times. I have found the difference in gas mileage from 65mph to 75mph to be as much as 4mpg. It's very significant. Mind you, I'm not a liberal "save the whales" kind of person, but there is a point at which we as a nation need to be doing more to conserve fuel. Do we really need to have everyone cruising at 85-90mph? (that is the effect of raising the limit to 80.)

Also, I do a lot of driving, and I'm appalled at how many people are driving on freeways and drifting over lanes while dialing their cell phones. I see this all the time now. Notice how many more single vehicle accidents there are on freeways outside of major cities? I do. I'm convinced that cell phones are a big factor.

Now, raising the limits on the Tail of the Dragon makes some sense!

So, get rid of that brick. My '01 Intrepid R/T gets best gas milage at around 80.

I thought it was strange too until looking at the combination of how the car is geared, where lock up occures on the trans, and were the motor settles in to max efficiency coupled with the pretty good drag coefficent. Over 100k on it and it still gets best milage around 75 or 80. Best milage (that I actually checked) was when driving on a stretch of I40 from Memphis to Nashville. Traffic was 90mph. Milage was 26.999. And believe me when I say the traffic was 90. that was in the slow lane. Go figure.

Ready for 80 mph speed limit in Texas. The FJR should love it.

First of all, it's not about me. I can handle our Tahoes milage. It's about conserving fuel in general.

Second, I don't believe your Intrepid gets better milage at a steady 80 than at 60 or 70. Sorry.

 

[RadioHowie]

I can believe it.

Think about an airplane...at a given ground speed, the effect of airflow over the wings creates lift and ground speed turns into airspeed. Basically, the plane becomes "weightless" in respect to its speed before lift kicks in and when it does cause the plane to take off.

In the same respect, the speed of the air travelling over the body of the Intrepid at 80mph is causing enough lift to remove several hundred pounds of virtual weight on the vehicle, thereby increasing the efficiency of the drivetrain, therefore increasing the vehicles MPG.

The downside of the equation is at 82mph, the Intrepid is on its roof, sliding for the nearest ditch, scattering flames, body parts and passengers around the immediate countryside. :rofl:

 

[LGizmo]

I know my opinion won't be too popular here, and I'm a speed freak myself, but I really don't agree with the higher speed limit. My wifes daily driver is a 2005 Tahoe. I've driven it on 300 mile trips from Houston to Dallas and Louisiana several times. I have found the difference in gas mileage from 65mph to 75mph to be as much as 4mpg. It's very significant. Mind you, I'm not a liberal "save the whales" kind of person, but there is a point at which we as a nation need to be doing more to conserve fuel. Do we really need to have everyone cruising at 85-90mph? (that is the effect of raising the limit to 80.)

Also, I do a lot of driving, and I'm appalled at how many people are driving on freeways and drifting over lanes while dialing their cell phones. I see this all the time now. Notice how many more single vehicle accidents there are on freeways outside of major cities? I do. I'm convinced that cell phones are a big factor.

Now, raising the limits on the Tail of the Dragon makes some sense!

So, get rid of that brick. My '01 Intrepid R/T gets best gas milage at around 80.

I thought it was strange too until looking at the combination of how the car is geared, where lock up occures on the trans, and were the motor settles in to max efficiency coupled with the pretty good drag coefficent. Over 100k on it and it still gets best milage around 75 or 80. Best milage (that I actually checked) was when driving on a stretch of I40 from Memphis to Nashville. Traffic was 90mph. Milage was 26.999. And believe me when I say the traffic was 90. that was in the slow lane. Go figure.

Ready for 80 mph speed limit in Texas. The FJR should love it.

First of all, it's not about me. I can handle our Tahoes milage. It's about conserving fuel in general.

Second, I don't believe your Intrepid gets better milage at a steady 80 than at 60 or 70. Sorry.

the only real way to conserve gas is to raise prices to $5+ a gallon. the quickest way to get the american people to "conform" is by hitting em where it hurts the most....in the bank account. People would consider buying more fuel effecient cars and avoiding the HUGE SUV's and Trucks with massive engines. Don't believe me then why is the HONDA and TOYOTA are experiencing record sales in North America while the "Big Four" are taking massive hits in sales and having to cut production and H&T are building more production facilities in the midwest? The "Extreme" gas hikes as some call it are minimal compared to the average gass prices around the world and are a good thing. It caused better more effecient engineering like selective cyliders etc. etc. the list could go on and on.

 

[Pjturbo]

I have an idea. Lets change the law so that the better your milage the faster you can go. Tahoes can go 30 mph while FJRs can go 120. I think I like this idea.

Phil

 

[Mike-H]

I can believe it.
Think about an airplane...at a given ground speed, the effect of airflow over the wings creates lift and ground speed turns into airspeed. Basically, the plane becomes "weightless" in respect to its speed before lift kicks in and when it does cause the plane to take off.

In the same respect, the speed of the air travelling over the body of the Intrepid at 80mph is causing enough lift to remove several hundred pounds of virtual weight on the vehicle, thereby increasing the efficiency of the drivetrain, therefore increasing the vehicles MPG.

The downside of the equation is at 82mph, the Intrepid is on its roof, sliding for the nearest ditch, scattering flames, body parts and passengers around the immediate countryside. :rofl:

Well the intrepid is a ditch pig (front wheel drive) so what did you expect

 

[radman]

I have an idea. Lets change the law so that the better your milage the faster you can go. Tahoes can go 30 mph while FJRs can go 120. I think I like this idea.
Phil

+1035. Or one better. Qualified licensing. Fat assed Tifanies and Showandas with cell phones relegated to articulated public trans. A truly perfect society...

 

[Mike-H]

Rad in Europe(England) they do it with bikes....it's a shame they don't do it with cars....maybe then the could became a world leader again

 

[sixfootfive]

"there is a point at which we as a nation need to be doing more to conserve fuel. "

"First of all, it's not about me. I can handle our Tahoes milage. It's about conserving fuel in general"

If WE as a nation need to be conserving more fuel than why is YOU driving a Tahoe not about conserving fuel in general? :glare:

It's up to all of us to make changes in our lives and the way that use fuel. Driving a Tahoe and complaining that the speed limit being raised 5 MPH is being inefficeient is like owning a ferry boat and complaining that the row boats are dropping splinters in the waterand polluting it. :blink:

 

[RadioHowie]

People would consider buying more fuel effecient cars and avoiding the HUGE SUV's and Trucks with massive engines.

Horseshit! My 9 passenger (insert brand here) gets 171 people-miles-per-gallon. Your Honda Insight gets 132 people-miles-per-gallon.

I win.

 

[waldmana]

the only real way to conserve gas is to raise prices to $5+ a gallon. the quickest way to get the american people to "conform" is by hitting em where it hurts the most....in the bank account. People would consider buying more fuel effecient cars and avoiding the HUGE SUV's and Trucks with massive engines. Don't believe me then why is the HONDA and TOYOTA are experiencing record sales in North America while the "Big Four" are taking massive hits in sales and having to cut production and H&T are building more production facilities in the midwest? The "Extreme" gas hikes as some call it are minimal compared to the average gass prices around the world and are a good thing. It caused better more effecient engineering like selective cyliders etc. etc. the list could go on and on.

The best way to save gas is to improve the effeciency of the engines. When I was in Germany a couple years ago I rented a Mercades that got just over 40 miles to the gallon. Why is it if I rent one here in the states it does not get even close to that mileage? The government needs to impose much tougher fuel milage standards. It is already being done in Europe, why not here?

 

[RadioHowie]

The best way to save gas is to improve the effeciency of the engines. When I was in Germany a couple years ago I rented a Mercades that got just over 40 miles to the gallon. Why is it if I rent one here in the states it does not get even close to that mileage?

Are you forgetting that the European metric gallon is 4.5 liters while a U.S. gallon is only 3.7 liters? Not surprising the MPG was better...the G was bigger, so the M would be.

The government needs to impose much tougher fuel milage standards. It is already being done in Europe, why not here?

Capitalism seems to have worked pretty well for the past 230 years. Why have the government legislate something the marketplace can control? Those who want efficiency can buy it. Those who don't care can own their land yachts.

Didja notice Mercedes and Audi have both just launched brand new SUVs? Seems kinda stupid in the face of $3+/gallon gasoline. Are Mercedes and Audi stupid? Or are they going to let the marketplace decide whether brand new V-8 SUVs are a smart idea.

 

[bmac]

And I thought this thread was going to be about speed limits.

 

[RadioHowie]

And I thought this thread was going to be about speed limits.

Yep...you ARE new here.

 

[donaldb]

If we don't buy and consume the gas, China will--it's a global supply and demand situation. You may personally feel like you are doing both the enviro good and doing your part to hurt the middle east in the pocket book by conserving, but in reality, what you are not using is being bought at world market price elsewhere and consumed. If you choose to conserve for your personal pocketbook, that's fine and dandy, but in my opinion that is the only good your doing. If you got the $ and want to burn it in the tank, go for it!

 

[Mike-H]

& now WE won't return you to your regularly scheduled programing :crazy: :headbonk:

 

[gr8eyes]

RE: the mercedes above. In addition to the metric vs imperial gallon used there it was likely a diesel engine which gets about 25% better mileage than a gasoline counterpart.

Toyota and Honda build great cars but I'll keep driving my GMC Denali till they build one that can get my family of 6 and a 7,000 lb boat to the lake. :clapping:

Glenn

 

[Groo]

I saw a Mythbusters episode recently where they took a stock Diesel Mercedes and ran it (with no apparent ill effect) off of strained French Fry pit oil... :dribble:

 

[Mike-H]

I saw a Mythbusters episode recently where they took a stock Diesel Mercedes and ran it (with no apparent ill effect) off of strained French Fry pit oil... :dribble:

Was a burger extra?

 

[ladybug]

I'm not going to try quoting again, but that was funny!!! :clapping: :clapping:

 

[sleddoc]

Second, I don't believe your Intrepid gets better milage at a steady 80 than at 60 or 70. Sorry.

I had one and ran from Minneapolis to Milwaukee on a regular basis and it got its best milage at 80 MPH - the tach was on 2650 to 2700