Question on Quora:
What burns more gas, accelerating as fast as possible to 60 mph (e.g. ~10 seconds) or accelerating slowly (e.g. ~30 seconds)?
And the answer from a user with a lot of upvotes from collegiate folk: "A few years ago BMW did some tests to answer this question. They found that accelerating at full throttle, but shifting up at relatively low rpm (2500rpm as I recall) was most fuel efficient. Of course this meant they were using a car with a manual transmission. The reason this is most efficient is that an internal combustion engine is most efficient at full throttle. Using part throttle is just forcing the engine to pull air in through a restriction, which wastes energy. On the other hand, the faster the engine turns the more energy is lost to friction. So there's a kind of optimum at low rpm but full throttle."
So for best MPG, floor it from the stoplight while hustling through the gears briskly, then cruise at a steady state with minimal throttle and RPM. Automatics don't get to play.
Full article/answers.
Not a scientific test, but I have noticed this on a few of my cars I've had. Most notably my current Posche Macan S, and prior to that a BMW 135 and BMW 328 Cab.
If you drive them like a granny, the mileage sucks.
For example, on the Macan, staying in Non Sports mode, slowly getting to speed limits, a mix of freeway/city I will have gotten 15.2l/100k.
Having fun in it, selectively using Sports mode ( this does suck gas when stopped), and especially getting to freeway speed quickly, and cruising on freeway at possibly 20k over posted limits, I can easily get it down to 11l/100k.
The 135 with a Dinan tune was a strange beast. On our long road trips, watching the real time fuel consumption, and average consumption, it's sweet spot for driving was between 120-140kph. The aerodynamics seemed to settle the car down & mileage was amazing, for something with 384hp & 421torque.
In Utah, when speed limits increased, and we pushed it a bit harder, the wind resistance was crazy on the MPG, you sold see it drop as speed increased. Not acceleration, but just cruising.
Sorry, had to laught, 0-60mph in 10 seconds. I like around 5 much better.
