NoJo
06-26-2008, 03:46 PM
Hi, everyone. So here's the rundown on my vehicle and commute.
Vehicle: 1994 Mercedes S320.
Don't snear! The car is in penultimate mechanical shape, already gets 22mpg with
its bullet-proof 3.2 liter six-cylinder, and has a 26 gallon tank. The mechanicals easily
have a 150K+ miles left on them, and I only paid $6500 for the car. With a little
hypermiling technique, I'll be much better off than the 1992 vintage SUV I was driving
before. Besides, its darned comfortable.
The S320 has an automatic transmission, five forward gears, and a sort-of tiptronic
feature in the gear shift that allows me to manually gear up to fifth or manually gear
down to fourth at my discretion.
I have 130,000 on the odometer. I have synthetic oil in the engine. The car does
have an analog MPG gauge on the instrument cluster already.
Commute: 25 miles each way, 5 days a week.
I live in a Portland, Oregon inner city neighborhood, and commute 25 miles to a
facility in a rural area outside the city. As I drive to work, I drive 3.2 miles on a
minor thoroughfare toward the interstate. Approximately seven stoplights, speed
zone at a school on the route. The route tends slightly uphill for the first part of
the grade, then slightly downhill to the interstate. My house elevation and the
interstate's elevation are equivalent.
Once on the interstate, I drive about 11 miles on the I-205 interstate, a bypass
around central Portland. Traffic here usually flows at the speed limit, on a relatively
flat grade.
To finish my commute, I drive 11 miles on a state highway - two lane, unseparated
roadway with no passing for the duration. terrain is up/down/arournd rolling hills
throughout.
My return trip is just the reverse.
I'd be appreciative of pointers, for sure. What would you suggest?
Vehicle: 1994 Mercedes S320.
Don't snear! The car is in penultimate mechanical shape, already gets 22mpg with
its bullet-proof 3.2 liter six-cylinder, and has a 26 gallon tank. The mechanicals easily
have a 150K+ miles left on them, and I only paid $6500 for the car. With a little
hypermiling technique, I'll be much better off than the 1992 vintage SUV I was driving
before. Besides, its darned comfortable.
The S320 has an automatic transmission, five forward gears, and a sort-of tiptronic
feature in the gear shift that allows me to manually gear up to fifth or manually gear
down to fourth at my discretion.
I have 130,000 on the odometer. I have synthetic oil in the engine. The car does
have an analog MPG gauge on the instrument cluster already.
Commute: 25 miles each way, 5 days a week.
I live in a Portland, Oregon inner city neighborhood, and commute 25 miles to a
facility in a rural area outside the city. As I drive to work, I drive 3.2 miles on a
minor thoroughfare toward the interstate. Approximately seven stoplights, speed
zone at a school on the route. The route tends slightly uphill for the first part of
the grade, then slightly downhill to the interstate. My house elevation and the
interstate's elevation are equivalent.
Once on the interstate, I drive about 11 miles on the I-205 interstate, a bypass
around central Portland. Traffic here usually flows at the speed limit, on a relatively
flat grade.
To finish my commute, I drive 11 miles on a state highway - two lane, unseparated
roadway with no passing for the duration. terrain is up/down/arournd rolling hills
throughout.
My return trip is just the reverse.
I'd be appreciative of pointers, for sure. What would you suggest?