Quote:
Originally Posted by theholycow
Discarding tires with good tread to buy LRR tires won't be cost-effective. You may be able to increase your tire pressure without consequence; on most cars it's easy to exceed the car manufacturer's recommended pressure by 10psi without adverse effects (just don't exceed the tire's maximum stamped on its sidewall).
There are plenty of driving techniques that you can practice that aren't dangerous, and drafting does not need to be dangerous. Most of the improvements that can be made cost-effectively are driving techniques; most modifications are too expensive and will never pay for themselves. The ones you described are DIY and cost little or nothing (except maybe the water injection, I'm not too familiar with that one though it has been mentioned before).
As for drafting: It is common for people to cruise at a closer distance than I recommend for drafting. Drafting seems to be most effective at a 2 to 3 second following distance; that is the proper legal following distance taught in basic driver training, and it seems that being closer actually reduces fuel economy, possibly from the difficulty of staying so close or possibly because of the turbulence. The key is choosing the right vehicle; you want a plain full-length box tractor trailer truck. If you can find one that is lower to the ground, that's even better. The length is the important part, because the draft from a longer truck extends further back.
Understand, I'm not trying to convince you that you should draft, just that we take safety as a very important concern here and work our techniques around it.
Is your Civic equipped with a manual transmission, or an automatic?
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Thanx for the response.
I have always been mpg-aware, so my driving techniques are already
pretty good (don't speed, coast up to stops, accelerate slowly, etc.)
Drafting has other issues. Can't see whats ahead, like an accident.
Big rigs throw up bigger rocks into your windshield. I was on a trip
recently (in a rental car) and had 2 rocks hit the glass from nearby
trucks, 2 days apart. Had to pay for a new windshield when I turned it in.
The car has a 4-speed automatic, but since the final gear ratio is almost identical to that of a 5-speed, and its got a lock-up torque converter, it shouldn't affect the highway mileage.
I agree with your assessment on the tires. I'll keep them until they wear out.
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