Best gas mileage on highway at what speed

[KSC Grey Ghost]

Just got back from a 4,000 MI Plus round trip from Tennessee California. My XLT hybrid with 235s on it @ 35 P.S.I. hot . 70 + miles per hour 33 miles per gallon. Cruise control on 67 to 68 miles an hour jumped all the way up to 44 miles per hour. This is on the road all the way on interstate 40. Hope this helps

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[TonyS]

As someone else noted slower is nearly always going to be better. I had an 18 mile trip on a highway that the speed limit was 50 Max and 40 going through one small town. It was also relatively flat. The average - including once back in town and to my house - was 56 mpg. According to the trip meter anyway.

 

[GPSMan]

Obviously going really fast uses a lot of gas for wind resistance. So does idling ( 0 MPG ).

Where is the tipping point in a gas only car or truck? Around 40 MPH is the ideal speed. Jay Leno said this on on episode and it tests out to be true.

In the Mav Hybrid I have found EV mode can sustain constant speed at 50 mph, but it can't sustain 55. The wind is too great at 55 mph.

In a gas only you can go too slow and actually hurt MPG. Think of it like a bell curve with the peak being about 40 MPH. In a hybrid, really no such thing as too slow. Think of it as flat MPG up to about 40 MPH and a bell shaped decline everything above this.

 

[rognus]

So much depends on conditions. I live in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains and have about a 12 mile entry into Reno NV. I am averaging between 42 and 43 mpg overall driving with over 15,000 miles on my hybrid. Going east (which is 1/2 of the time) I can get around 65 mpg. That's slightly downhill and usually with the prevailing wind, if there is any. That's with considerable around town driving. Going 70 on the freeway portion (65 mph speed limit, but you have to go faster or get run over). Coming home same speed and quite normally into the wind it usually drops to around 37 mpg.
Same goes for going over the mountains to CA and back. Downhill a lot of charging, going uphill (plenty of power to keep the 70 mph up) I'm using a lot of gas. But the average gas mileage I am getting is nothing short of amazing! Love this hybrid!!
The one other thing that is great is the cruise control going downhill, if you set it at 70 it stays almost exclusively at 70 under almost all conditions . With all other cars I have driven you have had to apply the brakes at times which disconnects the cruise control. I almost never have to do that in my Maverick.

 

[Saul T Knutz]

I have no earthly idea about speed...however, you can probably decrease your drag by keeping your Mav clean, having it ceramic coated, increasing your tire's PSI, and keeping your windows closed...

 

[Benilla]

50mph or 80km/h in hoser units has been the sweet spot for my hybrid. If there's no wind, I can do this speed on battery only

 

[wb5oxq]

Say between 50 and 70 mph what speed gives you the best gas mileage?

I get close to 40mpg at 65mph.

 

[Aherpa]

Say between 50 and 70 mph what speed gives you the best gas mileage?

I drove home from town yesterday (12 miles) and was able to do 45 MPH the whole way. With the AC running and using the cruise control, the truck got 44.4 MPG. When I drive the Interstate at 70, using the same accessories, it usually gets 32-38 MPG.
However, a few months ago, I drove 47 miles at 55 MPH and got 57 MPG. Again using the AC and cruise control. That was my mileage high mark.

I've gone over the same road under what seem to be the same conditions and I get very different readings. Maybe the road's hills favor better mileage in only one direction. . . Iowa is fairly flat, so it's not like I'm fighting an elevation change that just isn't noticeable.

I'm not sure what all goes into getting great mileage but it can't be just a couple of variables. I use the same gas all the time (Casey's 15% ethanol) and I largely let the truck handle the throttle by using cruise control and Eco mode. I always have the AC on 'cause I care about being comfortable far more than gas mileage. I want to measure mileage using the truck as I normally use it.

My service center manager told me that the manufacturers are allowed to use 48 MPH as their benchmark to achieve the highway mileage figure. . .

Have fun figuring it out, but maybe just enjoy the truck. Even on it's worst day, it gets 3 times the mileage my old F150 got.

 

[imboden013]

22 AWD, best full tank flat rolling hills 200ft elevation changes. 55-65 mph got 37.6mpg( hand calculated 16.1 gallons). Mine really likes 55mph will get mid 40s.

 

[GPSMan]

It's true what @Aherpa says.

There are A Lot of variables.
Many variables you cannot control and some you cannot even detect.

One thing you can count on is slower is better due to wind resistance, and other types if friction being less.

If you can use EV mode there's not really too slow. But if engine is running 40-45 mph is usually the sweet spot.

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