ShawnShawn

An ex-salesman of industrial equipment, Shawn used to drive nearly 60K miles a year just commuting to clients. He also has a little project Miata build going on the side. Safe to say, Shawn has slain a few tires in his days. He knows all about horrid road-noise, hydroplaning risks, and how much damage a bad alignment can do to your wallet. He enjoys helping us out and Chris always values his opinion when designing something new for the website.

German Autobahns and Speed Limits

Sometimes people like to point out that there are no speed limits on German autobahns as part of their argument against speed limits here. The following excerpt from HowToGermany.com clears this up nicely: Don’t let the high speeds on German roads fool you into believing that there are no reduced speed zones. Usually, speeders will … Read more

Speed Limits: How Should They be Determined?

The primary purpose of our highway system is mobility, not safety. If it were the latter, we would set speed limits much lower. A 20 mph speed limit, with governors o­n all motor vehicles to prevent exceeding that speed, would certainly lower highway casualties. Of course, no o­ne would consider such a measure, Clearly, we … Read more

Case Study: VW Beetle 76 mpg

Hi, I thought this story should be of interest to you. I did drive 55 (52 to 53 true speed) to set this mileage record. I don’t recall passing anyone on the entire trip.Ernie RogersOver the Labor Day weekend, the TDI Club had it’s annual get-together called “TDI Fest.” The club has a large percentage … Read more

Letter to DOE Secretary Steven Chu

Dr. Chu:In synch with the new vehicle fuel efficiency standards, I strongly recommend that a national maximum speed limit of about 60 mph be implemented ASAP for ALL vehicles. Such a limit would yield IMMEDIATE benefits with EXISTING vehicles including:Greater fuel efficiencyReduced emissionsImproved highway safetyFuture vehicle technologies and designs would be more easily facilitated, simplified … Read more

Case Study: 2009 Honda Civic Gets 45 MPG at 55 MPH

Checking in again after a weekend trip to Houston, TX. 12.99 gallons got me 590.5 miles in my 2009 Civic LX (automatic), for an average of 45.458 mpg. About 550 miles of this was highway driving, at speeds of 50-60 mph (depending on weather, road conditions, traffic flow, etc), with about 40 miles of city … Read more

Case Study: 2009 Corolla 42 MPG at 58 MPH

This Real World Vehicle Efficiency Report is on a 2009 Toyota Corolla S rented for a trip in December 2008. This roomy, well appointed 4 door sedan is powered by a 1.8L 4 cyl engine with a 4 speed automatic transmission. It is an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle II with an EPA estimated MPG of … Read more

Case Study: 2008 Chevrolet Impala Averages 33.8 MPG

I’ve been doing the 55 mph routine long before I found this site. I’ve owned hybrid cars with the built in mileage computers, and had made it a game to push the graphics ever higher, and log ever higher figures into my sheets. I no longer have the hybrid cars, but still keep to the … Read more