GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

to me it seems like people are driving slower, accelerating slower and trying to extend every mpg they can get.last weekend we drove down to San Antonio and caught I35 just south of Austin to get sto San Antonio. Six months ago, if you drove that stretch at 70mph you would have been run over, last weekend I drove between 65-70 and passed a lot more than passed me and the ones passing me did so slowly.

I wish they were, but nope... I drive an interstate to work in an urban/suburban setting, 55 MPH limit. I'm doing anywhere from 48-55 and saving gas like mad while people still blow past me at 70+. My hypermiling antics sure (removed) people off, they can't seem to handle me wanting to go the speed limit even as I keep to myself minding my own business over in the right lane. Business as usual, they're in a hurry to get nowhere fast. A lot of these jerkwads blow past me in their fuel sucking pigs only to find my slowpoke (removed) right behind them again at some point. Everybody's so quick to complain about the price of a gallon of gas, but few are willing to actually change their behavior to scale back their consumption a bit... Truly pathetic, basic fuel saving techniques are not a hard thing to do at all but most are still above wanting to try that stupid stuff.

Except for the guy that peeled out of the gas station the other day in his big 'ol 4x4 V8.What an idiot.

i've noticed it around my area..everyones slower..some ppl driving 10 km/h slower then the posted limit..drives me up the wall

Yes I do. And it's fantastic. I've got the left lane to myself when I go to work these days.

Driving slower is by far the best way to save fuel. My friend dropped his commute speed from 110kph to 100kph in his diesel Jetta. He now gets 1,100km per tank and before he got 1,000km.

Not where I live, apart from some of the hybrid drivers and people driving old junkers. I live where lots of people own h2's, bimmers, merc's, etc and they have no regard for people trying to save gas...

LOL, I keep getting passed by Prius drivers on the interstate, what's up with dat? I've only had one recently run behind me slower on the interstate.Like you, most of the luxury cars I see - Lexus, Infinity, Mercedes, BMW, etc. are still hauling ***. I almost had a Mercedes driver buy me a new car yesterday, w00t! And the Hummer drivers are still some arrogant, obnoxious SOB's. It must be nice to have money.

nope, i feel like i'm the only one. i keep my speed the same but i'm tryin to accel slower.i was outside grillin up a steak for dinner and while i was out there heard around 5 cars chirp tires leavin the stop sign and a handfull of others sounded like their were redlining (several being trucks), in a residential development!!! theres another stop sign within a few hundred feet which ever way you go from the intersection.

yeah, they are going slower. and i hate it. but at least i get to have some fun driving to school and work by dodging them. breaks up the almost straight shot drive i have.btw, i have tried that driving slower and not accelerating above 3k stuff, i didn't get better mileage. so i went back to my accelerate at 4k-5k and going 5mph or more over the limit. i'm only getting an extra now 2mpg because i am doing more highway driving than city, and on the highways i go at least 65, usually 70. i'm still going >300miles per fill, and going 1 1/2 weeks between fills.

Nope. Sure as heck not the behemoth SUV's, trucks and oh yeah, the yuppies.

nope... the SUV population here still does 80 in the 65 zone.

I don't notice anyone driving slower, but around here almost everyone does 5-10 mph BELOW the speed limit anyway. It drives me crazy. On the freeway I'm constantly fighting with stupid people who are drive 50 in a 75.

The Wisconsin State Patrol stated that with the gas prices, they have seen people driving slower. A whole average of 1mph slower. WaHoO! I don't see it though, not around here...

I believe some are, but not a lot. I suppose those that drive the big cars and trucks are not hurting as much for cash. What surprises me are the smallest cars seem to be driving even faster. It confuses me why they drive an economy car like a sports car and negate the savings.

I've driven 3-4 over the limit for several years. I just don't care to pay for a ticket. I pass just as many people as pass me. People around here must take it a lot easier, because it's pretty rare that I see someone going 10-15+ over.

Quote, originally posted by VivaVibe »It confuses me why they drive an economy car like a sports car and negate the savings.Because driving an economy car like a sports car is still better on gas than driving a sports car like a sports car?As far as dropping speeds goes, just because somebody doesn't slow down to save gas doesn't mean their not making it up elsewhere. I drive 90 km (round trip) to work every day, and while it's not worth it to me to drop my speed to 100 km and leave 15 mins earlier, I'll drive less on my days off, take public transit, and walk down to the grocery store.

I drive slower on the local freeways - probably 60 when the limit is 65. Usually in the middle of three lanes. Everyone is passing me - many giving me the "high sign". Next trip I am going to try taking it alower to see if there really is any mpg improvement - but driving 615 miles from Ohio to NC a 10 mph drop extends my driving time from 10 hrs to 12 hrs. A 2 mpg increase saves 2 gal of gas. I'm not sure spending 2 hours more in the car is worth a savings of $8.

If you are doing 5 under the posted limit you need to be in the far right lane!

I dont care of people drive slow they just need to stay in the right lane..MAN i cant stand when im in the left and the person is going under or at the limit WHILE driving next to someone in the right lane doing the same...Shoulders should be swept more so I can use them as passing lanes

Quote, originally posted by zionzr2 »If you are doing 5 under the posted limit you need to be in the far right lane!On a 3 lane freeway? Says who? That's the lane that all of the entering vehicles are merging into. The far left lane is the passing lane - I agree. But I have never heard of anyone gettting cited for doing nearly the speed limit in the middle lane of a three lane freeway.

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »On a 3 lane freeway? Says who? That's the lane that all of the entering vehicles are merging into. The far left lane is the passing lane - I agree. But I have never heard of anyone gettting cited for doing nearly the speed limit in the middle lane of a three lane freeway.Yes, left lane = passing lane, all others are fair game! So what if I want to run the speed limit in the center lane, if anyone has a problem with that they need to learn the following: Posted speed limits are NOT a suggested MINIMUM! On 2-lanes I always stay in the right lane and it still pisses people off because they're trying to pass in the right lane. Apparently most think all lanes are passing lanes?

I have noticed some people are going slower lately and it drives me nuts. I admit I am an agressive driver. The posted speed signs are speed minimum to me. Like 70 means you can go 71-80 and be okay, but the people that site right at 70 or just below it at 69 drive me nuts. I love driving my car, to not be able to enjoy the car and use all these hypermiling techniques to save gas, I can't imagine driving is fun at that point. You might as well park the car, take mass transit or ride a bike at that point.

I have really slowed my driving down over the past 2 years. Why? Maybe tired of getting pulled over, harassed, or well, just want to conserve on gas and don't feel I need to drive like an ashat to prove anything to anyone. So, I drive maybe the speed limit or perhaps even 5-7 mph over. I hardly EVER do 10 mph over unless I don't realize the speed limit has changed. I actually drive about 70 mph on the hwy (it's 65) and would drive about 65-68 mph but it ticks too many people off. I'd even drive at 55 mph because I get about 26-30 mpg if I do on a level area because I can stay out of boost. With gas prices as high as they have been and my car requiring premium, I drive way too much to have to keep paying $50-60 every 3 days. Plus, I'm getting old. and BTW, I drive slower on the roads so I can drive like I stole it on the track!

I haven't seen a lot of cars driving slower but I have noticed a big change in truckers, not so much speed, but volume. I leave work at 10:00pm and have to drive 18miles to get home. On a normal night I would encounter 10-12 trucks. For the last 2 weeks, it's more like 40-50 trucks and they are all flying. It seems like most of them are driving at night now with less traffic to deal with. It's really frustrating when it's raining, road spray hell all the way home.

I'm pretty sure that many of the hypermilers actually do think hypermiling is fun. They see it as a game to try to see how much mileage they can push out of their car. The same way I see grocery shopping with coupons as a game -- I like to see how high I can get that "Your Savings Today" number to be. And I'm not the only one who does this either.Personally, I would rather save money and use that to do something ELSE fun (like rent a movie) than spend in getting to my destination 30 seconds sooner. (And yes, that is really all you save, time wise, going 5-10mph over the speed limit on most trips.)

Quote, originally posted by Kari »Personally, I would rather save money and use that to do something ELSE fun (like rent a movie) than spend in getting to my destination 30 seconds sooner. (And yes, that is really all you save, time wise, going 5-10mph over the speed limit on most trips.)or getting stuck at the stop light 2 cars ahead of where you were before.

Quote, originally posted by Kari » Just remember that the left lane is the passing lane and if you're trying to pass us on the right, you don't have a right to be mad because you're the one in the wrong lane. But if you're in the left lane and not in it for a reason, slower traffic keep right... so you would be in the wrong lane...I get mad when I pass someone and I'm in the right lane at 5 under the speed limit.

People are def. driving slower. My brother, father, mother, fiance, cousin all notice it. Heck even I am.Instead of people doing 80 or so consistently, I see more 65-70s being the avg speed on the highway. You still get the occasional 80+ guy flying by, but now he looks like he is goin even faster to the cops since everyone is going slower.I hang at 65-70 and very rarely break 75. My car has not seen 80 in well over a month I can tell ya that. The difference as stated in other posts is totally noticeable. I've gained a solid 60+ miles per tank and shot up 5mpg in my AWD.And a side note. I do drive in the left lane, not cause I fly, but because I am so used to it I am more comfortable there. I do however move over in a timely fashion for the guys coming up behind, which means they shouldn't have to slow down and wait for me to move. But if I am in traffic, back off, cause getting one car ahead is not going to improve your situation.

Quote, originally posted by Kamikaze »But if you're in the left lane and not in it for a reason, slower traffic keep right... so you would be in the wrong lane...I get mad when I pass someone and I'm in the right lane at 5 under the speed limit.Not on a three-or-more lane highway. I cannot even begin to count the number of people who seem to prefer to pass on the right when someone is going the speed limit in the middle lane, even if the left lane is wide open. Then they get mad because they get blocked in by someone going below the speed limit. That's what I'm talking about.

Quote, originally posted by Kari »Not on a three-or-more lane highway. I cannot even begin to count the number of people who seem to prefer to pass on the right when someone is going the speed limit in the middle lane, even if the left lane is wide open. Then they get mad because they get blocked in by someone going below the speed limit. That's what I'm talking about.You're right. I was thinking a 4 lane (2 lanes in each direction)I still try to make a habit of moving far right and only moving over to the middle lane for vehicles entering the freeway, then moving back over when possible.

Quote, originally posted by Kamikaze »You're right. I was thinking a 4 lane (2 lanes in each direction)I still try to make a habit of moving far right and only moving over to the middle lane for vehicles entering the freeway, then moving back over when possible.I generally do too, but when it's busy or I know I'm coming up on a busy set of ramps I will tend to ride over there because I get tired of people riding on my quarter panel just to my left, not allowing me to move over, which leaves the merging people to cut across my nose or try to merge into my side.

Passed a guy going 45 on I77S the other day...

I was driving on I94 to and from seeing my dad on Father's Day. The posted speed is 70, I had my cruise set at 65 to conserve on gas. Not one other person was going at or under the speed limit. I check and most were going 80mph+. Apparently the high gas prices are not changing anybody's driving habits around here....

I'm not sure people realize how much more gas they use when they speed, weave in and out of traffic, tailgate, take off hard, etc. I had a lady today swerve back and forth from lane to lane, and the whole time she ended up behind me through the red lights and traffic pattern. She only got around us when she illegally cut through a parking lot while we were stopped at a red light. I'm sure she wasted a lot of gas doing that and got absolutely nowhere.I really think if people realized how much they are wasting...they might be more inclined to slow down a little. But because most have driven that way for years, it's all they know, and they don't realize a difference. Whereas if I drove that way I would definitely see one. LOL

Quote, originally posted by Kari »I'm not sure people realize how much more gas they use when they speed, weave in and out of traffic, tailgate, take off hard, etc. I had a lady today swerve back and forth from lane to lane, and the whole time she ended up behind me through the red lights and traffic pattern. She only got around us when she illegally cut through a parking lot while we were stopped at a red light. I'm sure she wasted a lot of gas doing that and got absolutely nowhere.I really think if people realized how much they are wasting...they might be more inclined to slow down a little. But because most have driven that way for years, it's all they know, and they don't realize a difference. Whereas if I drove that way I would definitely see one. LOLI agree. I did a little test on the last couple tanks of gas. I have a spiffy little engine management go fast tool called a Cobb Accessport. One of the nice features is that it will give me the real time est fuel economy. I had been running that while I drove around town to see and during those tanks of gas, I avg'd 23-24 mpg city and about the same on the hwy. Well, the last 2 tanks of gas I did not and my avg mpg city (same places I drive) was only 20-21. So just by having the reminder of what the car was actually running, I could visually make sure I was smoother on the accelerator. I fill up my gas every 2-3 days on avg except for race days which is EVERY day of an event. LOL

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »I was driving on I94 to and from seeing my dad on Father's Day. The posted speed is 70, I had my cruise set at 65 to conserve on gas. Not one other person was going at or under the speed limit. I check and most were going 80mph+. Apparently the high gas prices are not changing anybody's driving habits around here.... This was what the Daily News did a story on us last month at the RallyCross event. Quote, originally posted by Anchorage Daily News »Anchorage Daily News Car racers don't let gas prices stop themREV IT UP: Drivers fulfill their need for speed at fairground track.By T.C. MITCHELLtcmitchell@adn.com(05/27/08 23:17:05)When a few members of a local sports car club were laying out a rally course Friday they feared it was going to be a dusty affair.Then came Saturday and its steady drizzle interrupted only by a downpour."This is way funner than last time," Mike Lavigueur said. "The rain is awesome."The Wasilla driver had just completed his first time through the meandering and demanding route in the red parking lot of the Alaska State Fair grounds. He drove his 2006 Subaru through the course with a personal best that day of 1:55:64, or just under 2 minutes, in his second run.The event is part of a series of timed races sponsored by the Arctic Alaska Region of the Sports Car Club of America.Four categories drew 17 drivers with no apparent concern for the price of gasoline as they slashed through the few and short straight-aways and power-drifted past orange cones marking tight turns into a blur of slaloms.Dana Morrison, driving his sleek 2004 Chrysler Crossfire, called drifting into corners "tank slapping," referring to a motorcycle racing term when the rider's leg slams into the gas tank on tight turns.He would know. He's raced motorcycles. He's raced on ice. If there's a race nearby and an engine is involved, he probably raced it."Where else are you going to learn about your car than like this? In a safe atmosphere like this?" These are, after all, their go-to-work cars as well.NEED FOR SPEEDHope Reeve probably summed it best for all who were there."This satisfies my need for speed without having the red and blues on my back," she said. "And having somebody telling me what I've done wrong."Just a little over a month ago the petite Anchorage woman took ownership of a white low-slung 2008 Subaru Impreza STi, "And here I am, trashing my brand new $40,000 car." License plate: HI SPD.She did take some precautions, taping off the leading edge of the car and rear fender walls to absorb the battering rocks that spit out from under the all-wheel-drive tires. There was plenty of that.At the far end of the track, drivers met a hard turn that took them out wide and into an ever-increasing pond where they would temporarily disappear into a muddy fog and then weave with 200- or 300-horsepower engines growling their impatience into a series of cones that would challenge a snake.All the while wipers slopped muck from the windshield and drivers whipped the steering wheel to and fro in a maelstrom of excess.Under a small canopy, a group of drivers traded information and jabs as they watched their friends churn up the track."I don't use my brakes," Cheryl Babbe said from under a bright-colored helmet. "Is that bad?""That's because you're not using the other pedal enough," chided a compatriot.While speed was the need, safety trumped all. Cars are inspected to make sure they are track-worthy. All drivers are required to wear helmets and pre-race instructions warned orange-vested spotters on the corners to never turn their backs to a car. Ever.As a result, there was only one casualty. Dana Morrison had just finished his fourth and final run when it was noticed he had a gash in his car's right rear tire. With no spare in the modest trunk of a slender car meant for driving, a dispirited Morrison caught a ride back to Anchorage in the passenger seat of a tow truck.

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »I was driving on I94 to and from seeing my dad on Father's Day. The posted speed is 70, I had my cruise set at 65 to conserve on gas. Not one other person was going at or under the speed limit. I check and most were going 80mph+. Apparently the high gas prices are not changing anybody's driving habits around here.... I stuck it behind a semi at 65mph... yeah just about everyone passed me but that's ok... I wasn't in that much of a hurry... Nice thing was I was able to see a REALLY NICE Neptune Vibe in the other direction... it had Custom 2¼" Exhaust|Sylvania Silverstar Ultra Heads, Fogs & Turns|35% Tint|GM Upper Spoiler|17" Reaction Orbits|215/50/17 Bridgestone Potenza G005|Alutec Crank Pulley|OBX Alternator Pulley|Goodyear Gatorback Belt|Megan STB|aFe Pro Dry-S Drop-in Filter|Rain-X Latitude Wipers|FatMat Sound Deadening|GrafxWerks|

Quote, originally posted by Kamikaze »I stuck it behind a semi at 65mph... yeah just about everyone passed me but that's ok... I wasn't in that much of a hurry... Nice thing was I was able to see a REALLY NICE Neptune Vibe in the other direction... it had Custom 2¼" Exhaust|Sylvania Silverstar Ultra Heads, Fogs & Turns|35% Tint|GM Upper Spoiler|17" Reaction Orbits|215/50/17 Bridgestone Potenza G005|Alutec Crank Pulley|OBX Alternator Pulley|Goodyear Gatorback Belt|Megan STB|aFe Pro Dry-S Drop-in Filter|Rain-X Latitude Wipers|FatMat Sound Deadening|GrafxWerks| Hahaha! Funny cause I saw this clown going the other way too:It had shiny wheels.....that's what caught my eye(yes I have ADD), then I saw that it was you..hahaha....shiny...

ok, speaking of driving slower and saving on gas, has anyone had experience with the whole hydrogen conversion stuff? I'm sure that's not the technical term, however a good friend of mine is becoming a dealer for these type of systems. Anyways, it's a hot topic on my lgt boards, and wanted to hear from some of the more mature and open (think outside the box) type people. jake75? joatman?