Road Trip - Texas to California and Return
02-27-2013, 03:01 AM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Road Trip - Texas to California and Return
Over the past 28 days I have traveled 4,788 miles in four states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The Corvette, an ’07, now has a few miles fewer than 108,000 miles. The car has been, essentially, trouble free, requiring only routine maintenance - though a rear wheel hub was replaced under warranty, as were the end links.
With increased speed limits in the four states there are hundreds of miles of highways with speed limits of 80 mph. Other stretches, for hundreds of miles, are posted 75. There is a multi-mile stretch of highway – SH 130, in Texas - where the speed limit is 85 mph. The remainder of SH-130 has a posted speed limit of 80.
For the most part I drove the “legal _cheat_” of three to five mph over the posted limit - so the 85 mph stretch of SH-130 was driven with the cruise control set on 90, while the 80 mph segment had the cruise set on 85.
I broke the trip into three phases: outbound (Texas to California via Arizona and New Mexico) , inbound (the reverse of outbound, though the route was somewhat different for my return as I went to the Texas Rio Grande Valley rather than returning to my home near Dallas). The final link was from the Texas Rio Grande Valley to my home in Commerce (Texas).
Fuel mileage averages:
Outbound 28.0
Inbound 27.6
RGV 26.5
Average for the entire trip: 27.36 mpg
The return segment from the Rio Grande Valley to Commerce was buffeted by high winds the entire trip and the 85 mph segment of SH-130 was driven the entire length at speeds from 83 to 90. The 90 mph segment, while being buffeted by winds with gusts to 55 mph (weather report), saw a fuel average of 24.0 mpg.
My moving average for the entire trip was in excess of 70 mph – so when one takes into consideration traffic in and around El Paso, Los Angeles, and a couple of other “clog points,” the average speed attests to the increased highway speed limits’ ability to influence travel time.
The C6 has been a joy to own and drive these past six+ years and I'm looking forward to adding another 60K or so over the next couple of years before replacing it with a C7 in the fall of 2015.
I'm already planning my next trip... so, when you're out driving yours and we meet, be sure to wave....
With increased speed limits in the four states there are hundreds of miles of highways with speed limits of 80 mph. Other stretches, for hundreds of miles, are posted 75. There is a multi-mile stretch of highway – SH 130, in Texas - where the speed limit is 85 mph. The remainder of SH-130 has a posted speed limit of 80.
For the most part I drove the “legal _cheat_” of three to five mph over the posted limit - so the 85 mph stretch of SH-130 was driven with the cruise control set on 90, while the 80 mph segment had the cruise set on 85.
I broke the trip into three phases: outbound (Texas to California via Arizona and New Mexico) , inbound (the reverse of outbound, though the route was somewhat different for my return as I went to the Texas Rio Grande Valley rather than returning to my home near Dallas). The final link was from the Texas Rio Grande Valley to my home in Commerce (Texas).
Fuel mileage averages:
Outbound 28.0
Inbound 27.6
RGV 26.5
Average for the entire trip: 27.36 mpg
The return segment from the Rio Grande Valley to Commerce was buffeted by high winds the entire trip and the 85 mph segment of SH-130 was driven the entire length at speeds from 83 to 90. The 90 mph segment, while being buffeted by winds with gusts to 55 mph (weather report), saw a fuel average of 24.0 mpg.
My moving average for the entire trip was in excess of 70 mph – so when one takes into consideration traffic in and around El Paso, Los Angeles, and a couple of other “clog points,” the average speed attests to the increased highway speed limits’ ability to influence travel time.
The C6 has been a joy to own and drive these past six+ years and I'm looking forward to adding another 60K or so over the next couple of years before replacing it with a C7 in the fall of 2015.
I'm already planning my next trip... so, when you're out driving yours and we meet, be sure to wave....
02-27-2013, 11:10 AM
#4
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
02-27-2013, 03:12 PM
#7
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
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St. Jude Donor '13
Good work.
Of course, pics are always welcome...
Of course, pics are always welcome...
02-28-2013, 07:06 AM
#8
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
02-28-2013, 08:30 AM
#9
Safety Car
02-28-2013, 09:18 AM
#10
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
02-28-2013, 11:39 AM
#12
Team Owner
Which method is more accurate? I have done both and if I remember correctly the computer always comes out to be more MPG than old school of dividing total miles driven to how many gallons used.
