I have a question re driving style?

[wehey]

I have a question that i have been pondering the answer too for years and maybe one of the bright minds on here will have an answer.

Its regarding fuel consumption and which driving style is best for it. There are two scenarios which i will list below.

1. Driving up a hill and maintaining (hypothetically) 30mph (or any constant speed). You use a low gear, say 2nd, and need 1/4 throttle to maintain the climb at a the given speed.

2. Driving up the same hill and maintaining the same speed as in scenario 1. You use a higher gear gear, say 3rd, but now you need 1/2 throttle to maintain the same speed.

Which is more fuel efficient??

 

[frank]

it depends on many variables, but there comes a point when changing down a gear will use less fuel eh.
you could buy a data-lead and measure the injector durations on each run

 

[SirChris]

Dont rag it and don't let the engine struggle, find the right middle ground. You may use less fuel in some scenarios but you will put the engine under strain when in high gear up a hill. Use the engine and gears to suit your need, I would of used the run up to increase speed steadily to the hill. momentum does the rest.

 

[markbognor]

1/2 throttle?
1/4 throttle?

 

[wehey]

1/2 throttle?
1/4 throttle?

LOL......i did say "hypothetically".......would never actually do it tho

 

[Jay101]

I say get a good run up and keep your foot to the floor...these cars have a much higher mpg than most vehicles.!

 

[MrMigs08]

Build up to a good speed then hit the hill and use a lower throttle amount to see if you can ballance out getting to the top!

Unless its a massive hill, i suppose it depends on the speed limit in the area, a massive hill down my end in a 60 zone i sometimes take the challange of doing it in 5th and end up at 45/40 in the 1.0, but in 4th i can pretty much keep it up towards the 60 area, where as ive got another hill thats in a 30 which turns to 60 when you hit the hill, thats a different story, 3rd can take it, 4th can but its too slow for my liking, and 2nd gears just fun! but probably using too much fuel, so a light throttled gear 3 can takle it quite nicely!

 

[Jen319]

I found in My K10 and K11 I almost always had to change down for a hill...
In my K12 I don't always need to, unless it's a ridiculous incline...
of course my K12 is a 1.5 diesel and it has more power, HP and torque, than the others did
I've learnt to try and keep the revs around 1500rpm...that tends to lead to a sustaining of my MPG (65 at the moment )

In my other micra's (both were 1.0 petrols) neither had a rev counter...so I can't really tell you what I did with those other than trying not to thrash it or over rev when i simply didn't need to, if the engine sounded like it was straining I'd change up a gear or vise versa

on a steeper hill I had to change down from 4th to 2nd in my K10....it didn't really have alot of go if you know what i mean...well it was an LS so it only had 4 gears anyway! LOL

K10 MPG 1.0 35 ish
K11 MPG 1.0 40 ish
K12 dciMPG 65

I think most would say i drive like a granny but I like to think that I drive in a sensible manner thankyou very much