It’s been a few weeks since I picked up my not so brand new 2006 BMW 325i and so far I’m really pleased with the car. The car is fun to drive, handles like a dream and looks awesome, but most surprising to me is how much more gas efficient it is compared to my 2000 Nissan Maxima. I’m averaging around 31 miles per gallon on the highway and around 23 mpg in traffic. Part of that is due to the fact that the car tells me my average fuel consumption through the on board computer, but there is also a real time gauge under the tachometer that shows the current estimated mpgs.
I’m also trying to practice various hypermiling techniques I’ve been reading about on the web. I’m not going to go crazy hardcore trying to increase my fuel efficiency this way, but a few changes in my driving behavior have also helped me get the most miles out of my car. One thing I realized is that I’m terrible at maintaining a constant speed, so I’ve started using my cruise control more. I’m also trying to speed up slower after breaking even though I’d rather stay away from other drivers as much as possible, and the easiest way to do that is to get to the speed limit before they do.
