Vacationers can cash in on hypermilers' tips - USA TODAY
But two men finished trekking 8,233 miles across the USA in a compact car earlier this month — and spent only $295 on fuel. They squeezed 81 miles per gallon out of a diesel-powered Volkswagen Golf TDI. And even though their methods are extreme, they say average drivers can save hundreds of dollars on fuel every year by following their techniques. Wayne Gerdes, a well-known hypermiler, and co-driver Bob Winger, an electronics engineer, were out to set a record. Volkswagen says they beat the Guinness World Record for non-hybrid cars by driving through each of the Lower 48 states. Gerdes says he's careful about which techniques he uses. They had an advantage with the Golf, because diesels get about 25% better fuel economy than comparable gas engines, a point that Volkswagen wanted to underscore by sponsoring their trip. "We just wanted to show, albeit under extreme circumstances, the mileage benefit and potential of Volkswagen's TDI clean-diesel offerings," says spokesman Mark Gillies. The Golf diesel is rated at 45 mpg on the highway. Gerdes says he rarely touches the brakes, even in the thickest traffic. On a 120-mile rush-hour run between Los Angeles and his home in San Diego, he says he tapped the brakes only nine times. Source: www.usatoday.com
