Waftability and hypermiling
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From: Winter Springs, Fl.
Waftability and hypermiling
In my younger years I made a startling realization. I saw my first Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. I must have been 12 or 13 at the time, and I peered into the cabin, marvelling at the Walnut trim, the chrome finished switches, the leather seats and the Wilton carpets.
One thing I noticed was the rather thin steering wheel. Rollers have always been described as cars which waft. One doesn't so much drive up in a Rolls as much as one arrives in a Rolls. Somehow at that young age, I subconsciously associated thin steering wheels with waftability. Waftable cars demand to be driven in an entirely relaxed manner.
Take our S by comparison. The steering wheel is decidedly thick and appropriately chuncky. Even if one didn't know the first thing about cars, one would know that the S is a car that relishes being driven. There's something about the car that encourages one to driven the car just that much harder, to shift higher in the rev range, to brake later and harder, to be all that much more involved in the driving experience.
Now my new Passat--one of the great products from VW--compellingly falls into the waftable class of cars. It's got an appropriately thin steering wheel. Although lacking the sporty edge of the S or even a BMW 3 Series, it rides much more smoothly than either while still maintaining a more agile feel than the typical Japanese family sedan. The interior is genuinely roomy and the seats resoundingly comfortable. At the end of the day at the office, the Passat cocoons you in insulated isolation. It even inspires an entirely more relaxed driving style which I have tried to capitalize by hypermiling.
You all know the routine. Inflate the tires to the highest recommended psi; go easy on the brakes. Do not carry needless junk in the car because more weight means less economy. But most important, don't drive agressively. Keep your speed in the sweet spot for economy, say around 55 mph. Plan your movements so that you can keep your momentum up by avoiding traffic lights. Accelerate and brake slowly and smoothly. Stay in the right most lane.
Well, during my morning and afternoon commute, I try to follow these simple rules. Now there's one consequence to this. I do tend to have a line of traffic behind me, some times a mile or so long. And when people pass me I get to see some really interesting facial gestures and waves--the single finger kind. Few people smile at me directly when I drive slowly. So to make their day, I make it a point to smile at them and wave back. They don't seem amused--too much stress I think.
The good news is that I've gotten as high as 36 mpg.
One thing I noticed was the rather thin steering wheel. Rollers have always been described as cars which waft. One doesn't so much drive up in a Rolls as much as one arrives in a Rolls. Somehow at that young age, I subconsciously associated thin steering wheels with waftability. Waftable cars demand to be driven in an entirely relaxed manner.
Take our S by comparison. The steering wheel is decidedly thick and appropriately chuncky. Even if one didn't know the first thing about cars, one would know that the S is a car that relishes being driven. There's something about the car that encourages one to driven the car just that much harder, to shift higher in the rev range, to brake later and harder, to be all that much more involved in the driving experience.
Now my new Passat--one of the great products from VW--compellingly falls into the waftable class of cars. It's got an appropriately thin steering wheel. Although lacking the sporty edge of the S or even a BMW 3 Series, it rides much more smoothly than either while still maintaining a more agile feel than the typical Japanese family sedan. The interior is genuinely roomy and the seats resoundingly comfortable. At the end of the day at the office, the Passat cocoons you in insulated isolation. It even inspires an entirely more relaxed driving style which I have tried to capitalize by hypermiling.
You all know the routine. Inflate the tires to the highest recommended psi; go easy on the brakes. Do not carry needless junk in the car because more weight means less economy. But most important, don't drive agressively. Keep your speed in the sweet spot for economy, say around 55 mph. Plan your movements so that you can keep your momentum up by avoiding traffic lights. Accelerate and brake slowly and smoothly. Stay in the right most lane.
Well, during my morning and afternoon commute, I try to follow these simple rules. Now there's one consequence to this. I do tend to have a line of traffic behind me, some times a mile or so long. And when people pass me I get to see some really interesting facial gestures and waves--the single finger kind. Few people smile at me directly when I drive slowly. So to make their day, I make it a point to smile at them and wave back. They don't seem amused--too much stress I think.
The good news is that I've gotten as high as 36 mpg.
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