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Car Forum / UK Car Forums / Car Maintenance (UK group) / July 2009saving petrol: motorway or lesser roads
I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its 35 miles and will take 59 min and if I go via the m25 motorway its 47 miles and will take 58 mins. In principle is it more economical ( i.e. petrol consumption ) *generally* to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the lesser roads? > I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. > the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? Depends entirely on the time of day. If you're travelling towards Dartford Crossing any time in rush hour, you may be quicker using the A13.  SignatureConor www.notebooks-r-us.co.uk I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. - Scott Adams > I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near > tilbury. the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > *generally* to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter > mileage on the lesser roads? I regularly make most of this same journey (amazing coincidence !) The NCR is usually slightly longer time but enough shorter to be a saving in petrol terms, however the M25 is usually less frenetic and almost no need to stop or change gear etc. BUT if the M25 stops it stops for a long time while the NCR keeps going but even slower than normal. You need to use both routes at the times you need them to decide which is best for you. I prefer the NCR, but my journey is usually during the day, not rush hour. >I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. >the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? 35 miles one way, or an extra 12 miles the other way to theoretically only save a minute? No brainer, really. Seriously though, I don't know exactly what google maps bases its timings on, and how much they can vary. Far better to actually mention exactly which part of North London you're travelling from - it's a big place, and where you're getting on the North Circular can make a *huge* difference. Signature"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." >I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. >the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its >35 miles and will take 59 min and if I go via the m25 motorway its 47 miles >and will take 58 mins. The timings via the NCR will vary hugely according when you're making the journey. > In principle is it more economical ( i.e. petrol consumption ) *generally* > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? There isn't much 'principle' to it on the basis of the limited information you've given. If you're driving a Jaguar XJ12 in the rush hour the longer route might be more economical. OTOH a Toyota Prius would probably use less fuel on the shorter route, regardless of time of day. D A Stocks >I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. >the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? You're actually asking the question "is it more economical in fuel consumption terms" rather than speed. I would have thought you could arrive at quite a reasonable average by filling the tank (or maybe half filling it) and doing this journey several times, using each route for each (half) tankfull. This presumes you wouldn't use the car for other journeys in the meanwhile. Rob Graham >> I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near >> tilbury. the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Rob Graham I did't realise the fuel consumption was the important bit. If I use the Ferrari the short route (NCR) is the way to save a a fiver per journey, if I use the Lexus then the motorway (longer) is actually cheaper on fuel. (I usually use the metro on the NCR) >I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. >the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? It will depend on how you drive and how the car works over the routes various. If you have a conservative style then the shorter the trip, generally, the lower the fuel used. I have two main commuter routes. One is 37 miles, almost all motorway. The other is 32 miles, a mix of motorway and A-roads. Using the motorway route and if I'm hypermiling, the Saab typically sees 48 to 50 to the gallon. Call it 49. Using the other route under the same driving conditions and I'll see 43 to 47. Call that 45. Both trips take as near as matters the same amount of time. In terms of miles per gallon, the motorway route is preferable. In terms of fuel used, call it 3.4 litres for the motorway route and 3.2 litres the other route. I save 0.2 litres taking the shorter route each way. 2 litres a week - not much of a difference. As has been suggested, giving each alternative a try is the best way. SignatureThe DervMan www.dervman.com >I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. >the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? It really depends how you drive. On the motorway, I'll be trying to get wherever I'm going as quickly as I can, and I'll get 40mpg. OTOH, the other day I had naff all fuel to get somewhere, and trundled along, not making much effort to overtake anyone, for 130 miles on A roads, and managed over 50mpg. You'll struggle to vary fuel consumption by 20% in any kind of traffic, so shorter is the one I'd go for. > I want to make a regular future journey from north London to near tilbury. > the google map direction finder tells me if I go via the north circular its [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to take the higher mileage on a motorway or the shorter mileage on the > lesser roads? As an example, my Volvo will average 19-22 mpg in city traffic and 30-32 mpg on a run, so over 47 miles at 30 mpg I'm going to use 1.5 gallons, and 35 mpg at 21 mpg means I'm going to use 1.6 gallons. Therefore the motorway would be very slightly cheaper in the Volvo. The P6 averages 15-19 mpg in city traffic and 22-24 on a run, so it'd be cheaper to go through the city in the P6. Around 2 gallons to do the run on the motorway, just over two gallons in the city. No real difference other than avoiding overheating and other old car traits in town. The Escort should average 32ish in town and maybe 40 on a run, so that'd work out at 1.09 gallons in the city, 1.175 on the motorway. That is all depending on the motorway being reasonably clear and the city route not being obscenely congested. As it's London, I'd be going by train. SignaturePete M - OMF#9 '62 Rover P4 100 '61 Rover P5 3 litre '72 Rover P6 3500 Auto '78 Escort 1300 Sport '96 Volvo 850 T5 CD Estate "It's an Alfa, it will go wrong, it will piss you off, why should your Alfa experience be different from everyone else's. Now get back out there and swear at it before something else breaks." > As an example, my Volvo will average 19-22 mpg in city traffic and 30-32 > mpg on a run, so over 47 miles at 30 mpg I'm going to use 1.5 gallons, and [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > route not being obscenely congested. As it's London, I'd be going by > train. Thing is, the "city route" really isn't all that much "city" anyway. The OP mentioned very little as to exactly what part of North London he was travelling from (North London's a big place) and this'd be quite crucial. Judging from the distances mentioned I've had a quick play with a map and worked out that it's quite possibly NW-ish London - somewhere around Camden or slightly NW of there, maybe Highgate or that sort of vicinity, in which case if it's at a busy time of day you'd be potentially f.cked whichever way you chose. Going out via the M25 would either mean out via the slow crawl along the A1/A41 through Mill Hill to join the M25 from the A1, or possibly up the M1 (even more mad as it brings you even further west on the M25), or maybe up the A10 and joining there. But if you're heading for the M25 via the A10 then you'd be better off going the North Circular route anyway as it's "free flowing" from there all the way around to the A13, and IME generally flows pretty well as long as you stay *well* away from the inside lane coming up to Redbridge (A12 junction) as the queues for that roundabout can tail back a fair bit. From what I remember it might be a little slow getting onto the A13 but nothing too terrible, and certainly preferable to leaving yourself at the mercy of all that M25, which you'll have to get through pretty much as much town traffic to get to as you'd have had to endure getting across London on the NCR anyway. Personally I'd be using the rat runs I'm fairly familiar with through East Finchley/Muswell Hill and cut up to the A406 by either Palmers Green or the A10 junction. Signature"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
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