Maximizing MPGs w/o spending Arms and Legs

[datechboss101]

I am going to be going back to my usual 500 to 1000 mile weekly commute to Miami and back from May 8th to the remainder of the year. My only issue is that I don't want to spend a ton of money on tolls (usually the most efficient route, cuz FL Turnpike). So any ideas to save on fuel so I don't go spending to my old habits of $100 weekly gas fill-ups or spending $$$$$ on tolls? Route options are the following:

• US-27/US-41 (will run into a ton of signal lights along the way)
• FL-50/I-95/FL-826 (some signal lights in the beginning)
• US-27/I-75/US-41 (signal lights on 27 & 41)
• FL Turnpike (just pure government cash grabs from home exit to exit 25 [University exit], but MOST fuel efficient option, and the most concentrated highway of horrible drivers)

I drive a V6 now, but previous car was an underpowered 4banger CUV with a CVT. Upcoming car will be the CT unless Tesla makes the price go above $100k OTD.

 

[Luke42]

I am going to be going back to my usual 500 to 1000 mile weekly commute to Miami and back from May 8th to the remainder of the year. My only issue is that I don't want to spend a ton of money on tolls (usually the most efficient route, cuz FL Turnpike). So any ideas to save on fuel so I don't go spending to my old habits of $100 weekly gas fill-ups or spending $$$$$ on tolls? Route options are the following:

• US-27/US-41 (will run into a ton of signal lights along the way)
• FL-50/I-95/FL-826 (some signal lights in the beginning)
• US-27/I-75/US-41 (signal lights on 27 & 41)
• FL Turnpike (just pure government cash grabs from home exit to exit 25 [University exit], but MOST fuel efficient option, and the most concentrated highway of horrible drivers)

I drive a V6 now, but previous car was an underpowered 4banger CUV with a CVT. Upcoming car will be the CT unless Tesla makes the price go above $100k OTD.

I learned the hard way to stay on the Interstates in Florida.

I received a ticket while braking for a red light after a semi-hidden speed-limit sign on a 4-lane US Highway in rural Florida.

The terms of the ticket were as follows:

• If you show up in court to challenge the ticket and and lose, the court costs would be $500.
• If you pay the ticket AND an extra $100 and take an online course, the town would not inform your home state or your insurance company about the ticket.
• You had to make a lot of phone calls to ensure that all of the dots were connected, because they wouldn't cross reference their own paperwork.

There was nothing about justice or traffic safety in this ticket.

Also, there was a huge billboard just after where I was stopped warning motorists that this town was a speed trap. When the billboard went up, law enforcement officers (and I use the term loosely) just moved down the road a quarter of a mile. Drivers just passing through towns like this are prey.

The only reason towns like this don't do that on the Interstate highways is that the US federal government withdraws highway funds from towns which fund themselves by harassing travelers.

This is your tax savings at work!

It's safer and cheaper to just pay the tolls.

 

[Crissa]

I just avoid places that have tolls and sue localities for violating due process.

I abhor tickets. And having video means never having to deal with a lying cop again.

-Crissa

 

[datechboss101]

It's safer and cheaper to just pay the tolls.

Here's the issue: I wrecked my previous car on the Turnpike because of god awful drivers. Its the reason why I put "the most concentrated highway of horrible drivers".

But from data that I collected from my previous vehicle, the turnpike yielded me 520 miles on a tank (round trip).

 

[datechboss101]

UPDATE:

I took the most efficient route (i.e.: Florida's Turnpike). However, what happened today made me to decide that I am going to permanently avoid the Turnpike like I am currently doing with Interstate 4. Although I was able to match the MPGs of a 4-cylinder with a CVT, it totally wasn't worth it. I just missed becoming part of a semi crash.

Not sure why the trucking industry repurposes old tires, but this truck had a blowout on the driver's front and which was directly in front of me, and that truck swerved into the median blocking the passing lane (Lane 1) on the Turnpike South in Palm Beach County.

In terms of MPGs and fuel; Gallons used: 9.857 gals out of 19.1 gals. MPG from the onboard computer showed 29.8 MPG, however, real-world calculations showed 28.5 MPG. Distance driven was 281 miles.