In school we learned ” what you save in energy, you have to increase the way.” By that rule you should use the exact same amount of energy (fuel) for the same distance no matter what speed. I’ve asked a few people, but no-one could give me a good answer.
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If your engine uses less gasoline per mile at a slower speed, then it is better to go at the slower speed. Engines are made to get their best fuel milage at about 35 mph (72 kph) and 55 mph (88 kph).
That’s just where your engine will be the most efficient. Going faster decreases your efficiency. There is a sweet spot where your engine and transmission work less to combat the air it has to push against.
Let’s say you were going down a road at 55 mph getting around 35 mpg. The same car going down the road at 60 mph is only getting 30 mpg. The second car would only be about 5.5 seconds ahead after a mile. If you were traveling 6 miles, that would only be about a minute behind. Speeding doesn’t really get you there very much faster unless you are traveling over 100 miles.
Are you willing to buy more gasoline every year to save yourself 2 minutes a day? It’s a personal question and some would say yes; not me, but some would.
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