Speeding and Fuel Economy

We all know that speeding can reduce the fuel economy of your vehicle, but just how much of a difference does it make?

Saving time doesn’t always mean saving money, and in the case of getting to your destination quicker, it could cost you at the pump. Consumer Reports recently conducted a study to see how speeding affected fuel efficiency on various popular vehicle models and its findings may have you thinking twice before you speed.

Take the HondaAccord LX for example. According to Consumer Reports, driving at a steady 55 mph returned 49 mpg, but increasing that to 65 mph saw a return of 42 mpg. While averaging 75 mph, the Accord LX only got 35 mpg – a 29-percent difference between 55 mph and 77 mph.

Mathematically speaking, driving 200 miles at 75 mph instead of 55 mph will save you an hour of time, but will burn an extra 1.5 to two gallons of gas. For some people however, saving an hour of time is worth spending an extra five to seven dollars.