Based on the last long trip I did in the U.K. where I averaged 43 miles per US gallon (52mpg) I’m shocked how terrible efficiency is in the US. That’s real world highway driving in a 4 year old petrol car.

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dylan604 4 hours ago | parent [-]

I deliberately chose a low mpg value. Most people are driving SUVs what I assumed 20mpg would be safe. My car averages about 26mpg. I have no insight into how many kilometers per liter UK cars get, but the translated £/litre to $/gallon has always shocked me at the price paid on that side of the pond. If Americans had to to pay the same rate, we'd have better mpg ratings as well.

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tzs 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

That's way too pessimistic.

Among SUV drivers in the US the biggest segment is compact SUVs (think Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V). Then midsize (like Toyota Highlander or Hyundai Palisade), subcompact (Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona), then full sized (Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition).

RAV4 non-hybrid is around 35 mpg highway. CR-V 34 mpg highway.

In midsize, Highlander is 29 mpg highway, and Palisade is 25 mpg highway.

In subcompact CX-30 is 30-33 mpg highway depending on options. Kona is 29-34 mpg highway depending on options.

The full size category, which does get down to around 20 mpg, is only around 3-4% of SUVs in the US. Tahoe is 20 mpg highway. Expedition gets 23 mpg highway.

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dylan604 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Great, but it's still 9.5 hours of time on the wheel. Train/plane eliminates that. So even if it is 1/3 cheaper in fuel, it's something that needs to be considered.

	▲	gruez 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		>So even if it is 1/3 cheaper in fuel, it's something that needs to be considered. Not to mention wear on the car.

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Arainach 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> RAV4 non-hybrid is around 35 mpg highway. CR-V 34 mpg highway.

....35mpg at 60mph and little traffic, maybe. I can't speak for that specific model, but most vehicles I've driven do significantly worse than advertised.

My Subaru Legacy advertised 27 City, 35 Highway, 30 Combined. In practice I average 25-26 while commuting and on extended highways drives more like 29, still on stock tires.

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hdgvhicv 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I paid £1.45 a litre on Friday my average, which I tend to treat as about 14p a mile or 18c a mile.

I’m not sure why I’d deliberately burn more fuel regardless of the price. Literally setting fire to cash for nothing.

That would be $120 for your trip to Georgia, about the same price as in the US despite fuel being $7.30 a gallon equivalent in the uk.

	▲	dylan604 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I don't know where you're coming with deliberately here as if that's something I chose. I'm not familiar with cars getting 43mpg in the US. Maybe some hybrid, but that's definitely not the norm on this side of the pond. Even when I had a Corolla, which was the highest rated car I've ever driven, did not get 43mpg. Your "deliberate" sounds a lot like victim blaming here.