Decided to take a new job yesterday, so after I gave 2 weeks on my current one I figured it was a good time to take a drive. Weather was miraculously clear (you have to live through some Seattle winters to understand how wonderful it is when the sun comes back) and the temperature was warm and inviting.

Took I-90 out to Preston, then 203 up through Fall City to Monroe. This is a loop I've made a few times now, as it's very accessible, has little traffic, and has several excellent passing straights before some of the curvy sections.

Since I had some extra time, I figured I would take Highway 2 and run up to Stevens Pass and back. I hadn't done that previously because the winter snowpack and my summer tires don't mix, but now it's almost May and the temperature was a balmy 58 in Monroe.

I _highly_ recommend this road -- for the Monroe-Sultan-Startup stretch, there are plenty of passing lanes just where you want them, although I kept the speed down in those areas because it's more populated and regulated. Especially coming out of Monroe -- just as you exit the town and are tempted to put your right foot down.

The stretch from Gold Bar to the summit is a little slice of heaven. For much of the incline, it broadens out into four lanes, and yesterday at around 7 p.m. it was essentially deserted. The waning sun was highlighting the snowy peaks on both sides, and the TT was singing happily in 4th all the way to the summit. There's still about 3 feet of snowpack on the mountain, but the road was dry and clear. When the lone Volvo and mini van that I passed during the ascent made it to the top, they witnessed the tail end of the TT happy dance that I was doing by the side of the road.

It's about a 30 mile grade, so I figured, hey, I wonder what kind of gas mileage I can get on the way down. I reset the computer, eased it into 5th, and coasted down, just for fun. I used the breaks a few times entering some of the sharper turns, but other than that didn't touch any pedals until I slowed on the more level sections.

Some interesting notes:

-- the average mpg indicator doesn't go above 199.9 mile/gallon. It creeps up to there and then peaks.

-- the real-time mpg indicator, however, does go up to 200. It didn't seem to go higher than that, either that or that's the gas mileage when the TT is coasting at idle. It is, after all, still using gas. I think it would be a bad idea to coast down with the engine off, so I didn't try it (although I was tempted to head back up and try it again).

-- the range indicator, when I finally got back on the gas, estimated 820 miles remaining on that tank of gas (I had about 3/4 of a tank at that point). It was still climbing, though...

-- the rolling resistance on a 6% grade in 5th gear with no gas seems to limit the car to about 85-90 mph. (not sure about that percent grade though) Going to neutral decreases this resistance considerably, but Highway 2 is not a road for much higher speeds, especially when you're fiddling with the trip computer. I did shift out of gear towards the bottom, trying to coax the range indicator up a little higher before my little expiriment ended.

I had fun.

-Jonathan

 

<p>-Jenner
'00 180QX TT Garrett Stage II, Borla, H&R Sport Springs, Stable Energies Shoulder Harness Bar[4/29/00], Deist 6 point Race Harnesses, LLTEK rear light covers, LLTEK floor mats, Valentine 1, Custom stereo, 3M tint, etc.</a>

 

<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/akracttq.jpg" border="0">

 

Re: Very nice, thanks.

 

I have gotten the 200mpg real time going west on I-90 from highway 18.

Hope to see you around and good luck with the new job

dan
North Bend, WA

 

Had the instantaneous MPG meter above 200 today on a downslope . . . .