Just wondering how much you all abuse or baby your vehicles on a daily basis.
I've tried to be gentle with my new SS, but I just find myself with an uncontrollable urge to stomp on the gas at least once per daily commute. I'm mostly just wondering if any of you SS owners have been able to control that urge. How good or bad is averaging 26.0 MPG on the daily commute? I rated myself at number two.

 

I drive the car hard (6 year warranty). 2500kms no problems yet. My economy gage is 11L/100km or just around 20mpg I believe.

 

As with every vehicle i've had, I drive the speed limit most of the time. I hardly get on it in town. I don't go 35 or 40 mph and then slam on my brakes before coming to a stop sign like a lot of people like to do. I usually slow down way before a stop sign or red light, instead of speeding 150 feet before the stop sign. This actually saves tremendously on brake wear.

But I wont hesitate to get on it. Usually during open stretches, pulling out in busy traffic I will gun it. I rarely take my cars past 5,000 RPMs. Usually top out at 3 or 4 grand 90% of the time. I will gun it hard if there's chicks around or in a car next to me. If I feel pissed off I might be a little lead footed.

The Cobalt I want to buy I feel would last a long time. I would only gun it when merging on the interstate, or to prove a point to ricers in yellow jacket mobiles who think they are fast, as well as stock trucks and SUVs that are so high and mighty.

 

I'm mostly confined to driving 'average' in NJ unless it's late at night and I want to risk a probably ticket. I gun it when possible, but most of the time there are constantly cars around and I can't. I can usually get some short bursts of speed merging on the highway if it's not triple lane stopped or slow traffic, but sadly that's not that often.

 

once in a while ill just hammer it from a light and push it up to 3rd gear then let off.

 

Yep thats about me too.

NightCrawler: Where abouts in NJ are you?

-Rich

 

ok well i hope you guys arent looking at that little gauge on the dash that tells you how many mpg you get because mine says 16. If you are i guess im driving the car a little hard. HAHA i love to hear the motor at WOT. Cant wait for exhaust to come out and i guess im gunna say i drive it hard. 3/36 if its broke like my caddy ill trade it in for a new one.

 

How can you when you got all of those jug handles?

Sorry, I had to go there. I'm orginally from New York and you know how New Yorkers feel about New Jersey

 

I kind of baby it but I too cannot resist the urge to stomp on it once in a while. So far one speeding ticket for that! No hard braking and an occasional squeal of the tires from a start

 

I don't think the ridiculously humid weather over the last few months has helped either. Even my LS has gotten up around 10.6L/100km (mostly in-town driving) because of the thick air (engine can't breathe, A/C on constantly, etc.) and the ridiculous stop and go traffic here lately. I've been resetting it every tank of gas just to get a better idea of how the weather is affecting it so this week should be a good idea of how well it runs under "normal" conditions. When we had a break in the humidity for a while there I had mine running 9.3L/100km so it seems to be close to the rated. If there was ever a time for you to beat the hell outta it give 'er **** this week .

As for how hard I drive it, I'm babying the hell out of it still because one I'm still getting adjusted to to stick and two it's only got 4600km on it so I'm giving the engine just a bit more time to settle (and was waiting for the humidity to break) before I open it up for the first time. Can't wait for the weekend if the weather holds .

Permafried-

 

most of the time grandma could pass me, but I pur a little speed in her every now and then

 

Id say my average speed is 40-45mph.... the average road around her is 25-30mph

 

On my way to work, i average between 55-65... On the way home, at midnight, I average between 65-80mph... Before you all start bitching and moaning about driving fast. Folks, I live in the middle of nowhere. The roads are mostly straightaways and I have been driving them for 15 years at least. It's not racing or anything like that, it's just remote road, no one around and some engine to wind! And the fact that my job is a ballbuster and I just want to get home!

Besides, if you think that's bad... you should see this kid I work with. He can make it home from work in 16 minutes with this old beater 91 Cavalier sedan... it's almost a 30 mile drive (like 25-28 miles)!

Anyways... I drive my Cobalt no harder than I drove my 205,000 mile Cavalier.

Scott

 

Around the Bridgewater area That's between Somerville and Morristown if you're not familiar with the area. I mostly drive on 78 and 287. Both are usually full of traffic. And they are some of the better highways in the state! Anywhere on 80, near the Turnpike or Parkway in the NYC vicinity is downright awful. Of course it's also bad heading south toward Atlantic City and the beaches this time of year as well. NJ just sucks when it comes to traffic.

I took a road trip to Myrtle Beach SC last summer. It's amazing how little traffic there is in every single other state!! I'd say CA and NY are the only states that can compare to NJ in traffic.

 

I rode with my one of my friends who was from NJ once. He called himself an average driver. One of the scariest rides of my life....

 

hehe That's true. The standard of 'average' in NJ is probably different than elsewhere!

 

im pretty hard on my car, i love the sound of the intake its just killing me AHH i need to stop

 

since I am gently breaking in the car---I drive like an old man. 4000rpm max and no full throttle. Of course the way some nit wits acclerate I can still beat them.

 

i drive it as if it were a part of me. if a scenario seemed right, or almost right, ill floor it.
but usually, its just flooring it til i hit the speed limit or go 10 over... thats about it. what sucks is i love going fast on corners, but this base model isnt able to go fast on corners... heh.

 

I was told 800 kms keep it under 90 km/h for the break and at 801 it was game time been tearin it up ever since. I drive my car hard but i only lay rubber down on green lights 90% of the time. Some nights just feel like crusin and keep her under 55 km/h other nights shes between 130 and 210 km/h the whole time.

 

I head that bout 800kms before....but it doens't say that in the manual. Just says try to avoid steady speed driving for the first 800kms. Now what consitutes steady speed driving is another question. 10 minutes, 20 minutes 60 minutes at the same speed?

After 300kms I went over 90--lots of my driving is on the highway that goes throught the city---you almost get run over going that slow.

 

Man, I feel REALLY BAD now!

I mash the throttle every chance I get!
Usually take every gear to redline, unless cruisin on highway/town. If there isn't a car in front of me I'm speeding.

Been doing it since 12miles. I hear all this break in talk, LOL not me!

Runs strong, done this with all my cars, so IDK. My cav ecotec 2.2 ran like a freak, others agreed. Same with my Honda 400ex, ran it hard from the day I got it.

Guess when my **** falls apart, I'll know why.

Don't think I don't appreciate, or take care of my stuff. I just really can't help it!

 

Well, I will have to say that I drive my car very hard, everyday. My "average speed" is 53. Lol. Yes, I know... lol... Anyways, my "ECON" is at 18.7MPH. Again, sad. I drive my car hard, but only because 95% of my driving is highway driving. I drive on average per day, about 60 miles. I have had my car since September 27, and I already have 5304 miles on it. Lol. And I fill up my tank about 3 - 4 a week.

But, with all that. I baby my car. I clean it atleast 3 times weekly to keep it shiny. I wash, wax(nano-wax), show time shine, tire wax and wheel cleaner. Its clean everywhere I go. But I do, "mash" the gas.

Pretty much every light I come to, I step on it. I love my exhaust sound and the whine. I race alot... usually through 3rd gear, then let off.

To make it short, I do drive hard... very hard...

 

I dunno if anyone else has driven in Charlotte before.... but I think the "home of NASCAR" phrase totally applies. You're either six inches off someones bumper doing 10-15 over the limit, gunning it to shoot through a gap in traffic, or stuck behind some poke-ass grandpa who does 35 max.

4 - 6 lane roads + 45MPH limits + red light and speed cams + definate lack of city cops = nightmare.

 

I think i belong with "average" on this...sometimes i would really rip it up..then other times i take it really easy. I want this car to last as long as possible and i would like to turn it into a show car...someday