At all times , I stuck to the posted speed limit . For the vast majority of the trip , that was 100km / h . Being the middle of the day , traffic was light , so I was able to drive in a fairly consistent manner . Fortunately , the weather conditions allowed me to drive at 100km / h , and the van felt solid as a rock – there was no twitching that may have tempted me to slow down .
Back at the same servo , I topped up my tank with diesel . According to the trip-meter , I travelled 139.8km , while the bowser said I ’ d used 22.25L . A quick calculation revealed this to be an average of 15.91L / 100km . Not bad , but not great either .
With the tank once again filled to the very brim , I travelled the same route , this time with 80km / h as my top speed . Again , because the traffic was quite light , I didn ’ t hold anyone up , nor cause any safety issues – I was very mindful .
But here ’ s the thing . Fuel comparisons such as this are imperfect . Any number of variables will have a bearing on the result , whether it ’ s changing speed zones ( and there were a few ), to differences in the amount of stopping and starting . The one variable within my control was the speed at which I travelled , and for the vast majority , it was 100km / h for the first run , and 80km / h for the second .
The Goldstream was as solid as a rock during the tests .
Encountering some traffic after towing the van over Melbourne ' s West Gate Bridge .
36 \