[dcstep]

Yesterday I drove from Monte' Vista, Colorado back to the Denver area on US 285 mostly. I took a couple of side roads, but speeds ranged from 55 to 70-mph, with only a short stretch at 40ish. Elevation ranged from 5,000 to 8,400 over sea level, running 91-octane.

Wow, wow, wow! I got 28-mpg, mostly in 8th gear. The torque and that transmission really added up to a very efficient run. Heading south, earlier in the week, I averaged 22-mpg on I-25, running mostly at 85-mph. I was really pleased with the 22-mpg, but the 28-mpg blew me away. 500-hp and better mileage than my 1967 beetle!!! Oh yeah, and in TOTAL LUXURY.

The 28-mpg really surprised me because of all the elevation change and THE WIND, which was up to 50-mph!!! The wind was mostly a cross-wind, but the M4 was steady as could be. When I stopped to top off the gas and grab a snack, the wind almost blew me over. I had to hold the door to keep it from slamming shut. I saw one horse trailer at around a 12-degree angle to the truck pulling it. On the news, last night, they showed several semis that were blown over.

I used the Driver Assistance, to make sure I didn't accidentally run up over 90-mph, which I did a time or two when overtaking. There were three speed traps that I saw during the 4 hour-ish drive.

[RockCrusher]

That's pretty impressive gas mileage.

Not being familiar with Monte Vista I used Maps to plot a route from Monte Vista to Denver.

3 routes were shown. All 3 have a high wind warning.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

That's pretty impressive gas mileage.

Not being familiar with Monte Vista I used Maps to plot a route from Monte Vista to Denver.

3 routes were shown. All 3 have a high wind warning.

I took the middle route.

50-mph side winds were no problem for the M4, but I WAS worried that some truck could blow over, so I passed the quickly.

The biggest problem was standing up at a gas stop, also keeping the wind from whipping the doors open or slamming them on the other side.