With the weather becoming nicer and nicer, I guess it's not too surprising that the topic of rolling down the window vs. cranking up the air conditioning has come up in conversation several times in the past few weeks. So, even though you probably weren't wondering, here is the official answer to the age-old debate:
According to this article from Bankrate.com (hey, don't ask me, it was just the first hit on Google), "motorists should avoid using the air conditioner at speeds below 40 mph and travel with their windows down." However, "as your speed increases to 45 mph, or highway speeds, wind drag becomes an issue." In fact, "drive at speeds over 55 mph with windows down and you'll decrease fuel economy by up to 20 percent or greater."
So there you have it. These findings were also confirmed in MythBusters Episode 38, so you know they're correct. Happy driving, folks!
1 comment:
Also confirmed by Mr. Rohan Patel, who first told me that fun fact. See, you don't need Google, you just need Rohan.
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