Veteran mileage-maxing experts John and Helen Taylor have managed to set a new world record for miles traveled on a single tank of fuel by driving a stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE with a 6-speed manual transmission an amazing 1,626 miles. The record trek — which saw the couple journey from Houston, Texas, to Sterling, Virginia, over a three-day period — eclipsed the previous single-tank mark of 1,526.6 miles that was accomplished in a VW Passat BlueMotion diesel in Europe.
To make this effort as close to a real-world experience as possible, the Taylors took along 120 pounds of luggage and drove in daylight hours to better reflect the most common types of traffic conditions. They averaged 84.1 mpg during the course of their nine-state sojourn, going through clean diesel at a cost of 4.65 cents per mile. Their "hyper-miling" techniques — most of them impractical for daily driving — returned almost double the offical EPA highway rating of 43 mpg. "We’re excited to have broken the record for the longest distance driven on one-tank of fuel," said John Taylor. "The Passat TDI was the perfect car for the trip. It offers plenty of interior and cargo space, yet is frugal enough to help us achieve this record."
To ensure the achievement could be properly validated, the speedometer and odometer on the Taylor’s Passat TDI were calibrated by a state-certified testing station in Houston, Texas and local law enforcement officers then oversaw the mileage check, fuel fill-up, and gas tank sealing at the beginning of the drive. A Loudoun County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Deputy verified completion of the drive and mileage prior to removing the fuel tank seal. In addition to holding more than 90 world fuel economy and vehicle-related international records, the Taylors also conduct workshops on how to improve your overall driving efficiency and operate the website: www.fuelacademy.com.
