So I've had my tC for 18 months now. Never really taken it out for a long run, other then a couple hours. Well I brought my car out to California, from Colorado, since I am working out here for a long while.

Trip Stats:
Distance Traveled: 1786 Miles
Route Taken: I-70 to I-15 to I-10 to I-5 to I-80 (Denver to Sacramento via LA)
tC's Spotted: 18
Tanks of Gas: 6
Top Speed: 112, makes Utah go by faster
# of Tickets: 1, 85 in a 75... I wasn't going to hassle him about it since i had only just slowed down from almost an hour of 110mph.
Best Section of Driving: I-70 coming out of the Eisenhower Tunnel. I love the curves!
Days Driving: 3
Hottest Temp: 102 F, Utah desert on I-70.. yea the part when I was doing 110mph
Best Short Distance MPG: 300mpg.... down hill in neutral on a 7% grade....

I had always loved my tC since they day I bought it. I still love it and even more now that the two of us spent a lot of time together. The ride was great, I never really felt tired from driving. I was able to test out the car a lot more then just the daily driving. Few things I learned that I found interesting.

The day before I took off I had just installed my ScanGauge2. On those long boring straight stretches, thank you Nevada, I was able to play with our MPG. Running 75mph, windows up, sunroof closed, A/C off I was averaging 35mpg (scangauge was bouncing between 33 and 37mpg. Turning on the A/C dropped the mpg down to around 28/29mpg. I also tested our sunroof, no a/c and windows closed. I opened it to just the first stop point, just the tilt. Dropped the mpg down 2/3mpg from the turbulence it created, didn't test with the sunroof all the way open.

I do have a Injen CAI installed with my own little addition.... coldwrap, from Home Depot (reflects 97% radiant energy, it's coving all of the CAI inside the engine bay). Monitoring our cars thermometer for outdoor temperature and the temperature coming from scangauge on the Intake Air I was able to keep the incoming air around 1-3 degs F cooler then the ambient temperature. Before I installed the coldwrap I took the car out for a spin on the highways in Colorado, the avg temp for the Intake Air was 1-3 degs F hotter then the ambient temperature. I know that at most 6 degs F isn't much but it's the little things that count...cooler air for better compression.

For those of you who live in the high altitudes and want to feel a newborn rush of power from your tC... visit the coastline, a drop of 5k feet to sealevel really reallly really gives a new vigor to the car. I highly recommend a trip on Highway 1, I plan on taking a few hours on it each weekend I'm out here

In the end this trip has really reassured me that my current investments in the car are for the better; from the payments to the insurance to the fuel and all the toys that are to come.

All in all:
I LOVE MY tC

 

what was the mpg at 110mph?

 

I don't remember specifically... but I want to say around 21 w/ the A/C on... was to bloody hot to not have it on!

I'd be happy to go test it... lol course California speeding tickets are EXTORTION...

 

I love it. great trip details. I can't imagine doing 110mph for an hour. Must be one LONG straightaway with nobody/nothing on the road. I'd be too worried about cops and something jumping out into the road - you just can't stop very quickly at all. The scangauge was a great idea though! I've always wanted one.

 

Well not to far into Utah it gets rather boring and straight, turns here and there. Wildlife wasn't much bigger then small rodents. Traffic on I-70 was pretty thin on a Sunday afternoon. I only did if b/c there were 2 other vehicles that were with me. They flew past me and so I sped up and joined in the furiosity, until they turned off.

 

do you have face end mask?? if not was the paint damage during the trip?? I'm thinking on a road trip myself next month. is going to be about 1900 miles in 24 hours. any tips??

 

I bought the clearbra thing when I got the car.

So far it has done it's job, I've not seen any minor/major damage on the bumper from small or big flying objects.

The only thing that got on my car was a lot of bugs and ash from the fires in Utah.

Tips:
keep the tank at least 1/4 full... you never know when the next station is, better fueled then walking

LOTS of music, when you are jamming your awake and awake is good. STOP if you are feeling sleepy... it only takes a second to run off the road. Use rest stops... stretch, stretch, stretch... MOVE

HYDRATION
HYDRATION
HYDRATION.... drink water! You can help keep yourself alert and in better condition with lots of water, not to much though you CAN overhydrate...
CLEAR PEE = GOOD
YELLOW = BAD

Subway footlong's make for great meals... half for lunch half for dinner.. all in one stop. That is unless you regularly eat a footlong...

Don't get caught speeding...

 

Nice details you kept, sounds like you had fun. I hope I have a reason to take a high length trip with it someday, farthest I have driven really is 2 hours one way.

 

I have a tip...ya better go at least 80mph the WHOLE way...80mph x 24 hours = 1920 miles...that's a lot of mileage to cover in such a short amount of time.