Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to visit Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Three border countries, in which I was able to travel more than 2,000 kilometres, including around 1,000 on the Autobahn, the famous German motorways. I loved this experience, but not necessarily for the reasons you can imagine.
I normally had to drive a Volkswagen Golf MK8 wagon, which made me happy. But the latter was unfortunately damaged when I arrived at the rental agency. Upgraded by the employee present on site, I finally took the wheel of a Czech car, a Skoda Superb Combi. It was a station wagon from the Volkswagen group and fitted with a 4-cylinder turbodiesel. And with a wink, the young woman at the counter said to me “with 200 horsepower you should have more fun than with 110”. I obviously understood right away where she was coming from.
However, it was not the maximum speed reached that thrilled me the most on theAutobahn. I’m not going to lie to you, when I was able to drive on an almost empty unlimited portion, I obviously put the pedal to the bottom and waited for the car to stop accelerating. A quick glance at the instrument cluster gave me the top speed of my Skoda: 227 km/h.
Photo: Julien Amado
And after ? I did like the majority of motorists, I slowed down to around 160-180 km/h. On December 31 in the afternoon, the Germans were probably preparing to wake up with their families. The highway was lightly traveled as I traveled back in time towards Munich. The temperature was mild, the visibility perfect, thanks to a slightly veiled sun which gave me an irreproachable reading of the asphalt passing under my wheels. And suddenly, I felt a real sense of fullness.
Fast, but above all dynamic driving
Focused on my driving, I didn’t need to focus on my dashboard to avoid tickets. The speed increased to 200 km/h when there was no one around me, then went down to 150-160 km/h, or even 120 km/h when necessary. The velocity varying often, with marked acceleration and braking, the driving was much less boring and monotonous than usual.
Apart from a few oblivious ones, I found the German drivers to be very disciplined and focused on what’s going on around them. And in two weeks spent in Germany, I saw only one motorist stay in the left lane and struggle to fall back to the right. I prefer not to start counting the number of lazy motorists encountered every 1,000 km traveled in North America… I risk reaching a staggering number!
I think that the respectful conduct of the Germans also comes from the fact that we appeal to their common sense on the unlimited portions. So if the conditions are not met, they slow down. I actually had the opportunity to check it in the Bavarian Alps, where the speed was not limited and everyone was driving between 100 and 110 km/h due to the heavy snowfall that day. . It is also important to note that there is a lot of traffic on certain very busy sections, and that unless you drive very early in the morning, the quantity of trucks and cars does not even allow you to reach 120 or 130 km /h.
Photo: StVO
Trust the drivers
What I saw has no statistical proof value, but rare are the motorists to drive more than 160-180 km/h, including when the conditions are met. Why? Because driving fast is expensive!
To give you an idea, my Skoda equipped with a 2-litre turbodiesel engine consumed 6.5 L/100 km at 130 km/h. At 160-180 km/h, it was more like 7.5 to 8 L/100, which is still acceptable. On the other hand, beyond 200 km/h, the display oscillated between 11 and 12 L/100 km! Knowing that I paid between $2.60 and $2.90 for a liter of diesel during my stay, you can easily understand why the majority of motorists don’t drive crazy. Not to mention the wear of the car, and the maintenance costs that it generates to drive faster.
Photo: The Car Guide
Finally, what I like the most in Germany is not blocking the speedometer of my car. It’s because when I come across a white panel crossed out with five black bands my good judgment is called upon. To my ability to adapt my speed according to the circumstances I encounter, the density of traffic, the weather, etc. Beyond the fact of having come close to 230 km/h on board my wagon, it is above all this confidence that I am shown that pleases me.
At no time did I feel in danger driving fast, knowing that I did it in good conditions. It may seem paradoxical, but I prefer to drive at 200 km/h on a Autobahn deserted, only at 118 km/h in a stream of cars following too closely in Quebec. I hope that this freedom will remain for a long time in Germany, even if several voices are raised to limit the speed to 130 km/h on the entire network.
And you, have you had the opportunity to drive in Germany? If so, please tell us about your own experience. And if you’re thinking of going there one day, you can consult our tips for driving safely on the Autobahn.