Gas Mileage for a Festiva?

[litesong]

My 88 4 speed 1.3 Liter carbed Festiva averaged 45 MPG(53MPG on easy long trips) for 10+ years. The last 2 years it was still running smooth, tho the MPG was sporatic, from 33 to 48 MPG. The other day it bucked & stuttered. Working hard she limped 16 miles to my mechanic who is now looking for fuel injection for it. Hope the FI will restore it (even better?) to its high MPG. May the good times roll.

[frey51]

I have had my 5 speed 91 Festiva L since January 8th, so two weeks. It has 149,xxx miles on her and runs great with a few minor mechanical issues, such as weak heat at speed and my drivers side auto seat belt has been hanging up on these sub-zero-like temps this past week. I drive 55 miles one way to work, so 110 miles round trip. It is a hike and I got the Festiva specifically for gas mileage.

I have filled up twice and on my first tank I got 35.5mpg and on the second I got 38.7mpg. I am sure I can get 40-45mpg on a nice flat drive, but I have a substantially steep mountain to cross every day and i push speeds upward of 75 so I know that sucks down some gas. I am sure I will stay in the high 30's due to the traffic I have to deal with, and the faster-than-Festiva-capable speeds.

Fry

[oldone]

I have an 89 with over 200,000 miles and it seems to average a little better than 40 mpg no matter how i drive it. In the the summer i see 39 to 40 (AC running), in the winter its usually around 41 but i have seen 44mpg.

[roycehof]

I try to keep a pretty close eye on my mileage. I will state that my stock 93 Festiva L with a 5 speed manual gets Mid 40's in the Summer and low 40's in the winter. That is with about 2/3 highway driving and 1/3 city driving. I have my timing slightly advanced from the factory setting. The last long trip I took from Philly to Ithaca, NY I got 49.8 MPG's and was travelling around 70 mph or more a good portion of the time (the Northeast extension of the turnpike - you'll get ran over if you aren't going at least 70). The problem with asking people mileage is that they don't always fill the tank the same way (to the same level). That is why you need to average the readings from several tankfuls (I have numbers ranging over 7 mpg's if I don't take an average and that is why I say Mid 40's because my running average will move a little between 40.7 and 47.1 and seems to vary with the time of year). When I take a long trip, I fill it up to the very top, shake the car a little and fill it a little more until I can see the gas in the filler tube. That way I hopefully am getting a good number, however that can even be off by a little bit. I think if you are fairly conservative with your driving you should be able to get 40 out of these cars without too much trouble. Of course, short trips can kill these numbers pretty quickly. My average trip is around 35 miles.
Hope this helps you with your question,

[Pu241]

The problem with asking people mileage is that they don't always fill the tank the same way (to the same level). That is why you need to average the readings from several tankfuls (I have numbers ranging over 7 mpg's if I don't take an average and that is why I say Mid 40's because my running average will move a little between 40.7 and 47.1 and seems to vary with the time of year). When I take a long trip, I fill it up to the very top, shake the car a little and fill it a little more until I can see the gas in the filler tube. That way I hopefully am getting a good number, however that can even be off by a little bit,

Yeah, exactly what I do each time!
I even go so far as to "lift" the car by the fender well to help fill the tank!
Winter for mine is low 40's and Summer is mid to upper 40's and if I'm really careful with speed In the Spring through Fall I can get 50+ with effort!
BTW my diesel Rabbit is getting 49 to 52 right now on straight diesel!
Experiments are underway as we type!
Shooting for 100 MPG on the diesel component of a fill-up!

[lilred]

19mpg with broken O2 sensor and doing 85-90ish

[litesong]

My 88 4 speed 1.3 Liter carbed Festiva averaged 45 MPG(53MPG on easy long trips) for 10+ years. The last 2 years it was still running smooth, tho the MPG was sporatic, from 33 to 48 MPG. The other day it bucked & stuttered. Working hard she limped 16 miles to my mechanic who is now looking for fuel injection for it. Hope the FI will restore it (even better?) to its high MPG. May the good times roll.

Well, we couldn't find FI for the Festiva, but my mechanic changed the sparkplug wires & Festiva is running again.

That was months ago, & Festiva had a squeak. My mechanic changed the timing belt & water pump. The first tank after the timing belt was ~ 40MPG. Later, Festiva turned 44MPG. Then, during a tank with 3 warmups & 1 trip over 5500 foot Chinook pass near Mt. Rainier, Festiva laid down 51.8MPG! Never had I had a 50+MPG tank that wasn't a steady run without cooldowns. Never had I had a 50MPG over any mountains. To get 50 MPG with cooldowns & thru the mountains is stunning. That timing belt must be working the engine in perfect harmony. Hope there are many more 50MPG tanks!

I'll keep compiling on the government's fuel economy website. Keep going Festiva!

[Safety Guy]

I just completed Twinstiva's first tankfull after getting her started a few weeks ago.

I got 35.7 mpg. This is combined "city/highway" going to and from work mostly. No efforts to drive conservatively in a bone stock '92L with a 1.3FI and 165/70-12 front tires on GL alloys.

I have taken the back seat and most of the rear plastic out. Full size alloy spare but no heavy tools or anything.

In comparison, my '93GL auto with B6 and Aspire brake swap gets around 26 to 27 mpg in the same type of driving. This is the oversized (175/70-13) Nokian all year snows on Aspire alloys. Full rear seat and trim and some cargo (tool bag, spare donut, etc.).

So my experience is that my B3 5 speed gets about 9mpg better than my B6/ATX car.

Karl

[GenevaDirt]

Well, we couldn't find FI for the Festiva, but my mechanic changed the sparkplug wires & Festiva is running again.

That was months ago, & Festiva had a squeak. My mechanic changed the timing belt & water pump. The first tank after the timing belt was ~ 40MPG. Later, Festiva turned 44MPG. Then, during a tank with 3 warmups & 1 trip over 5500 foot Chinook pass near Mt. Rainier, Festiva laid down 51.8MPG! Never had I had a 50+MPG tank that wasn't a steady run without cooldowns. Never had I had a 50MPG over any mountains. To get 50 MPG with cooldowns & thru the mountains is stunning. That timing belt must be working the engine in perfect harmony. Hope there are many more 50MPG tanks!

I'll keep compiling on the government's fuel economy website. Keep going Festiva!

I find it hard to believe you are getting that kind of milage out a 4spd. Mine runs great and pulls down 44-45mpg and it is a 5spd.

[litesong]

I find it hard to believe you are getting that kind of milage out a 4spd. Mine runs great and pulls down 44-45mpg and it is a 5spd.

Yeah, it has been an incredible ride with the 4 speed. Slow acceleration, slow cruise, & how to handle the many hills around western Washington really are needed to get 50+MPG. & I still can't figure that last 51.8 MPG. My last tank just dropped to 45.1MPG. But that included two 4000+foot mountain passes, work commute including a 2 mile long stretch of stop & go traffic, & 2 passages thru a city with 100,000 people, to dispatch & to the docks.

You're right. I'm finding it hard to believe. Maybe, the 4th gear in the 4 speed isn't as low as the 4th gear in the 5 speed. I don't know what the ratios are. But my Festiva could use a 5th gear.

Maybe I'll get the op to go to Mt. Rainier again before the winter snows bury it, like last year.

Oh, I didn't tell everyone. While at 14,400+ foot Mt. Rainier, I was around 4000 foot elevation. I looked at the top of the mountain with my spotting scope, & could see 20 or 30 climbers near the top in about 6 groups of people. I was about 6 miles away & at times of steady air, I could see their arms swinging as they walked. I also saw tents in the snow on the mountain. Must have been where they stayed before ascending to the top. It might have been Camp Muir, but I didn't see the permanent building that shelters people in times of terrible weather on Mt. Rainier.

[bhazard]

Ive gotten 48.3 mpg on my last two fillups, and found out today that my 2 week old napa rear wheel bearings are dust. Theyre the cheap china ones. I ordered the mexico ones and will get them tomorrow. At least theyre made in north america...

[GenevaDirt]

litesong......you are actually doing the math when figuring out the milage right? Not just saying that at half a tank I have 250 miles so I am getting 50 miles per gallon...right? I am sorry but I am really amazed at the milage.

[Safety Guy]

I've never heard from anyone who said fourth gear ratios were any different between 4 and 5 speed transaxles. They should be the same.

Is there any chance that high altitudes help increase fuel economy? I don't believe that the thinner air would be a benefit.

Karl

[neanderpaul]

4th is the same in the 4 and 5 speeds.

[litesong]

litesong......you are actually doing the math when figuring out the milage right? Not just saying that at half a tank I have 250 miles so I am getting 50 miles per gallon...right?

Yes, I went 367 miles & figured I'd have to put about 7.5 gallons in. But I pumped & pumped & pumped some more. But it wouldn't take anymore than 7.08gallons after filling the tank tube quite a ways. As I said I couldn't believe it either. To go that high with 3 warmups...never had I had 50+MPG without a flat highway & no warmups.

But the month old sparkplug wires & new timing belt must be doing something nice.

Actually two other Festiva owners reported 56 & 57MPG, one being a carbed 4 speed Festiva. So something is going on with the Festivas. I think the Festivas are alive & know how high gasoline has gotten. Festivas are working overtime for their owners to get as many miles out of a gallon of gas as possible.