Festiva gas mileage vs newer cars

[danwheeler]

I was looking at some newer cars like the golf and the civic and couldnt' figure out how these cars are getting better gas mileage than the Festiva... anyone know what the deal is? they must be heavier with bigger engines. How are they doing that?

[Gro Harlem]

technology

[oxbrain]

what he said

the engine is more efficient, the car is much more streamlined, and the rolling resistance is lower.

Not many cars can claim 40+mpg though and a festiva can. Also, even if a car got 60mpg, it would take a lot of miles to make it cheaper than the festiva.

[darkdan]

No doubt. A better computer on the B3 with a better designed head and it could have more power and mileage.

Someone should convert it to OBD-II with 14.5 compression with direct injection and runs on E-85! Now that would be wicked!

[97 Aspire 5 Speed]

No doubt. A better computer on the B3 with a better designed head and it could have more power and mileage.

Someone should convert it to OBD-II with 14.5 compression with direct injection and runs on E-85! Now that would be wicked!

I agree that technology has come a LONG way!!!

My 97 Aspire is OBD-II but there are still things that could be done to improve it. Things like a DIS, a Split Port Intake, etc.

All that stuff adds up and a lot of computer modeling goes into cars now!! So a lot of "trial and error" isn't needed.

[Infinitrium]

It doesn't help economy when you've got a car that's really just a bit too big for the engine. You have to work the engine harder to maintain speed, where as a bigger engine wouldn't struggle so hard to move the car around.

[earlboy]

I agree with ox- the shape of the festiva is a huge factor, being very "unstreamlined" compared to a new civic or competitor.

[Gro Harlem]

uh..ur missing a major point.


the festiva has aerodynamics of a brick wall. That has WAY MORE to do with it than the engine's efficiency

[danwheeler]

It doesn't help economy when you've got a car that's really just a bit too big for the engine. You have to work the engine harder to maintain speed, where as a bigger engine wouldn't struggle so hard to move the car around.

do the B6 swaps get better gas mileage?

[danwheeler]

anyone notice a difference better or worse in gas mileage with the festiva motorsports bumpers and side skirts?

[Gro Harlem]

B6 swap gets 32-35 city & upwards of 40 highway, completely depends on how half-assed the swap is, what new parts you replaced and how you drive.


As for the bodykit....it would probably screw up your economy at higher speeds b/c of the increased resistance towards the bottom & sides, but since festivas aren't meant to go faster than 75mph I don't think it would have any negative impact on economy.

If anything it'd help out the car more than hurt. The stock bumpers are urethane which are way heavier than fiberglass. You'd probably be removing 5-10 lbs going with teh FMS kit, even if you put the skirts on.

[HappyMom]

technology

Bang-on.

I ranted here about how the newer cars (diesels and hybrids excluded) got slightly crappier mileage than my Festy, until I realized the comparisons were unfair. Newer cars are bigger, heavier and have bigger engines (displacement and HP).

A fairer comparison was comparing the newer cars to my 100 HP, 1.6 l 91 Jetta which got about 9-10 l/100 km (24-27 MPG) vs. my 2005 Corolla with a 130 HP 1.8 l engine that gets 6.5-7.5 l/100 km (32-37 MPG) and is much heavier and larger than the Jetta. The Mk2 Golf/Jettas were about as much of a brick wall as the Festiva.

And the higher HP ratings on cars are just a marketing ploy, a number on a piece of paper for 99% of car buyers. You rarely use more than a fraction of a car's HP unless you floor it, shift a red line at every red light. Stating torques and HPs at 2500-3000 rpm would be a fairer more realistic number to compare between cars.

[FB71]

coincidentally, The US Fed gov has recently standardized the hp and torque rating system for new vehicles. Some products (unchanged physically from last year) numbers went up (Cadillacs, Chevys, Fords), and some went down (Chrysler, Hyundai...). Just goes to show whos been tweeking their numbers for marketing...

[oxbrain]

I get much worse milage on the freeway than city driving. Right now my overall average is 43, city I get 45+ and highway I get 38. Thats the b6 with a b3 computer. Next nice day I'm going to put in the b6 injectors and ecu and see what that does to the milage.



The vast majority of a cars efficiency comes from it's shape. New cars get a lot more attention paid to the areodynamics than old cars. Thats why they can come up with the hideousness of the scion xa and still have a lower drag coefficient than a festiva.
I wish they would start requiring the DC to be published information for all new cars.


Oh, and the biggest way to improve your milage is to change your driving habits. Aside from that, making sure the engine is tuned and you don't have an assload of excess weight in the car also help.

[FB71]

Aside from that, making sure the engine is tuned and you don't have an assload of excess weight in the car also help.

So, what? You're saying I can't even ride in my own car?