How to boost fuel mileage?

[michaelmiller85]

I just started driving my 93L 5spd and have been getting 40MPG on a regular basis. I read people saying they have gotten 45-50MPG and am wondering what a good/acceptable mileage is for these things if not in race mode.

Is there anything I can do to boost my mileage consistently?

[xaero_81]

There is plenty of information on here you can search for, but a good place to start it by reading the Tips on Fuelly.com. Great start is the driver mod. Or google "hypermiling".

[Pu241]

Happy to carry on the discussion, again, but think I'm going to turn the tables instead of laying everything out I want you to tell us about what you already do to maximize MPG.

I will say, to get this started, the number one thing is to slow down!

[zoom zoom]

I can't stand doing 55 on the freeway with people flying by @ 80, so I do 75 and deal with my lousy 40 mpg! Who can complain tho..i mean really..short of a vw for 10x the price your not seeing this kinda milage with anything else!

[bhazard]

Theres plenty of other cars that can do it.

Metro...civic...basically all the other little econoturds from the day.

I really have a hankerin for a 1st gen insight for some reason. Maybe its the 70-100 mpg you can get from them.

[zoom zoom]

They aren't fordmazdakias tho, they don't have the sex appeal festys and aspires do, who really wants to get cought driving one of..those? Obsolete, imo.

[georgeb]

35 PSI in tires.

[Pu241]

I can't stand doing 55 on the freeway with people flying by @ 80, so I do 75 and deal with my lousy 40 mpg! Who can complain tho..i mean really..short of a vw for 10x the price your not seeing this kinda milage with anything else!

So you make so much money you can afford to waste money on fuel, because you can't stand to see people pass you constantly.
I drive the I77/I70 corridor every weekend at 60 MPH or less, when traffic permits (usually late Sunday night I can cruse at 55 mph).

I'd also like to see your MPG log, because I seriously doubt you get 40 MPG at at sustained 75 MPH.

Checked your log, how do you average 75 when 50% of your driving is city?

My log is below.

I have many runs of 3-400+ miles no stops targeting 60 MPH or so and my average is almost alway less than 60 MPH, per GPS.

Time for live data
FMVI is coming up, it is 380 miles to the target from Ravenswood, WV.
At 40 MPG you should have fuel to spare.
I have a spare GPS unit you can borrow to make sure your average is close to 75 MPG.
I'll putter aong at 60 MPH and well see who has to stop for fuel?

[Pu241]

35 PSI in tires.

Many tires permit 44 PSI, but the ride is harsh.
Check side wall for maximum cold inflation pressure.

[FestYboy]

John, on my return trip from Ohio, i was seeing 44mpg at 70mph in my 93 sport.

[Pu241]

John, on my return trip from Ohio, i was seeing 44mpg at 70mph in my 93 sport.

You were also loaded down with extra weight effectly lowering the car, if I remember correctly.
Do you have ground effects on that one?
Also, I trust that you have your car in a state of tune that most do not!

But given all that, sustained multi tank runs at 70+ MPH and 40+ mpg are rare.
So rare I have never seen the data.

[zoom zoom]

I haven't updated my fuelly since last winter, kinda just gave up on it, but during the summer I was getting closer to 43 mpg. The only freeway I77 driving I do is from here to ravenswood 4 times a month, about 50ish maybe 60 miles one way, so 200 miles a month.

The rest is daily driving to work about 40 miles a day +/-, 10 miles into town, thru marietta and over the bridge to williamsburg and thru a couple lights there, more than 10 lights altogether, the rest is 45/55 mph speeds to work, which is where the better numbers come in, overall I am/was getting over 40, granted per tank on those distance trips I'm probably seeing high 30's.

Also, I haven't been able to drive my car for about a month now cause some dummy decided to tear it apart and paint it. I'm paying almost double what I was for gas since this mazda only gets 25ish mpg. Would probably be better if I would do a tune up but the 4 yr old oil is still goin strong!

[FestYboy]

yeah i was loaded, BUT there are no aero tricks asside from the stock spoiler. yeah. i also keep a good tune on all my DDs.

figure this as well: i have a 4.2 mile commute to and from work, nearly all highway. 70mph and at WOT to get there. actually, right out of the driveway, i'm at 40 between 3 stop signs and then highway. a tank of this will net 30mpg give or take a tenth. this is balls out from dead cold for 4 miles twice a day. i figure that's still really good as the engine never reaches a stable temp.

[Pu241]

Arty 30 MPG is not bad considering your running rich due to engine temp for probabaly 2+ minutes on that drive. And that I beleive is realistic too.

My point was to average 40+ MPG day in day out at an average speed of even 70 MPH is nearly impossible, without aero mods or serious engine mods. I see people post a one time run of claiming 70+ MPH and getting 40+ MPG but a single fillup is so open to filling error and short of a GPS how do they determine an average speed.

[Pu241]

Zoom Zoom not trying to razz you!
OK, not razz you too much!:p
I take my MPG seriously.

What do you go to Ravenswood for?
I freakin work here, otherwise there'd be no need to come here.
Those highway trips are a prime opportunity to increase your MPG.

I introduced Kartracer46 to MPG racing and he has got some great numbers and some insight into what helps a festiva engine reach mid 40's to low 50 MPG. It's money in your pocket.