Greetings from New Zealand

[SwampyNZ]

Hello everybody,

I have a '91 Toyota MR2 G-limited
- 2L naturally aspirated 3s-ge engine (JDM-spec)
- approaching 200,000ks (124300 miles)
- Manual transmission
- Completely stock apart from interior mods
- 43l tank gets around 350km (12l/100km) on roughly 80% town driving (19mpg)

I found this forum when searching up stuff about stop/start fuel saving systems. I think 12l/100km on such a light, 2dr, 4cyl car is bad! I think my car runs slightly rich, but I need to do more research before I'm able to assess that. To be honest - I did do a lot of revving in 1st/2nd gear to around 5000rpm in that test, I do enjoy that kind of thing however I have recently started to experiment with cruising in 5th gear which keeps the engine at around 1500revs.

I do want to get good fuel economy and I do take care of my car. However, my problem lies in wanting to have fun.

When I have more money I will do more testing with less hooning and town driving.

I look forward to learning more on this forum and contributing in a meaningful way.

[Daox]

Welcome to the site. The MR2 is a nice little car, but definitely not the most fuel efficient.

If you're looking to get better mileage out of it, the first stop should be the 100+ hypermiling tips (link up top) that train you to drive more efficiently. Ironic to most, you don't have to stop having 'fun' to drive efficiently. I have lots of fun with my motorcycle and still get 60+ mpg (3.9l/100km). The big no no is using brakes. I say go ahead and rev it up to 5000 rpm, just make sure you aren't going to hammer on the brakes right afterwards. I used to do this almost every single day with my 1997 Toyota Paseo. I had an on-ramp that was short and uphill. I needed to punch it to get up to speed in time. I also managed 60+ mpg in that car. So, adopt the other techniques as you see fit and you'll see your mileage rise.

I'd also highly recommend an mpg guage of some sort to keep you on track and help you learn to drive more efficiently. Since your car is older, the mpguino (see the instrumentation forum) is just about your only option, but its a good one. I have one in one of my older cars.

[elhigh]

I was a lot boy for a Toyota dealership when the Mister Two was introduced to the States. It suddenly became THE car for errands. That little engine loved to sing, and the linkage to the transmission couldn't have been slicker if it was wired directly to the pleasure centers of your brain. The flingable chassis LOVES diving deep into the apex of every corner...

...but NONE of that is good for your fuel economy.

You're right. Motoring around in 5th at low revs will do a lot. The torque band is off in Never-Neverland from there but what the heck, you're in town. Simply backing off the gas and driving as if the brakes were broken will do you a lot of good. Build some kinetic energy and then hoard it jealously. Never give it up. Steal what you can from every downhill, bank it against every uphill, and watch as far in front of you on your route that you can, to determine whether the light will be green when you get there, red, or what.

Once you've learned to do that, start experimenting with new routes. Most people go to just a few places on a regular basis, but there's almost always more than one way to get there. You may be able to find a more efficient route. UPS, for example, discovered that even when the route isn't the most direct, they could save fuel by simply eliminating left turns wherever possible from their routes - so they did.

Keep us updated. I love MR2s and I'm glad to see one in the forums.

[The donkey CRX]

What elhigh said!!!

[SwampyNZ]

Cheers guys!

Unfortunately, the USDM version got the 5s-fe engine which is a much more economical engine than the 2L 3s-ge, but I'm happy with mine as I've heard nothing but bad reviews about that engine in this kind of car (it's considered inferior in most ways but economy).

Interestingly enough my driving instructor used to tell me to downshift rather than rely on the brakes. I use a combination of both to reduce wear on components, and only really brake hard when lights turn red and I haven't got time to shift down.

I'll definitely look into an MPG gauge. driving techniques sound great too, I really need to manage my brakes better!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Gotta hate those close-ratio transmissions for their effect in the mileage. Other than that, your ride seems to be a great platform for a fuel savings-oriented project.