40 mpg!!! (Metro 4-cyl 5-spd sedan)

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by wdb

I love this story, thanks for sharing it.

I was driving a Subaru Impreza STi a few years back when my job changed and my commuting miles took a big jump upwards. Considering its performance the STi really doesn't do too bad in the MPG department, but I was still buying a heck of a lot of gas. I paid off the STi (which they will have to pry from my cold, dead fingers, sorry ecoModders ), and bought a Honda Fit. Went from ~22MPG to ~38-40MPG, woot! The money I saved in gas covered the car payments and insurance. I own it outright now too.

So congratulations! And keep minding those pennies; they add up.

That was also a switch from 22 mpg on premium and 38 mpg on regular, correct? That is huge difference to the wallet.

I test drove a Honda Fit before we got our Mazda5. We liked the Fit and loved the amount of room it had, but we needed seats for 6. While there are only four of us, we have Duke, our 70 lb boxer mix. He would fit in a Fit, but we would not be able to get much else in there. We talked about a roof rack for trips, but decided the extra seats would come in handy when people come to visit us. We do pay on the Mazda5 every month, but I couldn't find anything reliable enough for the wife to drive. We traded in a 88,000 mile 2006 Hemi Durango 4x4 (I almost cried!!!) to get the Mazda. We bought the Mazda new, for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because the sticker price was only a few thousand above the used ones with 50,000+ miles sitting next to it. Plus, the one we bought was last year's model and we didn't pay anything close to sticker!! So, the Durango got a solid 15 mpg, 11-13 in town and 16 highway and we almost doubled that with the Mazda's 23 in town and 29 highway. I think that is awesome gas mileage for a vehicle that seats 6.

If I get orders to Hawaii or Japan and can only ship one car, we are getting rid if the Metro. If I get stateside orders, I am keeping them both until the wheels fall off. No more trading vehicles in!!

Congrats on having two cars and no payments!

[WesternStarSCR]

Originally Posted by sarguy01

If I get orders to Hawaii or Japan and can only ship one car, we are getting rid if the Metro. If I get stateside orders, I am keeping them both until the wheels fall off. No more trading vehicles in!!

Financial and lifestyle changes are not easy, but worth it. Involve your family as much as you can. My wife thinks even my engine block heater is overkill and 'weird' but that does not stop me. My 6 year old is excited to help me drive better and help me work on it.

Thanks for your (and by default your family's) service to our country!

[wdb]

Originally Posted by sarguy01

That was also a switch from 22 mpg on premium and 38 mpg on regular, correct? That is huge difference to the wallet.

Yes, but the big difference was the MPGs and the fact that I was chalking up ~45K miles/year.

I personally think people over-emphasize the price difference between regular and premium gasoline. If you look at the total cost of owning and operating a car, the difference in gas price is a fraction of a percent of the total cost. I'm not advocating using premium if the car doesn't call for it, but a car is supposed to get premium according to the manufacturer I'm not sure people do themselves much of a favor by feeding it regular. I also buy quality brands of gas (as cheaply as I can find them of course) because of the difference in additives among cheaper brands versus name brands. I think buying the cheapest gas out there is another one of those penny-wise-but-pound-foolish items.

Congrats on having two cars and no payments!

Thanks! It feels downright liberating.

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by WesternStarSCR

Financial and lifestyle changes are not easy, but worth it. Involve your family as much as you can. My wife thinks even my engine block heater is overkill and 'weird' but that does not stop me. My 6 year old is excited to help me drive better and help me work on it.

Thanks for your (and by default your family's) service to our country!

Sorry for the delay in responding.

You are welcome! The family is who takes the toll when the service member is deployed. My wife is amazing (my two daughters are a hand full...).

It is getting hotter here. Once I can get the AC fixed, it will be really easy to get them to ride in it.

[sarguy01]

I filled it up again yesterday and saw 43 mpg. That is several tanks of normal driving and still in the 40's. I really want to take a little highway trip in it just to see what it can get for mileage out of the city.

[sarguy01]

Quick update...after trying it out for a month, the wife and kids decided they never wanted to ride in the non-AC Metro again. I sold it on CL for $1,500 to a guy who had a new Super Duty for a DD.

I bought a 2005 Civic Sedan with a 5 speed. I do have a small payment again, but the fact that it has paint and AC are really worth it. I bought it in the beginning of July and have put 4,500 miles on it! Most of those miles would have been on the Mazda. It doesn't get Metro MPGs, but it does get 34/40 cty/hwy.

[jeff88]

Originally Posted by sarguy01

It doesn't get Metro MPGs, but it does get 34/40 cty/hwy.

Ha! You said MetroMPG!

34/40 is really good, a great foundation. Do you have any plans with this one or are you going to keep it stock as well?

I could just imagine that driveway... a Super Duty and right next to it a Metro! ( Well you probably wouldn't see it in the shadow of the truck, but you know...)

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by sarguy01

sold it on CL for $1,500 to a guy who had a new Super Duty for a DD.

Helping others save fuel, now are you?

Civic 5-speeds are capable of really decent mileage. Congrats.

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by jeff88

Ha! You said MetroMPG!

34/40 is really good, a great foundation. Do you have any plans with this one or are you going to keep it stock as well?

I could just imagine that driveway... a Super Duty and right next to it a Metro! ( Well you probably wouldn't see it in the shadow of the truck, but you know...)

Keep it stock. I might add fog lights, but nothing else. I put an aftermarket headunit in it for $100 because I wanted hands free bluetooth.

It needed tires, so I got a set of Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus. They are LRR and have been great for the 4,500 miles I've had them. The car will coast for a really long way in neutral. Tonight in the heavy rain they did very well. I also had it aligned when I got the tires.

The car is really fun to drive. Once I calm down, I am going to start driving it like I drove the Metro and see what kind of numbers I can get from it.

[sarguy01]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Helping others save fuel, now are you?

Civic 5-speeds are capable of really decent mileage. Congrats.

Thanks!

This kid got a hefty bonus and bought the truck brand new. He wanted something to commute in and not put the miles on his brand new truck.