Are some non-hybrid cars easier to "hypermile" than others?

[Jon M]

There are other factors that will make the cars vary greatly even if they have the same EPA fuel rating.

Weight and drag coeff. are the two big ones.

[cfg83]

Blue07CivicEX -

Originally Posted by Blue07CivicEX

I object to that! I have yet to find a civic forum that isn't full of 16y/o make-believe street racers!

You take the good with the bad. On www.saturnfans.com there are certified Saturn technicians who are *vast* sources of knowledge. Without their help, I would be forced to buy a new car.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

Daox -

Originally Posted by Daox

While most online forums for cars are oriented around performance there usually is still good info there. Common problems and such info are abundant on those forums and can be quite useful.

I will admit though, my threads on performance get MUCH more attention than my threads on mileage.

I don't try to push MPG on those forums. I ask about how to keep my car healthy. But when someone does ask about MPG, I tell them what I am doing.

CarloSW2

[Bror Jace]

Blue07CivicEx: "I have yet to find a Civic forum that isn't full of 16 year old make believe street racers!"

Yup. I think the best I've found is:

http://www.honda-tech.com/zeroforum/79

And lots of silly teen boy racers there. I don't post much.

Title of recent thread:

"Help, my rear deck rattles when speakers at full volume!!"

[Warhawk626]

Jace, a good reply to that thread. "Don't worry about it, the rattle will go away in a couple months, because you'll be DEAF you dumbass".

[rocket]

Originally Posted by cfg83

igo -



I would make the distinction that any new car is probably going to be easier to beat in terms of the new EPA figures. The new EPA figures are more realistic, but they "lower the bar" relative to the old EPA figures.

CarloSW2

the epa website shows the new numbers for older cars. you can see the old numbers if you want, but by default the new numbers are displayed (i wonder how the figured out the new numbers on old cars)

[MetroMPG]

I think a much more useful fuel economy metric for comparing cars would be a simple "speed vs. mpg" graph in top gear in consistent atmospheric conditions (ie. on a lab dyno) with aero losses calculated and factored in.

It would reveal much more "pure" data than the existing simulations of city vs. highway driving.

[i_am_socket]

I'd LOVE to see those graphs for each car!

When I was shopping for a car to replace my Focus, I looked at everything from base mpg and power to cubic footage of storage space, curb weight, tank size, and turning radius.

[wumpus]

In addition to having good mileage, manual transmissions give you more options in lugging along in low gears. Cars that allow you to take over shift points are probably almost as good. Basic automatics assume average driving, and will only shift for average mileage: avoid them.

If you want to go more extreme, there are other things to look for. Power steering and brakes become nonexistant during EOC: avoid them if you want to use EOC. Boattails/Kammbacks become easier (possible) in hatchbacks that only need the hatch extended, not the whole car past the roof redone.

There are a few transmissions out there that can be changed. There is a saturn thread on this board on how to change 5th gear. Some of the toyota (and scion) 5 speed sticks can take an extra gear by just adding it and a few extra parts. This is and old trick: if you buy an old car with 4 speeds, find out if a junkyard might contain the parts for a 5th.

Finally the most important part of the car is the driver. Drivers can often be improved by reading this board, and a scangauge (or better yet: MPGuino).