I posted many details in the thread of a driver here that has an XFE and beat 50mpg.
I bought my Cobalt XFE for about $13,00 after many discounts all taxes paid, everything out the door for that price. I knew XFEs were rare in my county, and I did not really expect to get the EPA rating of 37 highway. After 2,000 miles my car started getting better and better avg MPG. No, I'm not up there with the members here that are getting 50 plus MPG YET! But I am seeing a trend with my car. For some weird reason it seems these XFEs get better mileage once there broke in. One week ago my avg started going up a few tenths a MPG on every drive I took. My car is still new and being broke in, and I'm not even due for an oil change just yet. But I already have seen my avg MPG climb to 37.6 - And I almost freaked when it made it to the EPA rating of 37!
My point is that I read where many other drivers say that once the XFEs are broke in that they get much better mileage, and that is what I am seeing now. I gain almost 1/2MPG each day I drive right now. It seems my mileage is now going up up and up, and I do not doubt I will soon be over 40MPG and I hope further.
Drivers often think that level ground is better than mountains for good mileage. Here in the foot-hills of the large mountains of east Kentucky, I think I have found a way of making the best of going over large mountains. Whenever I am going up a steep mountain, no matter what speed I am going I keep the RPMs lower than 2,000 and maybe as low as 1,200 RPM at times- when I do this my avg MPG seems unchanged. Next, whenever I am going down a long steep mountain I TRY to shift to neutral whenever the incline is just right so my car will coast for literally miles as the engine idles near 900RPM. I do Down-Shift to avoid smoking me brakes, or at least avoid some wear on the brakes. But as much as I can I coast to a stop and avoid jackrabbit starts/stops.
I'm at 37.6 avg MPG, but the happy story is how this car suddenly started climbing up and up in MPG- I'm now gaining about 1/2 mile a day and have little doubt of passing 40mpg soon- even in the hills.
Other drivers here claim 50MPG plus with these cars, and I believe it. I may not be there yet, but I certainly can see that these XFEs do better as they get broke in from being new.
As far as I know I must be the only Cobalt XFE-stick owner in this county. I see hundreds of Cobalts on the roads, but I have yet to see even one car that has the XFE badge on the right/rear.
I feel more drivers/customers should look at the PRICE of a car before looking at it's MPG. The Honda Insight HYBRID is said to get 43MPG and sells for $20,000. It's interesting to me that a $20,000 hybrid can get the same or less MPG than a car selling for $13,000- all gas engine. $7,000 can buy a lot of fuel. - But I do like Hybrids and electric cars. I could not afford one. So as much as I like the Prius and I hope the Chevy Volt, like all of us here, I had to buy what I could afford and try to get the best mileage out of it. I hope I can do as good as the drivers that claim to of beat 50MPG in their 2008 XFEs.
