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The HX is a great car. In fact, it's the nicest vehicle I've ever owned, even after 10 years on the road. I would caution urbanites that the tall transmission can make stop-and-go driving less than enjoyable, but even when I lived and worked in midtown Atlanta for 8 months (always below 50 mph, no interstate) the worst results I ever had were 38 MPG average in town, so it does well on fuel in the city, as long as your clutch leg is in shape.
As for my competition with my brother, the only thing at stake is bragging rights. He's betting that with extensive aero mods and minor engine/tranny mods, his $250 '93 Saturn SL1 can get better MPG than my stock HX. He's getting 33 MPG in mixed driving, with no mods (not even regular oil changes or high tire pressure). In May we're participating in BABE RALLY 2008, (Big Apple to Big Easy Rally) which goes from NYC to New Orleans over 4 days, and we look to be the team with the best fuel economy and get attention for the high MPG cause with the aero mods. This should be a pretty extreme conversion (read really ugly, but really functional) but I have my doubts that he can wrench 52 MPG average in the Saturn (that's my record in the HX)
We shall see!
HX models unfortunately do not have a Lean Burn indicator, but between watching the scangauge and knowing the car very well, it's pretty clear when it's running in the sweet spot. Between 2100-2500 is where I get the best results, and I've put a strict (GPS enforced) cap on top speed at 100 km/h or 62 mph to keep it in range on the highway.
My commute is 10 miles interstate each way (mercifully missing Atlanta rush hour both ways), and 4 miles of surface streets, totaling 28 miles each day. I've had much longer highway commutes in the past, and then single-digit miles to work where the car was hardly up to temperature, and I like this mix better than either of the others.
Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone.
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