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Old 12-20-2020, 08:49 PM   #11 (permalink)
Ecky
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 5,005

ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
90 day: 42.54 mpg (US)
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Those figures are using E0, so I have a 50% energy density advantage.

I can summarize a few key points I've found in getting good economy with my car:

-Cold starts kill economy. After maybe 15-20 minutes of running, it reaches peak efficiency, but economy can increase by as much as 50% on long trips vs short ones. While there are some things that can help get up to temperature more quickly (grille block, block heater) we often can't choose our driving conditions, so it's important not to get too wrapped up in comparing with other drivers who have different driving conditions

-I find I get better economy the lower I shift. I've heard others report getting better economy by raising their shift points and accelerating briskly, but I personally haven't observed it. I'll throw my car into the highest gear it can take, as soon as I can, if I'm driving for economy.

-On the highway, slow and steady wins. With the stock motor it was very easy to keep it at 50mph and ignore other drivers. The new engine is capable of accelerating much more quickly and requires a lot more self control. I find myself really needing cruise control to keep my speeds down. For my vehicle, above ~50mph / 80kph, economy seems to drop off quickly. Below that, it seems more susceptible to environmental conditions, but slightly higher numbers are possible.

-it probably doesn't need to be said, but around down, conservation of momentum yields large gains.

-Modifications provide very small but incremental improvements that add up. I'm aware of one driver on Insight Central who can consistently get 150mpg+ tanks out of his car. To do this, he runs 120psi+ in his tires (which are mounted on donut wheels), his fuel line wraps around his catalyst to preheat it, and for a while he had completely removed his front brakes (because discs have a lot more drag than drums), plus dozens of other modifications (no mirrors, I think?). I think he's nuts, personally, but it goes to show that there's always more fruit hanging.

That said, even the best mods' gains can disappear behind changes to driving habits. Pick the mods that work best for you, drive as well as you can, and don't sweat the rest.

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