barbixy

I consistently get 20mpg city/22-24 highway, with all but one of the rear seats out (the one furthest back, not the boat anchor captain's chair, I keep it tuned up, proper tire inflation and lighter than stock wheels and LRR tires. I couldn't give up my AC and power steering, and all the other stuff for a 3 mpg difference. You must live in a cold part of the country? I drove a Honda civic for three years that got 40mpg. I finally sold it because I was constantly roasting in it, sweating upon arrival at every destination with wet clothes, because it had no AC. I bought the previa because I had one before and mostly to have a car with AC, and the one I had before got the same decent mpg. Its not like the domestic vans which get 16/20 mpg if lucky.
Seems like a lot of extra work, just to save a few mpg. That and if you aren't a mechanic (I'm not, I'm a girl, I wouldn't have a clue how to do any of this stuff), you can't find anyone to do these mods. I'd be more interested in what things I can remove from the body itself (non mechanical) to make the car lighter, cause that seems like it helps a lot. I had that goofy spoiler removed with the plastic tracking and motors for the middle sunroof, holes filled in and spot painted, that took a lot of weight just off the roof and it looks a lot better too, as those spoiler/sunroof combos make the van look top heavy. The body shop sealed up the middle sunroof too.