Hi fanamingo -
I've driven an '07 LX auto as well, and, man! The steering is stiffer in that car with the engine off than in any other I've driven for a long while. It's surprising, considering the car's size. I wouldn't hold it against you if you opted not to shut the engine off for coasting.
You're on the right track with the items you're considering: definitely go for the ScanGauge.
I don't know if you were following my thread about
testing block & coolant heaters, but they make an enormous difference for short trips. I was able to pull off a 90 mpg (US), 8 km (5 mile) round trip after running the last test in that series - ie. the engine was
toasty warm. (Admittedly this was on mostly deserted streets, using lots of P&G and engine-off-coasting up to stops, etc). But those types of numbers are normally out of the question with a cold engine at this time of year.
(And, pssst - I bet your wife wouldn't even notice a stealthily designed grille block
)
Anyway - welcome to the site.
Darin