Hypermiling- Sport, Science, or Art?

[TooMuchGlass]

UltArc: Yeah, the EX is an awesome vehicle. it's an '08 (read: my wife's parents bought it for her before we were married) and quite simply is way beyond our means in terms of purchasing another car. The thought of buying 2 cars and parting one out for the other does seem like a tall order, but not impossible. I'll definitely consider it; thanks for having faith in me. Do you think the older CRZs are worth looking in to?

Metro: I see what you mean! I found a '02 Insight with 240k mi in my area for only 1500. Of course, it doesn't start, but I'm sure that's fixable. However, it's an automatic, so that's pretty much a buzz kill- one of my main objectives of this endeavor is to learn to drive a standard. I'll keep looking.

[TooMuchGlass]

So, where do mid 90's Honda Accords stack up in hypermiling world?

[UltArc]

They haven't been around for too long. I think of it like an Insight but super sport instead of mileage. As to decide for your circumstances, it seems that the Insight would be a better fit, but personally, I need some get up and go more often than others.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by TooMuchGlass

So, where do mid 90's Honda Accords stack up in hypermiling world?

Search our garage for examples. Or have a look at fueleconomy.gov for the year/model you're considering, and add ~30-40% to the MPG figures for concerted hypermiling.

The manual transmission model is recommended.

[Smurf]

I've recently done plenty of research into various makes and models, their efficiency, engine sizes, transmission options, gear ratios, Cd, CdA, etc. Mainly, I was focusing on 1997-2002 smaller two door cars. It really helps to dive into numbers, know what to avoid, etc before you go browsing to buy.

For example, I had no idea the 2002 Mercury Cougar had a Cd of 0.31. Or that a Mazda MX-6 used the same mechanicals as the Ford Probe, which aren't difficult to find parts in a boneyard, but the Mazda has better Cd.

[user removed]

Ride a bike, mine cost $2300 and is averaging over 92 MPG, Suzuki TU250X.

regards
Mech

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Ride a bike, mine cost $2300 and is averaging over 92 MPG, Suzuki TU250X.

regards
Mech

What does it get in "MPT" though? (Miles per tire) That can be a significant factor in cost/distance calcs with motorcycles, depending on the model & tire.

[user removed]

I can buy a set of tires every year with the money saved on insurance versus my Fiesta.
Comapred to my Fiesta at 45 MPG the bike would save me $400 a year in fuel, a couple of hundred in insurance and another $100 or so in property taxes, maybe more. $.0375 a mile in fuel costs. I've already put 1200 miles on the bike, and the Fiesta just hit 10k miles. It was built in November 2010, to say nothing about the emissions of the bike with a cat 02 sensor and FI. I have new tires sitting in the garage for the TU250X when the cheap Chinese tires wear out. I would guess I could have got 10k out of the rear tire and more out of the front. Your point is valid, or course, but if you are going to compare costs outside fuel then it needs to be TCO (total cost of ownership). I did not even include depreciation, which is a major factor for those who buy new, but in my case not nearly so significant.

regards
Mech

[TooMuchGlass]

Smurf: I am definitely a numbers guy by nature. I'll look in to it.

Old Mech: I've looked into getting a motorcycle, but only briefly. I almost immediately discounted the idea because I figured the insurance would be much more expensive, more than enough to offset any fuel savings. Also, the thought of not being able to drive the bike for a few months out of the year but still pay for it really rubs me the wrong way. But your recommendation will have me once again scouring craigslist. What year is your Suzuki?