Your favorite car mod for mpg??

[y2kbug]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Worn in, not worn out.

Once you know the conversion factor for your speedometer, just add some tape or paint marks.

I never thought of it that way but it does make sense. When ever i buy new tires i see a decrease in mpg but i guess its like a new engine that has to get broken in some before it gets better.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

For fuel mileage? It was buy a 1985 VW diesel and keep the RPMs low and floor it for a "pulse and glide" technique. I'd get over 50mpg on the highways. One trip I did just about 600 miles but couldn't get more than 10 gallons into the tank. The car was also immortal. 3,000 mile oil changes and it just wouldn't die even after who knows how many miles. It had at least 300,000 miles on it, but the odometer was broken and I drove it for 7 years. The next car I got I did 30,000 miles that year, and I assume I drove about the same in that Golf, so 7 x 30,000 = 210,000 + the at least 300,000 miles meant it had over 500,000 miles on it. And that's the lowest guess, it probably had a lot more on it.

Advancing the timing on my 1993 Mazda 323 also was a big help. That, and again, stick shift that I keep the RPM's as low as possible, but in a gasser you keep it mostly floored, but not all the way. The AFR gauge I put on the 1972 VW Super Beetle helped me keep my foot into it just before the enrichment circuit would activate. In all of these cars I'd usually be in top gear at around 25mph. The Mazda got around 45mpg on the highway.

The 1972 VW Super Beetle was the most fun, even though it got the worst fuel mileage. I got a custom cam grind so I could up the compression ratio to 10:1 and have more low end torque to boot. It was still more peppy than the Mazda and the VW Golf diesel. The AFR gauge made it easier to jet to get the AFR to where I wanted it. The fully adjustable distributor let me advance the timing to as much as possible at every load/RPM combo. It was great fun to experiment. I felt like I was doing the exact opposite every other air-cooled VW owner would do. I had increased the compression ratio, advanced the timing and made it run much leaner. Yet the results were fantastic, a solid 30mpg combined and the thing was very peppy. The downside is that the temp gauges, oil and heads, indicated that the engine actually ran cooler, too cool actually. Apparently 16:1 AFR's actually run cooler than 14.5:1. I had also ceramic coated the exhaust ports, which now I see was not necessary.

Now I have a Toyota hybrid. It's practical and reliable. But other than that, it's about the most boring car I've ever owned. I do all the maintenance I can to it. I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to properly flush the brake fluid, so that's one thing I take it to a mechanic to work on. The infotainment center also no longer works, and I'm not going to pay anyone to fix it since I know it's going to be at least $300 and will probably go back out again (it's been fixed once already).

My Hyundai hybrid is the most fun car ive owned. The dct versus cvt is so peppy and sporty feeling and handling and road feel is fun. But reliability is worrying

[mrme1983]

Taking out spare wheel, tools, unused seats and seatbelts. Quick, free and needs no special test

[freebeard]

Back in my 36HP daze, it was the spare tire and bumpers. ....and for a few months in the mid-1970s the whole spare tire well:



Today it's plywood benches to replace three seats in the Superbeetle and the rear seat in the XFi.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by Phase

My Hyundai hybrid is the most fun car ive owned. The dct versus cvt is so peppy and sporty feeling and handling and road feel is fun. But reliability is worrying

I respect other people's tastes, but personally I don't see any difference between a CVT, DCT or normal automatic with a normal torque converter, at least not from a fun perspective.

I like manual transmissions because of engagement. I also prefer that engagement to stem from necessity, not a pointless option just for the feel of it.

I've never liked sporty feeling cars either. Peeling out from a stoplight just seems immature, I'd rather have something underpowered that makes me roll through several gears to get it up to speed. Sadly all cars nowadays are overpowered for my tastes.

[freebeard]

90MPH on 1100cc 25HP and a non-synchro four-speed.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Worn in, not worn out.

Once you know the conversion factor for your speedometer, just add some tape or paint marks.

I was all excited this summer to get the best MPG I have gotten with my Hybrid yet as the tires at 44,000 miles are now just a few mm above the wear bars. Alas, Costco shoved the tire paddle through one of the sidewalls while switching to snow tires so I have a brand new set on again.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by Phase

My Hyundai hybrid is the most fun car ive owned. The dct versus cvt is so peppy and sporty feeling and handling and road feel is fun. But reliability is worrying

I didn't realize the ioniq had the dct. I know the Sonata Htbrid has a traditional 6 speed and I think the Elantra Hybrid does too.

I do also trust the Ecvt Toyota, Ford, and Chrysler use in their hybrids.

I don't care how sporty it is, I just want it to be reliable.

[freebeard]

My favorite 'mod' was buying cars out of wrecking yards and farmer's fields, and not making payments.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I didn't realize the ioniq had the dct. I know the Sonata Htbrid has a traditional 6 speed and I think the Elantra Hybrid does too.

I do also trust the Ecvt Toyota, Ford, and Chrysler use in their hybrids.

I don't care how sporty it is, I just want it to be reliable.

It’s a 6 speed DCT. It’s very peppy and sporty and you can feel and hear the gears changing. Not whine or soggy gas peddle like cvt

But yeah it’s way less reliable. I’ve had a few issues with the transmission already. I’ll be getting the new Prius next. Even though it’s cvt, I think the 196 hp and awd should cancel out the 139 hp and front wheel drive I get now