75 mpg Geo Metro

[nemo]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Inquiring minds wanted to know!

I interviewed the builder via email a bunch of years ago. Here's what he said on that subject:



https://metrompg.com/posts/xfi-aero-car.htm

Woo, way back in 2006!

The Autopian article mentioned your interview and linked to the web site.

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, I was right chuffed when I saw that.


Cool website links to a cool website.

[MPGeo]

I can see it doing 75mpg.

I was able to constantly get 67'ish mpg constantly on my Metro, and those where real-world miles, commuting daily @ 65-70mph, fillup-to-fillup. And my aero-mods where not as extensive, so I can easily see that car getting 75mpg.

By the way... My metro is no longer with us. R.I.P. A tree feel on it right down the middle.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by MPGeo

I can see it doing 75mpg.

I was able to constantly get 67'ish mpg constantly on my Metro, and those where real-world miles, commuting daily @ 65-70mph, fillup-to-fillup. And my aero-mods where not as extensive, so I can easily see that car getting 75mpg.

By the way... My metro is no longer with us. R.I.P. A tree feel on it right down the middle.

why were everyones metros getting better mpg than a modern prius or ioniq or insight?

[freebeard]

My friends Prius doesn't take the mileage hit around town my XFi does (45 down to 34)

[MPGeo]

Originally Posted by Phase

why were everyones metros getting better mpg than a modern prius or ioniq or insight?

I believe that solely comparing MPG #s alone can be misleading, almost a false equivalency.

Todays cars and yester year's cars are not even apples to apples. Today's cars are overall much more efficient than older variants. Not only are they more efficient, they are also way safer, quieter, way more reliable... Handling, ergonomics, overall comfort, accessories & electronics... Today's cars are super luxury cars compared to any 1980s-90s era cars.

That being said... Here are some practical reasons that I can think of of why you can squeeze more out of an older Metro.

#1 - They are all basically starting around a very similar baseline in terms of overall fuel efficiency ratings. Check out the attachment to see a Side-by-Side comparison I made between the four cars and you'll realize they're all very close to each other in fuel efficiency.

#2 - A quick look the stock curb weights shows the Geos are 1,200-1500 lbs. lighter. So the effects of any modification will tend to be "amplified" in comparison to an 'almost-twice-as-heavy' car.

#3 - They are cheaper! This may sound funny, but I bet you that almost no one who just paid $20-30K + on a modern Ioniq/Prius/Insight is willing to do 1/4 of the things required to get that great mileage out of an older beater GEO. (myself included). With the older beaters its actually fun to tear stuff apart and drill some sheetmetal screws right into your body panels.

Add all these together and you have a good starting point for how you can make these Geos more efficient than todays modern cars MPG wise... IMHO

[freebeard]

53/58? I'm not doing well at all.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by MPGeo

I believe that solely comparing MPG #s alone can be misleading, almost a false equivalency.

Todays cars and yester year's cars are not even apples to apples. Today's cars are overall much more efficient than older variants. Not only are they more efficient, they are also way safer, quieter, way more reliable... Handling, ergonomics, overall comfort, accessories & electronics... Today's cars are super luxury cars compared to any 1980s-90s era cars.

That being said... Here are some practical reasons that I can think of of why you can squeeze more out of an older Metro.

#1 - They are all basically starting around a very similar baseline in terms of overall fuel efficiency ratings. Check out the attachment to see a Side-by-Side comparison I made between the four cars and you'll realize they're all very close to each other in fuel efficiency.

#2 - A quick look the stock curb weights shows the Geos are 1,200-1500 lbs. lighter. So the effects of any modification will tend to be "amplified" in comparison to an 'almost-twice-as-heavy' car.

#3 - They are cheaper! This may sound funny, but I bet you that almost no one who just paid $20-30K + on a modern Ioniq/Prius/Insight is willing to do 1/4 of the things required to get that great mileage out of an older beater GEO. (myself included). With the older beaters its actually fun to tear stuff apart and drill some sheetmetal screws right into your body panels.

Add all these together and you have a good starting point for how you can make these Geos more efficient than todays modern cars MPG wise... IMHO

i mean im trying to mod my ioniq without doing crazy boat tails lol

heres what i dont get, the prius and corolla hybrids have the EXACT same highway mpg. both use the same hybrid power train too. but the corolla cd is about .28 and the prius is .24... based on that youd think the much lower drag of the prius would give better mpg. i dont get it. both have the exact same engine and powertrain, just a different body shape yet the slippery prius doesnt get a highway mpg boost?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Phase

i mean im trying to mod my ioniq without doing crazy boat tails lol

heres what i dont get, the prius and corolla hybrids have the EXACT same highway mpg. both use the same hybrid power train too. but the corolla cd is about .28 and the prius is .24... based on that youd think the much lower drag of the prius would give better mpg. i dont get it. both have the exact same engine and powertrain, just a different body shape yet the slippery prius doesnt get a highway mpg boost?

Does the Corolla have a smaller frontal area?
Remember, the final analysis is 'CdA' not Cd.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Does the Corolla have a smaller frontal area?
Remember, the final analysis is 'CdA' not Cd.

idk. they are very similar when parked near each other

whats even more weird, is even though the epa says my ioniq is 59 or 60 for highway, and the corolla hybrid is 52, in the real world, my girlfriends corolla hybrid gets 68 mpg on the same stretch of highway that my MODDED ioniq with rear wheel covers and no mirrors gets 65. her corolla hybrid also gets better city than my ioniq, even though the ioniq is rated higher

a lot of '' real world'' reviews usually show toyota hybrids getting higher mpg than the epa, while the ioniq gets lower in the real world than epa. its very weird. i almost wish i had just gotten a modern prius or prius prime. those wouldve been easier to aero mod too... better flat floors to start with, a rear diffuser to extend and build upon, TRD already offers factory aero mods, wheel covers can be added since prius doesnt even use smooth wheels, and so on and so on