Ecomodder's Top 10 backstory

[BabyDiesel]

Btw RPM, I saw you crack the Top 10 yesterday. Feel free to post

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Yes, many of the top ten % mprovement cars are the same as the top ten fuel economy cars, but there are important exceptions, especially at the top of that list, such as the MisFit Talon which is amazingly better than EPA at 129% and the PaleFit at 102%. The latter is a hypermiling virtuoso devotee. Here is te link to the full list: EcoModder Fleet list - EcoModder.com

Go ahead and edit your original post if you agree and then invite some of these folks to comment. Well worth it.

How bout gas trucks category?

1. 1998 Tacoma - Smudge 136.235%
1. 1998 Toyota Tacoma - Smudge 40.16mpg

[The donkey CRX]

I agree, we need to hear from the guys who are really kicking it when measured from a level playing field.

[The donkey CRX]

When I first started driving the Red Mule VX it was averaging between 65 and 72 MPG per tank. Before this car I was driving a 1988 CRX HF (The Donkey CRX) and had already spent 2 years trying to perfect my hypermiling techniques. Both cars also had a MPGuino and vacuum gauge installed.

I forgot to mention these two items above and they are critical to maximizing your MPGs

[BabyDiesel]

Originally Posted by mikeyjd

How bout gas trucks category?

1. 1998 Tacoma - Smudge 136.235%
1. 1998 Toyota Tacoma - Smudge 40.16mpg

Originally Posted by The donkey CRX

I agree, we need to hear from the guys who are really kicking it when measured from a level playing field.

Mikeyjd, a gas truck category will be added and I expect to hear from you!

I'm going to get the trucks and Top 10 % over groups in the first post.

From now on, can everyone posting please put the category they are representing at the front of their post actually, putting it in the post title would work very well! Do that

[user removed]

My $300 Sentra just passed 10k miles and 9 months. Hard to beat for total cost of ownership at $22 a month for insurance and a little more than 5 cents a mile for fuel. Top third of the gas cars and the $650 bike is #5.

regards
mech

[dirtydave]

90 day is nice and all but what about top ten of all time?

[echo-francis]

for my car the key to have high mpg is p&g eoc if I dont p&g my mpg are about 20-30% lower on highway and even more in city.

here are some mods that made a big difference
grill block
kill switch
alt delete
preheating the engine
all the aero stuff

[3dplane]

Hey guys!

I went and looked at all the top 10 gasoline cars just now to see how many automatics are there...not one!
Except there is an insight that I was unable to tell.

What I'm getting to is probably 90+% of the MPGs come from the way it is being driven!
A manual transmission gives a hypermiler a great advantage over what can be achieved with an automatic.

The Mirage is my first new car so modifications are not extreme.

Smooth wheel covers,90% grill block,a small airdam, driving with at least one of the mirorrs folded, slight lowering, tires around 46 PSI, LED position marker lights(to reduce electrical load on the alternator)...I think that's it.

Driving: Lots of neutral coasting and lots of engine off coasting whenever whichever is more appropriate.
When there is no traffic around me I will bounce around 40-45 MPH. Sometimes slower sometimes faster,Depending on what my factory average MPG display (updates every 30 seconds) is telling me how far I am from my goal. Which is to show me 70+MPG at the end of my trip.

If traffic is heavy,and I don't want to hold up a bunch of people and there is a vehicle ahead of me "within reach", I will race to catch up with them and let them brake the wind for me from about 2-3 seconds of following distance.

Basically adapt to the situations at all times.

Mirage is currently #5 on the list.

My previous car was a 94 mazda protege 1.8L MANUAL. Rated 27 MPG and I was able to get a few 60+ MPG tanks out of her too.

The EPA percantage with that car was 117% above EPA and lifetime MPG around 57 MPG with ZERO instrumentation feedback to me on MPGs. I drove it the same way as I drive the mirage but the mirage can tell me on the display when I suck and need to slow down!

I did have more mods on the mazda though. Alternator cutoff switch,A/C and P/S disabled etc.

Oh and one last thing..Florida temperatures give me an advantage over some of you guys living at colder climates.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by BabyDiesel

Mikeyjd, a gas truck category will be added and I expect to hear from you!

I'm going to get the trucks and Top 10 % over groups in the first post.

From now on, can everyone posting please put the category they are representing at the front of their post actually, putting it in the post title would work very well! Do that

Current Modifications:
Tires at 55 psi
Passenger Wiper Delete
Grill Block
Moon Hubs
Power Steering Delete
Clutch Driven Fan Delete
1/4 Plywood Sides
Light Weight Wooden Flatbed
Warm Air Intake
Folded Side Mirrors (when not needed)
0-30w Mobile One oil throughout
LED Lights

Planned Modifications:
Aero Cap
Smooth Under panel
Hitch mounted tail extension
Alternator Disable
Kill Switch
Oil Pan Heater
Transmission heater
Coolant Heater


I would say my current mods add roughly 8 mpg over stock. My bed is made of wood and is much lighter than stock (The truck weighs 2800 currently). I often drive as slow as safely possible, schedule permiting. The time and effort spent driving efficiently to get maximum mileage is the biggest reason for the impressive numbers.

Today was a new record trip for me 49.4mpg on a 119.4 mile round trip on my Ultra Guage. This required P&G from 30-45mph which adds roughly 15 minutes to the length of the trip each way.

I am planning to build an aero topper for it this summer. I hope to achieve a 50mpg tank and 60mpg trip once it's completely finished.