Ecomodder's Top 10 backstory
 

For those of us who are newbs on Ecomodder (I being one), checking out the Top 10's is something interesting, mind-boggling, frustrating and awe-inspiring wrapped up in a simple click. These are the Legends of fuel economy, some even being known nationally! Their journeys are extensive, but not to far out of the reach of the common lay person. What I would like is for each member of this Top 10 to write a short testimony about how they got to where they are at.

Here are the Top 10 in Overall Fuel Economy as of 04/18/2015

1. 1992 Honda civic VX - MULE VX 85.46
2. 2005 Toyota Echo - Echo-Troll 66.59
3. 1995 Honda Civic VX - Mr. Bean 63.84
4. 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage DE - 14 Mirage 63.09
5. 1992 Honda Civic CX - AerocivicLB 61.96
6. 1998 Honda Civic DX Coupe - Black and Green 59.63
7. 2009 Honda Fit Sport - PaleFit 58.58
8. 2012 Toyota Aygo T2 Air - Aygo 58.02
9. 1999 Suzuki Swift - The White Gnat 57.16
10. 1992 Honda Civic VX - SLOMOTO 56.49

Here are the Top 10 overall gas trucks! 4/19/15

Top 10 Trucks Gas (MPG US)
1. 1998 Toyota Tacoma - Smudge 40.16
2. 2014 Renault Kangoo - EMMA 32.5
3. 2001 Ford Ranger XL - The Long Ranger 31.78
4. 2010 Ford Ranger XL 2 door supercab - grayranger 31.48
5. 1996 Chevrolet S10 LS - 1996s10 31.45
6. 2011 Ford Ranger XL - Graynger 31.22
7. 1997 Chevy S10 WT - 1997 Chevy s10 31.16
8. 2006 GMC Canyon - Nameless 30.94
9. 2007 Ford Ranger XLT - the truck2 30.64
10. 2000 Chevrolet S10 W/T - 2000 S10 4.3 30.4

Here are the Top gasoline cars in % over EPA, 4/19/15

1. 1991 Talon TSi - MisFit Talon 129.167%
2. 2009 Fit Sport - PaleFit 102%
3. 2005 Echo - Echo-Troll 101.788%
4. 1992 civic VX - MULE VX 100.14%
5. 1998 Civic DX Coupe - Black and Green 98.7667%
6. 1993 Civic VX - Civic 77.3095%
7. 1998 323 Astina - Baa 74.6%
8. 2014 Mirage DE - 14 Mirage 70.5135%
9. 2005 fiesta 1.4 trend - Fiesta 70.2941%
10. 1988 CRX dx - N/A 70.2188%

Here are the Top 10 gasoline trucks in % over EPA, 4/19/15

1. 1998 Tacoma - Smudge 136.235%
2. 2000 S10 W/T - 2000 S10 4.3 78.8235%
3. 1997 Tacoma 4x4 V6 3.4L DLX - Urquhart 64.0625%
4. 2006 Canyon - Nameless 47.3333%
5. 2014 Kangoo - EMMA. 46.7269%
6. 2005 Tacoma 4x4 Manual Access - Amocat 44.1111%
7. 1996 B2300 Se - The terminator 42.8571%
8. 2001 Ranger XL - The Long Ranger 38.1739%
9. 1998 T-100 SR5 - BZP T-100 current (2015) 37.4706%
10. 1996 S10 LS - 1996s10 36.7391%

Now we CAN search through your build threads, but that can take a loonngg time, especially with one's like Echo-Troll and MULE VX. Having a quick write up here can make it much easier to find for those new to the site.

Nothing brutal! Just have where you started FE wise, the best mods for you, and a quick overview of your progression. Adding links is encouraged :)

We look foward to seeing what becomes of this :thumbup:

Edit - if everyone can post the category they are representing in their post title, that would be awesome :D

Hey, is that a lifetime or 90 day average? If the latter I can get in there if I update my logs.

edit: found out it's a 90 day average. Cool, it's a nice incentive to keep the log up to date.

Black and green is on here and active poster, mule vx I believe is down and running his brothers white vx

Black and green has underbelly pans and wheel skirts and uses an alternator kill switch to reduce drag on the engine

Mule vx was running no alternator and extensive aero mods and 2 deep cycle batteries.

Summary of the Mule VX ecomods
 

Here are some random thoughts about the Mule VX.

I think most of the drivers in the top 10 are trying to get the best MPG while still being able to drive at the posted highway speed. My goal is to use all the EXTREME ecomods and techniques available to get the highest MPGs possible.
Every time I make my 108 mile round trip commute, it is a contest to maximize MPG. My average MPH is around 40 MPH. I drive around 45 MPH on country roads and 55 MPH on the 24 mile portion that is interstate highway. The overall average of 40 MPH is due to time spend slowing down for stop signs and lights and posted speeds lower than 45 MPH. I would say if you do not have some kind of gauge to calculate your actual average MPH, it is very hard to estimate.

Other than driving 45 to 55 MPH, the best mileage technique I use is EOC (engine off coasting). Next would be DWL (driving with load) and DWB (driving without brakes). I only P&G (pulse and glide ) at the top part of a long downhill section of road when I EOC.

The Red Mule is a Honda Civic VX with lean burn capabilities. This means when I am able to maintain a lean burn condition it adds about 20 MPG to my total MPG. This is why there are a lot of Honda Civic VX's in the top 10.

Other than lean burn the other items that add the most MPG are aero mods (about 12 MPG) and the Bridgestone Protenza RE 92 in size P165/65 R14 (about 8 MPG) with 50 lbs of air pressure. NOTE It has been reported that only this one size of the Protenza RE 92 is the best low rolling resistance tire

Here are the aeromods:
Front air dam with adjustable grill blocks. I have temp gauges to monitor both the temp of the water coming out of the engine block and the air going into the intake. I would not recommend blocking your grill unless you can monitor your water temp accurately. (worth 3-4 MPG along with mirror delete)

Delete of OEM side mirrors

Complete totally flat belly pan with 6 inch side skirts. (worth 3-4 MPG)

Rear wheel covers

Rear Kammback, diffuser and rear side extensions to square off the rear of the car. (worth 3-4 MPG along with rear wheel covers)

Let me know if you have any other questions

Opps, I forgot to mention the alternator delete and pre-heat systems added over the winter. I am hoping these two modifications will add 10 MPG to my previous numbers for the same time of year (seen on my fuel log). Just a note to add that all the modifications mentioned in the previous post probably have a reasonable pay back period, but these two, at least the way I did it would take a very long time to breakeven

Also the link to all the details of all other mods is located in the fuel log.
Sorry I don't know how to add a link here. Maybe someone can help me with that. Thanks

The Black & Green civic
 

Hi. Yes, there are a few mods that I like most, but it is hard to say what is most effective, since some are only useful in certain driving conditions. Others are only effective because the help hypermiling. For example, and injector kill is best when you are doing EOC, not just sitting at traffic lights every so often. So in no particular order:

wai
air dam
grill block
side skirts
wheel skirts
injector switch
1992 VX wheels
alternator switch
1993 CX transmission
power steering delete
plug-in deep cycle battery
200+ lbs (91 kg) weight loss

james

I have you covered, donkey crx :thumbup:

Details: MULE VX - 1992 Honda civic VX Fuel Economy - EcoModder.com

Great info, y'all!

That was good advice given about how only certain mods help out at only certain times, CaliforniaCivic. Having them all together is what makes the difference.

What kind of mpg were y'all getting before the aero mods, deletes, additions and switches?

I love this thread! (so far). Great idea BabyDiesel.

Only thing I'll add is that the top 10 only denotes highest MPG. Is there a way to include some of those that are killing their % above ETA numbers? IMHO, that's just as impressive/notable.

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.

Thank you, OG VX :)

I thought about those who are in the Top 10 over EPA having a thread, and they do need one. I didn't want to do it because I'm fixing crack that list and it would seem like I am "tooting my own horn."

Shoold I add it to this thread, or start a new one?

Edit - I am in agreement! I will add the Top 10 over EPA and message them so they know that their info is needed.

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

How bout gas trucks category? :)

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

Reply to OGVX and BD
 

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

Average MPG of Red Mule VX before modifications
 

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

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 :)

Fugitive from the scrap yard category
 

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

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

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

Gasoline cars
 

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.

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.

https://scontent-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hp...39326444_o.jpg

Hi All.:)
My Mazda (Baa) is currently in the top ten % list, although it's really only a seasonal visitor to those lofty heights.

Living in the Southern Hemisphere, while many folks on this site are experiencing cold weather droop, I'm getting my best figures.
By this time of the year, those figures are already starting to slide back to obscurity.:o

Baa's best mods are:
Mud flap and rear wing delete.
Taller than standard tyres.
Tyres at sidewall pressures.
Warm air intake.
Kill switch.
Vacuum gauge (must get an MPGuino!)

The greatest part of my success is driving style, combined with commute times and location.;)
I work a rotating shift, with start/finish times outside peak traffic load. This helps a lot.
I live in the Blue Mountains, outside Sydney, dropping about 600m going to work. This gives me plenty of opportunity to EoffC in daylight or EonC at night.
The climb home often has the engine operating at high(ish) loads which doesn't hurt that much when coupled with the previous EoC.

The second half of my commute to work is 110kph motorway which hurts FE, even though I stay at 90 – 100kph depending on the time.
On the rare occasions that I can stick to 80kph, my tank average improves.:snail:

I looked, and could not locate a Top 10 of all time. Do you have a link to it buddy?

My biggest asset for great mileage: I'm stubborn. If I know the car is capable of more I will push to realize that potential. Good enough, simply isn't.

I have good commuting routes. I have tried all reasonable (and unreasonable - see above) options to find the best. Multi-lane roads with lights instead of stop signs (you can time lights). Reasonable speeds - my highest limit is 55 mph and I never touch that speed.

I know the routes. 32 mph at that mailbox, coast the 1/2 mile to the stop sign around the bend and stop there with no brakes. Adjust to conditions - more drag in winter, rain, breaking in new tires like I am now.

A scangauge is critical. You have to know what's happening and how your efforts are working or not. The use the feedback. Every hill, every slowdown or stop, I'm keeping a mental tally of my recent and long-term "high score". Like this: goal 70 mpg, trip max 65 mpg, last valley 62 mpg. Then the next cycle I aim to at a minimum to match 62, even better to match or top 65, with an eye at 70 the whole time.

Pulse & Glide eoc all the time. EOC is my default mode, while pulse is the special case when I need more momentum.

Minor mods:
engine belly pan that should have been there from the factory
tire pressure
winter grille block
light weight wheels and LRR tires
upgraded rear sway bar - more for fun but it can help keep momentum up in corners
battery charger at night to make up for the loss of alternator during all the eoc
LED lights and eco headlights (45W instead of 55)

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...fit-24769.html

Holy cow, I made a top-10 list? Awesome!

For mods, look here: Details: Red 2.0 - 1998 Dodge Neon Fuel Economy - EcoModder.com

(mods summery: lots of weight redux, eco tires, lots of front end blocking, extended front bumper, rear wheel skirts, temp wheel covers, higher compression engine, solar sunroof battery charger, block heater)

So, here's my techniques I use every day (kind of in order of daily route):
-(pre-driving) block heater on timer, so warmed car up for an hour before I leave each day.
-Start car and drive! No time to idle. I don't care how cold it is!
-Throttle is ~50% most of the time. Higher RPM + Highway is usually closed to 70-80%.
-Shifting at 2-2.5k on a cooler engine or in city, highway is 2.5-3.2k shift points.
-Accelerate as needed, then immediately go into neutral and hit the engine kill switch. (P&G+Eoff everywhere, city or highway, unless traffic is too tight)
-Coast until you come to your stop, or need to accelerate again. Daily route usually lands me 10-15MPH at the stop and then I bump to start again, hit the brakes to make the legal requirement of stopping, then go!
-Highway speeds are optimal around 40-55mph and using 4th gear for that. 45-60mph isn't much worse, but only used when necessary. 50-60mph when really needing to go!
-Up hill, drop 5-10 mph off of the above, pending steepness and traffic. Try to hit a decent speed before hitting the start of the hill and coast as much as possible.
-Down hill, neutral coast until towards bottom, where acceleration goes on before hitting the coming uphill.
-Steep downhill where speeds get out of control, use 4th gear. Computer cuts fuel injectors and free alternator to battery charging.
-Always take the side roads with less traffic and stop lights. Much more consistent and easier to find a routine.

Pic is of my recent trip with all the current and latest mods. Trip to and from Oregon coast was over 1000 miles, vast majority of it highway. Used all techniques mentioned above and got 57.75 + 59.14 MPG.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...3&d=1429558692

Reply to NoD
 

Great results. That is the first Neon I have ever seen that looks "mean";) Kind of like an angry puppy. :D

Only kidding!

Its my first time in the Top ten! I've been close for a while, bouncing around 15th to 13th place. Seems like others are better than me at hypermiling. It was the Green Grand Prix that put me in the Top Ten. I made some additional modifications that proved to be well worth it and I was able to get 122 mpg at the event over 84 miles on the track. I used a lot of EOC and DWL during the event to get this mileage, as well as having support from my navigator to keep my close to the ideal lap time. Mods to the car include:
Alternator Delete with two deep cycle batteries and volt meter to monitor the batteries, plus on-board smart charger.
Front air dam / engine belly pan
Mirror, wiper, trim, stock battery, radio, and interior delete
Kamm Back
Wheel Covers with sign vinyl ( made a much bigger difference than I thought they would)
MPGuino (super important, this was my first mod)
nearly bald tires at 50 psi
Grill block
Mobil 1 Advanced fuel economy 0w30 motor oil
Full synthetic trans oil
Injector Kill switch (super important, was my second mod)
Alignment at 0 deg toe front and rear
hot air intake copied from Mule VX with intake temp gauge.
Plus I drive the same route to work every day and challenge myself to do better than the day before. I make note of hat mileage I get at each leg and try to make it better by more EOC or timing the lights better, or dealing with traffic differently. You have to make it fun and keep your head in the game.

Top 10 gasoline trucks in % over EPA
 

I never would have guessed, but since my truck is in the “Top 10 gasoline trucks in % over EPA” on 4/19/15 I will post a brief summary. All the details are in my build thread.
(6. 2005 Tacoma 4x4 Manual Access - Amocat 44.1111%)
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...oma-29663.html

In summary, my truck is a 2005 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab, 2.7L 4 Cylinder, 5 Speed Manual, 4x4. The truck is my daily driver, which includes long commutes to work, trips hauling construction materials, and driving off road.

Completed Eco-Mods-
Adjusting the Nut behind the wheel
Amsoil synthetic fluids in front diff, rear diff, transmission, and transfer case
Mobil 1 synthetic engine oil/ Wix Oil Filter
Michelin LTX M/S2 LT 235/85R16 Tires (Factory size was P 245/75R16)
Factory Toyota 16” TRD Offroad alloys (Stock was steel wheels)
Conveyor Belt Front Air Dam
Some LED Exterior Lights
Ultra Gauge, GPS

In progress mods-
Half Aeroshell/Wing
Underbody belly pan/ skid plate
Electric Fan Conversion

Reply to Mloveland78
 

Congratulations on your GGP results. You made all us VX guys proud !!

Very Cool Idea, thanks BabyDiesel!!!

My car is a little... I mean a lot different.;)
First its a turbo AWD and anyone in their right mind would not try to make it a FE car.:D Its also a automatic transmission. Another major FE problem.

I wanted to have a car that would perform at the track and run decent 1/4 mile times in the 9's at over a 130 mph. I also wanted to have a performance car that could still get great fuel mileage. So I started building the perfect beast. The AWD helps it run sub 1.3 second 0 to 60 mph. The turbo's give it the power to make over 650 WHP when needed. The Engine Management helps me tune all the ECU parameters at my finger tips, including Lean Burn for FE.

The biggest contribute to my FE is my home built Lean burn system. Its design is to be able to run over 30:1 A/F ratios without a miss-fire.
My Lean Burn system makes it possible to run with almost no throttle pumping losses by utilizing the turbo's.

Trying to keep it short so I will call it good. If anyone wants to see more on my car check out my build thread. Thanks again everyone for your builds and camaraderie.


1991 Talon TSi Compound Turbo AWD
Automatic 4 speed
Off road Lean-Burn 30:1+ A/F
2800 lbs with driver
650+ WHP
0 to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds
Current Mods: Engine:
2.0L
modified 1g turbo pistons, spray-guided crown
Ultra Lean Burn system.
modified head, spray-guided high heat direct port.
custom camshafts.
intake manifold, high heat direct port w/adjustable port angle injection.

Turbo System:
High-pressure Modified Blow-Down Turbine 13g internal gate dump to atm.
Low- pressure stock configuration FP Red BB, mid mount.
DNP Turbo exhaust manifold.
44mm Tial Bi-Pass waste gate.
FMIC 3" core.
LP Turbo pre-intercooler.
Tilton 40-527 external oil pump.
Jegs 12V Vacuum pump.

ECU:
ECM Link Engine Management system.

EGR:
HOT/COLD Electronic controlled cold EGR system.

Transmission:
Transtar/IPT 5 disk front clutch kit in stock basket, Transtar/IPT end clutches, double up stock flexplate, John Deere HyGard fluid, Foreign Muscle DSM (Transmission Control Unit), EPROM Upgrade full line pressure with pre-set rpm shift points.
2g lock-up converter.

Rear antenna and rear wiper removal.
Front bumper lower grill block.

No-Lift Braking:
Activates extreme lean burn secondary map and maintains positive intake pressure with no pumping losses.

Secondary Waste Solvent fuel system
Rota Grid Wheels 14.5 lbs
Hoosier QTP Tires

Incredibly unqiue and impressive car man!

I slipped into the Top 10 in % over EPA today by a mere 0.23% :D woohoo!

I started out getting around 34 mpg average on my ZX2. This is not bad, it is 36% over EPA. I had the automatic transmission, which i dreaded when I started to hypermile due the severe mpg penalty I THOUGHT it would cost me.

I began getting serious about ecomodding when I lost my job back in August 2014. I was in school, driving 65 miles round trip 5 days a week. Saving every penny became crucial.

My three biggest mods that have helped me have been the Scangauge, adjusting the nut behind the wheel (myself), and being content with what I have. The Scangauge is invaluable, as I would be driving blind without it. I cannot accurately adapt to conditions if I can't see what my car is doing, plain and simple.

I learned the importance of leaving early and slowing down. No more 65+ to get to school. I drive 45-55, 98% of the time. It is usually closer to 45 due to that being the "sweet spot" for the 2.0 Zetec. I avoid the interstates at all cost. Going above 55 drops my FE significantly.

The third is weird, but it is due to me having an automatic. I wanted so bad to blow it up and swap in a 5-speed manual last year! However, the swap cost and time down made this a stupid idea. I have learned that the auto is finicky, but it can return great FE when driven correctly. I am content with my car as it is now, and that alone makes it more pleasurable to drive :thumbup:

Here are my current mods I have done. I will say that having aero mods has helped A LOT, but then you must drive in a way to maximize their potential.

-Scangauge
-Keman intake w/ Spectre high-flow air filter
-Warm Air Intake
-Tire air pressure set at 60, f&r
-85% grill block
-Underbody panels
-Double SV mirror deletion
-Air line disconnect thingy
-Weight removal (Rear seat, etc.)
-Double 5.6K resistor in the IAT (for timing advance)
-Spark plugs gapped @ 0.070 (stock is 0.050)
-5w20 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum oil
-Lighter weight Mazda Miata Aluminum rims
-Upsized tires (185/70R14 BlackLion BH15)
-Thrush Turbo muffler
-Wheel covers
-Wheel Skirts

Here are links to my car's page - Details: Ecoscort - 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 Fuel Economy - EcoModder.com

And to my build thread - http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ead-30348.html

Nice work on getting in the top %:thumbup:

Thank you pgfpro! :) It feels like it has taken forever to reach this point!

I will be continually on the lookout for new people cracking the Top 10 list in Post #1 so they can add to this thread :thumbup:

I have two top ten vehicles in the trucks category.

EMMA is number 2 in the petrol trucks. 'My secret' was really just to buy a sensible vehicle and drive sensibly. My first tank netted 35% over EPA, I later added a bunch of weight, roof racks and a ladder etc and I'm now sitting at nearly 50% over EPA (partly due to everything breaking in - partly due to improved technique, and partly do to the weather cooling). Part of it was also to buy a vehicle at least one size smaller than I really need, and 'make-do' or use a trailer when I really need it. This saved me about $10,000 in purchase costs and means cheaper overall running costs. It's also more flexible than one big vehicle, although trailers do of course have their drawbacks. Even with the trailer (I started a new fuel log for trailer towing tanks - I'll fill the tank each time I expect I won't need the trailer again for a while), I'm still comfortably beating EPA, and I actually prefer driving with the trailer.

Build thread:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ing-31710.html

Mods list:
LED stop/tail & reverse lights
SGII
GPS (I consider this an ecomod - it's great to have a reminder that your turn is in 200 metres and it's time to DFCO - It's voice activated so I generally use it even if I know where I'm going)
Upper Grill block (Pipe lagging)
LED DRL's (not a legal requirement here but I do think lights on adds safety -esp on shadowy city streets)
Tyres @51PSI - Max sidewall, I run heavily loaded so this is actually a bit on the low side especially at the rear.
Cargo bulkhead - Keeps the cabin cool/warm without having to cool/warm the whole cargo area as well.

I think that's about it, only ~4000miles on it so far, so more to come. I want to build a rear diffuser next. I realised when installing the towbar that the same mounting points could mount the diffuser :)

My favorite mod is my solar panel, no it doesn't really directly save fuel, but it means I can EOC all I want and know that the battery will be topped up within minutes of parking in the sun (and not much longer on a cloudy day). The next step is to add an alt kill switch to expand my benefits.

My main fuel saving technique is EOC, expect with the trailer, the little 1.6 NA petrol has to drag around up to 2.2tons (4800lbs)! [max permissible train weight is 3 tons]. Then it's DWL and DFCO. With so much weight, coasts are insane, and even being in gear makes no perceptible difference to engine braking. I can be in DFCO and dip the clutch, and I can't feel any difference. Infact switching the A/C on during DFCo makes a bigger difference. Another technique I find useful is to leave the van in gear and switch the ignition off. This let's me force DFCO (where for example I didn't have enough revs to engage it) but has the advantage of keeping the alternator spinning. It's also extends my DFCO envelope beyond the normal ~1000rpm cut off, I often go down to around 500rpm which I can still key back on to avoid using the starter, this also avoids the ECU going open loop.

My T5 is normally number 2 in the diesel trucks category (although no refuels in the last 90 days means it's not actually on the board). No mods other than a partial lower grill block and SGII

UFI currently makes the top 20. Hilariously, if I can manage to get it down to just shy of EPA, it would be the only car in the top 10 NOT to be beating EPA :D I've got the 'mods' ready to go so I'm coming, it's an ironic record and I want it :P

Bill/wmjinman recently tore his way into both the Top 10 gasoline car sections! Here is what he had to say about all he has done to get his high FE:

Before I started aeromodding it, my civic CX got mpg's in the upper 40's in the summer and lower 40's in the winter. I would occasionally get a 50 mpg tank on a summertime 55mph interstate cruise, but the mileage would drop into the 30's if I cruised at 80mph. Currently the car gets over 70 mpg at 70mph and over 60mpg at 80mph, and 100mpg at 45mph.

At the time I was aeromodding, I didn't have any mpg monitor installed. I drove a regular commute and used changes in my coasting performance and the fill up calculation to evaluate the effect on my aeromods. At the time, MPGuino didn't exist and Scangauge wouldn't work on my obd1 can, so the $150 SuperMID was my only option for a fuel consumption display. Since money was tight, I'd rather use that $150 for buying materials for aero mods than buying a fuel consumption display.

Of my aeromods, the boat tail had the single biggest effect by eliminating that low pressure void trailing the car that was constantly working to slow it down. Fringe benefits of the boat tail was the added cargo space inside the car, a rear window that stayed clean (unlike the OEM hatch glass that dirtied up very quickly on wet or dusty roads) , and 4 feet of additional crush space in the event of a rear end collision (tested one time so far).

The 2nd most effective aeromod was the underbody paneling, which also quieted the interior since a lot of "road" noise is actually wind noise generated under the car.

Moving the side mirrors inside also greatly reduced the level of wind noise inside the car.

The rounded nose on the car lowered the stagnation point, provided a place to install the driver adjustable grill block, got rid of the flat front bumper's dead bug collection area, reduced the radar reflection as seen from the front, added a foot of crush space to the front, provided a wedge to redirect collided deer up and over the top of the car, minimizing damage to the car (tested 2 times so far), and greatly reduced the number of birds hitting the front of my car (the redirected wind carries them up and over the car rather than impacting on the OEM flat front bumper).

The wheel well covers, wheel spats, wheel boat tails all provided some improvements in coasting performance, but the effect of all of these modest improvements added up.

Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires helped reduce the rolling resistance.

So far, people have asked me if my car was an EV, a hybrid, an amphibious car, or a roadable aircraft.

I'll add my story here now that I'm back on the list after letting the Nut Wagon rest over the Winter.

My driving technique is low RPM (under 2000 RPM), low speed (40-45 MPH), and a lot of engine-off coasting down hills and to stops. I don't do pulse and glide on flat roads. I try not to brake or idle.

The 1991 Civic Wagon running the original 1.5L 16-valve engine, but half the rocker arms have been removed, turning it into an 8-valve engine. And I have a CRX HF transaxle that keeps RPM low. Plus a lot of little stuff that adds up. Full mod list is in my garage.

To keep my numbers accurate, I burn full tanks. And I've checked my odometer via GPS and adjust the odometer reading to reflect actual distance.

I use no MPG instrumentation. Mostly because MPGuino won't work with my TBI.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/emgarage-...2186f36714.jpg
http://ecomodder.com/forum/emgarage-...c826c66501.jpg

Details: Nut Wagon - 1991 Honda Civic Wagon DX Fuel Economy - EcoModder.com
1991 Honda Civic Wagon DX Gas Mileage (Nut Wagon) - EcoModder.com

Where is basjoos? His car has dropped off the top 10 list because the fuel log has not been updated since Feb.

Something happen?

Made it back into the top 10 today, so I might as well post during the roughly 15 minutes I'll stay there. :)

My story is slightly different than most because my car isn't really ecomodded. For many reasons, starting with the draconian laws we have in Portugal regarding modifications and my desire to have the car look great and perform great.

So my results are basically the combination of a pretty efficient car and hypermiling. I got into hypermiling a few years ago for fun and love it. Gives me something to do during my commute.

I also like to hit the track whenever possible. Many of my friends think I'm a weirdo for having such disparate tastes. I just love everything car related.