First year complete and @50mpg !

[snakester]

I'm pretty excited to have kept a year round average of 50 mpg on my car.
Although the winter was pretty mild, I did change my tires to new snow tires this winter. I had 52 tanks of gas, one tank a week, driving 5 or 6 days a week averaging about 70 miles a day, round trip. Since there is no modifications to my car except for the ScanGuage II and higher tire pressure, I can attribute this great gas mileage to these three factors:

1. Toyota's incredible 1.5L fuel efficient engine and aerodynamic design of the Yaris sedan. Paired with the 5 speed manual transmission, this car is the all gas equivalent to the Prius.

2. Hypermiling techniques that I have learned from all the information in the forums here on ecomodder. Keeping my speed down on the interstate and coasting as much as possible but at the same time keeping up with traffic and driving in fifth gear even at lower speeds.

3. The terrain of my daily commute. With a 1,400 ft. Elevation drop from my house to the valley floor, my morning drive can sometimes get 80 mpg on the 33 miles to work. The return home is gradual climb through a canyon until the last 6 miles where it gains 900 ft. I try to stay off the interstate except for the 5 miles where I have no choice.

I don't know what kind of mileage I'd be getting if I lived where it was really flat, but I think it would be close.

My goals for this year are back to back 60 mpg tanks, and new trip records.
I'd also like to do some mods this year since I have some raw data to compare with.

Thanks to all you guys on here.
55mpg here I come!

[BabyDiesel]

Awesome accomplishments!

[digital rules]

Keep up the good work Snakester!! Nothing like getting a NEW high in Colorado

[Fat Charlie]

Nice, nice work.

[MetroMPG]

Congrats!!

I've been eyeing second hand Yarii and Echos, and stories like this sure don't dissuade me.

Why no other mods though? There are a bunch you could do that would help even more, without changing the appearance of the car (if that's your concern).

[Fat Charlie]

I looked at the Yaris until I saw they weren't making a manual four door hatch.

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Why no other mods though? There are a bunch you could do that would help even more, without changing the appearance of the car (if that's your concern).

Not many effective mods to be done there.

Colorado aeromod #1:

[MetroMPG]

Colorado: where your Hummer has the aero efficiency and pumping losses of a California Prius!

[snakester]

One of these days I will modify it. It's not about appearance, it's more that I'm lazy or can't find the time.
i just got my son who's 17, his 1st car. A '03 Civic LX. For a teen, he seems interested in getting good gas mileage. I made him track his fuel consumption on here so I could keep track. The car had 193,000 miles on it with the original timing belt. I don't want him coasting down the mountain though because it's too dangerous.
I should listen to my own advice sometimes, but it's so much fun. Sometimes I can make it six miles from my house before engaging the engine, but that's a hair raising roller coaster ride only I've experienced, and the fear of a deer jumping out in front of you at any moment is just too much. I can see the headlines now,"man dies while hypermiling".