Hidy Ho, Neighborinos
 

Just wanted to check in and say hello! Been lurking for a while, but I thought I'd finally create a profile and start posting.

As you can probably see, I'm not wholly concerned with economy, but I am a big fan of efficiency. ;) Let's see where this pony goes! :turtle:

...first, baby steps,

...next, bigger steps,

...then, eventually, giant LEAPS of fuel economy!

...and, "Welcome Aboard!"

I like best of both worlds...performance and efficiency

That's exactly why I'm doing this. Everyone knows that the EVO is a performance platform, but what seems to get lost in that is that there is an inherent efficiency which can be exploited.

As far as what I'm looking to do, it's really the highway mileage that I'm going to be focusing on. I don't have to drive a high number of miles for my daily work commute (~16 miles total), and the breakdown of miles is very close to the 45/55 city/highway split for EPA combined mileage. If I get the new job that at the interview stage for, my daily commute will be ~8 miles all city driving, and I'll be able to telecommute up to 40% of the time.

Things change when I take into account my personal life, because my hobbies and family could comprise as much as 1,500 miles per month (of mostly highway driving). I've been on lock down recently, so I haven't been doing much driving for personal reasons, but that will change soon. When I have to make a 1,000 mile round trip of mostly highway miles, I want to try to get as much out of the car as I can with as little compromise as possible.

My ultimate goal is to match the estimated highway mileages claimed for the current crop of "highly efficient" sedans, e.g. VW TDI diesel (43 mpg), Chevy Cruze (42 mpg), Hyundai Elantra (40 mpg).

Thus far, just by driving habits alone, I was able to keep my highway mileage at ~26 mpg (up from EPA estimated 23 mpg). The first actual modification I have made is to switch over to all-season LRR tires (Michelin MXM4), which have already resulted in a significant improvement to my highway miles. I can't confirm yet (I've been using the tank-fill method to track mileage), but it looks like my mileage has improved to a combined ~24 mpg and highway ~29 mpg.

Welcome aboard!
Performance and economy are not mutually exclusive.
A number of people ask me what I've done to my Mustang to get over 50% over EPA combined estimate. I tell them, "I've adjusted the nut behind the steering wheel." Or sometimes I just tell them, "I've driven it."
Best of luck with your pursuit of efficiency.

Ladogaboy Welcome to the forum. The first step to you goal is to start a log and get a real baseline. Then start applying techniques. Since you'll have that baseline you'll be able to tell what really works and what doesn't. Everyone is different and most cars behave differently. Good luck on your quest and welcome.