"MPGiata" modding thread: aiming for 50 MPG with a 1990 Miata. Update: success, 55 MPG!

[Stubby79]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Woohoo! And likely the last fill of the year:

• 696 km / 432 miles
• 50.98 mpg (US) = 4.6 L/100 km

New mods added during this tank:

Well done!

[MetroMPG]

Thanks, guys.

Have I said this yet:

I reeeeally like driving this car -- even as sedately as I have been. (Curves excepted... drive without brakes!)

The short throw stubby shifter is a treat to use (just wishing for a taller 5th), the burbly exhaust note is amusing, the steering & handling is playful. But the top-down part is the highlight. I enjoy a given trip more with the wide-open sky above. I like it more than when I had a motorcycle (because helmet, I guess).

The last convertible I had was a worn-out Rabbit I fixed up when I was going to school. 1982 model? I forget. For some reason, I don't remember enjoying the open air as much as now.

Lately I've been switching back and forth between the MPGiata and the 2000 Metro, while getting it ready for winter duty. The Metro is almost depressing to drive by comparison: it's loud in all the wrong ways, the steering is slow & numb, the shifter is sloppy, so is the handling, plus the front end rattles. And in its un-modded state, the MPG isn't a whole lot better than the Miata's!

[Stubby79]

Driving my Firefly after being in the Miata for a few days straight is a treat...it's so mellow and easy to drive.

Driving my Miata after driving the firefly for a few days is a treat...if it's not in daytime traffic, anyway. Whee! Zoom-Zoom!

I'm stuck in crappy traffic with my new shift at work, so I haven't driven the Miata in a couple of weeks. Too much of a PITA.

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

• 696 km / 432 miles
• 50.98 mpg (US) = 4.6 L/100 km

Well that's good, cause i'm almost there with my V6 accord. A miata should be doing a whole lot better! Nice tank mileage too, most people wouldn't get much more than 300 miles on a tank.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Stubby79

Driving my Firefly after being in the Miata for a few days straight is a treat...it's so mellow and easy to drive.

I should add that my Firefly is much nicer to drive than the Metro -- even with the racecar suspension! The Metro has a LOT more km on it (218k vs. 40k) -- it's feels tired & loose by comparison. The Firefly is still tight & rattle-free.

Suspension observation: after going from racecar Firefly (hard) to Miata (firm), the Metro's old suspension feels ridiculously plush -- like 70's Cadillac mushy.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

A miata should be doing a whole lot better!

Yes it should! I'd like to have a word with the designers about crappy aero & gearing.

But considering this car's ratings, I'm satisfied with getting it to 51:

EPA says 22 city / 28 highway / 24 combined

[Wonderboy]

Whoa, what a nice golf cart! Mods looking real slick too

[gone-ot]

"Congratulations" on your automotive complement of "Having your cake and eating it, too!"

[vortex]

If your Miata rear bumper has an exposed forward facing cavity, blocking the opening could shave a little drag. In this video:

<unable to post hyperlinks-google miata pool noodle youtube>

a pool noodle is stuffed in the gap and it seems like a slick lightweight solution short of a more engineered closeout tray or diffuser.

[MetroMPG]

Thanks, vortex. Will check that out.

Will! Good to hear from you. (Got your PM and will respond.)

Old Tele: I agree -- it feels that way to me!

---

Next year's goal ...

The car is coming off the road in a week or so.

It was great to be able to hit 50 this year, but of course modding will continue next year.

2018's goal is to be able to increase my cruising speed a little bit and still get ~50 MPG tanks on those scenic routes with 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limits. As it is, I'm only getting to 50 by pulling up the average in the ex-urban sections (where the limits are a bit lower & there are more opportunities for E.O.C.). It would be nice to be able to accomplish 50+ without as much laser focus on eco-driving techniques. Enjoy the scenery even more!