My car history(post yours:) )

[mhmitszach]

1) 1997 Ford Explorer XLT
Giving to me by my parents for 16th bday at around 132-5k miles. Sold for 2000 dollars at around 142k miles.
I drove like crap. Got 17 mpg on a good day. Low of 13 mpg. Approximately. Found out it goes 107 mph.

2)1998 Ford Escort ZX2
Bought for $1590 with 106k miles , rebuilt title. Currently at 114k miles.
Started out driving like crap in the winter when I got it. Got roughly 30 mpg. Started slowing down, coasting, tires at 40 psi, grill block. Got up to 35 mpg. Summer came, drove slower 40 mpg and still climbing. =]

[RH77]

Memory "Lane"...

I learned to drive on my Mum's '86 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer, 4-speed, 2.5L and Dad's 1988 Olds Cutlass Supreme Classic RWD 307/V-8 Auto.

1: 1988 Plymouth Voyager SE V-6 (1994-1995)
- The parent's car, but my first "ride". Permit at age 15. Mistu 6-cylinder, 225K miles at acquisition. It actually was my "High School Car". I know, cool stuff. Versatile but smoked a lot. ~20 MPG, but seated 7. Great acceleration for the type of vehicle. Lasted to about 275K miles before sold.

2: 1977 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham 4-door, 350/V-8. (1995-1996)
-Soft top, plaid, pillow-top seats, BOAT. My first car. The sheer mass allowed decent coasting. I calc'd the MPG's: 14-18 was the norm. The Quadrajet carb was busted, so it took adjustment every time the Weather changed. Just wasn't reliable.

3: 1995 Chevy Beretta Level-II, V-6 Auto. (1995)
- First new car. It was a great car, except for the reliability. Mid/Hi-20's MPG with a lead foot (3.1L Second Gen V-6, low RPM at cruise). Transmission was faulty from the factory. Sold it for a '90 when the warranty ran out. First volunteer Fire/EMS response vehicle.

4: 1990 Chevy Beretta GTZ, Quad-4, 5-Speed (1996-1997) -- acquired at 60K miles.
- Finally a Manual, and the 16-valve, DOHC 4 was faster than any Beretta V-6. 30 MPG Hwy. 16" Color-keyed rims and fully loaded. Volunteer Fire/EMS response vehicle: full light bar, strobes at all 4 corners, 100-watt siren, and wig-wags. Handled great and wound-out nicely. Torsion beam rear suspension was rough, though. At 80K miles, the head-gasket blew like all the rest of the GM Quad 4's. I was done with domestics...

5: 1997 Honda Civic DX, 5-Speed (1997-1999) -- Bought new for reliability. Stripped.
-No PS, A/C, etc. Only option: tape deck. Fire/EMS: "Stealth" strobes X6 and 100-Watt Siren for EMS/FF.
-Best FE yet: 35 MPG without trying.
-Rear-ended when stopped, and nearly totalled within one-year of ownership. Never was the same. Still, it handled better than anything yet. 106 HP was plenty.
-Moved to KC from Ohio. Traded it for the best one yet...

6: 1999 Honda Civic Si Coupe, 5-Speed (1999-2004).
- Hands down, the best car I've owned. 100 HP per Litre from the 1.6. The Coupe was perfect. I got around low 20's MPG due to the performance. Darn I miss that car.

7: 2003.5 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII (2004-2005)
- The "EVO" bug bit. ~300 hp from a DOHC, turbocharged, intercooled 2.0L 4-banger -- and AWD. Stupid fast. Got married. Got a lot of tickets. Didn't make sense to own it. Mid-teens MPG. Traded...

8: 1999 Acura TL Premium, 3.2L V-6 (2005-2006). Bought at 80K as a "patch" sedan to haul family, etc. I turned it over to my Wife and acquired the current car. The transmission was the slightly more reliable 4-speed auto (subsequent years had the horribly unreliable 5-speed).
-Still, the transmission threw codes and the cat went bad. It averaged 23-ish before dumping it for a...

9: 2006 Acura TSX Auto (current).
-Wife's car. Lifetime average of ~30 MPG from the 2.4L 4-cylinder. Great car. It gets 37 MPG hwy if I really try. XM radio and the whole she-bang.

10: 1998 Acura Integra LS Auto (current).
-Wife bought it new, I took it over at ~75-80K miles in 2005. Current = 136K miles.
-Coming off of the EVO and TL, I felt it was slow, underpowered, and hopelessly "automatic". One night, I decided, "what kind of mileage can this get". I discovered "Hypermiling" and the rest is History. Check the Fuel Log for the progress.
-The early days weren't recorded: ~26-27 MPG.
-It's easily moving up the list as the best car yet. The hatchback allows hauling of cargo, and the small 1.8L can deliver FE if carefully attempted.

RH77