Top mpg nin hybrid cars at 70+ mph?
 

Edit: I meant to put "70 MPH" in the Title of thread. Not MPG

HI. I live in Texas where i have a 50 mile one way commute on the 70mph+ freeway. Im in search for a non hybrid car that that gets the best mpg at 70mph. Ive been doing some research on this site, and I couldn't find a list of the top cars. So far I see that the Honda Insight G1, Geo Metro, and Mitsubishi Mirage. I have been told to avoid the common jatco cvt's for reliability issues. So i would prefer a manual. I see that the Mirage 5 speed is getting 40 mpg at 70mph. Im hoping for a something better than that. I think im concerned about the reliability of the metro and insight, because of age. Could someone please post a list or link of the top 5 to 10 cars, that get mpg on the freeway? Thanks :) :D

I came across this video on youtube of a guy that claims he gets 60 mpg at 65mph in his 5 speed chevy spark, when blocking the lower grill. I really like this number. Does anyone know if this is accurate? I cant post a link yet. But here is the youtube video title.

60 MPG on a Chevy Spark 2013 with FRONT GRILL BLOCK- Great Gas Mileage

I would look for a diesel powered car, they generaly have great fuel efficiency at such speeds and distances.
Biggest downside is that they hate short trips and take some time to warm up, but that's likely not an issue for you.
Anything 1.9 TDi should get great efficiency at that speed.
Ideal would be a Lupo/A2 with the 1.2 TDi, these cars get some 100 mpg from the factory.
However I would suggest dropping your speed a little for better fuel efficiency, no need to go as fast as you are allowed to all the time.
Also grill blocks are a terrible idea in hot conditions as your engine will overheat.

A lot depends on the driver. Maybe he only goes 45mph.

In the video he is going 65

I highly doubt a Spark is getting 60 mpg at 65 mph with just a grill block.

Only 70mpg at 70mph car I’m aware of is the basjoose car,

Even the original insight needs a perfect environment for that outcome


Having driven a Spark, grill block or not 35mpg is more likely

Chevy Bolt is not a hybrid (full EV) and can cover that commute daily. New they are selling for low $20k, and used you might find them around $13k. Once the stop sale is lifted we might see them much lower, perhaps down to $10k.

I'd certainly run an EV if I had a lengthy daily commute. No wasted time at the petrol station, no wasted time with oil changes, and cheap "fuel".

Some complain about seat comfort, so check that beforehand.

Curious why hybrid is a deal killer? The Ford Fusion hybrid is fantastic and gets 45 MPG. Smooth quiet ride.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...e-nonelectric/

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...-economy-test/



(I can't remember if there was a list here on E.M. or not for best MPG non hybrid cars. Also, the G1 I nsight was a hybrid. )

https://ecomodder.com/forum/bestgasmileage.php

I would recommend checking this out to see who is getting what in what (mouthful haha). Driving style, commute length, etc. No one is even getting 70 mpg right now, so probably the only way you would get that much is with some elbow grease.

Sorry for confusion, as I accidentally put 70 mpg in the title when I meant 70 mph. 50+ mpg at 70 mph is my actual target. Just wanting to know the top cars to choose from.

There are quite a few cars capable of doing that, to name a few:
VW Lupo 3L
VW Lupo 1.2 TDi
VW Lupo 1.4 TDi
Audi A2 3L
Audi A2 1.2 TDi
Audi A2 1.4 TDi
Several 1.9 TDi models
Mercedes Benz E200 D (W211/S211) (didn't belive it untill I actualy archived it in a wagon, 4,2L/100km at 110 km/h or 56 mpg at about 70 mph)

Forgot the VW jetta mk 5,6
Vw diesel pick up (looks like a rabbit without the back)
Metro with the 3banger

I would vote Cruise diesel or one of the 4 cylinder VW diesels.

This is just the use a diesel is going to shine at. The small gas cars start to drop off in efficiency faster at that kind of speed. I bet the cruise diesel might hit that 70 mpg mistake post at the opposite 50 mph, but should hit 50 mpg at 70 mph.

The raw EPA mileage testing shows it right around 70 mpg in the unadjusted old highway test which stays under 55 mph.

Thanks for suggestion, but sadly most of those are not availble in the us. Also in Texas and US diesel is 15%+ plus, more expensive than gasoline. So the extra mpg, doesn't make up the deference in money saved.

The closest modern car that comes close to 50mpg is the 5MT Mirage

Otherwise it’s Geos and ancient Hondas

Then the best is the Mirage, but you won't probably hit 50mpg going that fast unless you draft other cars and trucks. By draft I don't mean 6" off the bumper like a Nascar star, there is pretty good effect at a flow of traffic normal following distance.

Driven to the floorboards my Subaru 360 sedan gets 50mpg with 40psi in the tires but the top end is 75mph on down depending on wind and terreign

There are also a handful of diesel smart cars in the us that get 50mpg+

He might have to go through the fun of maintaining an antique

Still didn't answer the questions of why the arbitrary criteria of 50 MPG @ 70 and not a hybrid.

The first question of vehicle purchase is what is the intended utility of it. From there other factors like reliability, fuel economy, cost to operate get factored in.

A gen I Insight with disabled hybrid system I'm sure would hit those economy figures. Probably most any motorcycle too.

I often need to get to my destination quickly. So I drive 70mph. Which is actually slower than the flow on traffic in this interstate freeway. I used to have a gen one insight. But it had issues with IMA that caused the CEL to come on and I couldnt pass inspection. Im concerned i will have issues again, being how old they are becoming. Also I may need back seats to carry a third passenger. The reason I didnt want a prius, is because most of my driving will be on the freeway. And the prius dosnt get better MPG on the freeway than most small eco cars. I just want a light, cheap, simple economy car that I can pound the miles on and little can go wrong with it. That has back seats. So far It looks like I will either get a manual Mirage or Echo. Just wanted to make sure there wasnt another option out there that gets better MPG at 70 mph.

Back when I was considering a commuter, I had cars like Toyota Corolla, VW TDI, and Hyundai Elantra on my list of good economy cars. Ended up getting an Acura TSX because I fell in love with the 6-speed manual. It only gets 30 MPG though due to dumb gear ratios.

Back then I figured if I'm going to spend so much time in a vehicle, it might as well have a little luxury for comfort and entertainment.

You might like a G1 insight then. Mine was very fun to drive with the manual

I'm sure I would, but I'm morally opposed to 2-seater "cagers". The number of seats should always meet or exceed the number of wheels for vehicles with the primary purpose of moving people.

Well, my bicycles all have twice as many wheels as they have seats.
Should I ride a unicycle around town now?

my 2 cents.

The VW TDI's love the open highway, they have long legs and can cruz the higher speeds. If can find a a nice one with a 6 speed. Look for a Jetta , golf, Passat or Audi A3. I have had 2 of them. I will tell you you need to keep up the maintance and avoid the dealers. These cars really require the owner to know a little about the cars, it's not a toyota.

Speaking of which, if you want reliability, get a Toyota. I'm guessing your avoiding hybrids because of reiability, the toyota hybrids are very reliable.

Lot of new cars to pick from, my dad had 2020 hyundai Sonata with the NA 2.5 litre engine. I didn't drive it much, but was impressed with Gas miliage. It's rated at 38 mpg. strong power.

Yes!

I've been unicycling, and it's vastly superior to the mini Segway I was previously using.

Mostly my comment was a jab at those excited for trikes.

I am opposed to 2-seater cars though. More fun on a motorcycle, and if one wants to go fast, then that necessitates a single seat, like F1. A 2-seater is simply too compromised for utility, and too compromised for speed.

In the G1 Insight, there is now a very simple way to remove all of the hybrid electronics and still "fool" the ECU into thinking everything is working. You'd be able to pass emissions and inspection, for the price of an Arduino Uno and half an hour of soldering wires to the board.

Yes I heard about this. I am concerned about it affecting the reliability. Have you heard of anyone having issues with this setup after many miles? Also does it still have the problem of not charging the 12v battery when 4k rpm is hit? Im concerned that it will slowly ruin the battery and the dc converter. Reliability is important for me. Thats my Im interested in the mirage 5 speed and echo

There are ways of bypassing the 4K limit now as well

My insight has done about 50,000 miles with no battery but with the ima and cell on (non-inspection area)

Essentially all the arduino does is tell the ECU that the IMA system is "ready" but that the battery is at zero, so don't call for assist. I set this up and used it for around a year and, while the car was slower, it was perfectly reliable.

The 4k limit is hard-baked into the DC-DC converter, unfortunately, but it only cuts out for around 30 seconds (unless you're staying above 4k) - basically a non-issue, unless you're climbing the Rockies or something.

I replaced my DC-DC converter with an aftermarket unit which can charge all the way to redline, not because I was concerned with the OEM unit's reliability, but because the aftermarket one was considerably smaller, which let me free up a ton of space in the back of my car.

The DC-DC replacement probably isn't appropriate for someone in Texas, however, since the aftermarket units cut out at ~160F, and I imagine a closed car parked in the sun probably exceeds that during Texas summers. So, you'd start your car and the unit would already be in thermal protection.

https://i.imgur.com/A3wiaOxl.jpg


To my knowledge, an Insight with the IMA delete is still more reliable and robust than a Metro, which are generally pretty "tired" by 200k. There are examples of Insights running around with 5-800k miles on the stock engine. The Metro engine seems to start burning oil and loses compression relatively young.

I'm unfamiliar with the Mirage's reliability, but I haven't heard anything to suggest unreliability.