how can i get better gas mileage for my tC....... i heard a cai might help

 

a CAI has certainly helped me (about a 1.5-2 mpg increase).

others have said it actually DECREASES your MPG. i think its because it sounds cool, and you just wanna get on it to hear more...

honestly, the best improvement in gas mileage is driving style (ie- easy on the gas as you're accelerating, staying under...65, 70mph, try to coast if you see traffic slowing ahead of you...etc)

 

I get atleast 27 MPG in my daily driving, and I'm able to extend that up to 30 whenever I want to by changing how I drive. Mine is a stock 5-speed.

What is it you are getting?

 

I have heard if you take the snorkel piece off the stock intake it helps to get a few more miles per gallon.

but driving habits is the key to better mileage

 

don't have such a heavy foot.....for street driving, 2500-3000 rpm and shift gears usually gets you to normal road speeds.....now if you're one to romp on it and go 4000+ rpm every shift, then i would say you're driving too hard for daily driving, unless you need that extra power to get onto the freeway, etc....lol

 

other than the things already mentioned, you can over inflate the tires a little.....
things not to do is MOD. Keep things stock...... unless youre removing pieces to save weight.

 

Best way is driving habit. I almost always shift at 3000rpm (+/- 250rpm). This help dramatically. Sure, it isn't necessarily as fun to drive like this since you're not making so much power... But when you save 2-4mpg on each tank of gas it will add up in the end.

 

I thought any/all intakes or air filters help increase MPG due to the air filter material being foam rather than the paper one that comes stock with the car? or does it also have to deal with the driving style after the intake is installed?

 

well, i think the idea is,

CAI = colder air = more O2 in the air = more fuel required to burn that O2 = less mpg. but like i said, i've seen a vast improvement since i had it installed.

 

Generally speaking, warm air into the engine = better mileage

 

Right, that's why you get worse gas mileage in the winter (at least I do). In my tC I see 2-3mpg worse in the winter than I do in the summer/spring/fall. It was MUCH more noticeable when I drove a Ford Ranger. In the winter I would get 3-5mpg worse than in warmer times of the year.

 

Depending on where you live, they also add ethanol to the gas in the winter to prevent water condensation. This alone can drop your mileage.