so which upgrades would people recommend?

 

An equal length header and 2.25" mandrel bent exhaust would probably be best. Then a K&N or TRD drop in filter or a fancy intake like the Injen would probably be next on the list.

Then again, the aluminum pullies always seem to do well also.

 

ive never gotten that high of mpg even when stock. best ive avg is 23-25. now with my turbo i avg 20-22mpg. are you doing mostly highway?

 

Drop in filters have actually been shown to decrease power.

 

I read that review too, but I would be surprised if this were true. They should have tested the stock filter again right after the drop in to be sure the results were 100% because I have never seen that kind of result before. Not only that, but it makes absolutely no sense if you've ever seen a gauze type filter before and compared it to a restrictive paper type.

 

There you have it, not everything they make for our cars are actually benefitial.

 

Actually a CAI will decrease your mpg because more fuel will be consumed with colder/denser air. An exhaust (w/ or w/o headers) will improve gas mileage unless you reduce back pressure too much (provided you are N/A)...

 

By adding a cai and an exhaust you should see a slight improvement is mpg, but not because the engine breaths better. If you can keep your foot off of the gas your mpg will increase because your car now has more HP. Sounds crazy right, But if your car has slightly more HP it can pull itself up to speed easier and will actually run with a slightly less RPM. Less RPM means less fuel being consumed and better MPG.

 

Don't mean to argue but, CAIs actually make you lose low end torque, therefore you will actually have to use more gas opposed to your oem box...

 

not all cai in general make you loose low end it depends on the design. If the fuel is managed correctly the increase in air velocity can increase power throughout the entire rev range.

 

CAI loses torque because of all the air is entering but no where to go. I think that that is why a header option with a CAI loses in the torque lose department.

 

Ok this thread is full of a lot of FALSE information.
Everyone seems to be confusing efficiency with power.

No matter how you look at it, the easier your engine breathes, the more fuel it is going to use. The more power your engine makes, the more fuel it is going to use.

More power = more fuel

The MAF realizes that more air is being sucked in, and will compensate be adding more fuel. There is NO way around this, except if you tune the ECU, and that is not an easy thing, nor do dealerships like that.

As for NA engines with exhausts gaining more HP, that is also FALSE. If you let air out faster, air is entering faster, therefore, you use more HP.
Backpressure - With an oversized exhaust on a STOCK N/A car, you will lose low end power.

 

Good to know. Thanks!

 

So by your logic, a car with a horribly dirty air filter and peashooter exhaust from Midas should get the bes mileage?

 

There is a happy midium with everything, I think that a good sized exhaust can let the air faster but still not so fast that power will be lost, but a very restrictive exhaust will not let the engine develop as it should.

 

and now we are talking about a car being efficient.

 

Uhm....RPMs will remain the same relative to what speed you are going, and what gear you are in. You engine will NOT run at lower RPMs. I think what you are trying to say is that you will have more HP to REACH your desired RPMs with less effort from the engine.