Hello all,

Just checking to see if anyone does anything special to get better gas milage then the reported 32/38 out of your xA (besides having a steady pedal, and not going over 65mph) ?

Thanks in advance.

 

That's it my friend. xA is awesome on gas. If you want better mileage only choice would be either" Prius or walk?

Anyway, stick with what you have. Don't buy any gas saver junk....the only thing those are good for is to vacuum your money from your wallet faster than the gas pump will.

 

there is no cost effective way of improving your gas mileage, some tc guys with turbos say they get better mpg. i claim that i get better mpg with my crank pully because i can short shift alot more and keep my rpms down. synthetic oil reduces friction and that means more power and less gas use. high performance intake and exhaust can help improve mpg alittle but the costs of all these parts will take years to make themselves up in saved gas money.

just keep your car well maintained, check your tire pressure, control your right foot, and don't use cheap gas (as in don't buy from el cheapo's discount gas station, not only fill up with extremely high octane). only get gas from reputible chains like shell, bp, chevron, exxon etc. they have detergents in them to keep your engine cleaner.

you could also change your gear ratios to be extremely tall, but your accelleration would be abosolutely nill. or improve your aerodynamics to decrease wind resistance at highway speed.

 

Two things.....
1)Inflate to 40 psi.
2)Don't let me drive it.

 

I just checked my mileage, again, and I got 38.7 mpg. It can be done, I have my tires inflated to 34psi and I normally drive 65-68mph. Even though I don't drive like a wildman I'm still having the most fun since my '66 VW.

 

to save gas i take my gf car. And have her use my XA when its almost empty. She then have to fill it up...lol

 

she should return the favor by driving with the parking brake on and letting the air out of your tires when she brings it back!

 

The best improvement you can make is to perfect your driving technique. I used to have a Honda Insight and averaged 74mpg on my 60 mile daily round trip to work. I could even keep it in the upper 60mpg range in town! of course we're never going to get that kind of mileage in our XA's but 36 - 38 mpg is obtainable.

Speed is a big factor, 60 mph and under being the best. (Wind drag builds at an exponential rate!)

Throttle usage, learning to use energy managment. Slow acceleration, letting your speed blead off slightly on up hills and build back up on the down side so there is no need to feed in extra fuel. reading trafic conditions ahead to minimize braking and conserve momentum. Ect, Ect.

There are tons of tips ect on the Insight boards that are great. Most people who own Insights buy them to get ultimate fuel milage and a lot is discussed about it there. You may want to visit some of the Insight forums and do some reading as a lot of the techniques will directly relate to the XA, not all will since the insight has several unique fuel saving devices of its own.

It really is a change in driving style if you want to get the absolute best milage you can but it can be done. I've been getting 36-37 MPG with my XA driving it pretty carefull with the ocassional moderate throttle usage.

Hodakaguy

 

I've never gotten below 32mpg driving hard, not trying to conserve. The best that I've gotten while trying to conserve has been about 38.4mpg.

I'm pretty consistenly averaaging 34-36mpg without trying to conserve.

 

Wish i can get your "driving hard" mileage any day. While I get about 26-27mpg while driving like myself and if i baby it somewhat, the best i got was about 30mpg. I'd be lying if i said i wasn't disappointed but hey at least i'm not getting 16miles to the gallon like some cars.

 

Yeah, I've been pretty surprised with what I've read from others on their mpg's. My driving hard is never shifting before 4k...usually 4500 and running 75-85 on the interstate with my 5-speed. I do use downshifting to help me slow down where I'm not jabbing the brakes, but that would be my only method of conservation.

 

Prime example would be my last tank. I went 383.7 miles on 11.092 gallons.

 

the best i have ever got on my car was 40 miles a gallon. I switched to the cheap gas 87 and stopped using the 92 gas. I used 92 b/c i used to have a cadillac! i know i'm stupid! but I fixed it already and i'm using 87 octane. I am now getting 40 mpg and I hotrod it everyday. Everywhere I go I challenge the other cars, whether it be a mustang, mercedes, city bus, or an exotic sports car like a lotus, I always challenge them at the stoplights. Because i hate being the one that everyone passes because your the "slow guy". haha. lol.

 

Everyone's saying driving style... and that is 100% true. No jack-rabbitting, keep it relatively slow when you can. Heck, you can even turn off the AC/heat and vent air from outside, roll your windows up, if the temperature's right outside.

You could also try lighter wheels or just removing excessive weight in general. Don't carry too much extra cargo.

I'm only getting about 30 MPG, but I drive like a madman and have heavier, spoked rims...

 

I'm an average driver and get 33-34 MPG without trying. One thing I do is coast (I've got a 5 speed) when approaching a turn or traffic light. This car coasts a decent distance. I'm still working on taking my time accelerating slower. A hard habit to break.

 

I'm running 18" Konig Unknowns. Deffinitely a little heavier than stock.

 

Tornado, LOL

 

LOL. Man, you know those things work great. Almost as good as those turbo sound inserts that you stick in your exhaust. SWEET!!!

 

Things you can do to improve the aerodynamic to your car. Better aerodynamic = better mpg.
1. Lower it a bit
2. Install side skirts
3. Buy wheel covers that cover entire wheel.

 

Don't Scions already get a good 25 mpg at least? what more can you ask for?

lol fake turbo = more powhaaaaaa