Since my strup muffler I have been getting 35-36 mpg, to be fair I have been abusing the petal because I can, its got some real power now all the way to red line vs before the narrow 3500-4200 rpms. Its a much more enjoyable car to drive and puts a smile on my face each rump to speed.

I got the xb wheels, nitrogen air in them to 40psi and weapon r header. It has more lower end power, cant wait to see the difference. I can now short shift it vs redlining it in each gear. Still I am abusing the petal, but its like driving a whole new car now.

FYI, my rental car was a matrix s awd, I went 157 miles on about half a tank or 8 gallons of gas when I filled it up. Thats like 19mpg. I did let it idle some as it has a nice icy cold ac when on recirculate and a few rumps to 60mph. Man, that felt like a v6, but it had the 2.4l 4. Most rental cars get 20mpg in my experience.

Getting 40mpg or more takes a lot of work and self declipline. No idling, no short trips, no jack rabbit starts, wait for the way to be clear to pull out in traffic and let the car come up to speed with light pressure on the go petal.

 

You got that right,, with the discipline. It makes a big difference,, but itis so hard to maintain it. I have been getting consistant 39-41 mpg by doing exactly what you said,,,, but sooo boooring. Guess everyone has to answer the question for themselves; "Is it worth it?". I just want to give the gas companies as little money as possible. And like some of you all said,, I generally leave early enough (for where ever I am going) that I am in no real hurry. I have 33k on my Xa and have yet to change the plugs or air filter. I will do the K&N (drop in) first and re-check the mileage on a few tanks. I sure wouldn't mind picking up another couple miles to the gallon.

 

Myself, I hate filling up. I feel like I have 2 year old with the bladder of a pea. I go 300 miles or so and bang, I need to buy 8 gallons of gas. I enjoy driving, I can easily drive 150+ miles in a day and just wished it had a bigger tank.

The only way I have found to get more mpg is to drive slower. 55-50mph. Best fuel economy I have found is like 54mpg in 4th gear doing 40mph.

 

my milage on my last tank sucked... i just passed 210 miles when the refuel light started to blink.... but i am sure that this is all in my driving habbits. i have a very heavy foot at times and jumping traffic from light to light is sometimes the only way to get around.

 

Last tank hotdogging it, etc I got 29 mpg. 273 miles on 9.2 gallons. I think short shifting it did it, with the new header it can take it, but seems shifting early kills fuel economy.

If it makes you feel any better I rented a matrix s, jeep commander, 09 carolla and maybe a few other cars and they are got 20mpg with mixed used. The nissan murano I drove got 27, the yaris I have no idea, but it took .73 of a gallon to fill up when I rented it for half a day.

 

I went through a tank to test the whole 'easy on the gas' + 'stay under 2500rpm' in my '04 auto xA with 17" wheels/tires and after the full tank and a dangerous week of being passed by everything including school buses on the freeway and computing for the bigger wheels/tires...I still averaged 33 mpg. I'm gonna have to go back to driving 75+ on the freeway as I can easily still get 33mpg average and NOT be a moving chicane on the freeway and all I changed was the K&N and increased PSI to 34. Funny, on my BMW 525iT I get at least 2mpg better by never going over 60 on the freeway. Oh well. Cheers.

 

Thats strange. You are right, driving slower normally gives better fuel economy. How are you manually shifting an auto? I would let it do its thing or shift at 3500 rpms.

Since the gas shortages in VA Ive been filling up frequently, I got 77 miles on 2.5 gallons, 30mpg. Man, much nicer car to drive, but I lost about 10mpg with the weapon r header and strup muffler. I am going to try the oem muffler and see how performance is vs fuel economy.

I too cruze up to 80mph, but I take my time getting there so I am keeping up with traffic.

 

I went 220 miles the past few days, including 2 days to work, 2 runs down i95 and i295 at 80mph. I shifted later at 3 grand and did not short shift it. I went 220 miles on 5.7 gallons, 38 mpg.

 

That is pretty darn good considering driving at 80. I am driving an automatic. My last tank netted 438 miles when the needle was right on the R (reserve mark). When I gas, I top off right to the top of the neck (usually overflow a little). I took exactly 10.9 gal. If my math is right it works out to 40mpg. This tank involved the usual back and forth to work. No highway, AC on most of the time, some traffic and keeping the RPMs as close to 2k as possible. I can't seem to break that 40 mpg mark,, no matter how I drive. Can anyone out there actually say if they achieved an improvement in mileage when using synthetic? I have yet to run synthetic in the Xa.

 

Last fill up, 222 miles 5.9 gallons, about 37mpg. Just going back and forth to work and I live at the bottom of a hill and need to dart across 4 lanes of traffic. With my header and muffler I can easily do it, but it can lower my fuel economy fast.

13 miles twice a day, a few on i95, i64 and some surface streets, about 6 stop lights 2 stop signs total.

I use what the dealer uses for oil and they say its a synth blend. I think using 0 weight synth will make a difference, however 40mpg is about max unless you just start driving slower. I am already running synth in my tranny, mobile 1.

fyi, Ive been told its bad to run a car empty as it can suck trash in the fuel system, plus past quarter tank, the smerged fuel pump is no longer smerged or cooled by the gas. I fill up at half usually 3/4, but the gas shortages makes me do it sooner.

Only real mpg suggestion I have is to lower it, it looks like your car is stock. The less air that can get under your car the better and making sure your tires are properly inflated.

 

cobb, thanks for the suggestions. May try the synthetic. I keep my tires a few pounds over the door sticker. My car is stock height, but lowering is not an option for me. I have heard thatit is bad to run the car nearempty. When I am on the R (reserve) I still have 2 gal. left in the tank. I generally fill at about a quarter tank but wanted a couple pics of my guage pod showing the miles per tank. Thanks again.

 

Last hobby ??
Are you like 94 years old , or something ?

 

Just filled up this evening. On the last tank I tried (for the first time) mid-grade gas. Previously only used 86 octane. Was curious to see if there was any difference in mileage by using 89 octane. Don't think 1 tank is a good test but based on the results I don't think I will waste the extra 1$ or so again. Results: 325 miles, exactly 8 gal = 40.625 mpg. Very respectable, but I have gotten that mileage on several tanks of 87 octane. TYhis is all my usual back and forth to work,, A/C, traffic and no highway.
Anyone out there have any experience with octane testing. I know all about the engine being low compression and needing only 87 octane so I don't need a lecture on that. Just curious..
Thanks,, z

 

Not bad at all considering you do city driving. I bet on the hwy you will get way more, dont be too hard on yourself.

My past tank was like 37, with ac as usual and man its icy cold with the new muffler. I really enjoy the extra power the exhaust freed up and I use it daily to cross 4 lanes of traffic when I want to, not when the way is clear and with the idiots where I live who like to merge from 1 interstate to another at 35mph where the merging traffic is going 80.

I just bidded on a 97 toy tacoma, v6, auto, 4wd, jacked up, super charger and exhaust mods. I think epa website says 15 and 18. Wwwweeeeeeee, global warming, here I come.

Because of the gas shortages I have been topping up, so the lower you suck your tank down, the better fuel economy gets too. I have gotten my best ecnomy filling up when the gas pump logo starts blinking, but I do that by mistake, not choice.

 

Mark... I think your right, our rides do get a bit better mpg when run down to the "E" zone.

BTW, try and stay away from Toy. Tacomas up till 1998(even T-100's). You want a 1999+ Tacoma , reason being is a lot of the same parts, etc stayed the same from '99- '04 , easier to find replaceable parts, etc. That is a decent 3.4L V6 (way better then the 3L V6 it replaced), but still has a timing belt.
The new '05 Tacomas, with the 2.7L 4cyl., VVT-i would be sweet... would get decent gas milage for a truck to (25-20 mpg). ... gotta get extra cab though , only regular cab if you really dont care or are small. A friend bought the 4L V6 , which is sweet also, but it absolute needs 91+ octane

 

Thanks for the advice. I just bidded on it since its an automatic and maybe a great deal, only 40k miles. I live at the bottom of a long windinghill so 4x4 may come in handy this winter if its a cold messy one. So far I am the only bidder and it was accepted, I will get a response in a month or less. Kind of makes me want to think about the matrix s awd too if I triade for an automatic, shame the rental car I had got 19mpg.

 

Mark,

If you want AWD, I'd highly recommend right now a 2004-05 Subaru Imprezza RS, or WRX. That would be the bomb. Many right now are coming out of there 3/36K warrenties .... so they can be had for $12-17K in nice condition, a well build AWD 4-door car ! Personally, thats what I would buy.

 

288 miles on 8.5 gallons. Mixed highway and city/stop and go/gun it.

I started to get some gurgling noises in my tone of my exhaust between 3-4 grand. I put in a bottle of shell injector cleaner and some bosch iyridum 4 electrode plugs. Its cleared up, plus it really hauls about 60 mph.

Naw, going to see about trading mines for an xa at carmax or the toy truck at the estate sale. So far I am the only bidder.