Bad idea when it rains.

 

In my 99 sc3 I usually average from 22-26 on mixed driving. Most a/c hwy trips I average between 27.5-29mpg. Non A/C trips I average 29-31mpg. Let me get on a hwy on a nice cool night flirting around 65-68 mph, that keeps me above 33 mpg.

 

While I do understand that some people to save money anyway they can, if your a hypermiler.....please do the rest of us a favor.

.....Stay in the right hand lanes....... Pretty please.!!

 

Plus all the money saved in gas (not that much) is wasted in new tires.


I tried everything I could in my SC 400 to get better MPG. Lighter wheels, weight reduction, tune up, crazy slow driving ect. I still couldn't mange to clear 30mpg, and was averaging 26-27.

I ended up just buying a civic and driving that. I average 44 mpg, with a couple of best tanks at 46.5-52 mpg. Driving the civic vs the sc saves me about 350$ per month in gas & insurance. Plus it lets the SC become more of a my "race" car.

 

I use the coasting technique. On your daily commute you'll get to know areas where can effectively coast and not lose any speed. I coast whenever I can, you often see people accelerate towards a red light and then jamb on the brakes - you'll get better mpg just coasting to that light, coming to a gentle stop and/or trying to keep your momentum up for gradual acceleration from that light. The extreme technique is shutting the engine off while coasting - which i don't do - most of cars are at the age where the extra wear/tear from this isn't worth. I hear the new cars can save a ton of gas doing this though.

You don't have to go through extremes to hypermile - I accelerate with the cruise control, coast, run slightly higher PSI and draft occasionally. My E light used to come on at 350-370 miles. I've gone over 450 without that light coming after using these techniques.

 

I hear you man I stay in the grandma lane

 

Where do you work in OC? I did a full tune up on my car to make sure everything was proper, and then after that I gave up on the idea of changing my driving habits to get better mpg. It made driving the car feel like a chore, so I gave it up and decided I can live with the mileage my car gets since I hardly drive it anyways.

 

22.5 mpg here 97% or higher freeway driving in my 1,000 trip. I have a 1996 SC300 5 Speed. I also have a full audio system, some clothes, spare tire, and a some stuff I was dropping off in AZ. I was driving 80+ all the way there. Let's say is suppose to be about 7 hours I was there in under 5.

 

I've got a '96 SC300 automatic. I've been able to average 24-26 combined city/hwy. On most hwy trips I can average over 28mpg very easily. Getting great mileage on an SC isn't easy. They maybe be aerodynamic but they are heavy and those injectors just love to pump fuel into the engine.

 

My car is stolen & I drive like an Azz

Average 18MPG in traffic & less w/o

On-Topic, the excessive abuse to the engine, starter, battery
& ignition switch/ lock cylinder can't offset the few 1/10ths of
improved MPG w/ the engine off technique.
Correct me if I'm wrong, (I know you will) but cars pollute more after
start up than if left idling momentarily.

 

I tried the engine off coasting thing it the civic a ton (IE coasting from 1/2 mile away on some of the stop signs on my road where the speed limit is 55), and it didn't seem to effect the MPG of the car at all. Plus now that the car has a/c I'm not turning of my precious a/c just to get tiny bit better MPG.

 

road trips so far squeezing 500 miles and in city i've managed 400-430 miles... just steady watching my MPG meter as i drive... climbing inclines take those miles away, but heavy car has a good momentum to coast a good while flat or down hill... yeah, check your tire pressures, don't idle the car to warm it up just drive under low rpms to let it gradually warm itself up...

shutting off and turning off while coasting sounds way too extreme to me and takes a toll on the starter and i'm sure it takes quite a bit of gas to start up any ways...

 

I work in Cypress.. a good like 38 miles one way.


I let my car warm up for about 10 secs before putting in drive n letting it idle down the road.. since i live uphill hehe..

 

I live in Westminster down the street from Cypress. Maybe I'll see you around.