Anyone drive a fuel efficient car?

[JTE83]

Since I do about 335 miles average each week = 17,200 miles / year I figured I was gonna put a ton of miles into my Dodge Grand Caravan and that at 18 to 22 mpg weekly avg I’d be paying around $2385 per year in gas at $2.89 / gallon. So I figured it would be good to get a beater car to put the miles on and save fuel! And I got lucky buying a gem of a car through Craigslist! A 1999 Honda Civic HX with a short ram intake, catback exhaust, strut tie bar, and short shifter for $3500! The catch was it was a salvage title car with a hairline cracked windshield but the previous owner claimed this was because of hail damage (in Texas?). Well, after 3 weeks it drives solid. And I’m happy getting 34.45, 41.64. and 41.4 mpg with it. I’m trying to do better with the hypermiling techniques listed and talked about on Cleanmpg.com and Gassavers.org I look forward to every new week driving it!

This web pages lists hypermiling techniques –
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/articles/t-beating-the-epa-the-whys-and-how-to-hypermile-1510.html

So with my HX I’m gonna save $1176.94 a year compared to my minivan! Sure paid off my increased insurance! And I’m really very happy with this old car because it gets better mpg than the latest brand new non hybrid cars – the Fit, Yaris, Aveo, etc. And it was so cheap! After I hook it up with better parts ( an Alpine 9887 stereo, tint, alarm, silicone hoses, cross drilled & slotted rotors with ceramic pads, and Bridgestone b381 tires – the lowest rolling resistance tire / very fuel efficient) – I’ll be really happy! Might show it off in a thread!

And maintenance on this car is so simplistic compared to most modern cars where you can’t even change the spark plug! If fact, when I look at a lot of the engines of modern cars it turns me off because they’re so expensive to maintain! Even changing the air filter would be a chore! I just gave my HX a valve adjustment yesterday and saved $135 (dealer charge) + the hassle of going through a dealer!

So if you drive a fuel efficient car what is it? What’s your mpg? Is it the latest or an old beater?

Are you currently suffering under the high price of gas and want a fuel efficient car? How have gas prices affected you? Now that I have this car I don’t mind going for a cruise to explore Houston better!

I’ll keep this car for a long time unless Toyota really comes out with their 2009 100 mpg Prius hybrid! And hybrids seem expensive to maintain because you can only service them at the dealer (major items).

 

[Bro Deal]

You are in Texas. Cowboy the **** up and ride your bike. Ask yourself, what would Floyd do?

Gas mileage spectrum: bike -> moped -> motorcycle -> car -> SUV -> tank

 

[Crankyfeet]

Since I do about 335 miles average each week = 17,200 miles / year I figured I was gonna put a ton of miles into my Dodge Grand Caravan and that at 18 to 22 mpg weekly avg I’d be paying around $2385 per year in gas at $2.89 / gallon. So I figured........

You ladies are all the same. Mileage improvement here. Shoe sale there. Oh.. look...JCPenney's are having 50% off sale.

You have to understand JTE83, your husband (i'm assuming you're married) is living in Texas, and driving that car around is killing him. You may as well be saying "My husband has a small Johnson".

BTW I'm sorry if I've come across a little rude. I used to live in Houston and I can imagine what its like from your husband's perspective.

 

[Bro Deal]

You ladies are all the same. Mileage improvement here. Shoe sale there. Oh.. look...JCPenney's are having 50% off sale.

You have to understand JTE83, your husband (i'm assuming you're married) is living in Texas, and driving that car around is killing him. You may as well be saying "My husband has a small Johnson".

BTW I'm sorry if I've come across a little rude. I used to live in Houston and I can imagine what its like from your husband's perspective.

I think JTE is a dude. Although with all his nagging it is hard to tell.

 

[kdelong]

I've got a 1975 Toyota Corolla in storage. It has over 600,000 miles on it and I have rebuilt or replaced nearly everything except for the body at least once. I could get over 40 MPG with it's 1600cc engine. The main reason that it is in storage is that it is almost impossible to find parts for it anymore and there is a lot more ethanol in the fuel supply than there used to be. It really does a number on older cars.

I also seem to remember that JTE83 is a guy from previous posts. That's not saying that he didn't go to Massachusetts and get a "husband" though .

 

[JTE83]

Gee guys, you make me sound gay, or a girl, or both ways! Now don't get my husband mad!

 

[Crankyfeet]

Gee guys, you make me sound gay, or a girl, or both ways! Now don't get my husband mad!

I'm sorry JTE83 about the gender mix-up.

But that makes it even worse that you think like this in Houston. Apart from the need to have the biggest car for your ego and male identity, you are also hurtling around in a death-trap. The probability is 95% in Houston that if you have an accident with another car, it will be an SUV, and in that little old ladies car you are currently driving, your chances of survival are the same as OJ Simpson's if he accidently stumbled into a Waco KKK meeting with the white mayor's daughter on his arm.

 

[JTE83]

Ok, my HX is a crossdresser's car!