Old cars, great MPG

[ToyotaNSaturn]

36.4MPG since Nov 1. Includes the usual traffic jams, long winter warm-ups at idle, etc.

Not too shabby for a 13 year old car! Oh, and that 20wt oil in the crankcase will *SURELY* damage the engine.

Anyone else seeing 30+ MPG from older cars?

 

[BarkerMan]

40+ in a 67 Datsun 510 wagon. The engine has been modified for better mileage in a lot of little ways, too many to list. The only cars I've seen to replace it are the late 80's Civic wagons and the Fit. My Datsun is not yet ready to be retired so I'll keep driving it.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

2000 Saturn SL (stripped version).

I have kept meticulous records on fuel mileage and my average has been 34 city and almost 40 on the highway. On the highway I keep the tach at exactly 2300 rpms which does seem to be the sweet spot for fuel economy on my little 1.9 SOHC.

Oh, and I am getting these mileage numbers in the northern Wisconsin. We've seen -12F to +39F this winter. Can't wait to see what my mileage is when spring/summer rolls around.

Kind of off topic here, but with gentle driving my 06' VUE 3.5L is averaging 22 mpg city and about 26 highway at a strict 65 mph. Not bad for a 250 horsepower engine.

Last one. My mom drives a total beater 1996 Nissan Sentra GXE with the little 1.6 and gets mid thirties city and almost 40 highway.

Something to be said for older inexpensive and simple older economy cars!

 

[mpvue]

my '86 GTI 8V and some years later a '87, both would get 40-41mpg hwy, if the trip was long enough. I did a few NY to louisiana trips in the '86, would stop for gas every 400 miles.
those SOHC VWs had about 110 hp or so, lots of fun to drive. the closest fun I've had to them was a '93 saturn SC1 w/ a '94 DOHC swap. a very lively commute in that would get 33mpg consistent. one tank I got 36mpg or so, but that wasn't fun, watching the tach and speedo too much

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
my '86 GTI 8V and some years later a '87, both would get 40-41mpg hwy, if the trip was long enough. I did a few NY to louisiana trips in the '86, would stop for gas every 400 miles.
those SOHC VWs had about 110 hp or so, lots of fun to drive. the closest fun I've had to them was a '93 saturn SC1 w/ a '94 DOHC swap. a very lively commute in that would get 33mpg consistent. one tank I got 36mpg or so, but that wasn't fun, watching the tach and speedo too much

I hear ya on that one. I love getting almost 40 mpg, but it takes constant attention to how I am driving and a lot of guage watching. It is definitely more work driving in a fuel efficient manner.

 

[eljefino]

It's the NOx. Trying to get the last little bit of that gone means running tons richer to cool down combustion. Increasing CO2 in the process. But that's not apparantly a concern, because fixing NOx helps those few landlocked "bowl" cities that get smog.

That and cars are getting heavier. IDK what the new hyundai accent weighs but I bet it's more than 2300 lbs of the y2k model.

People are into the 1969 musclecars because it's before all their performance was sucked away by regulation and insurance issues. I'm into the mid 90's econo cars for their "performance"-- wonder if I'm a trendsetter.

If I had 40 acres, I'd cover 'em with $200 beaters, and wait...

PS the shaggin waggin is hanging tough at 37 mpg with snow tires etc.

 

[BarkerMan]

Getting 40 mpg in these older cars is also a matter of paying attention while driving. Everyone talks about staying off the gas pedal but it's the brake pedal you have to avoid and that takes looking ahead. Most drivers do not see very far beyond their own hood. If you get 40 mpg in any of these cars you are more aware of what's happening ahead of you. Besides better mileage you might just be a safer driver and get fewer tickets, too. Also driving smoother for better mileage is more difficult that sliding around a corner or beating everyone to the next red light.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: BarkerMan
Getting 40 mpg in these older cars is also a matter of paying attention while driving. Everyone talks about staying off the gas pedal but it's the brake pedal you have to avoid and that takes looking ahead. Most drivers do not see very far beyond their own hood. If you get 40 mpg in any of these cars you are more aware of what's happening ahead of you. Besides better mileage you might just be a safer driver and get fewer tickets, too. Also driving smoother for better mileage is more difficult that sliding around a corner or beating everyone to the next red light.


Good points here. One more factor of driving for fuel mileage is having to put up with road rage from other drivers. One fingered salutes, and those that just floor their vehicles past me, are part of the price one pays for wanting to conserve fuel.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
It's the NOx. Trying to get the last little bit of that gone means running tons richer to cool down combustion. Increasing CO2 in the process. But that's not apparantly a concern, because fixing NOx helps those few landlocked "bowl" cities that get smog.

That and cars are getting heavier. IDK what the new hyundai accent weighs but I bet it's more than 2300 lbs of the y2k model.

People are into the 1969 musclecars because it's before all their performance was sucked away by regulation and insurance issues. I'm into the mid 90's econo cars for their "performance"-- wonder if I'm a trendsetter.

If I had 40 acres, I'd cover 'em with $200 beaters, and wait...

PS the shaggin waggin is hanging tough at 37 mpg with snow tires etc.


I agree eljefino. Look at the new VUE. It weighs quite a bit more than the one is replaced.

I would love to cover my property in older economy cars, fix them up so they are reliable for the new owners, and watch them fly out of there as gas reaches 5 bucks a gallon.

Maybe you are on to something there.

 

[Drew99GT]

I get 40 to 42 all highway in my 94 Corolla, and mid to low 30s in town on average. However, with the super cold weather and major ice and snow buildup on my windshield about twice a week, I've been idling a lot and doing all short trip driving. That, combined with 10w-30 Maxlife, brought me a measly 28 mpg on my last fillup.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: Saturn_Fan
Originally Posted By: BarkerMan
Getting 40 mpg in these older cars is also a matter of paying attention while driving. Everyone talks about staying off the gas pedal but it's the brake pedal you have to avoid and that takes looking ahead. Most drivers do not see very far beyond their own hood. If you get 40 mpg in any of these cars you are more aware of what's happening ahead of you. Besides better mileage you might just be a safer driver and get fewer tickets, too. Also driving smoother for better mileage is more difficult that sliding around a corner or beating everyone to the next red light.


Good points here. One more factor of driving for fuel mileage is having to put up with road rage from other drivers. One fingered salutes, and those that just floor their vehicles past me, are part of the price one pays for wanting to conserve fuel.


I just laugh when someone floors it by me, only to be stopped right next to me at the next redlight. Hey, if you want to waste gas and brakes, then go for it! It ain't my car. I've got 85,000 miles on my brakes and they STILL have tons of pad left. I love having a 5 speed cause you can slow down almost to a stop with the engine, without even downshifting.

 

[ALS]

My 87 Volvo station wagon (357,000 mile) only gets 20 mpg around town. Lot of 3 mile trips between home and work. Highway it will get above 29 mpg if kept under 65 mph. Not bad for a car with a Cd of .39 and weighs in at over 3050 lbs. If it was a NA instead of a Turbo I would get 2 to 3 mpg more in mileage.
Again it is paid for and insurance is cheap on it.
I'm starting to look for another car but it must get at least 5 mpg better than what I have now to justify the expense on moving to a newer car. I'm not buying new so I have been looking at the 05's and 06's for a replacement vehicle.

 

[oily boyd]

I used to easily get 34 mpg with my 1988 CRX Si and that was with my foot in it [ 75% Highway/25% City ]

I miss that car for many reasons

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
Anyone else seeing 30+ MPG from older cars?


36 on average from a 96 MB E300D with about 200k on it.
31 hwy from a 91 BMW 318i with 110k on it.
32 hwy from 97 plymouth breeze 2.0L with about 110k on it.

The older MB diesels get about 30 MPG, but I wouldnt say consistently over 30.

JMH

 

[wavinwayne]

My '94 Beretta, for the heap of junk it was, got ±30 mpg.

My '90 Mazda MX-6 got around 30 mpg as well.

I could squeeze 30 mpg out of my '00 VW 1.8T, but I put my foot in it too much.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
However, with the super cold weather and major ice and snow buildup on my windshield about twice a week, I've been idling a lot and doing all short trip driving.


I work with a guy who uses zero defrost and very little heat when the temps are below about 27'F, and it's snowing.

The snow hits his windshield, doesn't melt, and slipstreams up over the roof. Has perfect visibility.

I've tried this with success.

One needs to chill out for a second after brushing their car off so they don't pant inside and fog up the insides of the glass.

Using less heat also lets the engine warm up faster.

 

[XJ1100]

I am getting 38-39 highway and 32-33 around town with my 97 Civic del Sol (1.6L) with 198k miles.

I do have to watch the way I drive to get these numbers though. No going over 70, accelarate nicely, try not to use the brakes much, etc...

 

[Cutehumor]

I get 35mpg in my 96 sunfire with a lightfoot driving 70 on the interstates here. My wife drives the 06 vibe and has a heavyfoot and she gets 30mpg in the vibe.

 

[moribundman]

Both my VW Sciroccos got easily over 40 mpg with a little effort. Of course, both cars were very lightweight compared to today's cars of the same size.

 

[ThirdeYe]

My car gets well over 30mpg on the highway, and it's over 13 years old, about 13-1/2. I've seen all the way up to 40mpg once (11 above EPA estimate).