Gas mileage / MPG achievements (with optional MPG computer pics)

[Basic]

This idea is besides driving habits. MPG driving skill is an art. Some have it, some don't. So, besides the human touch, what would be the 1st best idea?.

Definitely air pressure. But don't be so quick to dismiss the driving habit though. It can easily be learned. The main thing is to not use the brakes.

[Top_Fuel]

The main thing is to not use the brakes.

+1

When my car hits 100K miles later this year, I will post pictures of the original brakes still on my car. I may never have to put pads/shoes on my Mirage.

[Mark]

I'm curious. In a stock ES with 5 speed manual such as mine (and many others), what might be the first best thing to do to increase mpg?

Shift smoothly & early. Going through town @ 25 mph in 4th gear is not a problem for a Mirage. Anything over 35-40 mph, I am in 5th gear chugging along.

I like keeping my tires (with 44 psi max) around 40 psi. I have a new pair of 165/65r14 Nexen N'Priz AH5 that are 51 psi max rated, & I am keeping them around 47 psi. Temperatures can really fluctuate, but I try to keep them closer to the tire maximum rather than the car manufacturer's recommended psi.

I haven't found any study that shows over inflating tires beyond maximum recommendations improves fuel economy. Since temperatures do vary, I try to keep my tires well beyond the car manufacturer's recommended psi, but below the tire maximum rating. Not all 165/65r14 tires are rated the same, but 44 psi is probably the most common rating.

[inuvik]

Definitely air pressure. But don't be so quick to dismiss the driving habit though. It can easily be learned. The main thing is to not use the brakes.

The longer you can slow down by staying in the highest gear possible with no throttle input, then the longer the DFCO (Deceleration Fuel Cut Off) works.

Here's a thread devoted to it:

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...-to-utilize-it

[Mark]

+1

When my car hits 100K miles later this year, I will post pictures of the original brakes still on my car. I may never have to put pads/shoes on my Mirage.

I bought my 2000 Honda CRV LX AWD 5-speed manual in 2004 @ 20,000 miles (for $12,000 private party). When I was rear-ended in 2013, the brakes were still original at 13 years/154,000 miles. By the way - they were still stopping quite well. It's the person who rear ended me that had the problem!

Someone living in a city & doing a lot of city driving will most likely go through brakes more quickly. I have a lot of hill where I live. It's easy to make the engine do the work of braking downhill with a manual verses riding your brakes all the time.

[7milesout]

But don't be so quick to dismiss the driving habit though.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not dismissing them (driving techniques). I'm just setting driving ideas aside for a moment because I know all the tricks. I just want a hardware idea that I haven't thought of yet.

My old Dodge Ram ... that sucker weighs 7,140 pounds with nothing in it except a tank of fuel. I made the original tires last to about 97,000 miles. And out of that 97k miles, I'd say roughly half of that was towing. I didn't need to service the brakes until after that.

I have touched the brakes twice now and it has just under 200k miles now. The only reason I touched the brakes the 2nd time was that one or both of the front calipers seized. I think the right front seized only. So I replaced both front calipers, rotors and pads at that time ... probably at about 160k or 170k miles. To date, the rears have never been touched. I drive very efficient. Pulse and glide is ridiculously annoying. I refuse to do that.

My daily commute is ~3.5 miles each way. With a steep hill on a cold engine, a school zone that sometimes requires a stop, 2 traffic lights that sometimes require a stop, and a 55 mph 4 lane that people try their best to do 75 mph in. It is not a good stretch for high mpg. If all I ever did was that commute, I think my mpg would be 38 or 39 mpg. That commute was not exclusively what I bought the car for. I bought it for everything and anything I care to do, and because the ES 5 speed is a dying breed of car. May not see any new ones like it in 5 years ... certainly they will be few.

[2016 Versa]

I'm curious. In a stock ES with 5 speed manual such as mine (and many others), what might be the first best thing to do to increase mpg? This idea is besides driving habits. MPG driving skill is an art. Some have it, some don't. So, besides the human touch, what would be the 1st best idea?

All the things already mentioned will probably give you small increases for each thing. Depending on the car warm air intakes can make a pretty big difference. This would throw your speedometer/odometer off a little but if there's room to increase wheel/tire size without rubbing issues that will give you slight taller gearing. The '88 Ford Escort I used to drive for a daily driver had factory 13" wheels with 165/80/13's when I bought it. I went to a junk yard and bought 14" wheels and sometimes ran tires as large as 185/75/14's.

[7milesout]

I wonder if the rear spoiler is *actually good for mpg. MetroMPG's big honking rear spoiler I'm sure is good for mpg. But our cute little one? I wonder. However, it is rather cute, I dare not take it off.

Maybe we could remove the right rear wheel, and eliminate all the rolling resistance and weight, and turn left v-e-r-y gently.

[MetroMPG]

The factory rear "spoiler" definitely helps aero. Mitsu even tweaked it slightly between model years to optimize it further. (I think on the 2017 and up cars).

Thread: Aerodynamics of the new Mirage (0.27-0.31 drag coefficient varies with options)

For city driving, the single most effective driving technique, as Basic said, is "to not use the brakes". Most effective city mod: engine kill switch (manual trans).

Highway driving, the most effective driving technique = watch your speed (MPH kills MPG). Most effective mod is probably a grille block or air dam, but most aero mods are only worth a percent or two at best.

Thread: Mirage aero mods for better fuel economy: 4.5% improvement @ 90 km/h / 56 mph

There's no magic bullet. But there is magic buckshot. Do lots of little things.

Honourable mention: better MPG instrumentation. EG. one with both an "instant" and "avg" readout.











Aside from driving techniques In city driving, the nuber on

[inuvik]

The factory rear "spoiler" definitely helps aero. Mitsu even tweaked it slightly between model years to optimize it further. (I think on the 2017 and up cars).

Thread: Aerodynamics of the new Mirage (0.27-0.31 drag coefficient varies with options)

For city driving, the single most effective driving technique, as Basic said, is "to not use the brakes". Most effective city mod: engine kill switch (manual trans).

Highway driving, the most effective driving technique = watch your speed (MPH kills MPG). Most effective mod is probably a grille block or air dam, but most aero mods are only worth a percent or two at best.

Thread: Mirage aero mods for better fuel economy: 4.5% improvement @ 90 km/h / 56 mph

There's no magic bullet. But there is magic buckshot. Do lots of little things.

Honourable mention: better MPG instrumentation. EG. one with both an "instant" and "avg" readout.











Aside from driving techniques In city driving, the nuber on

Mitsubishi patented the Mirage spoiler for some bizarre reason.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20140077525A1/en