what average speed was this litesong?

Other small cars are like that too, it ain't just Hyundai... *cough* FIT *cough* I hear people complaining about those rather frequently. :P

People can either have their go-fast crap or they can have lower revs, not as much power, higher fuel mileage and a quieter environment - and apparently the car companies have got the message that most would rather have the power even in what's supposed to be an econobox. :blink: Manuals anymore equate to a "sporty" option, not for economy...

That's pretty impressive mileage with the manual, btw litesong. I do hit 40-45 averages according to the ScanGauge for short intervals with some frequency for my commute home with my auto (only about 16 miles one way.) Tonight was a 45 night. :460: But averaged out over a tank of 300 miles or so with lots of mixed driving, I'm in the mid 30's when it's all said and done. City driving really drags the FE down on the auto, some problem you shift-it-yourselfers don't have. I really want to get out on the highway and take a long trip with my current driving style and see what i get but it's stupid to spend extra on gas just to see how much gas I'm saving with this hypermilng stuff. :P

This post has been edited by hoosieraccent: Jul 1 2008, 07:18 PM

Lol

My bike's engine revs at 9100 RPM at 70 MPH, so don't feel too bad! :) Accent does need a 6th gear, I do agree.

Have you ever thought about changing the countersprocket, wheel sprocket & chain to a higher final gear ratio? I did on my old Suzuki 450. Raised the gearing 15% & MPG went way up. Some times MPG went over 75 MPG. During an 8200 mile trip thru the west, weighted down with camp gear, while going thru the Cascades, 12,000 foot Rocky Mtn. Passes, Black Hills of S.D., Great Lakes, Texas, N.Mex, & Arizona, I only used 120 gallons. That was real freedom from the gas pump.

Tho the sprocket changes give lower engine cruise revs, they also mess up 1st gear acceleration. But after that the cycle performs as always, except you have a higher top speed.

Twenty five years ago, I had an auto computer. Yeah, you can get the computer to read 99 MPG(higher with the rite readout) over short periods. But as you found out, it doesn't mean anything.

I'm not a hypermiler & do not hold too many people up(except for the pretend racers). But the Northwest valleys, deserts, mtns, lakes, inland seas, & ocean views are too beautiful to rush thru...& I don't.

Saying that tho, I just came back from a trip to Eastern Washington where the temps were over 100 degrees. To those from the southern climes, that doesn't mean anything to you, but to this Western Washington resident, where temps are lots cooler(esp. this past long cold winter), the temps made me scurry along faster than my usual pace(no a/c).

Tho my last 2 tanks went 42.6 & 45+MPG, this tank settled in at 41.5MPG. The combination of extra speed & 4000 & 3000 foot mtn passes & several lifts out of the eastern Washington coulees explain the MPG drop.

This post has been edited by litesong: Jul 2 2008, 07:09 PM

It's easy to have have the instantaneous fuel consumption display on the ScanGauge up in the hundreds upon deceleration. :grin: But the IFCD is useful though, I use it to lock onto a high MPG value and work the throttle to keep it there. Here lately, I've mainly been focusing on the average MPG for the current trip, it starts out at 0 and I work my way up as high as I can possibly get it. If I have enough good trips, by the time I'm at 300+ miles on the tank it has all added up nicely.

As I reported in other posts, Festiva's best to 5500 foot Chinook pass in 20 years was 46MPG. But with a new timing belt, Festiva now turned 51.7 MPG, followed up 2 tanks later with 51.2MPG...this time over 3 days, 3 warmups, & a trip to 2800 foot altitude.

It really is. I've found that if I go 70 mph (most of my driving is highway, BUT the highways are hilly in PA), I NEVER reach 30 mpg... usually just 27-28 mpg.

If I go 55 or 60, I can actually get 31 or so mpg, but at that point I feel like such a lame as*hole that I have to actually go the speed everyone else is (70), even though the speed limit is 55.

it doesn't bother me any.

i don't even really notice the 3k rpm "drone" on the highway at all.

then again, i used to drive diesel rabbits with no interior from the drivers seat back at 140kmh. :P

my friend's '03 cooper s has a 6th gear. it's fun as **** to drive... BUT, it costs a bit more than DOUBLE what my accent sport ran me... so f that noise, imo.