My Pontiac Firefly / Chevrolet Metro / Geo Metro / Suzuki Swift
metrompg.com welcomes fuel efficiency nerds everywhere

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Latest fuel economy stats
for my '98 Firefly 1.0L 5-speed
  best: 2.3 125.1 104.2
 worst: 6.4  44.1  36.8
prev.3: 3.3  82.3  68.6
   all: 3.8  73.4  61.1
L/100km | mpg IMP | mpg US
Jul 28/07: more, graph, calc.
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Best non-hybrid MPG: Mitsubishi Mirage
Highest MPG for a new car: Mitsubishi Mirage?
Mitsubishi's 1.2L, 3-cylinder Mirage is the first new non-hybrid car that can match an old Metro's mileage. The company says 44 mpg (US) highway, 37 city. (Some drivers are already beating that in various economy driving contests.) How? An efficient engine, very light weight and aerodynamic design.


Cheapest to own? 2015 Nissan Micra Forum
2015 Nissan Micra Forum
The Micra's fuel economy isn't its most notable feature -- the $10,000 price is. That makes it one of the cheapest cars to own. And its 109hp, 1.6L engine and good power-to-weight ratio means it's fun to drive too.


Latest 10 posts:
1. Recipe for getting 99.7 mpg from a Geo Metro
2. Aerocivic.com - famous aerodynamic Honda Civic gets a web site
3. Snapshot: effect of tire pressure on rolling resistance
4. 65+ vehicle modifications for better MPG
5. Metro mania: forget stocks, put your money in old Geos!
6. 100+ Hypermiling / ecodriving tips for better gas mileage
7. Experiment: how long should a block heater be plugged in?
8. Everything old is new again: Car and Driver magazine modifies an econobox to improve MPG
9. Project Convertible XFi: alfresco efficiency
10. The floor is yours: MetroMPG opens a fuel efficiency forum
11 ... 64. Show all posts


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Links:

Good MPG forums: I spend a lot of time at Ecomodder.com and have also been known to lurk around cleanmpg.com.

Chevrolet Aveo forum - AveoForum.com: discussion of the Chevrolet Aveo and its siblings (Pontiac Wave, Pontiac G3, Suzuki Swift+, Daewoo Kalos).

> Lots more Metro links...
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Send me a note:
darin AT metrompg D-O-T com,
or here



MetroMPG has opened a fuel economy forum
Read about the project here, or go straight to EcoModder.com.
ScanGauge fuel economy computer Save fuel with a ScanGauge II fuel economy computer.
I personally recommend this tool. I've owned both versions (I and II) and can't say enough good things about it. If you're serious about saving fuel, get one.

For more information and to order, visit EcoModder.


Project Convertible XFi: alfresco efficiency

Posted Thursday, January 3/08 in Suzukiclone info

Metro convertible

Last time I wrote about Rick was to profile his modded-for-mileage 1993 Metro XFi hatchback. At the time, he had a lifetime average of 53 mpg (US) since buying the car, with a more or less "normal" driving style.

Almost a year later, a quick look at his gas log shows it's climbed to 60.5 mpg. Nice work! Unfortunately, the secret to his success may lie partly in Mother Nature's aggressive vehicle weight reduction program - the XFi has been rusting out from under him!

But there's a silver lining: Rick just picked up a lightly roasted 1991 Metro convertible for $150 and has launched the ambitious Convertible XFi Project. It's shaping up to be much more than just a powertrain swap.

The outgoing XFi hatchback
Wheel skirts, lowered suspension and moon discs are just some of the aero mods from the outgoing hatchback that may find their way - along with the XFi drivetrain - into the convertible.

The convertible's shell has already been gutted, and Rick's planning to build in a tubular frame for added stiffness and durability.

Assigning the role of structural support to the new frame will also give him the ability to do some interesting things with the unibody:

  • further weight reduction by removing former structural unibody elements
  • he'll be able to make a completely smooth, aero-friendly floor pan;
  • Among numerous other thoughts, he's also kicking around the idea of ducting airflow from the radiator through the the vehicle and venting it into the rear wake to reduce drag.

Rick has just started documenting Project Convertible XFi at Ecomodder.com. It's worth checking out for more details of the build, and the always edifying & entertaining reactions from the peanut gallery.

My question to Rick was: what happened to the idea of dropping the XFi drivetrain into a Triumph Spitfire (as mentioned in our original conversation)? There's no doubt a tubular frame Convertible XFi will be a one of a kind vehicle, but a Spitfire XFi would win hands-down for style & class. Find out Rick's response to my question in the Ecomodder project thread.

Before... during... after?
Before, during ... after? Work has already started on stripping the convertible in preparation for its next life.

Another project Rick recently undertook was a rebuild of his own web site, MetroXFi.com. With the addition of blog software, it will be information central for the Convertible project with regular updates and high-res photos of his progress.

Resources ...







EcoModder fuel economy forum Note: MetroMPG has opened a fuel economy forum
Read about the project here, or go straight to EcoModder.com.



darin AT metrompg D-O-T com, or here