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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Google

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.


Online video: economy driving

Posted Tuesday, October 4/05 in Driving efficiently

Online video - The next time you get gas: economy driving

Reduce fuel consumption, lower emissions, and minimize wear and tear on your car.

That's the message in "The next time you get gas: economy driving", a video I produced in 1993 while working part-time as an instructor for Young Drivers of Canada and studying in the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University.

It may be 12 years old, but the message is perhaps even more relevant today than it was when I made it.

The bulk of the 25-minute video covers "things you can do to your car" and "things you can do to your driving" to gain greater efficiency. It also briefly touches on alternative modes of transportation and choosing an efficient vehicle.

It culminates with a comparison test of "normal" vs. efficient driving, using a Cadillac Seville V8 as a test vehicle (for its trip computer) over a fixed city and highway route. In the test, I achieve efficiency gains of 27% and 23.5% respectively, using the techniques described.

Keep in mind the the video was originally made for an audience of (new) drivers who had never considered the issues around driving for efficiency. As such, it covers just the most elemental driving techiques (listed below, in Part 5). If you've never given a moment's thought to MPG, you'll probably learn something new from it; experienced fuel economy nuts can find discussion of more "advanced" techniques elsewhere on the Web.

The next time you get gas: economy driving

I've posted it over at the Internet Archive. It's fairly low resolution, but it's still big (30 MB in Windows Media format), so you'll need a broadband connection or a lot of patience.

Click here to see The next time you get gas: Economy driving

(Note: MPG figures in the video are imperial, not U.S.)

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - Alternative transportation

Part 3 - Choosing an efficient vehicle

Part 4 - Efficiency - things you can do to your car

- Maintenance
- Tire pressure
- Roof racks
- Ventilation
- Junk in your trunk
- Block heater

Part 5 - Efficiency - things you can do to your driving

- Combine trips
- Idling
- Acceleration
- Speed
- Hills
- Conserve momentum

Part 6 - Comparison test - "normal" vs. efficient driving

Part 7 - Credits







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