My goal is to increase my car's gas mileage as much as possible. IIRC, it is rated for 35MPG. I've managed to squeeze it out to about 40MPG in warm weather by being careful in my shifting, but gas is $4/gallon, so that isn't good enough.
I'd like to get it into the mid 60's. I think this is possible. I drive a 2001 Kia Rio. It was never meant to be a performance machine. It was meant to be an economy machine, but they could have done better. Here are the steps I plan to follow:
- Drive with mileage in mind
Starting today, I am focusing on keeping my gas usage as low as possible. This has the added benefit of making me a more attentive driver. I will be keeping my distance when possible and braking as little as possible, conserving as much momentum a - Track statistics
I am going to get a ScanGaugeII. This will let me know what my car is doing. It has an odometer and can show my fuel efficiency. Using this, combined with tracking my mileage and fuel usage, I hope to learn to improve performance and mileage - Modify my car
This is the tough part. I intend to increase the aerodynamics of my car. This will likely involve adding farings on the wheels, adding smooth hubcaps, putting an air dam in the front, and a spoiler on the back. I will also likely add wheel spoilers and a wiper windscreen. The engine would probably benefit from a cold air intake. This part may be expensive.
I'll post the progress and results here.
