Suggestions/Help/Curious?

[96744]

Aloha everybody,
A coworker and I have been discussing FE. I have a 94CX, and with route planning and driving technique Ive improved from 47/48 to >53mpg or so. My last four tanks were over 53. Coworker is challenging me to get to 60+ by november. Without engine mods. So, completely with driving technique and aerodynamics (maybe tires, i need 2 new ones), that's the challenge. I've seen keeps on rollin's data and it seems like with a lot of aero mods I can do it. If there's any ideas beyond that I am willing to try it out! Thanks for any feedback.

[basjoos]

You should be able to do it. I was knocking out 60+ mpg tanks during the summer by just modifying my driving techniques long before I ever installed any aero mods. Of course, I was driving a lot slower (35 to 55mph) than I do now to get those high mileages. The main advantage of the aero mods is that it extends the high FE performance envelope into the faster speed ranges. Pre-aero, I used to be able to get 80mpg at 35mph, but it would start dropping as I got above 45 mph and start dropping quickly above 60mph. With the aero mods, that 80mpg band goes all of the way up to 65mph. If you go to www.greenhybrid.com and look in their mileage database, I have two cars listed. "Keeps on rollin' is my Civic CX before I added any aero mods, "Aerocivic" is my car after I started adding aero mods. But the database doesn't show the change in my driving speed, which has gone up considerably without any mileage detriment since I installed the SuperMID. Before that I believed and drove by the mantra of that you had to go slow to get good mileage, which just doesn't hold true with an ultra low Cd car.

[96744]

Thanks for the comments basjoos.
I'd like to know your opinion on my routes to work:
I have one way where it is all "city" with a few stop lights/all way stops.
Lots of hills/EOC areas; and from what you've said Cd matters less with less speed.
The other option is to ride in mostly freeway. Im going to test the new route this week and see if FE improves or what.
city way is almost 20% shorter in distance, so it saves money no matter what; but i'd like to try and hit 60mpg at least once...

[basjoos]

It would depend on the minimum speed you could safely drive on the freeway, versis the number of stops/lights on the "city" route and if approach visibility and traffic conditions allow you to lose much of your speed by coasting up to them before having to hit the brakes. What kills your mpg's on a stock CX are accelerating and speeds over 60mph, so whichever route allows you to spend more of your time in steady-state cruising at 35 to 50mph would be your best choice. It doesn't take too many cycles of accelerating from 0 to 55mph, then braking back to 0mph to start killing your trip mileage.

Before I got my SuperMID, I got my best mileage on gently rolling hills where I could EOC on downhills that were gentle enough that the speed didn't get much above my cruising speed and I didn't have to brake. Since I've installed a SuperMID and a hand throttle, I can precisely control my throttle position and now get my best mileage on flat roads.

[baddog671]

Driving technique alone can boost your FE incredibly. Back in the day, once I got 45.5 mpg and thought that was amazing. My record now is 78mpg and I attribute technique to 95% or so of my results...

[96744]

Thanks for the input. It seems like I will be working on driving technique and will be using the city route. On hwy I would need to be going 60+ to even keep up with traffic, and there are a bunch of turns that the traffic settles to almost a complete stop (idiots driving). So I think that the stops will equal out. Well, hopefully it works out. I'm going to start aerodynamics in a little bit too... so maybe the hwy will be more viable. Thanks again.

[brucepick]

Yes, driving technique.

Your technique will improve with time, too.
So suppose after a week on each route, city is better. Fine.
If you do three additional weeks on each route, after that you might find that the highway is better. Depends on how your technique evolves for the two different routes.