I bet you could sell some of those Air Tabs to interested parties on this site.

Have you taken into account winter fuel changes...also an 18 mile loop is very hard to use as a definitive calculation. It only takes a 1/10 of a gallon to shoot mpg figures off the wrong direction.

jeffrey, wait a year or two until the smaller diesels come. If my Santa Fe had the 2.2 CRD they sell in the rest of the world, I'd have probably never even visited here and I'd be getting high 30s or more on the highway!

It's too bad you couldn't have had your truck run in a wind tunnel. Your aero mods were very well executed but that's the only real way to test them.

You definitely got me thinking of something for my roof transition...

Good luck, whichever direction you take.

I am going to attempt to return them all for a refund first, if that doesnt work - look for them here late next week...

I just got 28.4 mpg in the Saturn wagon (a lowest ever). I think that they probably switched over to winter blend gas. Also, I had a bit of road rage and floored it for a few seconds once.

Jeffreymccoy - just look to my sig for all the answers. :D

But in all reality, I'm eager to get some LRR tires for my car. I think that's the simplest and greatest single thing you can do for results. Taking off the side mirrors and expecting a noticeable change is unrealistic. Most of those things by themselves (except tires and some extreme aero mods) will make a noticeable difference in your FE.

As far as safety. Bah hum bug. Everyone would be safer if these large vehicles didn't exist in the first place. It may be safer for you and your wife to drive that car, but what about the rest of the people on the road in smaller cars? It's not safer for them! That is one thing that is really a bee in my bonnet, cars get bigger and bigger trying to out do each other and be "safe." But it just ends up making everyone less safe on the road. The safest car you can be driving is a medium to large car that is not an SUV or truck. Get a Toyota Camry. Safest and best FE bet. Or get a 2WD Toyota Tacoma 4 cylinder. The vehicles that are higher off the ground are unsafe for everyone involved. They flip easier and they kill more people in other cars when colliding with them.

This was my thought from the very beginning. I'll dare say you could get a smaller car that's safer than the truck. The new honda accord has been getting rave reviews and from what I hear is very safe.

I have seen the light - yes this is the real answer!

I agree with you, but reality is that they do exist and will for a long time.
Since the above is true, and while I do care about other people, I naturally care more about my wife and kids. If it comes down to me or them, I'll choose them to loose that battle every time...

Only if the SUVs / trucks didnt exist, but as already established - they do.

I didnt buy the truck for this, I needed it when we moved into our house for all the landscaping and projects that were on the plate. They are all done now, and I dont see the need for a truck like I used to..which is why I consider the change. Now that I am considering it, the less safe factor comes into play.

Back to my original problem... cost. The truck is paid for, and I cannot justify a loan of anything more than 4000. It costs me the same to drive the truck as it would to drive said new car + car payment for anything more than that. This puts a new car, even a base civic or fit just out of reach of being a financially sound decision.

So now Im looking at some options that are 06 or 07 models, but used cars frustrate me for some reason.

Where do you live again? You could buy matt (the site owner's) fit, :p

That was gonna be my other recommendation over the Camry. I think the Camry gets better FE tho. Lemme check. They're about the same. 25 combined.

Altima is also a larger car that is good on gas. Wow, significantly better than both the Camry and Accord.

What you really should get is a Camry Hybrid or an Altima Hybrid. Both use Toyota's Synergy drive. If you go non hybrid I would definitely get the Altima 6 speed 4 cyl with a very respectable 32mpg highway.

New EPA MPG Info

New MPG tests are more realistic New tests include cold temperature operation, air conditioning use, and higher highway speeds.

2008 Honda Accord
Regular Gasoline
22
City

25
Combined

31
Hwy

2008 Toyota Camry
Regular Gasoline
21
City

25
Combined

31
Hwy

2008 Nissan Altima
Regular Gasoline
23
City

26
Combined

32
Hwy


2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
Regular Gasoline
35
City

34
Combined

33
Hwy

Toyota Camry Hybrid
Regular Gasoline
33
City

34
Combined

34
Highway

Edit:
The 2.7L Toyota Tacoma has much better gas mileage than your F150. You have the 6 cylinder auto with that F150? Your combined is 16mpg where as the Tacoma is 22. Tacoma has 20 city and 25 highway. You could sip it to 29 no problem. (wow, seems really good for a pick up.)