Estimated MPG when new??

[offthahook]

Anyone have the brochure that would show the expected MPG for our cars when they were new? I have an 89 lx-i and just got 27 MPG on the interstate using "good" gas. I thought that was decent, but wondered what they thought the Acoords would get back in 89. I get about 24 in the city. I have an automatic and no engine mods. Thanks!

[87accordlx]

on my trip back from the cottage (5 hour drive) i got 40 mpg

[DBMaster]

The window sticker from my 89 LXi coupe says 22 City, 28 highway. It's an automatic. I used to average about 32 on highway trips before the gas was "reformulated" in 1995 to cut down on air pollution. I lost about 3 mpg after that and now I get around 22-23 city. I don't really do much pure highway driving any more so I don't know if I will ever see 30+ again.

[shepherd79]

man, it looks like EFI cars are suck on fuel economy. i have carb and i am getting like 32 mpg on highway at least.

[carotman]

the cause would be tre transmission. The carbed transmission is geared for the grannies.

[Jdub07]

One time I got over 425 miles on one full tank all highway and a little city.

[shepherd79]

Originally posted by carotman
the cause would be tre transmission. The carbed transmission is geared for the grannies.

what is the gear ration on EFI? and what is the gear ration on Carb?

[AZmike]

I remember reading an article about an 89 LXi coupe 5 spd when i was car shopping. EPA listed it 25 city, 30 highway. I usually get 31-34 mi/gal city, 34-37 highway.

I know it's sort of a lame way to 'beat' other cars, but I always enjoy buying gas (not paying, that still sucks). I can got 375 miles for less than $15 most of the time while everyone is their giant suvs pays $25-35 for a tank. The news stories that show all the soccer mom's in their huge domestic suburban tanks bitching about high fuel prices always makes me smile.

[offthahook]

Originally posted by DBMaster
The window sticker from my 89 LXi coupe says 22 City, 28 highway. It's an automatic. I used to average about 32 on highway trips before the gas was "reformulated" in 1995 to cut down on air pollution. I lost about 3 mpg after that and now I get around 22-23 city. I don't really do much pure highway driving any more so I don't know if I will ever see 30+ again.

Yeah, okay that makes sense. It seems I "remember" getting 36 MPG when I drove to the STL in 95, but I had a stick and only about 65K on that one (it was, ahhh, an SE-i...). I may be wrong, but I know I got north of 30MPG then. I drove to Cincy the other day and had the AC on most of the way and it was a pretty traffic free day. I'm cool with 27.2MPG which translates to about 436 miles if I were to run it dry, which I wouldn't. I got 362 on 13.3 gallons.

EDIT-- I have 122,000 miles on my lx-i (da one in da siggy) now.

[AZmike]

For 5-peed:

Final drive ratio for carb is 3.866, final drive for FI is 4.066

(4.066-3.866)/(3.866) = .0517

only a 5% difference, but it might be worth 1 or 2 mi/gal

Automatics all have 4.066

[shepherd79]

yeah plus remember automatics always get smaller gas millege

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

The sticker for my 89 LX-i 5 speed says 25 city, 30 highway. I usually get 28-29 city, and 33-35 highway. Still pretty damn good after all these years and miles!

[DBMaster]

Jared, do you get RFG (reformulated gas) in your area? This gas was mandated by the EPA for areas that were considered "non attainment" for air quality. The gas has more "oxygenated compounds" in it (meaning alcohols) and has a lower energy content than traditional gasoline. That means less horsepower (especially when it's hot outside) and fewer mpg's.

Although I seem to be running in the low 20's in town which I think is too low. I do not have any ECU codes and everything seems to be working fine otherwise, no fouled plugs, no sooty balck stuff in the tailpipe. Maybe our gas here is just that shitty. Doesn't seem to be reducing the air pollution, either.

They out to friggin make big SUV's drivers pay a special "air pollution tax."

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Hmmm....I don't "think" we use reformulated gas here. I remember hearing that up in Chicago they use a different type of gas, maybe that's what it was. We don't have emissions tests or anything where I'm at because it's not a real heavily populated area, so I would assume we wouldn't use RFG either. I could be wrong though...

[DBMaster]

If your area is not doing emissions testing I am pretty sure you would not have RFG as the two tend to go hand in hand. The last time I took a road trip I could definitely tell the difference between the gas I bought in the smaller areas v. the gas I buy here. It is almost like driving two different cars. RFG pretty much causes about a 5-10% loss in horsepower.

[spartanphan79]

people you are forgetting that some cars will get better than others depending on maitenence of the vehicle. one that gets 25 on the highway might have all of the tires out of balance and underinflated with a clogged fuel filter and air filter and crappy plugs and wires. but one with all things up to date using good gas and not getting into the throttle alot could get 40mpg. also it each states and different requirements for gas so there is over 50 different types of gas produced in the u.s. alone.

[DBMaster]

Well, in my case the car is perfectly maintained with balanced and properly inflated tires (I check them twice a month - tires are expensive!). The car runs about as close to perfectly as it ever did. Fuel and air filters are clean and changed on a schedule, so are plugs, cap, rotor, wires, etc, etc.

Of course, the distributor wears and there are a lot of variables that affect gas mileage.

[Immeraufdemhund]

i have a 87 lxi hatchback. I get about 27/33. I use 89 octane. I think it does better here than 93 does... which is odd if you ask me. When i used it i was getting like 25/29

[DBMaster]

Not odd at all. It is a common misconception that you get better mpg with premium. The opposite is true. Higher octane means lower volatility. That means if you use a higher octane than you need to eliminate pinging you are actually increasing the amount of unburned fuel in your exhaust.

It is one of the biggest crimes perpetrated by the oil industry in history. That, on top of the fact that is cost mere pennies more to make premium unleaded and they charge 20 cents a gallon extra, or more for it.