Best Gas Milage?

zuke said:
My 06 threw a Cel last month, Was the upstream 02 sensor, I'd bet that on yours too, they're about that age :)
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Let's hope, although it spent bunch of its life in Colorado car so it's probably easier to replace the exhaust than remove the O2 sensor. That's how all "upgrades" usually start for me. :D A noisy rear wheel bearing turned into a 4-pot/2-pot brake upgrade, and a bent strut (and control arm) turned into full coilovers. Then there's the radiator leak, now a TIG'd aluminum race unit.
Nothing else underneath is particularly corroded, but the exhaust has pretty good surface scale. I'm expecting it's the awesome "Cylinder 3 misfire" code, which can be everything from a coil pack, injector, vac leak, dirty MAF, stuck valve.... An O2 sensor would make me happier.
 
Had a 04 Cadillac SRX v6 awd. Not the smallest out there, but got 18-22 mpg. Thing would go in any weather without issue and we never had any issues with it. I also had a subaru outback wagon, non-turbo. It was good in any weather too but didn't have the ground clearance, power or space that the cadillac had, it also had a lot more problems and got the same gas mileage. I loved that cadillac.
 
I'm revisiting this thread..
Since, the tuna can I mentioned originally that I was driving, well.. someone took a can opener to it and the trunk is now in the backseat. Once we figure out if I have gap insurance or not and if my concussion heals properly, I'll be on the search again.

I'm looking back through the suggestions and wanted to update in case anyone else had anything to add... although the recent experience has me thinking about literally buying a tank.

I've noticed that Toyotas are expensive as crap! Even the ones I'm looking at in the older range. I paid less than half for my jeep that they want for the same year toyota that's smaller and more miles on it. And the utility wagon/awd car types were on the list until the wreck, now I'm rethinking size and how low to the ground it is...
 
Expensive as crap means they have better resale value. There is a reason for that.

Toyota/Honda and dont look back. Pay now or pay later with added time and aggrivation of breakdowns.
 
I no longer recommend the Toyota Highlander. My wife's Highlander decided to roll across the front yard and off the hill totaling itself. She is now driving a Honda Pilot and is very happy with it.
 
Fuck a Highlander. It's a Camry with an "upright" seating position. And the one I drive sometimes has zero cup holders.
 
So just to make this a full conversation - do you do a lot of miles in a year? Have you actually tracked your annual mileage, and your typical MPGs now?

It's worth doing the math on actual annual expense, in dollars, per average MPGs for the distance you drive.
In general, unless you do a whole lot of mileage (like 15k+) per year, once you get over a certain MPGs (say around 20-22) the difference in dollars saved is really pretty small. Small enough that it can be easily counteracted by how much you like the vehicle, it fits your family needs, or even difference in insurance costs.

In other words, if this really is about money, then don't take on an additional $4,000 in expense to save yourself $500 a year unless you plan to drive this car for a decade.
 
RatLabGuy said:
So just to make this a full conversation - do you do a lot of miles in a year? Have you actually tracked your annual mileage, and your typical MPGs now?

It's worth doing the math on actual annual expense, in dollars, per average MPGs for the distance you drive.
In general, unless you do a whole lot of mileage (like 15k+) per year, once you get over a certain MPGs (say around 20-22) the difference in dollars saved is really pretty small. Small enough that it can be easily counteracted by how much you like the vehicle, it fits your family needs, or even difference in insurance costs.

In other words, if this really is about money, then don't take on an additional $4,000 in expense to save yourself $500 a year unless you plan to drive this car for a decade.
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I really haven't thought about it that way. Sit down and do the math.. damn I hate math..
 
My brothers WRX impressed me. Definitely a cool car for the snow. I'll probably stick to jeeps and trucks though.
 
I'm thinking about another jeep... I cart the family around town in a Grand Cherokee. I've always wanted a classic cherokee something around a 1999.. Also had the thought of an older Liberty and work on it a bit with a small lift or something ----->>> before the "gay liberty" jokes follow, I'm female so, I can get away with it! HA!! :D I've read a few things that people are actually surprised with the ability of a Liberty (aside from the teasing they get for having it.)

Trying to do the math.. I currently drive 100 miles a day, 5 days a week for work, but hoping that will change SOON. Looking to move.. (side note, anyone hiring an art teacher OR hydraulics guy in the marshall/hot springs/tennessee border area?!?) So, something of a land shark like a suburban would be out of the question. Just thinking out loud here... I mean, what else am I going to do today, actually work? :shaking:
 
obullfish said:
@Gen0cide good luck finding work in Madison county in those fields of work. Might find something around the tri cities area though.
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I'm headed for the mountians. We don't mind having to go into Asheville to work if needed, but even then we would live as far outside the city as we could and still commute..
 
Gen0cide said:
Trying to do the math.. I currently drive 100 miles a day, 5 days a week for work, but hoping that will change SOON. Looking to move.. (side note, anyone hiring an art teacher OR hydraulics guy in the marshall/hot springs/tennessee border area?!?) So, something of a land shark like a suburban would be out of the question. Just thinking out loud here... I mean, what else am I going to do today, actually work? :shaking:
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100 miles a day, say not doing it 2 weeks a year is 25,000 miles a year. That is really pretty high.
To make the math easy, 20 mpg means you used 1,250 gallons of gas. At a pessimistic $2.50/gallon that is $3,125 a year in gas.
Now if you go up to a nice 30 mpg, then you will spend $2083.
Saved $1,000 a year.
That's a nice savings, but if you're considering eating say $5000 in cost then it will take you 5 years to recoup that. And that's if you get 30 mpg AND keep doing 25k per year.
 
RatLabGuy said:
100 miles a day, say not doing it 2 weeks a year is 25,000 miles a year. That is really pretty high.
To make the math easy, 20 mpg means you used 1,250 gallons of gas. At a pessimistic $2.50/gallon that is $3,125 a year in gas.
Now if you go up to a nice 30 mpg, then you will spend $2083.
Saved $1,000 a year.
That's a nice savings, but if you're considering eating say $5000 in cost then it will take you 5 years to recoup that. And that's if you get 30 mpg AND keep doing 25k per year.
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you just saved me like 3 hours... ***art major = number dumb***

so, basically, if I can find a good deal on a 30pmg (say, a rav 4, crv or something) that keeps it within about 3K of the others I'm looking at, it would be worth the extra cash. And that's IF I planned on keeping the commute. But if I plan on cutting the commute or if the extra cash is more than about 3k then it might not be worth it. hmmm...

ef it. I'll get a minivan! do they come in 4wd?!?!?! HA!
 
So you're saying you have a Grand Cherokee now and thinking about getting a second vehicle that gets better milage? if so, don't forget to add additional taxes, insurance , maintenance etc into your calculations. That $1000 a year "savings" gets eaten up pretty quick.

Since I started my first big boy full time job in 2007, my wife and I had always had 4 vehicles (at least). I had a DD car, she had a DD suv/crossover, we had a diesel 3/4 ton truck, and a rotation of various offroad vehicles. last year I got rid of my DD and the diesel for a 1/2 ton truck and haven't regretted it a bit. takes a lot of gas savings to make up for the ownership expenses.

From 2007-2013 I drove 100 miles per day. 2013 - current 70 miles per day.
 
Gen0cide said:
you just saved me like 3 hours... ***art major = number dumb***

so, basically, if I can find a good deal on a 30pmg (say, a rav 4, crv or something) that keeps it within about 3K of the others I'm looking at, it would be worth the extra cash. And that's IF I planned on keeping the commute. But if I plan on cutting the commute or if the extra cash is more than about 3k then it might not be worth it. hmmm...

ef it. I'll get a minivan! do they come in 4wd?!?!?! HA!
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The point is - it is rarely worth it based solely on saving $$.
Keep in mind your annual insurance costs will change too. Generally, newer vehicle = higher insurance.

Now is it worth it to get something you enjoy and don't hate yourself driving 100 miles a day? Very likely.
 
Hot Springs to Asheville round trip is going to be around 80-100 miles per day depending on location of work in Asheville. If you find work in south Asheville, Arden, Fletcher you will be much better off finding a house in Henderson county due to our shity traffic on I26.
 
peewee said:
I got the wife a honda pilot as her dd. the honda 4wd is unbelievable and it averages right at 20mpg.
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It's FWD with some ability to shift torque rearward. I would only loosely call it 4WD. It's Honda's version of the Haldex system. For a mostly FWD car, it should get better gas mileage.
 
Fabrik8 said:
It's FWD with some ability to shift torque rearward. I would only loosely call it 4WD. It's Honda's version of the Haldex system. For a mostly FWD car, it should get better gas mileage.
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Actually the pilot and Ridgeline are both true 4wd. they send 100% both front and rear with a "locked" rear. it doesn't have a rear differential but it's essentially locked.
 
It's front-biased AWD with torque vectoring. It can send up to 70% to the rear, but under normal conditions sends most of the torque to the front wheels. I'll say it again, it's Honda's version of a Haldex system. It's fine for wet roads and snow, and should get better fuel economy than symmetrical AWD. Subaru is not known for their stellar fuel economy, for example.

Yes, you can lock the system and it will be symmetrical AWD, but only works below 18MPH. That's how my 1980's Subaru worked, it had a button to push and lock the rear at low speeds too.

You can't send 100% to both front and rear. That would be 200%.
 
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Here's a really nice article about the AWD system in the Ridgeline and Pilot. I'll need to read through tomorrow it and fact-check what I've already said, because I've been known to make some pretty awesome mistakes.

Somewhere close to the beginning it says "This system provides front-wheel drive for dry-pavement cruising conditions and engages all-wheel drive when needed to improve stability or maneuverability".

Ridgeline Owners Club | Variable Torque Management VTM-4 Explanation
 
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