92 Miata gas mileage ?

My daughters 92 Miata is getting about 22mpg, where should I start looking for ways to improve this? My 95 gets 28.

Thanks Brian

O2 sensor, fuel filter, Spark plugs and wires, air filter, check timing and for vac leaks. If it's still bad do a compression and leak down. Or do it first, whatever.

ALL of the above.

All of the above and synthetics in the engine, trans, and diff.

Also check alignment and any sources of brake drag (e.g. stuck sliders).

Tire pressure, dragging brakes, driving habits, etc as well.

My 91 gets ~28.

all of the above …. plus adjusting the driving technique/attitude … accelerate easily and short shifts, lift and "coast" into upcoming stops, as opposed to waiting to the last moment and hitting the brakes … hypermiling techniques without being one of those irritating hypermilers

driver habits will make as much difference as anything (assuming none of the above suggestions really needed addressing)

You may not need to go as far as pseudo-hypermiling. It could just be that she drives around town with the top down while dad drives on the highway with the top up. Swap cars for a week, see what happens.

I was going to write similar to Keith. I figure daughter only does city driving.

To add: Train the driver. Main control of fuel mileage.

iceracer wrote: To add: Train the driver. Main control of fuel mileage.

How much does it get when you drive it?

How much does yours get when she drives it?

I almost always get over 25mpg, even with 100% city driving. 1990 all stock.

I only managed 22-23 mpg, almost exclusively city driving and using all the skinny pedal I could manage. Interstate and granny shifting will improve milage.

I got at least 25mpg no matter how hard I drove. I bet your daughter isn't rev matching and shifting at 4K sometimes 7k

When I had my 90 Showroom Stock C car I got 9 mpg on the race track, 27 around town and 32 on the highway if I stayed below 80 mph. My son is getting 25 mpg out the 91 Miata we just bought him. He's taken a small road trip and managed a little over 30 mpg on the highway doing a shade over 80.

As everyone has said I check the basics and ask about her driving style.

Tom

It got 22 when I drove it and I just figured it was me. It has new plugs and wires, good air filter and synthetic fluids all around. I need to replace the fuel filter and I'll check the timing. She's a new driver (3 months) and drives to school around our small town and to work. She's pretty cautious and responsible and she loves her Miata with a proper stick shift.

Shoe size and weight seems to factor heavily into my observed fuel consumption.

BTerj wrote: It got 22 when I drove it and I just figured it was me. It has new plugs and wires, good air filter and synthetic fluids all around. I need to replace the fuel filter and I'll check the timing. She's a new driver (3 months) and drives to school around our small town and to work. She's pretty cautious and responsible and she loves her Miata with a proper stick shift.

she could well be like my Mom … she's very cautious, but has zero understanding of easy acceleration, of of lifting well before an anticipated stop … she doesn't do jackrabbit starts, but neither does she have any concept of easy/smooth take offs

in her '12 Fit (auto) she can only get about 25mph … while I can get mid to upper 30's … and we get to the same places in the same amount of time

Pulse and glide is a great way to save gas. Getting a scan gauge 2 will help find the best way to improve gas mileage. I found out that my car gets the same MPG no matter how fast I accelerated, so speeding up quickly then coasting for a long time really helps. I reduce the time I am accelerating instead of accelerating slowly.

Making slight modifications such as an upper grill block can also increase MPG slightly.