What car - Good MPG at 80 mph

I will give no false numbers because I really can not remember what they were, but...
Back in '98-'01, I ran around Metro Detroit in a '95 Civic Si Coupe. If you have ever been on the racetrack that is I-275 and I-75 south to Toledo...that car loved to live at speeds greater than 75mph and more often closer to 95mph.
Economy was good. Road stability was good. Throttle response was good, etc. Good luck finding one or similar.

There were two 1g insights on Indy CL for $2800 and $3200 respectively. One had a dented door and lots of miles and the other had lots of miles. By the time I had the time to go they were sold. I'm looking....

I got 35 mpg out of my integra 80 @mph. My trip was 30 miles up @ 80 mph and then stop and go crawling for 30 miles on the way back down. The terrain for that commute was mostly flat.

I wasn't really trying to get good mileage at that point either. Whenever I got the change I drove it hard. I was enjoying the mpg increase from my old maxima 20 premium -> 35 regular.

I miss that car dearly

MCarp22 wrote: 2001-2005 Civic HX would be a good alternative to the hybrid since your requirement is for highway mileage.

the 96-00 HX will do the same. It has the same head and valves and compression ratio as the VTaK YO EX. The earlier lean burn VX has much smaller valves and ports so its slow. I put the 96-00 HX head other bits and puter in my hatch and 40 mpg at 80 happens on a flat highway if I can sit on 80mph. 38 MPG at 65-85 happens all the time with the usual hills, passing, headwinds,traffic, yada yada yada.

mr2 spyder gets 35mpg highway easy (e36m3, mine does 35mpg hwy and its turbod on 225 wide trackday tires) and its a fun car that is no slouch stock. Mx5s are frugal too. (but then you knew the answer was miata when you asked a question)

I really don't think a Miata is getting 35mpg @ 80mph unless it's had some gearing and or aero/tuning work.

I routinely hit 36-38mpg in my '92 1.5L Civic LX. Usually around 75-80 mph. But I live in the land of flat, flat roads and most highway travel is north-south.

Thanks for the ideas.

I already tried the E36 10+ years ago. Couldn't ever get better than mid-twenties or so hwy - when it wasn't stranding me on the road and getting towed to the dealer to fix the POS. Doubt it's any more reliable now that the car is older and more worn out...

I'm scared of VWs - and anything else German. BTDT... berkeley German engineering.

I find it hard to believe that a V6 or V8 in this budget will get better MPG than an I4 so not interested in any F bodies or Mustangs.

Miata might be a fun challenge w/ a gearing swap and some aero tweaks but the end result of all that work and expense is an unknown.

In my research so far, the Hondas really seem to shine in MPG. I understand some have lean-burn engines but no entirely sure which those are...

I really don't want to go all the way back into the 80s for a car. Most will be pretty beat by now which is why I was allowing a budget of $5k. Spending that much time in the car, the driving 'experience' needs to be tolerable and not cause me to fall asleep at the wheel like my 91 Camry used to. Driving a E36 M3 car for extended periods of time makes me a cranky mofo. That would piss off the wife (and me). :)

Seems like there comes a point where in order to get the higher MPG numbers, you have to jump into a new or new-ish car.

How much does a 1st gen Insight get mpg-wise at that speed?

Since we are talking outlandish mpg claims, my BONE STOCK FD rx7 would knock down close to 30mpg @ 90mph. And it liked that speed! Seriously that was its happy place.

z31maniac wrote: I'm always amazed at how GRM'ers seem to get so much more MPG at MUCH higher speeds out of cars than is claimed by manufacturers/gov't statistics.

It's actually quite easy for steady non-stop interstate type driving. While the tests are actually conducted at lower speeds than real world, they involve significantly more acceleration and deceleration, which is the biggest killer of fuel economy. I have yet to drive a car for any extended period of time that I was not able to easily exceed the rated fuel economy by a significant margin on the highway.

Javelin wrote: In reply to Xceler8x: That's at 55MPH using ideal conditions.

Fuel Economy Test Schedule - Ignore the "new tests" for cars built prior to 2008.

EPA ratings actually involve very little steady state or 'ideal' highway driving conditions. It's actually a variety of acceleration and deceleration mostly between 45 and 60 mph, starting from 0mph and with a 30-60mph run in the middle. In a long distance trip, you would be repeating that cycle every ~10 miles. Steady state highway driving should require less fuel than this in the vast majority of vehicles, even at a constant higher than posted speed limits.

Insight would by my top choice. High mileage used Prius would be my second choice. A lot of people will make silly claims like "hybrids get E36 M3ty mileage on the highway", but the fact is that both of these cars have crazy low drag coefficients, and the Insight has a very low frontal area as well.

Saturn, Neon, Corolla, Civic were all available in the 90s epa rated over 35mpg. I know the DOHC Saturn 5sdp will easily return 35 if you on a sustained interstate trip. If you want you can do a 5th gear swap (much simpler than it sounds - you can do it with the trans in the car) and then they pull closer to 40. Since you seem concerned with Revs, the DOHC 5th will be at ~3500 at 80, SOHC is ~3000 at 80. Its a common car on Ecomodder - a few simple mods would pay for themselves quickly with such a ridiculously long commute.

I've not witnessed the Neon numbers first hand, but I know they are pretty good. With bolt ons, both cars will accelerate fast enough to be surprising. Saturn will be in the low 15s, Neons will dip into the high 14s. And the best part - both of them are stupid cheap. $5K is enough to buy either one, do any repairs, some nice suspension work, bolts ons, wheels, tires, and have enough to cover gas for a few months left over.

Someday I will find a 1g insight with a bad motor and/or battery and strip out the hybrid stuff to install a tdi engine and trans. Then I will rule the world of highway mpg....

http://www.aerocivic.com/

I know my parents in a 4cyl current-generation Hyundai Sonata average about 35mpg on long road trips, and dad has a lead foot...

In reply to amg_rx7:

I'll say again that nearly any B-segment car from the last 5 years is the right answer. They're all rated at or near 40 mpg and will get at least 35 at high speeds. A high-mileage example will be in your price range. With a stickshift, any of them will be fairly fun to drive (and competitive in the new STF autocross class).

In reply to z31maniac:

It all depends on the cars and how long your interstate drive is/how consistent your speeds are. To piss you off further, my '91 sho pulled 33.1mpg going to Richland, mi and 32.3mpg back last weekend(80-85 sustained). Best yet with it, but its lowered about 1.5" since the last time I was on open highway. It has more power than stock too......

I would never recommend a 22yo taurus that behaves like a dsm to someone though. When they're right though, they literally eat miles.

Alan Cesar wrote: In reply to amg_rx7: I'll say again that nearly any B-segment car from the last 5 years is the right answer. They're all rated at or near 40 mpg and will get at least 35 at high speeds. A high-mileage example will be in your price range. With a stickshift, any of them will be fairly fun to drive (and competitive in the new STF autocross class).

Alan, I have to disagree with you, I saw you recommend a Fit earlier and my mom has an '07 that I took on a few road trips and I didn't even average 30 on the highway. I don't think 80 mph is a very good cruising speed for a Fit, at least the first gen anyway.

Since the OP did say he would consider new, how about a brand new Focus? I just took mine on a 500 mile road trip last weekend and averaged 35mpg @ 80 mph. I got a brand new one back in March and love it. The 5 speed shifts well, I have heated seats (no leather), blue tooth, sirius, etc and it handles very well (way better than my old WRX). Best part is that it was under $17k new. In fact, the dealer had one that had one similarly equipped to mine except no hatch for under $16k. I think bang for the buck this is your best deal unless you can find a TDI in your lower price range.

amg_rx7 wrote: In my research so far, the Hondas really seem to shine in MPG. I understand some have lean-burn engines but no entirely sure which those are...

At the 5k price point all you need to remember is "Civic HX" to get the lean burn engine. To get the 40 at 80 all it needs to be is in good shape and not a slushbox.

Sportbike= solved.

First gen Insight. Your commute will pay back on the extra cost very quickly. GRMish deals are out there:

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/3998255322.html

I have bought one, in Portland, well below the $20xx limit and it was a driver needing TLC. They go for cheap when they have major issues because people aren't knowledgeable about how to work on them. It's just a car, not a spaceship!

I sold mine, but I'll have another one. I loved driving mine...small, light, nimble, funky, and efficient. I can't believe nobody makes a modern teardrop car like it now.

Bryce

My first car was a '93 Honda Civic LX that I bought my senior year of high school. 4 door, 5 speed. I lived near Atlanta and went to college in Kansas City, MO. For the 2 years I was in school there, I made that trip more than 20 times (I actually added them all up once). It always took me 12 hours, I usually was going 70+ mph, and I always got 38-40 mpg. It was the 1.5 liter, rated at 102 hp I think, and I had 200k miles on it. AC was on, cruise set. Great little car, and ate up the highway miles. I'm sure the 175/70-13 tires didn't hurt either. Cushy, no, but great for your purposes.

And once again, the prices you pay for cars are either total bullE36 M3, or incompletely reported. 1G Insight's go for $5K-$6K up here, and that's considered "cheap".

I just did the smart thing and bought the highest miles one i could find. Of course, that may be a hard sell on this forum where tons of people still think odometer readings amount to more than jack E36 M3.

As for Insight prices, lower-priced ones are out there (i bought one, and have seen many more), so look harder.

I just file this stuff away with the superb deals that no ever sees, etc.

Sorry, some people just look a lot more often and are always ready to jump (within their price range, anyway). I get good deals because i buy stuff that is underpriced even when i dont need it! I have 14 friggin cars! You'd be amazed how many good deals you'd end up owning if you cruised CL constantly and were willing to buy stuff you REALLY didnt need or had no use for.

I find it hard to believe that a V6 or V8 in this budget will get better MPG than an I4 so not interested in any F bodies or Mustangs.

Wise decision on your part.

Miata might be a fun challenge w/ a gearing swap and some aero tweaks but the end result of all that work and expense is an unknown.

It is known to the extent that you can be sure a stock miata will get even slower if you put a taller ring and pinion in it. Of course, the 5th gear mod wouldnt make it any slower 1-4 but id have to do some research before i could tell you that that would buy you a consistent 35 mpg.

In my research so far, the Hondas really seem to shine in MPG. I understand some have lean-burn engines but no entirely sure which those are...

Anything that says HF, VX, or Hybrid on it will lean burn. Past that you'll have to do some research.

A lot of people will make silly claims like "hybrids get E36 M3ty mileage on the highway", but the fact is that both of these cars have crazy low drag coefficients, and the Insight has a very low frontal area as well.

Generally any hybrid car that doesnt have a non-hybrid version has been built for efficiency from front to back. My Insight gets the same highway mpg whether the battery pack is functional or not! Granted, a prius cant function with its battery disconnected but that's only because of a peculiarity of its transmission design. It still gets its good highway mpg under 100% gasoline power.

Someday I will find a 1g insight with a bad motor and/or battery and strip out the hybrid stuff to install a tdi engine and trans. Then I will rule the world of highway mpg....

A guy put a 1.2L 3cyl tdi in one and KEPT the hybrid stuff, thank you very much! He got 100 mpg. Then again, people with the stock engine and mpg mods ALSO get 100 mpg.

MPG is a game of diminishing returns. If I were the OP, I wouldn't worry too much about going 1 or 2 mpg under the stated goal.

amg_rx7 wrote: I have a 50 mile highway drive to work. Traffic moves along pretty well at 80 mph. I'm looking for a reliable manual trans DD that will get around 35 MPG at 80 MPH. Hoping to keep budget under $5k but open to ideas. Most cars built before 2010 don't have a 6 speed trans so the revs wind up rather high at this speed. Also not that many cars capable of 35 or better MPG. Too bad the CAFE standards were only tightened under Obama and not earlier. People bitched endlessly about gov't "interference" in the auto biz but as far as I can tell it has provided me with better high MPG cars to choose from. Considering buying new but would prefer not to if other realistic options exist. The new Mazda3 seems cool. Have considered a Miata but would need to switch out the rear diff ratio in order to get revs down. Have considered an older Civic Hybrid but pricing is ridiculous on those. Same with the old Insight. Ideas?

it almost sounds like you work where I do, lol.

I wish I knew that my WRX would get 20mph at 80mph before I bought it. I think everyone thinks highway mph is still limited to 55 when stating MPG for highway speeds.