How come no one Hypermiles with their VXes?

[1993CivicVX]

I look at peoples' gas logs for their VXes and most of you are around 50mpg. How come no one hypermiles with this hypermiler of hypermilers? Come on people. let's see some 80mpg tanks. Or at least 70. I'd try for a high mpg trip but I haven't figure out how to get an accurate reading from my car. Seems every time I fill up it fills to a different level.

[sipnciv]

Someone mentioned that when you coast, the o2 sensor cools down and takes the engine out of leanburn.
I don't remember which thread that was but you might find it in a search.
Other VXerS should be along soon.

[TomO]

The most I do is just glide to stop lights, accelerate slowly, shift low, and stay below 65MPH. The VX is a sort of lazy man's gas saver, lol. And yes, the car takes about a minute to go back into lean burn once you shut off the motor and start it back up.

Technically speaking, I am hypermiling though, since I'm more than 20% above the 2008 EPA numbers, lol.

[1993CivicVX]

Yeah, but those numbers are goofy. But I guess I've always known the tricks to good FE ever since I got my first car and figured them out. Well, you can hypermile without turning off the motor, like so called mild P&G. But, yeah, that's the nice thing about this car, don't have to do too much to get the good numbers.

[McPatrick]

I am even wondering with this VX that they designed it so well as a car that can get good numbers for everybody that even with a lot of effort you still cannot get any spectacular increases in mpg, unless you start to pretty much make a new design like Basjoos.

[1993CivicVX]

I think on a hot day in one trip so no cold starts you could get into the 80s on some slow back country roads. If I can get 60 in mixed driving and lots of short trips/cold starts etc. Then should be possible I think.

[lca13]

80's ? good luck. with some major aero mods only.

If I get behind a semi and draft at about 55-60 mph, I can pull a few mpg over 70, but realistically, the best I can do is mid-60's (but I need quite a few of the +70 mpg drafting miles to pull that off).

[Ryland]

I know that I do alot of things with my VX that kill the mileage, like useing 10% ethonal (saw a jump in mileage while out of state), going the same speed as everyone else on the freeway, hauling heavy cargo, driving with the sun roof open, having mud flaps, side molding, sun roof, passenger side mirror, 245,000 miles on the engine.

[garyhgaryh]

Yeah drafting really works well on our cars.... Like I mention on a prev post, I hit over 300 miles before getting to 1/2 tank. Usually, I get about 220 at half tank.
Gary

[1993CivicVX]

Originally Posted by lca13

80's ? good luck. with some major aero mods only.

If I get behind a semi and draft at about 55-60 mph, I can pull a few mpg over 70, but realistically, the best I can do is mid-60's (but I need quite a few of the +70 mpg drafting miles to pull that off).

Next spring/summer when I get good tires for my car (I have high rolling resistant tires at the moment) I will prove you wrong.

[1993CivicVX]

haha amen to that. But what is fun is putting hills to work for you

[James]

It is difficult to hypermile the vx. I can get a tank in the 60's but then the following tank is in the 50's. It is designed well, and it is difficult to beat the epa, because that shift light has the engine often running at 1,200 rpm, even for a novice fe driver (all they would have to do is watch the shift light) to get good fe.

I think the only way i could get in the 70's would be to try and plan when i hit the road and make FE the only mission. Usually I am hauling around the family and tools, groceries, 50lb bags of limestone, and sometimes it is raining or cold or both. But i believe we would all do about 4mpg better with LRR tires. I have cheap 175s that i am waiting to wear out. I am about to do the pizza pan wheels soon too, will see if that helps.

[brucepick]

OK, ya got my attention.
HX is the '96 forward replacement for the VX, right?
Same deal probably, great FE out of the box but little room for improvement?

I'm always keeping an eye out for a good replacement for my 240 when the time comes. I'd want '96 or later so I can use a ScanGauge. So what do you guys think? HX? Or one of the more common ones like LX/EX? I think the coupe has the best c/d so that would likely be my choice.

[James]

The HX is a nice car but it cant get close to the MPG of the VX. I think partly this is because of the heavier weight, and a tranny that keeps the engine revving higher. I think the hx was rated 44 mpg on the highway while the vx was rated 56(old Epa ratings). I would recommend either car, but both are difficult to find, so you may have to keep an eye out for a while. For some reason the 92-95 civics were the most efficient. even the 96+ cx is nowhere near as efficient as a 92-95 cx.

[brucepick]

Thanks James.

Dang. I think that Honda bought the tuner mentality from the tuner crowd. Looks like the whole brand has been shifting towards lower FE continuously since '95.

[dogncatboy]

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

I look at peoples' gas logs for their VXes and most of you are around 50mpg. How come no one hypermiles with this hypermiler of hypermilers? Come on people. let's see some 80mpg tanks. Or at least 70. I'd try for a high mpg trip but I haven't figure out how to get an accurate reading from my car. Seems every time I fill up it fills to a different level.

I refuse to draft because it is unsafe. No way am I compromising my reaction cushion to save a buck. I'm happy with 50+ on my drive to school with all of the stop and go. I coast when I can and keep it under 65.

[krousdb]

It's been about a year since I switched from the VX to a Prius. A switch that resulted in lower FE. But since I was driving more, and the Prius was more safe and comfortable to drive, the Prius made more sense. Over the past 10 months (30k miles) the Prius has averaged 58 MPG. The VX turned in mid to upper 60's on the same route. From my gaslog you can see that I averaged about 69 MPG over 17k miles. During the first part of the gaslog, when I was reeeeealy trying, I was averaging mid 70's.

I remember one fine summer day when I found a nice truck to draft on both legs of my 140 mile commute. I averaged 83 MPG for the day.

I miss the VX but the Prius is more comfortable and has AC. The AC is necessary during July and August when the temps were 95-110 F.

Dan

[SVOboy]

Dan! I've missed you so!

[MetroMPG]

Nice to hear from GasSaver's VX pioneer.

Maybe no one hypermiles their VX's because Dan's not around to skool the slackers!

[krousdb]

It's hard to skool the slackers when one no longer has a VX. I don't deserve the praise since I have downgraded.

[MetroMPG]

You're a regular Kissinger.

[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by krousdb

It's hard to skool the slackers when one no longer has a VX. I don't deserve the praise since I have downgraded.

*onmyknees*

[krousdb]

Guys,
As much as it pains me to say, I have had to become a part time hypermiler. The commute is 70 miles each way. My family comes first. I leave at 5:45 AM and return home at 6:45 PM. To do that I have to go 73 MPH on I-95/I-40 for 50 miles each way. The remaining 20 miles I can use the hypermiling techniques. Still I manage 58 MPG average. I am content with that but I am not comfortable preaching to the VXers. I have guilt.

[SVOboy]

Haha, it's okay, i think most of us would be satisfied with 58mpg and the rest of us would take a hit on it if we commuted that far. I sure as hell would.

[krousdb]

Ben,
I have respect for those who put thier money where thier mouth is. You have displaced 58 miles with your bike. I am impressed. I wish I had the wherewithal to do that.

[SVOboy]

Don't tease, I've hardly driven this year, *getsgrumpy*

[krousdb]

It's the thought that counts.

[TomO]

Originally Posted by krousdb

I miss the VX but the Prius is more comfortable and has AC. The AC is necessary during July and August when the temps were 95-110 F.

Dan

The commendation here lies in the fact that you were resourceful enough to get the vehicle that best suited your needs and still yields you great FE. I doubt that any non-FE minded person would have the foresight for that. They would just drive their Humvee at 80+ mph the whole way.

[James]

Dan-
Good to see you back on the site. There's nothing wrong with 58 MPG! I can't quite manage that in my vx. i can manage over 60 on a few ideal trips, but overall am around 55. I think all of us vx drivers aim to get the mpg you got with yours but it is very hard to do. I am thinking maybe the LRR tires are crucial to this car. Also you did the complete belly pan, which probably makes a big difference.
The next two things i am going after on mine are the tires and the aero. I think I have the driving technique down fairly well, but not perfect since i dont have the super mid.

[James]

Or was that just your del sol that had the full belly pan?