Tuning Your Car for 100 MPG

I don't think the gas mileage is quite worth the embarassment. Maybe at $12 a gallon.

The front wheels can't even turn like that. Congratulations, you now have to use reverse on the onramp to get onto the freeway.

100 mpg? I think they may have taken the engine out too, just paddle I guess.

I suggest walking.

Their carbon footprint will be offset by my flooring it to get around them and up to speed on the freeway on ramp. Some of these econo-drivers are down right dangerous!

lol good one 3.14

I'm all for mpg's but at some point you need to cut out the ridiculousness and realize the cars optimal potential. My Matrix gets between 23-30mpg city/highway. I currently average 28mpg driving in mix traffic,city,highway. Considering driving my old style was yielding 23mpg and 223 miles to the tank. I now consistently get about 280-290, and on trips well over 300.

1)I don't floor it, but I will get myself up to speed when getting on a highway for that short time, no sense in being the 40mph slow guy getting on.

2)I cruise at 65-70, rarely topping 75. if someone comes up behind me, I am sure to move over before they get to close or at the earliest and safest convenience if there are people in the lane next to me. You are helping them by not making them slow down and you still keep yourself at a good pace.

3)If I need to get around someone I do it when I know its ok. If I am only going to do 70 to pass someone and another driver is coming up doing 80, not my turn to pass, wait it out. What's 1 more car by.

4)Spacing in traffic and allowing the car to coast while others are braking also yields benefits to keeping the mpgs higher. If someone wants in the lane, no need to rush up and stop them. I've found that the difference only becomes like 3-5 minutes at most for my commute.

Wow, that's actually not really all that good for that car.

I have a Mazdaspeed3, which, is probably quite similar interior room and outside dimensions, yet, I have 260hp on tap and scream to 60 2-3 seconds faster than a Matrix.

My MPG's have been improving as the car breaks in (currently about 10.7k miles on it) and I'm averaging 25.8 mpg! Just checked last night.

Keep in mind I do 70% 30mph city/suburb driving and the rest on the highway (I accelerate fast but then keep my cruising speeds at around 72)

As far as I'm concerned I have an excellent MPG/Performance balance - and plenty of room in the hatch.

@ Whelan and M35MT,

Good posts.
It's sad that the vast majority of American drivers don't understand such simple practices and courtesies that you both spoke of.

Well the mileage is actually pretty good. I drove a Mazda 3 hatch, fun car, but too small for me. The Matrix can swallow things, and has more cargo room than the 3. I can fit an 8' ladder with the hatch closed. I also carried myself, 4 adult males, a foldup table, two coolers, a grill, all our cold weather gear for the football game. Drove from CT down the the Jets game and back on less than half a tank, sitting in traffic and cruising around.

Also keep in mind that my car is AWD. I lose power through the drivetrain and also some mpg's compared with the base and XRS models. Not to mention the added weight of the AWD system.

Good post Whelan. If we all observed right of way then we would all get better fuel economy.

Good article. Makes me want to try some DIY stuff too, maybe like the electric motorcycle they talk about.