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Great Gas Mileage; MPG Results
Topic Started: Aug 28 2009, 09:41 AM (2,454 Views)
91xfi1.0


Hi Everyone,

I am enjoying my 91 xfi. I recently arrived home from a 3000 mile trip. My trip covered mountains, to the desert to the prairie. I got everything from 44 mpg to 60 mpg! I am guessing this is a trip wide average of 50 mpg.

I have several observations (which you guys who have had Geos longer than me already know.)

1. Geos do not like steep hills. :lol I made the mistake of being in the passing lane while going up a hill. Mental note: do not do this again. My wife and I joked about the different vehicles that were passing me (old lady passed me, semi truck passed me, VW van passed me, man on bicycle passed me, etc.)

2. Going over 65 mph seems to drastically hurt my mpg. The Geo is aerodynamic as a brick? I would imagine the Geo loves 55mph, but I didn't slow down that much to find out. I had to great of distances to cover in a short time. Makes me wonder what kind of mph I would get at 55mph.

It makes me wonder what would happen if the 3 cylinder motor was modernized with the latest technology, and that motor was put in a modern car that weighed the same, and was aerodynamic.

3. The Geo seems to have a great motor even though it was designed to produce less friction. I probably only used 1/4 quart to 1/2 quart of oil during the trip. Great for a car with over 100k miles.

Concluding thought:
It is not necessary to have a high powered car. The Geo cheaply and easily gets the job done without expensive high tech parts. While not fast, the Geo gets the job down frugally. Car manufacturers... please make cars for us people who care about getting great mpg, do not care about acceleration and do not need a huge vehicle.

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Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

I'm glad you and the Wife had a great vacation. :thumb
I concur with your observations. ^o) Office Space Video Clip.
That's why I went the tuner route and add some race parts for climbing hills and such. I still got 52 mpg overall for my vacation but just a high of 58. ;) Let's not forget the extra weight of luggage, spare tire yeda, yada.
I think going over 65 drastically hurts everyone's gas mileage. The real bricks get less than 30, er...15 mpg and did you ever see a Prius doing less than 65? :lol
I believe the cars you want: "Car manufacturers... please make cars for us people who care about getting great mpg, do not care about acceleration and do not need a huge vehicle." Actually exist, but not in this country! Exceptions being us, maybe the Focus and Mini's etc. but IMO it's an individual choice to resist the impulse (brainwash) to buy something BIG, Safe, secure feeling and trendy (white, silver/gray, champagne, and black). :lol
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91xfi1.0


Bad Bent
Aug 28 2009, 11:18 AM
I'm glad you and the Wife had a great vacation. :thumb
I concur with your observations. ^o) Office Space Video Clip.
That's why I went the tuner route and add some race parts for climbing hills and such. I still got 52 mpg overall for my vacation but just a high of 58. ;) Let's not forget the extra weight of luggage, spare tire yeda, yada.
I think going over 65 drastically hurts everyone's gas mileage. The real bricks get less than 30, er...15 mpg and did you ever see a Prius doing less than 65? :lol
I believe the cars you want: "Car manufacturers... please make cars for us people who care about getting great mpg, do not care about acceleration and do not need a huge vehicle." Actually exist, but not in this country! Exceptions being us, maybe the Focus and Mini's etc. but IMO it's an individual choice to resist the impulse (brainwash) to buy something BIG, Safe, secure feeling and trendy (white, silver/gray, champagne, and black). :lol
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Haha. Funny clip. My wife and I enjoyed it.
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dimetrodon


In the book Gusher of Lies by Texas journalist Robert Bryce, there is a graph of inflation-corrected gasoline prices from about 1940 to 2007. The inflation-corrected price of gasoline was at it's historical minimum between 1990 and 2000. in other words, North Americans were "allowed" to buy high mileage cars like the Metro during that period of time when we needed them the least.

As for Aerodynamics, the Metro is excellent as automobiles go. In order to make it a lot better, fairly drastic mods would be necessary. I suspect a Metro engine and transmission in a body like the Aptera car.... would deliver 80 or 90 mpg without radical changes of tuning or gear ratios. With radical upgrades, a car shaped like an Aptera and propelled by an internal combustion engine could probably go well over 100 mpg, maybe 150 assuming it is highway and not city driving.

What could you get if you drove a steady 55 mph? That is what i do for about 3/4ths of my daily commute. I get between 55 and 58 mpg depending on temperature, wind speed, wind direction, tire inflation, traffic density, and the number of semi's that are either speeding or driving 55mph the way they are supposed to.

Metros are great cars for long distance commuters. I can think of nothing I'd rather be driving,... unless I hit a PowerBall lottery jackpot. Then all bets are off. :)
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Coche Blanco
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What is the metros Cd? I feel like I read it was .32 or something.
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Johnny Mullet
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Fear the Mullet

I had to make a few trips to central, PA since my mom is in the hospital (still there after a week) and I will admit, these cars hate hills. I have to climb Cresson mountain and it's a real, long, steep hill. On my first trip with the Metro, it was recently rebuilt, but stock. I was getting passed by fully loaded dump trucks, busses, bicycles, and Amish buggies. I was in 3rd gear, to the wood, going 30 MPH :smackface

After getting a 3Tech Performance economy cam and 10 degree advanced timing gear, I was able to make the same trip and climb the same mountain in 4th gear at 45 MPH :)
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dimetrodon


The engine is after all, only a 1.0 liter displacement. Most people with riding lawnmowers probably have larger engines.
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Coche Blanco
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1.0l is pretty big (for a lawnmower), most BIG lawnmowers have around a 700cc-800cc.

But I agree with you.
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dimetrodon


I stand corrected. I checked out a random 23 HP mower and found that it's engine displaced 724 cc's. Nevertheless, I am amazed at how well the Metro's 1.0 liter pulls the car around. Frankly, I love the car. I wish I had discovered Metros when they were first introduced. And thank you Johnny for setting up this website.
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91xfi1.0


dimetrodon
Aug 28 2009, 10:45 PM
I stand corrected. I checked out a random 23 HP mower and found that it's engine displaced 724 cc's. Nevertheless, I am amazed at how well the Metro's 1.0 liter pulls the car around. Frankly, I love the car. I wish I had discovered Metros when they were first introduced. And thank you Johnny for setting up this website.
I agree with you. I saw the power specs at different rpms for the 1.0 motor, and I am remembering low numbers like 8hp at 1500 rpms or something like that. It is amazing to me that a Geo can plunk around with as much hp as some push mowers.
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Coche Blanco
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8hp? That may be a bit underrated, although at times I don't doubt it. I've always wanted to hook up a 10hp Briggs engine to my cars engine, to have it aid in acceleration. It would be pretty cool lol

I have entertained the thought of an electric motor for aid and in stop and go traffic, but I can't seem to ever save up the money.
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Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

Just a riding lawnmower aside... My best friend was a Seabee in Rhode Island, CB-71. An Officer brought in his riding lawnmower to be worked on. My friend took the engine and bored it out to match a piston he had in the shop, polished the exhaust and basically added a straight pipe exhaust. They were doing donuts around the shop on this mower. I believe someone complained but the Officer was higher ranking. :thumb The Officer was very happy with it. :D

My friend also tells me these officers had flag pole envy. One Officer just had to have a flag pole that was 6" taller than his neighbors. :smackface
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Coche Blanco
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This may or may not be the right Dyno sheet of the 1.0, but I think it's right. I doubt it loses that much HP in 1k rpms.
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91xfi1.0


Coche Blanco
Aug 29 2009, 02:21 PM
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This may or may not be the right Dyno sheet of the 1.0, but I think it's right. I doubt it loses that much HP in 1k rpms.
Hi, I may be wrong. The horsepower stats I looked at were the one where they tested a singh grooved head. The bk hp at 2000 rpm was 6 hp for the stock head. Maybe I am reading this wrong. Here is the link for it-

http://www.herningg.com/singh/Engine%20Running%20Tests%20Analysis.pdf

You smarter guys out there can set the record straight for me. :)
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Coche Blanco
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Hell, i've never seen that before. lol Maybe it is 6hp @ 2k...
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