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Hi
I am always on this site looking for ways to maximize my mpg. I drive a 06 chevy aveo sedan with a 5spd. I am currently laid off, but my everyday commute was 140 miles round trip so mpg is important to me. When searching for a vehicle I wanted something that was plain and cheap with good mileage. I drive alot of miles a year so I got this car so I wouldn't be out so much in such short time. I currently have 64,000 miles on it. My best tank avg was 38.7 in the summer and in the winter I get around 32. I am glad to get at least this good ,but I feel there is no reason I shouldn't be getting more! I use mobil 1 full synthetic and I have a k&n air filter. I keep my tires up a little higher then normal. What is the biggest thing I can do on the highway to get the best mpg I can. I drive the freeway for 70 miles at 65mph. Any other aveo drivers out there? What you doing and getting per gal?

Welcome to CleanMPG. There are two other Aveo drivers I can think of who are members here. Your writeup suggests you have a good baseline of fuel efficient practices.
You noted you keep your tires pressed up "a little higher than normal". Depending on the recommended pressures on the door frame and on the tires themselves, you might have a little headroom there to set the pressures closer to what the sidewall says, if you feel comfortable doing so.

The only suggestion I have is to stay closer to 55mph on the freeway rather than 65mph. Stick to the right lane and practice ridge riding if traffic is moving at or above 65. I typically drive 10mph under the limit, or the posted minimum limit, since it is an easy way to boost fuel economy significantly.
If you haven't read it yet, head to the home page and look for the link to "Beating the EPA" and read through it. You will see descriptions of many techniques you can use. Always start with the beginner level and master the techniques, and incorporate them into your daily driving, and then progress to the more advanced techniques.
If the budget permits, consider purchasing a Scan Gage. This is a simple device that allows you to monitor powertrain parameters and make minor modifications to your driving while underway in order to push fuel economy to levels you couldn't imagine.
Read up and ask lots of questions. You will find the membership here to be friendly and eager to help.

Thanks for the welcome and the input maxxmpg!

The scan guage must be a big part of keeping an eye on your mpg. I will have to look into getting one of those.

Welcome To CleanMPG!

The Scangauge gives you instantaneous feedback about the performance of your engine.


Read the links in my sig for direction to some great info here.

Another hearty welcome from a fellow Minnesotan! What part of the state do you hail from?

Welcome!

I know we all sound like salesmen, but the scanguage (or something comparable) is definitely a must! Besides that, the speeds are important for the highway driving... You mentioned a 5spd, so I am sure you can learn to own in the city and at lower highway speeds.

Best,

Matt

Welcome to the board.

As has been suggested so far dropping your speed will help a lot.
65 mph should be the top speed you should run for gas mileage. As far as the K&N goes because you already have a fuel injected motor it is pretty much useless when it comes to improving gas mileage. It won't hurt so keep using it since you already paid for it.

Try running running a little slower down around 62.1 mph (100KPH) and see how much it improves your fuel economy.

Speed kills mileage.

Here is some testing I did back on 07 with my Volvo 960.

50 mph 35.4 mpg
55 mph 33.9 mpg
60 mph 31.15 mpg
65 mph 28.5 mpg

The Aveo isn't geared very well for the highway -- 65 will kill your mileage. It also doesn't do well until the engine is warm, so you might look into a (partial?) grille block, though you might want to wait until you have a good way to monitor temps such as a scan gauge.

Thanks to all for the welcome. I would like to know more about the scan gauge and what it has that I would need it to tell me.Would someone be kind enough to give me a run down on what settings it has and what situations I would benefit most using it. Thanks again! Oh and right lane cruiser i'm from Pine City,MN

Welcome to the board.

As has been suggested so far dropping your speed will help a lot.
65 mph should be the top speed you should run for gas mileage. As far as the K&N goes because you already have a fuel injected motor it is pretty much useless when it comes to improving gas mileage. It won't hurt so keep using it since you already paid for it.

Try running running a little slower down around 62.1 mph (100KPH) and see how much it improves your fuel economy.

Speed kills mileage.

Here is some testing I did back on 07 with my Volvo 960.

50 mph 35.4 mpg
55 mph 33.9 mpg
60 mph 31.15 mpg
65 mph 28.5 mpg

I was wondering about the air filter. Why wouldn't it help?How does the engine being fuel injected change the amount of air you want coming in? Just because it's only going to allow so much anyway? I have to say I got it so I wouldn't have to change it anymore with anything else a plus! Thanks Ryan

Although it depends on the design of the fuel system, most engine computers measure air flow using a mass airflow sensor. Knowing how much air is flowing into the engine, it knows how much fuel to inject based on engine load, throttle position, engine speed, etc. The oxygen sensor reading is used to tweak the mixture ('amount of fuel injected') to be as close to perfect as possible.
Since the throttle plate is the major obstruction in the engine intake (closing almost completely to idle the engine), the minor reduction in resistance offered by aftermarket air filters doesn't matter much except for instances where the engine is routinely run at the redline. Aftermarket air filters and air intake systems are sold based on their ability to offer better air flow so the engine can breathe easier. But at the engine speeds used for peak fuel economy, the minor difference in intake air flow is not enough to justify the investment.

Pine City? Oy... that's a bit far from here but if you are ever in the area and want a driving clinic (free) let me know.

The ScanGauge is most useful for the instantaneous and average MPG displays. Using the two in concert allows you to tune your driving for much higher efficiency. Other gauges are also quite helpful but those two are the main ones we use.

Thanks right lane, I would love to come down sometime and ride in my favorite car of all time the Honda insight gen 1 of course! I have loved that car since it came out. I have yet to ride in one though. Thanks for the invite and maybe we could make that happen sometime!! my email is hamms55@yahoo.com I'll keep in touch for more advice as as well! .....Ryan