45.7 Mpg

[YoungOne]

my little go-cart (an 87' Chevy Sprint, 1L 3cyl) gets 45.7mpg . For commutes it is a great car, but on washboard roads and gravel paths I don't know what my 12" tires are going to do (I won't be moving till spring).

Anyone have an opinion on whether my little go-cart will make it? Anyone with recomendations on other good to great gas milage vehicles that will stand up?

[HermitJohn]

I have a '89 Festiva that gets 44mpg. Yep those skinny 12 inch tires arent great on gravel. Though I get it places a bigger car would get hung. My driveway is a steep rutted mess, but when dry I get up ok. And muffler stays on after I replaced rear springs with some stiffer ones off an old Triumph. When its wet/slick I drive my 4wd Ranger though it gets only 15mpg.

What I wish I had however is a 90's era Suzuki Samurai or ragtop Suzuki Sidekick which is same thing as Geo/ChevyTracker. 15 inch tires 4wd but tiny engine. They did make 2wd Sidekick/Tracker if you dont need 4wd and want bit better mileage. By way there are even couple kits out there to swap in a VW diesel engine if you really want ultimate fuel mileage. Yep a Sidekick/Tracker with a non-computerized VW turbo diesel would work for me. Though no more than I drive, I wouldnt mind an early era Bronco with the 200cu in straight six. I had a '72 way back when and it got low 20's mpg out on hiway in 2wd. I dont think the 4wd Sidekick/Tracker does much better than 25mpg and the old Bronco had plenty of low end torque unlike the buzzy little Suzuki gas engine.

[WisJim]

The Sprint/Geo/Swift etc is a much better car than it appears at first. We got one partly because a fellow I work with had one with over 200,000 miles on it and going strong. I find it more comfortable (especially headroom) than many larger cars.
And the worst mileage I have gotten on a tank of gas so far is 43.9mpg, mostly in town and short trips.

[fastbackpony]

I used to have a sprint and to this day it was my favorite car ! Did great on gravel, and the neighbors came to know me as the blue streak. They run and run and run . . and run . . . . .on gravel or street.
lucky you

[fastbackpony]

Oh, i forgot to add, i drove quite a bit, and used to use $6 every two weeks ! !
those were the days